Farmers work hard every day and you expect your equipment to work just as hard. Equipment that doesn’t run well, or doesn’t run at all, can result in crops rotting in the field, instead of putting money in your pocket. These tips will help you keep your equipment in top shape.
Inspect Your Equipment Regularly
You can’t fix problems you don’t know exist, so it is important to do regular inspections. Give all your equipment a good visual inspection before you start work each day. Take particular care to check critical components that see a lot of wear and tear, like your parker commercial pumps, and order replacement parts as needed.
You should also check switches, lights, brakes, filters, coolants, anti-freeze and lubricants regularly and top off or replace when needed.
When you’re done working for the day, make sure your equipment is cleaned properly. Dirty equipment is more susceptible to rust, rot, clogged filters and other problems caused by accumulated dirt and debris.
Keep Your Engine Running
The engine is the heart of most of your big equipment and it is vital to make sure that the heart keeps pumping efficiently. Make sure you’re not wearing out your engine prematurely by using a machine that doesn’t have the horsepower for your application.
For your gas-powered engines, make sure they’ll start when you need them to by regularly checking and replacing the spark plugs and batteries. A properly functioning carburetor is also critical, so keep it tuned up.
Make Sure You’re Up to Date
Maintenance isn’t something you can just do once and then forget about it. You need to be constantly vigilant to avoid those unexpected equipment failures. Make a maintenance schedule and stick to it.
Equipment that isn’t operated properly is more likely to fail, so be sure to keep the training of everyone who operates your equipment up to date.
Winterize Your Equipment
The harvest is in and you’ve prepared the fields for their long winter’s nap, but don’t just put your equipment out to pasture. Properly winterizing your equipment at the end of the season can make sure everything is ready to go when spring rolls around.
Make sure you fix anything that is broken and change out or drain any fluids that will freeze in cold weather.
Being proactive with your equipment maintenance, instead of waiting until something breaks will save you time, money and stress.