Tips for Farm Machinery Maintenance

Throughout the year a farmer ought to keep a watchful eye on his farming equipment and be on alert for the next job harvest therefore the farm machinery must be in perfect shape all-year round. When you have quality farming equipment that is fully functional at all times, you can rest assured that the harvest would be performed meticulously, if things go south and if the tractor combine fails to work efficiently, then you might risk losing thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Luckily, by looking after your machinery and performing frequent preventative maintenance of all your farm equipment, you can maximally reduce the potential malfunctioning of those machinery and upscale your yield. Avoid taking your machines for repairs every once and a while, and ensure you don’t lose the money you have invested or hoped to earn, so consider applying some of the following tips for farm machinery maintenance.

Inspect all your documents

When going gets tough, don’t wait until the last moment to search for some vital documents need for the farm machinery maintenance. First, you need to have a neatly organised system for keeping records and sorting out important documents. Get a decent diary or a record book where you would store all your receipts, dealership information, insurance papers, owner’s manuals, service records, and warranties. Also, check the due date and create a special reminder in your calendar about the next machinery service or when you need to do some maintenance tasks. When you have all your documents adequately organized, you would stay up-to-date with all the records and ensure the maintenance is performed in the right way.

Use and handle the machinery with care

Probably one of the most crucial pieces of advice you can incorporate is making sure you are using your farming machinery the right way. When you purchase a new tractor or a combination that has a special grinder or welder, for instance, such as Whitefield Farm Equipment has to offer, you would get a special owner’s manual that would clearly indicate how to handle and use your machine. What is more, by knowing how to operate your machine and getting clearer hands-on training for that machine, you would enhance your workers’ safety and prolong the machine’s lifespan. Machine misuse or wrongdoing can cause severe consequences and other undesirable malfunctions.

Check the oil on a regular basis

There are numerous types of farm machinery, however, most of them require oil in order to function without any issues. If you have been keeping your farm machines running at an optimum level, the chances are that you would also need to perform regular oil changes as well. Just like any other machine, unless you perform constant oil changes, the machine won’t be able to work adequately and it could even rust and deteriorate much sooner than it should. For that matter, inspect the oil levels, opt to change whenever it is recommended by the manufacturers, and make sure to inspect the oil filters as well.

Be on the lookout and protect machinery from damage

Nothing can really last forever, neither can machinery no matter from which type of material are they made of. One of the crucial parts of every farm machinery maintenance is to identify early signs of wear and tear and at the early stages discover the damage. Most farm machines need to handle and perform heavy-duty tasks and very often can get damaged simply because of regular use. Insect the bearings, belts, chains, shafts, sprockets, and other machine’s chains and covers. Replace anything that is faulty, loose, or worn out. The best way to protect the machine from early wear and tear is to deal with damage the second you spot it and not wait until the scheduled maintenance. Noticing any irregularities in time will help you protect the machine until a more severe problem arises. Performing wear and tear check-ups from time to time is one of the most eligible ways to prevent any huge issues from appearing.

Keep light and batteries in order

Farmers tend to work at night, especially during summer or hot days, furthermore, all machinery must have breaks, signals, and other lights to ensure proper functioning and work. Consequently, to keep up with adequate maintenance, you must ensure that every light on the machine and attached trailers are working with ease. Not only does this enhance operation safety but it also prolongs the machine’s shelf-life. On the other hand, some lights are charged while there is machinery that works seasonally and requires stronger batteries. Try storing the batteries inside whenever there is no need to use the farm machines to protect the batteries’ life span and ensure that all the farming tasks are completed without any disturbances.

Clean the machinery and equipment regularly

Some of the most essential things that would make every machinery maintenance successful are the cleanliness and safe-keep of the machines themselves. It’s of utmost importance to keep equipment clean. Keeping the machinery in top-notch condition so you would upscale the professional and efficiency. What needs to be done on a regular basis is an eloquent and regular cleaning and check-up. Perform such cleaning tasks where you could additionally ensure the filters are cleaned and replaced, take your machine to be pressure washed by the professionals, and check whether all the seals and gears are functioning without any issues. Lubricate the dated parts and gears regularly, and keep everything in solid condition to ensure the machine would last for a significant period of time. 

Store extra parts and equipment indoors

Harsh weather conditions, especially rain, and snow, can severely damage your farming equipment. Corrosion and rust are one of the most common culprits to machinery malfunction, so to prevent rust and other negative outcomes, the safest and most mindful solution is to store your farm equipment inside. Whenever you are not using farm machinery, the smartest option would be to store your equipment indoors. This would help preserve all your investments for the future and keep the farm machinery running efficiently for longer periods.

Hopefully, these farm machinery maintenance tips would serve you well and help you keep track of the state of your agricultural equipment. Make sure you follow the above-mentioned tips to enhance and prolong the lifespan of your farm machinery and evoke a lucrative yield.

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