A Guide to Preventing Damage to Your Farm Equipment

Preventative maintenance will help you extend the life of your farming equipment, save money on repairs, and reduce lost productivity due to the machines sitting in a repair shop. Some wear and tear is unavoidable, but many factors increase the damage, such as not following the service schedule or poor worksite practices. We’ve gathered up our favorite tips for farm equipment damage prevention. If you have any questions or you want to check out some quality heavy equipment for sale, visit Bobcat of Pittsburgh/Erie/Indiana County at one of our many dealerships in Pennsylvania.

Regular Upkeep

A common cause of heavy equipment damage is a lack of maintenance. The longer you let preventative maintenance tasks slide, the greater chance you have of facing damage. Consult the owner’s manual of your machines to see the relevant tasks, the frequency of service, and any products you should or should not use.

The owner’s manual should have some care and maintenance tips that are specific to your piece of farm equipment, which will help you clean it safely. If you don’t have access to your manual, try to locate it online.

Proper Usage Techniques

Operator error is another major reason for damage. Make sure that anyone who will be using the tools has already undergone the required training and is confident about safely operating the equipment. If the individual has had training, but it was a long time ago, we’d recommend having a refresher.

Compatible Attachments

One perk of agricultural equipment is that they can be used with a variety of attachments. However, it’s important to check that any attachments used are compatible with your model and are in good condition. Otherwise, they can cause damage to your machines.

Proactive Repairs

Even the highest quality tools will suffer some natural wear and tear. Once you start noticing an issue, get it repaired or schedule a service appointment as soon as possible. Minor damage can quickly snowball into larger damage, which will also cost you more to fix.

Cleaning

You should wash your farm equipment at least once a year. Some circumstances may arise that require you to wash it more often, such as working in especially muddy or dirty conditions, when there’s a lot of build-up of mud, grass, and oil or when you’re preparing to store your implements for a long period of time.

Find the Right Spot for Storage

Last but not least, where you store your equipment also plays a role. Look for a place where it will be protected from corrosion, direct sunlight, and extreme temperatures.

We hope that you found this maintenance and damage prevention guide useful! If you want more advice or need to get your tools serviced, get in touch with the experts at Bobcat of Pittsburgh/Erie/Indiana County. We also have a wide selection of heavy equipment for sale, so it will be easy for you to find exactly what you need. We run multiple dealerships throughout Pennsylvania, and we welcome all those in Ohio and Indiana.