5 Tips for Tractor Maintenance

With the increasing price of tractors, getting the most use is getting more important. Maintaining your equipment can extend the life of your tractor, which will reduce breakdowns and prevent lost time. We share tips to keep your tractors in the best condition – no mechanics degree required.

Simple Tractor Maintenance Tips

Wash up

Your tractor is used to plough, till, thresh, reap, and turn through soil or grain. All the mud, snow or other debris makes for a very dirty job. That debris can clog moving parts of your tractor. To increase your efficiency, clean your tractor tires, air filters and surfaces regularly. In the winter, after driving through salt and snow, tractors are more prone to rust – hosing them off on warm days can prevent rust. Your tractor isn’t a shiny new sports car, so it doesn’t need to sparkle, but hosing off and regularly changing filters can prevent unnecessary downtime.

Protect against rust

While performing your maintenance inspections, make sure to keep an eye out for any rust that is starting to form on your tractor. Rust and corrosion can lead to an early death of your farm equipment and indicate there is excess moisture trapped. The preventative coating on your equipment can wear off over time. Keep a rust prevention coating on hand to keep your tractor looking and running its best. Be sure to store equipment in a dry spot when not in use.

Check it out

Regular inspections can help you spot potential problems early. Tractor inspections will let you find any parts that are showing signs of wear and need repair before more serious problems occur. Lubricate internal parts regularly to help reduce friction. Any worn out tires, broken lights and exhaust fluid should also be replaced. Since machinery continues to get more complex, regular maintenance checkups with your tractor dealer will also prevent future problems. Check with your dealer as well to see if they offer any maintenance, oil changes, or tune ups for your equipment.

Keep it fresh

Tractors often kick up a cloud of dust as they are used. The building they’re kept in may have a lot of dust or dirt as well. This polluted air strains the engine. An engine needs to “breathe” clean air to function at its best. A dirty air filter can take years off of a tractor’s lifespan. It’s a good idea to check the air filter every 50 hours and clean or replace it as needed. While you’re cleaning the air filter, wipe any dust off the engine fan blades as well.

Create a maintenance log

If you have a few tractors or other pieces of equipment, it can get confusing trying to keep track of all the maintenance. Create a log that allows to date and describe what maintenance you did on what piece of your farm equipment. You can find logs and schedules online as well. If you want to make sure you aren’t forgetting to check something, you can also create a checklist that goes over each part of the tractor to make sure you don’t miss something.

Even with maintenance we understand that accidents and claims still happen. To help protect your farm equipment we offer Equipment Breakdown Coverage, Replacement Cost Coverage for Farm Machinery, and other additional coverages. Contact your Farm Bureau agent today to make sure your equipment is properly covered.