Tips For Tractor Maintenance

Your tractor tackles a whole lot of tough jobs for you so it’s built to be rugged, durable and powerful. These reliable pieces of farm equipment help us out so much that we tend to start taking them for granted, forgetting that even the toughest beasts need some TLC from time to time. To ensure that you can count on your tractor for decades to come, you should perform regular maintenance. Some of this needs professional service, but other things you can take care of at home.

At Nova International, not only do we like to connect our clients with the right equipment, we also like to help them take the best care of it. Read on to learn how to perform small tractor maintenance steps that help keep your machine in the best condition for years to come. 

If you want professional service for your tractor, get in touch with our service department at our locations in Windsor and Aylesford, Nova Scotia, as well as Salisbury, New Brunswick. If you’re looking for tractors for sale in Atlantic Canada, get in touch with us today!

Visual Inspection

The first step in any kind of maintenance ritual is a visual inspection. Before you can begin to work on your tractor, take a moment to give it a good once over while looking for any obvious problems that stick out. Examine closely for leaks, loose hoses and misplaced cables.  Leaks can be fixed by tightening any loose attachments or making sure a hose is connected properly. Also, look at the glass sediment bowl under the fuel filter. If there’s water or material in there, that means there could be something wrong with the fuel, fuel filter, or engine, and it might need to be taken into the shop.

Radiator Fluid & Engine Oil

When a machine as hardworking as your tractor runs all day, it needs enough coolant and lubricant to keep the engine and radiator working. One sure way to waste time and money in the service shop is to overheat your engine. So check your radiator fluid daily and top it off as needed. While you should have a gradual fluid loss, needing to replace a lot of coolant daily is a sign of a larger problem. If you think this is the case, take care to check periodically throughout the day, and if it’s clearly an issue, don’t hesitate to bring the tractor to the service professionals at Nove International.

To keep things running smoothly under your tractor’s hood, you need engine oil. Just like the coolant or the oil in your car, the engine oil in your tractor needs to be checked periodically. However, don’t check the oil on a cold engine. Start up the tractor and let it run for a few minutes. Shut it off then wait another couple of minutes. Then check the dipstick like you would on another vehicle: take it out, wipe it off, reinsert, then pull it out again for a clear reading. The oil should be light in color. If it’s discolored and sludgy then it’s time for an oil change and filter replacement. Otherwise, top levels off to the indicated level and move on.

Fuel

Fresh fuel is very important for your tractor’s overall health. If you’re using the tractor enough, this shouldn’t be an issue because the fuel will get consumed before it gets old. Even hard-working tractors usually get some time during the off-season to sit around without operating. If you plan to store your tractor for more than a week or two, you’ll want to pick up a fuel stabilizer to add to the tank. This will keep water from collecting or separating out of the fuel, which can either rust right through the tank or else get sucked into the engine and cause all kinds of issues. The same goes for storing backup fuel. Make sure to use the freshest gas or diesel you can!

Tires

Replacing tractor tires can be a spendy affair so try to keep yours in good shape for as long as possible. It can be dangerous to work on tires that don’t have adequate air pressure, so take a minute to check with a simple pressure gauge. You’ll find the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure in PSI either printed on the tire wall, in your owner’s manual, or on the manufacturer’s website.

Though it’s good to follow the manufacturer's recommendations if you’re not sure what to set it to, we suggest adjusting it a little for particular tasks. For instance, if you’ll be driving on the road, the tires should have a few extra pounds of pressure so they hold firm on the rough pavement. On the other hand, when tilling, you can drop the pressure a few pounds below the recommended setting. When loading, you want more pressure in the front tires, and if hauling something heavy, the rear tires could use a few extra pounds.

We hope these tips help you take better care of your tractor. It might seem like a lot of work but considering how much you rely on your tractor, you should take proper care of it to increase its life. For any tractor problems that you can’t fix yourself or if you’re still looking for the perfect tractor for sale, come on down to Nova International in Atlantic Canada. We have dealerships in Windsor and Aylesford, Nova Scotia as well as Salisbury, New Brunswick. Our expert staff will whip your tractor into shape in no time!