Headland Turn
The cycle of raising the implement at the end of the field, making the turn and lowering the implement again as you enter the new row. Because it is repeated on every pass it takes up a noticeable share of the total working time; how quickly and repeatably the raise and lower commands are given directly affects the daily work capacity.
Three things determine the duration of the manoeuvre: the raise and lower speed of the linkage, the turning radius and the way the operator gives the command. On a manual dial system the operator has to find and pull the lever and then catch the same notch again after the turn; this both takes time and leads to depth deviation.
- Raise just before entering the turn and lower after you are fully into the row.
- Raising the implement higher than necessary lengthens the time and heats the oil for nothing.
- If the descent speed control is set very restrictive, you lose a few seconds on every pass.
The most concrete benefit of electronic retrofit kits is seen here. On the LFT20 and LFT54 a single touch of the illuminated or electronic switch pulls the mechanism from the cable; on the ELF-812 the joystick does the same job. The operator does not have to look for the lever, and the command applies the same stroke on every pass. Although there is no measured claim of fuel saving, the shortening of the manoeuvre time is a functional gain.
The context where this term is used: Converting a tractor hydraulic lever to electronic control