Seasonal Farming Equipment Preparation

Winter weather is behind us, and the time for preparing for the next season. While you may be ready to begin planting your crops, your farming equipment may not be. Now is the time to inspect and adjust your tools.

Clean Up

Hopefully, you cleaned up all your farming equipment at the end of last season. But if you did not, now is the time to remove any mud, dirt, or oil. Failing to wash off any debris can put equipment operators at risk. Also, trash build-up can cause a fire that destroys your equipment and even your fields. Grab the pressure washer and clean all the equipment now.

Do an Inspection

Make sure all the belts, electrical connections, batteries, fluids, filters, etc. are in good condition. Check the transmission, oil, and filters, replace the fluids, and test the wipers, horn, and accelerator controls. Replace any dirty filters and top off fluids. You can streamline this process by contacting AMSOIL dealer Buy Great Oil. Other common items to include on your inspection are:

• Nuts and bolts- be sure they are properly tightened.
• Sharpen all blades.
• Hitches need to be in good shape, so that any pulled items can be attached.
• Batteries – Test to see if they will hold a charge. If you live in a region where extreme cold is common, your battery can lose its charge and need a boost or need to be replaced.
• Hoses, belts, chains, and any plastic parts – Cold weather can cause these pieces to crack. Check them to be sure they are all intact.

Think about Past Problems

Did a combine give you issues last season? Maybe the tractor’s engine kept hiccupping. Were the brakes soft in the combine? If you recall any of your equipment needing an update or repair, now is the time to get the improvements made.

What about the wheels?

Much of your farming equipment on wheels. Take some time to do a full inspection of all equipment wheels. Check the tire pressure, note the tread, pull out the tire gauge and test the tire pressure. If anything is showing signs of wear, make the replacements. You don’t want to have a breakdown in the middle of the field.

Turn it on

When you have done a thorough inspection of all the equipment, turn on each piece and let it run for at least 3 minutes. Listen to the engine, test the brakes, and be sure everything is mounted tightly. If you haven’t already checked, now is a great time to adjust mirrors, test any handles or pulleys. Also be sure each piece of equipment has a fire extinguisher.

The time for planting, plowing, and harvesting is upon us. Are you ready? Do your inspections and order your AMSOIL. The crop-filled fields will be growing soon.