Ford Series 320 Pull-Type Planter Operator's Manual
This is the Operator's Manual for the Ford Series 320 pull-type planter, covering row spacing, seed hoppers, seed plates, seeding rates, attachments, assembly, and pre-delivery procedures across 44 pages. Also includes the 10-page Granular Herbicide-Insecticide Applicators for Ford 320 Planters Parts List — making this a complete documentation package for operators running chemical applicator attachments. Available as an instant digital download.
About the Ford Series 320 Planter
The Ford Series 320 was a pull-type row crop planter produced in the 1960s and 1970s, designed for hitching to the drawbar of Ford utility tractors and pulled through the field on its own gauge wheels. Unlike the 309's 3-point rear mount or the 310's toolbar system, the 320's pull-type configuration gave it more flexibility in row spacing and planter unit count — the frame could be set up for variable row spacings and the attachment list was extensive, covering fertilizer, herbicide-insecticide applicator, disc furrow openers, press wheels, and bed sweeps. The 320 used Ford's seed disc metering system with interchangeable hoppers for corn, cotton, and peanuts, and the seed plate and seeding rate information in the manual covers multiple crops and population targets. The granular herbicide-insecticide applicator was a significant attachment for the era — at-plant chemical application was becoming standard practice on Corn Belt operations in the late 1960s, and the included parts list is valuable for operators still running these applicator systems who need to identify replacement components. The 320 was directly comparable in its application to IH's 56 and 58 series planters and John Deere's 494 series, and was widely used on Ford tractor operations throughout the Corn Belt and Mid-South.
What This Manual Covers
This download includes the 44-page 320 operator's manual and the 10-page granular herbicide-insecticide applicators parts list. Key sections include:
- Safety Precautions — Ford's original operating safety requirements
- General Information — planter overview and component identification
- Operation — attaching to the tractor; row spacing configuration; transporting; planting depth adjustment; down pressure adjustment; adjusting double disc seed openers; seed shaft and seed combinations; seed hoppers; seed plate selection; seeding rates
- Lubrication — lubrication points and service intervals
- Storing the Planter — end-of-season storage procedures
- Troubleshooting — common planting problems and corrections
- Assembly — planter frame assembly; jack stand installation; press wheel installation; planter unit installation; fertilizer hopper attachment installation; marker installation
- Attachments — fertilizer attachment; fertilizer single or double disc openers; row markers; disc furrow openers; spoon coverers; seed press wheel; gauge shoe attachments; gauge shoe sweeps; short wing sweep; bed sweeps; press wheel scraper; press wheel options; jack stand; supplemental transport wheels; drive wheel sprockets; peanut hopper; tillage attachments; Lev-L-Mixer systems; herbicide-insecticide applicator hopper; metering unit; hopper divider; drop tubes; herbicide and insecticide spreaders
- Pre-Delivery — factory pre-delivery inspection checklist
- Granular Herbicide-Insecticide Applicators Parts List (10 pages) — component identification and part numbers for the chemical applicator system
Why This Manual Matters
- Granular herbicide-insecticide applicators parts list included: The 10-page parts list is included in this download — providing the component identification and part numbers needed to service or repair the applicator system that the base operator's manual doesn't cover in detail; valuable for operators still running at-plant chemical application on aging 320 planters
- Extensive attachment documentation: The 320's attachment list is one of the most comprehensive in Ford's planter lineup, covering Lev-L-Mixer tillage systems, multiple press wheel configurations, and the full chemical applicator system — this manual documents all of them
- Seed plate and seeding rate charts: The factory seed plate selection and seeding rate charts for corn, cotton, and peanut crops are the authoritative reference for population planning and seed lot matching on the 320
- Down pressure adjustment: The 320's down pressure adjustment is documented with the factory-specified settings for different soil conditions — an adjustment that's frequently skipped on older planters but directly affects seed furrow opening and closing in varying soil types
- Pull-type assembly documentation: The complete frame assembly procedures — frame, jack stand, press wheels, fertilizer hoppers, and markers — are documented for operators reassembling a planter that was stored disassembled or acquired in components
- Original factory content: This is the manual Ford issued to 320 planter owners, carrying manual code SE 3243 2696
Manual Code: SE 3243 2696
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