Tips for Routine Tractor Maintenance

If you rely on a tractor to stay on top of tasks around the farm, you know how important this piece of equipment is. Not to mention, you’re making a big investment when you buy a tractor, so you want it to last. A lot of this responsibility falls on the owner, which includes routine tractor maintenance. Enlow Tractor Auction has some tips below to help you keep your machine in great shape for years to come. Read on for more, then visit us in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Keep it Clean

It’s no secret that you put your tractor through the wringer each time you use it. It’s not uncommon to be dealing with tons of debris, including dust, grass, dirt, rocks, and more. As you can imagine, this debris will get stuck and be difficult to remove the longer you leave it. The best way to avoid this is to keep your tractor as clean as possible.

Inspect the Tires

Your tractor likely encounters a lot of unforgiving terrain, so you should always inspect the tires when performing routine tractor maintenance. Check for any punctures, leaks, or embedded objects. Remember that low tire pressure often leads to punctures, so you’ll need to keep them properly inflated. Inspecting your tires often gives you the chance to catch small issues before they evolve into big problems.

Change the Oil

Tractors rely on oil to continue running smoothly and correctly. After all, the oil lubricates the engine and its individual components. It also helps prevent overheating, which is extremely important if you don’t want to end up with an expensive repair bill. 

As a general rule of thumb, you should change the oil in your tractor after every 100 hours of use or so. Even when you stay on top of this schedule, you should still check the oil level and condition regularly. After each use, remove the dipstick, wipe it off, reinsert it, and remove it once more. If the levels are low, consider topping off.

Check Under the Hood

As you’re probably aware, there’s a lot going on under the hood of a tractor. As long as you know what you’re doing, you should check under the hood to confirm everything is functioning as it should. There should be no cracks or other damage to the belts, hoses, or tubing. 

After hours of intense uptime, heavy vibrations may loosen or damage key components. If you’re lucky, you’ll only need to tighten a few things here and there. You should also check the air filters, radiator hoses, and spark plugs. If you find any problems, be sure to address them right away.

Now that you know a few basic things about maintaining your tractor, you may realize that it’s easier than you previously thought. Ready to browse for your next tractor? Stop by Enlow Tractor Auction today. We also serve the Oklahoma City, OK, and Wichita, KS, areas.