Everything you need to know to keep your tractor working

Since it’s invention in the 1900s the humble tractor has become the bedrock of the agricultural industry, when you’re driving around the country, you’ll almost always pass one such as a Used Kubota tractor, in the field or on the road.

The tractor has come a long way since its original design, as the years have passed the technology has advanced, resulting in a much more technical & complicated engineering set up in today’s modern-day tractor such as the range of used compact tractors.

Here at GGM we not only sell tractors, but we service them too, so we decided to sit down with our workshop team to compile a list of the top factors that contribute to a tractor breakdown & how to prevent them.

Follow your manufacturers recommended servicing

The majority of transmission issues stem from poor maintenance, oil cleanliness & improper servicing. As all modern-day transmissions are high-pressured systems a faulty oil check or service not following the manufacturers requirements will react negatively & you will quickly encounter issues.

You can minimise your tractor’s downtime and prevent breakdowns by ensuring your machine is serviced by manufacturer trained engineers & by following the service intervals laid out by said manufacturer. It’s often the opinion of operators to save costs on maintenance such as filter changes, however if parts are overused & not replaced, serviced, or repaired when needed to be in hope of a short-term saving, will result in a much larger, long-term expense when the transmission fails.

Think long-term for your tractor

The modern-day tractor has become and continue to be more electrically complicated from the first models designed way back in the early 1900s, this advancement in technology & design has been a revelation for the agricultural industry. Advancements in technology have resulted in increasingly more powerful & productive machines, but with that comes an increase in necessary electrical maintenance & servicing.

The modern engine

Crucial to your performance, a functioning engine is sometimes not enough for users, an often occurrence is owner/operators choosing to add one aspect to their engines which almost always results in engine & other parts of the machine receiving damage from overload of the designed power load and performance, this will also void your warranty & insurance, so we advise you stay well away from making modifications to your tractor.

What are you using to fuel your tractor? Again, alike most of the points covered in this blog – if users save money in the short on storage and type of fuel they use, then in the long term it will impact their financial outgoings, machine usability & productivity negatively. So, it’s important to take care of issues ongoing & invest rather than being hit with larger, more unmanageable sums in the future.

Your Hydraulic system

It’s important to focus time & energy into preventing hydraulic issues, primarily by keeping your system clean. We appreciate that keeping your hydraulic system clean is easier said than done, with agricultural work being vulnerable to the elements, however there are a few steps we can take to ensure your system is at it’s very best.

Firstly, always have your tractor serviced by trained professionals on the schedule set by the manufacturer. Remember, to clean as you go and don’t let much & dirt build up on your hydraulic systems, daily wipe downs will save you plenty of time & money in the long term.

Your operating area

As an employer you are legally responsible for the wellbeing of your tractor operators, not only that but you are also liable for third parties. Liability means that you must take a particular focus on ensuring the areas of operation & how the operators are functioning are important to ensure the long-term viability of your work.

This is important as any issues with your operator’s wellbeing not only poses ethical issues but will result in down time of the tractor and hit your productivity levels.

To conclude

In conclusion, there are many ways you can cut corners, ignore warning signs, and neglect responsibilities to save money in the short term but this mostly always comes back to bite.

If you’re in need of a service for your tractor such as a used Kubota tractor or interested in more information on how to take care of your machine, please get in touch with our service department here: https://www.ggmgroup.com/aftersales/service/book-a-service/