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Tractor Maintenance
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Published: November 28, 2006
Countless farmers and construction workers depend on one piece of machinery to perform a variety of tasks; tractors save human beings a great deal of effort by performing feats which would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible, for a person to accomplish. Like all pieces of machinery, tractors require routine attention to keep them running efficiently.
So what exactly encompasses good tractor maintenance?
Before discussing tractor maintenance, it might be helpful to give a little background information on the equipment itself. Simply, “a tractor is a vehicle intended for drawing, towing or pulling something which cannot propel itself.”
Most contemporary tractors run on large diesel engines, ranging from 18 to 500 horsepower. Usually, tractors are subdivided into the following categories: two-wheel drive, two-wheel drive with front wheel assist and four-wheel drive. In general, farm tractors utilize manual transmission.
Since actually transporting a tractor to a maintenance shop is not an easy task, it is important for users to do all they can in terms of simple tractor maintenance and upkeep. For example, as with automobiles, tractors require frequent oil-filter and oil changes. A word of caution: one should take care to use the grade of oil recommended by the tractor’s manufacturer. Diesel engines, with their high compression, put incredible demands on lube oil.
In addition to replacing the oil, tractor owners should regularly replace the transmission and hydraulic fluid. This task requires care and finesse, since the tractor’s hydraulic system should remain as clean as possible. To ensure this, one should use a lint-free rag to clean both the filler cap and tube. After all, it takes only a speck of dirt to wreck the seals on a hydraulic cylinder or a hydrostatic transmission.
Also, the parts of a tractor need to remain well lubricated. This requires the owner to re-grease certain parts when needed. Grease helps to repel moisture, and just like how dust can ruin a hydraulic cylinder, it only takes a drop of moisture to start rust.
These simple tractor maintenance measures can make a huge difference; regular tractor maintenance can help the machine run at its best. However, eventually all tractors need attention by a mechanic or professional. After all, a tractor requires either a routine five-hundred hour service or an annual or bi-annual tune-up.
Fortunately, finding a decent mechanic should not present a problem. What may present a problem, however, is the actual transport of the tractor to the mechanic. Since tractors are so big and bulky, transporting them can be a slow and dangerous process. Yet with care, one can transport a garden tractor using a pickup bed, or transport a utility tractor using a tilt-bed truck or an equipment trailer.
With proper maintenance, a tractor should function to its full capacity for many years.
Sources:
Florence, Ronald. Tractor Maintenance. The Small Tractor FAQ—Big Wheels. 1988. 26 Nov 2006 .
Tractor. Wikipedia. 2006. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 26 Nov 2006 .
Related Articles
Before discussing tractor maintenance, it might be helpful to give a little background information on the equipment itself. Simply, “a tractor is a vehicle intended for drawing, towing or pulling something which cannot propel itself.”
Most contemporary tractors run on large diesel engines, ranging from 18 to 500 horsepower. Usually, tractors are subdivided into the following categories: two-wheel drive, two-wheel drive with front wheel assist and four-wheel drive. In general, farm tractors utilize manual transmission.
Since actually transporting a tractor to a maintenance shop is not an easy task, it is important for users to do all they can in terms of simple tractor maintenance and upkeep. For example, as with automobiles, tractors require frequent oil-filter and oil changes. A word of caution: one should take care to use the grade of oil recommended by the tractor’s manufacturer. Diesel engines, with their high compression, put incredible demands on lube oil.
In addition to replacing the oil, tractor owners should regularly replace the transmission and hydraulic fluid. This task requires care and finesse, since the tractor’s hydraulic system should remain as clean as possible. To ensure this, one should use a lint-free rag to clean both the filler cap and tube. After all, it takes only a speck of dirt to wreck the seals on a hydraulic cylinder or a hydrostatic transmission.
Also, the parts of a tractor need to remain well lubricated. This requires the owner to re-grease certain parts when needed. Grease helps to repel moisture, and just like how dust can ruin a hydraulic cylinder, it only takes a drop of moisture to start rust.
These simple tractor maintenance measures can make a huge difference; regular tractor maintenance can help the machine run at its best. However, eventually all tractors need attention by a mechanic or professional. After all, a tractor requires either a routine five-hundred hour service or an annual or bi-annual tune-up.
Fortunately, finding a decent mechanic should not present a problem. What may present a problem, however, is the actual transport of the tractor to the mechanic. Since tractors are so big and bulky, transporting them can be a slow and dangerous process. Yet with care, one can transport a garden tractor using a pickup bed, or transport a utility tractor using a tilt-bed truck or an equipment trailer.
With proper maintenance, a tractor should function to its full capacity for many years.
Sources:
Florence, Ronald. Tractor Maintenance. The Small Tractor FAQ—Big Wheels. 1988. 26 Nov 2006 .
Tractor. Wikipedia. 2006. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 26 Nov 2006 .
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