Maintaining Your Farm Equipment
Farm equipment is built to handle heavy loads and rough conditions, but even the best built machines eventually start to wear down. Proper maintenance will help your farm equipment to last longer and perform better. If you’d like a basic guide to farm equipment maintenance, this article from Manor Home Center can get you started.
Know Your Equipment
The most important step you can take when it comes to maintaining your farm equipment is simply to read the owner’s manual. It will contain invaluable information about the particulars of your model, what kinds of products can be used on/in it without damaging it, and so much more. Read your farm equipment’s owner’s manual before attempting maintenance or repair work of any kind.
The Tires
Tire pressure gauges are cheap and easy to come by, which is good given how important it is to keep your farm equipment’s tires within the manufacturer recommended pressure range. You should also inspect your tires from time to time to ensure that the treads haven’t become too worn out. If you start seeing uneven tread wearing, that’s usually a sign that something is wrong with your tractor.
The Engine
Modern engines require oil, coolant, and hydraulic fluid to work properly. These fluids can only be used for so long before they need to be replaced, so top them off on a regular basis. Inspecting the fluids themselves can tell you a lot about the farm equipment’s overall condition. For example, engine oil that is full of metal shavings means that parts of your engine are rubbing/scraping against each other when the motor runs. It’s also important to keep an eye out for leaks and swap out your filters on a regular basis.
Frame and Attachments
Ignore minor dents and scratches in your farm equipment’s frame. Instead, focus your attention on any sign that the equipment’s overall structural integrity might be threatened. Many pieces of farm equipment utilize attachments. These attachments need to be inspected and maintained as well. Using broken or worn out attachments can make work less efficient, or even lead to an accident.
The Cabin
The buttons, switches, mirrors, and so on inside your farm equipment’s cabin are what allow you to safely operate it. If any of these important tools become damaged or otherwise stop working, fix them at once. You’ll also need to occasionally clean and inspect your farm equipment’s cabin.
Shop farm equipment at Manor Home Center in Oakland, Maryland. We’re proud to serve the Garret County, Maryland area, as well as communities like Morgantown, West Virginia. We also offer equipment financing, servicing, parts, and promotions. We hope to see you soon!