Farm machinery plays a crucial role in taking care of crops, maintaining high productivity, and ensuring that your next harvest is done on time.
Agriculture Technology has come a long way in recent years, with a range of new machinery on the market to make life easier for rural farmers. Tractors, planters, and combines are becoming larger and more efficient each year, which reduces the labour for farmers.
Just a few generations ago, a farmer could happily make a living with a tractor and a few workers, but now the machinery is an integral part of the industry.
No matter if you’re looking at new-age technologies or still trusting the old-reliables, machinery maintenance is a must.
Here are some must-know tips to keep your equipment working year after year:
Clean Regularly
Proper care and maintenance is the best way to prolong the lifespan of your farm machinery. Cleaning your machinery should become standard practice. If you see built-up dirt in the undercarriage or around the body, it’s important to wash that away before it sets. If you farm crops you understand that dirt can get anywhere, so it’s crucial to have a close inspection of your vehicles and equipment regularly.
Dirt in the engine can become a catastrophic problem. If too much gets in, it can clog your engine up or cause severe damage. Dirt can also congest things like axels, suspension, wheels and any moving parts.
Regular cleans mean dirt and grime are less likely to find a way into the more exposed machinery, keeping your vehicles working better for longer.
Our rainwater tanks are a perfect and cheap resource for cleaning vehicles. Little to no filtration is needed for cleaning and agricultural purposes. Plus it is much more cost-effective than sourcing water.
Store Properly When The Job Is Done
Just like you, your machinery needs shelter too. Sometimes you may feel lazy and leave a tractor or other vehicle out in the paddock instead of returning it to the shed. While doing this once or twice won’t cause too much harm, making it a regular habit is an easy way to promote corrosion and breakdown.
Oil and Lubricate
Lubrication keeps machinery operating smoothly and prevents wear and tear caused by friction. Applying the right oils and lubrication to a machine’s moving parts improves the longevity of its life expectancy. Failure to lubricate can lead to regular and potentially costly repairs.
Oils also help clean the machine. It seeps into the gears and hard to reach places and dislodges and dirt or grime which may be caught.
Smart Operating
A few lifestyle changes will help increase the lifespan of your vehicles and farm machinery. Operating in haste is a sure way to push your machinery too hard. If you’re hard on the breaks, make sharp turns, overload your vehicles and often push your machinery to its limit, it may be time to consider some changes.
These things cause damage to regular cars, so when you’re making the same mistakes with a 7 tonne tractor, needless to say, the weight will put more strain on the inner workings and tyres.
Take caution and make sure you’re taking small preventative steps like applying the handbrake when stopped, adjusting the speed you’re travelling depending on terrain and load, and driving cautiously.
There’s also value in educating your workers and creating machinery guidelines for anyone using your equipment.
Vehicles are only getting more versatile, but with that, they become harder to maintain yourself. Regular checkups will save you money down the line by preventing the breakdown of an important machine.
Preventative measures are the best way to keep your machines running for longer without needing to tinker. Be sure to do regular maintenance jobs even if everything looks like it’s working well. If something goes wrong, we may be able to replace a piece with a durable polyethylene substitute.
At Global Rotomoulding we offer a range of agricultural supplies. From water tanks to vehicle-mounted containers to troughs and feeders plus much more, we can help your property fill a range of needs. Get in contact today to find the perfect item for your property.
Preventative measures are the best way to keep your machines running for longer without needing to tinker. Be sure to do regular maintenance jobs even if everything looks like it’s working well.