August 25, 2025
By Ashley Smith, Sarah Beth Thompson, and Wesley Porter
As we discussed last week, we are quickly approaching maturity on peanuts. Now that we are finished(-ing) corn harvest, we should take some time to go through our harvest equipment for peanut and cotton so that we are ready to go when they hit optimum maturity and the weather is cooperative. The goal of this post is to break down the steps of setting up a peanut inverter and what parts to focus on to get it ready as we move into digging season. Below are 8 steps to check over your inverter to help set-up and head-off routine maintenance problems in the field.
Step 1: Start with the Tractor (This is best completed on a level concrete pad.)
- Front weights/ballast are most likely needed
- Rear tires
- Same size? (Different brands may not be exact)
- Same/adequate tire pressure
- As simple as this sounds I have heard too many stories of inverters not performing correctly and it coming down to a difference in tractor tire pressure. Even small leaks in tires can cause major problems during the day!
- Draft arms/links
- Level to tractor
- Correct hitch pin size, any slack or movement here will be amplified throughout the rest of the inverter and can make it near impossible to set correctly.
- Top link
- Inverter should rest (level) on front tip of blade and rear gauge wheels, if it does not adjust appropriately, then readjust once it the field for final leveling.