20 Tractor Tips
Keep your tractor tiptop with this maintenance checklist.
Keep your tractor tiptop with this yearly maintenance checklist.
During the winter, it’s tempting to put off most tractor and implement maintenance tasks until you can take care of them in above-freezing temperatures. Assuming the engine starts, a quick check of the gauges reassures you that the oil pressure is OK, the alternator is working and (hopefully) there is enough fuel in the tank to perform the task at hand. Sure, the hydraulics are a bit sluggish, but they’ll warm up in a bit.
You might have gotten through the winter all right, but with warmer weather comes haying, fence building, tilling, planting, new livestock to care for, logs to bring in from the back 40, road and trail repair, and maybe getting around to some new building projects.
Whatever horsepower or vintage your tractor is, spring is a good time to spend some wrench time so it will be up to the task at hand. To celebrate Hobby Farms’ 20th anniversary, we’ve created a checklist of 20 maintenance tips so your tractor will be ready whenever you are.
BASIC BEGINNINGS
Because it’s the start of a new season, let’s start at the very beginning.
RECORD YOUR MAINTENANCE. Keep a logbook showing the date, engine hours (assuming your tractor has a functioning tachometer) and the maintenance performed. This helps you keep track, and if you sell or trade in your tractor at some point, it’ll assure the potential buyer that the
machine has been well maintained. The logbook should include the following.
• fluid/filter changes
• lubrication
• spark plugs or glow plugs
• new battery
• new tires
• repairs/rebuilds, such as hydraulic cylinders and valves, brakes, injectors, fuel pump, engine and transmission
KEEP A SPECIAL TOOLBOX. If you have everything handy, you’ll be more likely to take care of the equipment. Some tractors, for example, require a special tool for checking/ adding gear oil to the front gearbox or even use a combination of metric and SAE nuts and bolts. Don’t forget to throw in tools for your implements, too. Here are a few suggestions.
• oil filter wrench
• grease gun
• spare grease zerks
• log book & pen
• white paint pen
• black Sharpie pen
• special tools, such as large Allen
wrenches
• whatever you need to remove
drain plugs and oil fill caps • siphon hose (5 feet each of
3⁄8- and 5⁄8-inch)
• set of spark plugs, if your tractor uses them
• battery terminal puller
• battery post/terminal wire brush
SAFETY ADVICE
You should think safety when maintaining your equipment.
WEAR MECHANIC’S GLOVES. You are almost certain to get grease, oil and fuel on your hands, all of which are known carcinogens. In addition, wearing gloves helps avoid getting oil on the steering wheels and doorknobs and eliminates the temptation to wipe your hands on whatever item of clothing is handy (as long as you remember to remove the gloves first). Latex gloves are cheaper, but nitrile gloves are more chemicalresistant. Both allow good feel and dexterity. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. Even if you normally wear prescription glasses, oil and mud have a way of finding their way onto your eyeballs while you’re working under a machine. Diesel fuel or hydraulic oil under pressure in your eye will be an excruciating and expensive ticket to the emergency room.
REMOVE THE GROUND CABLE TO
THE BATTERY FIRST. When removing the battery or performing maintenance that involves the fuel or electrical system, remove the negative (ground) battery terminal first. This will avoid sparks if you accidentally short a positive wire against the frame of the tractor, and make sure that the fuel pump doesn’t pressurize the lines while you’re working on them or changing a filter. SECURE THE EQUIPMENT. If pulling a wheel, make sure the tractor is in gear, brakes are set and wheels are chocked. If possible, use a jack stand to support the tractor. Make sure you have a plan for dealing with the tire when it comes off. This may