SEED BRAKES

Airguard seed brakes are designed to fit into the natural curve of your air seeder hoses. The exit port should be positioned downhill of the inlet port to reduce the chance of plugging. It is not critical that it is installed completely upright.

There are many potential installation locations, such as at the manifolds or between the frame and the opener. For most drills, it is recommended to place the Seed Brakes 6-12″ above the opener.

When installing, ensure that:

• The Seed Brake will not interfere with the trip mechanism
• It won’t hit the bottom of the drill frame when the trip is engaged
• If placed further up the hose for proper clearance, ensure there are no dips in the hose after the brake

Note that if you install at the manifolds, sags in the hose or longer hose lengths may cause plugging issues with lower air speeds.

Once your Airguard Seed brakes are adjusted they must be locked in position using silicone. Due to the vibrations experienced during operation, this is the only way to prevent the caps from loosening.

The installation process includes a step to loosen the cap from each seed brake, place a dab of silicon on the threads, and then tighten the cap. This prevents the caps from loosening due to vibration during operation on the air drill.

The longevity depends on several factors:

• The type of product you’re putting through the seed brakes
• The size of your air seeder
• The number of acres that you plant

Highly abrasive seeds like rice and fertilizer will severely reduce the life of the product. Stainless Steel Seed Brakes (Models 7350 and 7360) are recommended for abrasive seeds and fertilizer application. Our goal is an average product lifespan of 3-4 years.

Several factors can cause plugging issues:

• Dusty or poor quality fertilizer, especially when humidity is high
• Excessive seed treatment products
• Trying to push too much product through the system

Solutions:

• Air Seeder Fan Blockage Prevention Systems are a great solution to reduce the humidity in your air system and can significantly reduce plugging issues
• If you are using smaller seed brakes, consider switching to a larger model so that there is more room for product to flow freely through the spiral
• For fertilizer applications, use the Stainless Steel Model 7360, which is specifically designed for fertilizer use

For models 7330, 7340, and 7360 (adjustable seed brakes), follow these steps:

1. Turn on the fan at the tractor and set the air speed to the highest RPM used for seeding (4500 RPM is a good starting point)
2. Choose a Seed Brake in the center of the drill or where the airflow is strongest and measure the wind speed with a wind meter
3. Record this as your target speed
4. Measure each Seed Brake exit port, removing washers as needed to match the target speed:
   • Small Shim equals approximately 1 mph
   • Medium Shim equals approximately 2 mph
   • Large Shim equals approximately 4 mph
5. After adjustments, secure the caps with silicone to prevent loosening

Note: Calibration of seed brakes is only done when installing for the first time. Once calibrated, all air flow adjustments are made using the fan speed as per normal operation.

It is recommended to keep the fan RPM as low as possible without plugging the hoses with product. A good starting point is to be 5-10% higher than factory recommended fan speeds to ensure that plugging is not an issue.

If fan speed is too high, seed placement may be compromised and lighter seeds may enter the exhaust stream of the seed brake.

Yes, Airguard Seed Brakes can be used with blockage monitors. It is ideal to mount the sensors below the Seed Brakes, but they can be used above the Seed Brake as well.

When mounting the blockage monitor above the seed brake, our mesh screen option must be installed (Part #7357). This ensures that product is contained and allows the blockage monitors to work properly.