Currently, farming activities are becoming busy across the country. Among them, rice, as one of the three major staple foods, has its transplanting stage as an important part of the annual farming process. To ensure the smooth operation of machine transplanting, the editor has compiled some precautions for the use and maintenance of rice transplanters for your reference.

(Rice paddy field, image from the internet)

　　A rice transplanter is a planting machine that plants rice seedlings in paddy fields. Its function is to improve the efficiency and quality of transplanting, achieve reasonable dense planting, and facilitate subsequent mechanized operations.

　　Before operation, check the engine, the working mechanism of the transplanter, the walking mechanism, and the control mechanism. The main items to check on the engine are fuel level, oil level, and the condition of all connection and fastening parts; the main items to check on the transplanter's working mechanism are the seedling feeding mechanism, crank, rocker, seedling claws, transplanting forks, etc., for wear, deformation, lubrication, and clearance; the main items to check on the walking and control mechanisms are the clutch, drive wheels, steering clutch working condition, gearbox oil level, V-belt tension, drive sprocket box oil level, and various control cables.

　　During operation, adjustments should be made to the engine, the transplanter's working mechanism, the walking mechanism, and the control mechanism.

　　Engine adjustments mainly include adjusting the spark plug gap and the carburetor idle speed.

　　Adjustments to the transplanter's working mechanism mainly include plant spacing, number of plants, transplanting depth, and the clearance between the seedling needle and the transplanting fork.

　　Adjustments to the walking and control mechanisms mainly include: adjusting the cables such as the transplant clutch handle cable, safety cable, hydraulic lift handle cable, steering clutch cable, etc., for clearance and sensitivity. If the clearance is too large or the sensitivity is insufficient, adjust the nuts accordingly. Also, apply a few drops of oil inside these cable holes to reduce friction and increase sensitivity.

　　If the transplanter gets stuck in the paddy field and needs to be pulled out, tie the rope to the rope hook at the front of the machine for towing. Be sure not to tie the rope to any part other than the rope hook to avoid machine deformation and damage. Also, remove all seedlings and other unnecessary loads placed on the seedling loading platform, the prepared seedling loading platform, and the machine platform before towing.

　　After each shift, clean the mud and debris from the transplanter, and also clean the engine's carburetor, sediment cup, and air filter. Park the machine in a place free of traffic hazards, flat and stable, turn off the engine, and then perform inspections, oiling, and other operations. Allow the muffler, engine, and other overheated parts to cool sufficiently before inspection, oiling, and maintenance to avoid burns. Smoking and open flames are prohibited when refueling. After refueling, ensure the fuel cap is properly closed and wipe off any spilled fuel. When removing the cover for inspection and maintenance of the transplanter, please reinstall it as it was. Operating the machine without the cover may cause entanglement with the machine.

　　Change the engine oil after one season or 50 hours of operation; change the oil in the transplanter's seedling box after two seasons or 100 hours; change the gear oil in the transplanter's gearbox after three seasons or 150 hours.

　　After more than 100 hours of operation, the transplanter requires regular maintenance; storage maintenance, also called post-season maintenance, is important. Since the transplanter is often stored idle for several months or even more than half a year after a working season ends, proper post-season maintenance is crucial to extend the service life of the transplanter.

　　(Source: Agricultural Machinery Network)