Even though I run my tractor yr - round , insensate atmospheric condition reduces routine care to top off the fuel and checking the oil . All other alimony is deferred until things warm up up a bit . In this article , I ’ll provide a tractor medical examination checklist of criminal maintenance operation to keep your tractor running at its peak during bound and summer chore .
Before you get started , see if you could get hold the manual for your tractor . If not , your trader might be able to supply you with a copy , or you could in all likelihood find one online . TryTheMotorBookstore.com . It has a pretty gross set of manual of arms for older tractor at a sensible price .
1. Fuel
If your tractor has been groundless for the total winter , the gasoline in the tank might have go bad bland , unless you add together astabilizer . This hap as the volatile compounds evaporate over sentence , which is not a problem with Rudolf Diesel fuel .
ill-treat on in your tractor medical examination ? Deal with bland natural gas by run out it and replacing it with bracing gun . Not being one to throw anything out , if I have flat gasoline , I stream in about a half - gal every prison term I fill the cooler , and the tractor runs all right . diesel motor fuel is pretty much sustentation - free , as long as it contains no contamination and the filter is neat .
Several contamination can put to work their way into your fuel system over the winter . Moisture can condense on the inside of the fuel tank , which contaminates the fuel and can make rust on the interior of the cooler , which will eventually flake off and kibosh the fuel flow . If your tractor has a carburetor , it in all likelihood has a deposit pipe bowl ( also ring a settling bowl ) . Remove the bowl , and check it for water and contaminants . While the sediment trough is off , remove the waste pipe thunderbolt on the bottom of the carburetor and debilitate that gaseous state into a meth jar to clear it of water and contaminant .
Removing the waste pipe plug on the bottom of the carburetor allows all of the gas in the fuel line and carburetor to drain out , along with any water and deposit that got past the sediment bowl . Catching the gas in a glassful jarful let you inspect the fuel for urine and sediment and proceed the fuel from pour forth on the ground . If it ’s clear , just stream it back into the fuel tank .
Use a siphon ( I use 3⁄8 - inch - diam clean vinyl tubing ) to check off for contamination on the bottom of the fuel tank . ensure the siphon hosepipe sound all the way to the bottom of the storage tank so it gets everything — include water , dirt and rust — that has settled to the bottom of the tank . I siphon about a quart or so into a glass jar so I can audit it .
If flakes of rust fungus are present , move the siphon hose around the bottom of the tank to get as much out as potential . Otherwise , it will find a room to clog the tank way out . Let the chicken feed jolt sit for several hours , then observe for contaminants ; water appear as a clear bubble on the bottom of the jar . Because water and sediment resolve on the bottom of the jarful , you’re able to carefully pour the uncontaminating fuel back into the tank . If rust inside the tank is a serious problem , consider getting a polymer tank liner , such as from a gasolene tank car sealer outfit .
2. Battery
Cold weather take a serious toll on stamp battery , especially if they are allowed to set down . If the tractor has been sitting idle all wintertime , it might not have enough succus to take up . If that happens , it ’s easy on the barrage to put it on a battery charger for a few hour — take on you’re able to scrounge up enough extension cord .
A jump - commencement should be a last resort ; it ’s harder on the barrage . depend on battery condition , it might not defend a charge and you will need to replace it . Also , check the stamp battery cable connectors on both ends to check that the connections are secure . Check the hot ( positive ) cable anywhere it touch the anatomy to check that the insulation is good at that point ; otherwise , it can short out . If the insulating material is worn , wrap it generously with electrical tape until you’re able to substitute the cable .
3. Fluids
4. Filters
diesel motor injector develop pressure up to 2,500 psi to wedge fuel through openings .005 inches in diameter ( only slightly large than a human hair ) . Any bigger atom can choke the openings and slenderize engine execution .
gas locomotive engine , whether carbureted or injected , also have small orifices that are easy foul . The fuel filter is your first note of defense force against hapless carrying out and expensive fixture . Other filters that call for attention are the aviation filter , crude oil filter and hydraulic filter .
A honest principle of ovolo is to commute filter during a tractor medical exam at least once per year when you change locomotive engine oil , depending on how much you use your tractor . Again , follow the maker ’s testimonial . verify all clamps and fittings are tight and secure to keep the fluids in and the dust out .
5. Hydraulics
fit hydraulic oil stratum , usually with a dip stick . Most tractors require all fluid mechanics fully extended when you check the oil , but follow the instructions in the manual of arms . Change the filter , if the manual advises it .
If you change to a lighter hydraulic crude oil for the winter , replace it with a summer fossil oil . determine hydraulic hoses for crack and leaks . Cycle the hydraulics to verify they move swimmingly and that the cylinders will stay in the extend emplacement without drifting down . Inspecting your fluid mechanics is a big part of your tractor medical examination .
6. Electrical
Give the wiring a visual review . Sometimes mice or squirrels get inside and chew on the insulation . A nest or stash of acorn under the punk is a good reading that your tractor has served as a rodent manse over the winter .
correspond all lights , and check that the alternator gauge show a normal charge when the railway locomotive is at operating speed .
7. Belts
assure the alternator and fan belts for cracks , and feel them for tenseness . Tighten , if necessary , and put back if the belt is questionable .
8. Grease
Your manual indicates all lubrication full stop and the recommended grease . If you ca n’t thrust lubricating oil through a zerk ( soil fitting ) , supplant it . I always keep a few spare in my toolbox so I ’m not tempt to skip a accommodation that is clogged or broken off .
9. Tires
Check tire pressure , and add air , if needed . bet the tires over for raddled tread , split or other signs of problems .
Yes , it ’s a pain in the neck opening to take a tyre in for reparation and expensive to supplant it , but you might as well do it during a tractor checkup so you do n’t wind up walking home from the back 40 and doing a field of operations repair .
10. Bearings
If your tractor is two - bike - movement , jack up up each front wheel , safe it with a block or jack stand , and match the bearings . Remove the wheel and the bear nut . This is most potential a castle nut with a cotter pin ( in my case , a objet d’art of bailing telegram ) to keep it in place .
Check the bearing to make certain it ’s intact . If it ’s in good condition , apply a liberal VD of bearing soil and re - assemble the wheel , tightening the bearing nut just enough to carry off any wobble , while allow it bend freely ; then immobilize the castle screwball to harbour it in place .
If the bearing is hard to reverse or falls apart , supplant it . To do this , push back the out airstream ( bearing material body ) out of the bicycle and take it to an autoparts store . The figure stamped on it will make it easy to find a replacement .
11. ROPS
The tractor is the lead causal agent of last on a farm . The most frequent causes of tractor - related deaths are side and rear overturns—96 deaths per twelvemonth , according to the National Tractor Safety Coalition . It points out that rollover protective cover system are 99 percent effective in keep injury or death in the case of an upset when used with a seatbelt , and 70 percent effective when used without a seatbelt .
Make certain all nuts and bolt on the roll cage are pixilated . run down the welds for cracks . Does the hindquarters belt knead properly and jibe snugly ? If not , fix it or replace it . Do n’t make it easy to skip using your seatbelt .
12. Brakes
moderate your hired man bracken for stop and hold back power ; be sure to free it when you are finished . If your tractor is equip with separate left and right brake , try them individually to verify they both work and have about the same braking effect .
Repair faulty brake system before cast your tractor to exploit . A tractor with a work brake on only one side is at risk for rollover , especially on hills and while making turns at route speeds .
13. Attachments and Implements
The brushwood pig , posthole auger and magnetic disc have all been sitting idle all wintertime , mostly under a mantle of snow . Before stir up them up and putting them back to workplace , it would be a safe idea to do a piffling maintenance .
If the implement has a gear box such as a mower , tiller or auger , check the rock oil story and top it off with the recommended gear lube ( usually SAE 90 ) . There may be two mess : one for bestow rock oil and one for indicating level . There are train oil dispenser that make it easier to get the oil in the fill hole without making a slew . ( While you ’re at it , how long has it been since you have checked the oil in your truck ’s differential ? )
Mower blades take a literal drubbing . This is a practiced sentence to remove them and focus them . If you remove / add the blades while the mower is on the tractor , block the mower up in case the hydraulics go for any understanding . If you tip the lawn mower up with the front - end docker , be sure to have a subaltern support . It ’s also a dependable theme to have a safety person with you who knows how to operate the tractor .
As important as the tractor is for just about every aspect of farming , following the steps listed in this article for a right tractor checkup will help ascertain that the tractor will be ready for any task at hand with a simple turn of the key . One last safely precaution that I ca n’t stress enough : Use vulgar mother wit for safety gadget , and have backup musical accompaniment any time you are working under something that could come down and injure you .
This story originally appeared in the May / June 2018 issue ofHobby Farms .
