Farm Equipment Repair and Maintenance

When it comes to keeping farm equipment running smoothly, it takes detailed maintenance and the proper repairs to avoid expensive breakdowns.

On this page, you’ll find lessons for keeping engines, spark plugs, and batteries working well plus tips for winterizing equipment and restoring classic tractors. 

Engine Repair and Horsepower

There’s no doubt that engines are the heart of any equipment and keeping the engine happy keeps the machine working in tip-top shape. Engine performance can be based on the torque and horsepower. This torque and horsepower article explains the differences between the two and how to measure both.

Successful Farming magazine's Engine Man Ray Bohacz has engine grease and field dirt under his fingernails from a life spent repairing equipment and running a farm. The farmer and repairman answers tough questions from fellow farmers including, is diesel fuel getting into my engine oil or why does my diesel lack power at high rpm?

Spark Plug Upkeep

Though diesel engines are often the main worker on the farm, there are numerous gas power plants that also need attention and maintenance. One of these crucial components is the often-ignored spark plug, which has a great effect on engine operation.

From cleaning before removing spark plugs to keeping threads coated with the correct compounds, these five tips to keep spark plugs performing will save you time and money on future spark plugs and overall engine performance. A detailed review of used spark plugs can help you diagnose engine issues. Used spark plugs can tell stories, including if the engine needs an overhaul.

Battery Care

One of the biggest headaches during the cold, winter season is a dead battery when trying to get equipment up and running. Learning tips and tricks on how to keep batteries alive through winter can save money on dead batteries, including how idle life leads to battery death, how to store batteries in cold weather, and how using a smart charger can save money on dead batteries.

Sometimes continuously dead batteries can be perplexing and mind-boggling. Is your battery dead a few hours after its charged? Is it new and still dies quicker than it should? Bohacz has the answer to what is draining your battery.

Keeping Magnetos Energized

Magnetos work much like a miniature spring-drive generator. As the drive cog is rotated, the magneto drive wraps up a spring that is positioned between the drive link and the magneto rotor. Sometimes these complex systems can be complicated to find and fix issues. For these reasons, some work on these only an expert can do. For more tips, see how to energize up your magneto.

Carburetor Care

Carburetors are a key component for there to be combustion for gasoline to run properly throughout the engine. This can only occur if the carburetor does a good job atomizing and emulsifying the gasoline. 

Setting carburetors for peak operation will start the carburetor off on the right foot. From setting the load valve correctly to managing the intital valve settings, these steps will ensure carburetors run smoothly.

Winterizing Farm Equipment Properly

Winterizing equipment can save you time when you need it most during busy seasons and can reduce the expense of repairs. Preventative maintenance can make or break your bank account during the cold season while also saving on backbreaking work.

Running winter fuel, checking fluids, cleaning equipment, and taking the time to repair equipment right are a few things you can do in the winter to prepare for the upcoming season.

Another good task for the winter is spending some time going over your sprayer. Before putting it away, follow these five tips for winterizing your sprayer.

Restoring Classic Tractors

The foundation of all classic tractors comes in the form of one or more layers of primer. The only issue is deciding what type of primer you need, especially when you consider the number of different types of primer that are available. Are you using the right type of primer?

What about primers that can fill in imperfections that are made visible after a few coats? When you’ve done everything you can to fill rust pits and strip old paint from sheet metal, one of the best ways to cover the remaining imperfections is to use a filler primer, also known as heavy-bodied primer or high-build primer.

One last crucial step when maintaining classic tractors is taking the time to discover the history behind the machine by sleuthing serial number secrets.