Tractor Maintenance
Now that the harvesting season is well over, it’s time to start inspecting your equipment. That way, if you run into problems, you have plenty of time to fix them before planting season starts up. That’s why Johnson Fleet and Farm has provided some tractor maintenance tips to help make this process a little more manageable for you. You can also contact our experienced technicians with our service department to book an appointment or for more help. You’ll find us in Yulee and Fernandina Beach, Florida, serving Jacksonville and St. Augustine. We also have a dealership in Homerville, Georgia, so visit us today!
Visual Inspection
One of the easiest ways you can check for problem areas is to perform a thorough visual inspection. There are a lot of moving parts on a tractor and you don’t want to wait for something to blow up in your face to find out something’s not working.
This can include leaks, loose hoses, misplaced cables, filters, problematic alignment, and much, much more. Consider looking at the glass sediment bowl under the fuel filter. If you see water or material, then something might be wrong with the fuel, fuel filter, or engine, and your machine needs to be serviced right away.
No matter how big or small the problem is, make note of it and decide if it needs to be addressed by a professional right away, or if there are ways you can try to fix it yourself. Remember, now that most farms are pretty quiet for the cold seasons, it might be easier to find an opening with the mechanic to get all your tractor maintenance issues addressed.
Radiator Fluid and Engine Oil
Tractor engines can be a bit tricky, so we always recommend bringing them in for professional inspection. But there are also lots of ways you can maintain your tractor’s engine from the comfort of your farm. For example, check the engine fluids regularly so you know precisely when they start to drop below desired levels.
Even if the checks feel excessive, they can help you catch other flaws before they get out of control. For example, if you feel like your tractor is burning through coolant too quickly, it could be a sign that there’s a leak somewhere.
Engine oil also provides an important service and will need to be properly checked and changed as needed. You can check the oil levels by:
- Removing the dipstick
- Wiping it off
- Reinserting it
- Removing it once more
- Checking the reading
Also, remember that you’ll want to perform this check when the engine is relatively warm for the best reading. If you notice oil levels are dropping, top it off as needed. If you notice the oil is dark and sludgy, you’ll want to replace it altogether.
Fuel
Ensuring the fuel tank is full might seem obvious, but it’s not always as easy to remember the way it’s easy to remember to refill your car’s tanks. Plus, there’s more to fuel than just refilling the tank. If you know you won’t be running your tractor very often, or if your tractor is going to be in storage for a while, you’ll want to add fuel stabilizer to keep it from going bad.
Tires
Your tractor’s tires are the foundation of its efficiency and performance. If they’re not up to par, then you won’t be able to take full advantage of your machine’s available power. This means regularly checking tire pressure and comparing it with the recommended psi levels provided in your owner’s manual. Keep in mind, different psi levels might be beneficial to different tasks, such as tilling or driving on the road, so consider your daily requirements when adjusting the pressure. While you’re there, you’ll also want to inspect the condition of the tread and address signs of excessive wear and damage.
This should help you cover many of the checks you can perform at home, but with tractors, it’s hard to solve every problem without expert help. For everything you can’t fix on your own, turn to the service department here at Johnson Fleet and Farm. We’ll connect you with one of our experienced technicians so you can get back to work in no time. We welcome all those from Yulee, Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville, and St. Augsustine, FL, as well as our neighbors around Homerville, GA.