How big operation are we talking? Big enough to employ a tractor driver/ maintenance man that can feed etc but never actually hands on with the cows. Most employees I can think of would be the other way round and prefer the Machinary maintenance and forget the cows
Machinery maintenance
- Thread starter lazy farmer
- Start date
kiwi pom
Member
- Location
- canterbury NZ
What equipment do you have?
Basic loader tractor, scraper tractor shouldn't need much maintenance, just dealer serviced if new or an indie if they're older. If they don't clock many hours, maybe have them done every 6 months.
Leave the pressure washer alone, it only pushes grease out and seizes thing up.
Just check oils and blow loose dirt/grass/hay/dust out of radiators and any areas they could cause fires.
A lot of dairy farms round here have a policy of lifting the tractor bonnet at the end of the day. It then has to be closed next morning which should remind the driver to check oil and more importantly check for birds nests as they are a big cause of machine fires locally.
Grease and visually check other machines that have been used, once a week, say every Tues morning after breakfast. Shouldn't take long.
What kind of kit are we talking about and what kind of repairs are you encountering?
while good routine maintenance will extend a machines life and its reliability it doesn’t make it everlasting especially if said machine is used often in less than ideal conditions, When you say you have no interest in machinery I just wondered whether the real problem is perhaps a lack of interest in investment in machinery fit to do the intended job ( ie your stuff is knackered)
If this isn’t the case then as above you probably need to lead by example and do some maintenance yourself before delegating to others.
dinderleat
Member
- Location
- Wells
@lazy farmer just find a young lad who loves tractors pay him good money to grease all pto/tractors once a week even wash them off. And sort the job yourself have a word with staff lay it out if you want uptodate kit they need to care about it.
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Pick whatever interval u want
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Tell me about it
Some people shouldnt be allowed near machinery.
Smashed windows, bent mirrors
Doors wrenched off, tyres ripped open
Gearboxes run dry, handbrakes left off, hoses mashed, final drives smashed, dungspreaders so thick with string you can't use them
loaders bushes dry as the desert.
Some wear it as a badge of honour.
ACEngineering
Member
- Location
- Oxon
some seem to have the personal goal to see if they can break it, then there's the touch and feel type drivers! I've no time for either of them.
- Location
- Ardrossan Ayrshire
What's a touch and feel driver?
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
They Bash into things
- Location
- Ardrossan Ayrshire
Aahh. I refer to that as driving by braille!
Driving like Stevie Wonder!
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
I could write a book on this I think. As others have said whoever is in charge sets the tone and expectations of maintenance and operation of equipment. Sure have seen some atrocities.
If you need to make a schedule and checklist that may help formalize everything and hold everyone accountable. Know a guy who gets everyone set up with a google account where he made a checklist for every piece of equipment on the farm. They have to check off all areas before using that machine for the day and if something fails while they are using it or the next person does the check and finds the oil low then they are caught out. Said it worked well for years.
What has worked for me is keeping everything clean and fixing cosmetic and mechanical stuff quickly so it looks new and is easy to run. We power wash, clean the cabs and windows weekly except for peak work and mud seasons like calving etc. This also coincides with a greasing and radiator blow out. That seems to set the expectations of everyone that they will have to do it and they seem to be more interested in taking care of the tractors. Also wax the tractors a Couple times per year.
Four wheelers are washed once per day if dry and a couple of times per day when muddy. Usually power wash them several times a month. They are expensive, I want them to look expensive and new.
We do not do oil and filter changes ourselves. It’s far too time consuming to fit into our day and too critical to trust to anyone. Oil is checked weekly in the slow times, more frequently in busy times. Depending on the time of year I will do some somewhat major repairs but would rather not for the most part.
Only two tractors here and two more shared between farms as needed. I view it as far too small of a place to have a tractor driving position. Having a dedicated driver would definitely be easier to get to manage the maintenance. It’s 200k in machinery which I remind everyone of frequently. I want them to look and run like 200k machines.
If you need to make a schedule and checklist that may help formalize everything and hold everyone accountable. Know a guy who gets everyone set up with a google account where he made a checklist for every piece of equipment on the farm. They have to check off all areas before using that machine for the day and if something fails while they are using it or the next person does the check and finds the oil low then they are caught out. Said it worked well for years.
What has worked for me is keeping everything clean and fixing cosmetic and mechanical stuff quickly so it looks new and is easy to run. We power wash, clean the cabs and windows weekly except for peak work and mud seasons like calving etc. This also coincides with a greasing and radiator blow out. That seems to set the expectations of everyone that they will have to do it and they seem to be more interested in taking care of the tractors. Also wax the tractors a Couple times per year.
Four wheelers are washed once per day if dry and a couple of times per day when muddy. Usually power wash them several times a month. They are expensive, I want them to look expensive and new.
We do not do oil and filter changes ourselves. It’s far too time consuming to fit into our day and too critical to trust to anyone. Oil is checked weekly in the slow times, more frequently in busy times. Depending on the time of year I will do some somewhat major repairs but would rather not for the most part.
Only two tractors here and two more shared between farms as needed. I view it as far too small of a place to have a tractor driving position. Having a dedicated driver would definitely be easier to get to manage the maintenance. It’s 200k in machinery which I remind everyone of frequently. I want them to look and run like 200k machines.
change your kit every 2 years and make them pay for damages for repairs due to lack of maintenance, fire damage restoration mold michigan Also one has to lead from the front. The apple simply doesn't fall far from the tree.
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
I think @Ducati899 offers equipment care consulting.
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
When I first came here our mechanic was so sick of people not caring that he was starting to refuse to come out. All it took was someone to have an interest in improving and maintaining things.the problem with that is the professional will also quickly loose interest too, if the owner operators cant be be bothered to make an effort then why would anyone else worry
Scholsey
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
Think manufacturers don’t help, if anyone’s clever enough to afford your 100k telehandler they are clever enough to service the damn thing so stop hiding everything away, surely not difficult to have filters, grease nipples in easy to access central points?!?
Greasing JCB prop shaft UJs is the worst job I have to do, can’t see any other way than lying under the bloody thing whilst someone inches backwards/forwards, just got to make sure it’s not in full lock in crab steer!
Greasing JCB prop shaft UJs is the worst job I have to do, can’t see any other way than lying under the bloody thing whilst someone inches backwards/forwards, just got to make sure it’s not in full lock in crab steer!
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
A cheap electric leaf blower for cleaning cabs out, quick to do and won't get it perfect but makes the tractor a nicer place to be and prevents rubbish from accumulating. Zero tolerance for dirty windows, jobs are quicker, easier and less accidents when you can see where you're going
buffalo_soldier
Member
- Location
- cumbria
I'm just visualising Lazy spitting his tea out when he's reading comments of change all your machinery every 2 years
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dinderleat
Member
- Location
- Wells
I think he already does that anyway.........I'm just visualising Lazy spitting his tea out when he's reading comments of change all your machinery every 2 years
Ducati899
Member
- Location
- north dorset
