Farm machinery might have been built with reliability in mind, but the hard use on rough fields and twisting country lanes can all take its toll. As every farmer and contractor will know, having a major breakdown during the harvest season can cause delays that will unfortunately hit where it hurts, their pocket.
Fuel distributors Shropshire can help to ensure that your agricultural equipment doesn’t let you down when you need it most. Here are some top tips to help you get the very best from your farm machinery when it counts.
Keep Your Fuel Tank in Good Condition
Fuel tanks are expensive pieces of kit that occasionally require routine maintenance in order to ensure compliance with environmental and health and safety legislation. This might be a somewhat unwelcome cost, it is definitely worth parting with this bit of cash – a fuel delivery driver is well within their rights to refuse to fill your tank if they consider it to be unsafe!
If this occurs during harvest time, you’ll have the stress of needing to sort your tank out, reordering your fuel, and then waiting again for it to be delivered. As fuel demand is high at this time of year, this could set you really far behind schedule.
Prevent Water from Getting into the Tank
Water accelerates fuel degradation which causes machinery malfunctions. In essence, water plays absolute havoc with farming machinery. It also promotes and facilitates the growth of algae and other microorganisms, which causes sludge to build up and then this blocks injectors and filters.
Regularly inspecting your fuel tank for water is the best way to ensure that if water does get into your tank you can nip it in the bud quickly, and solve the issue. Checking all the seals, gaskets, vents and fill caps for signs of any wear or damage, and have your tank cleaned once or twice a year.
Monitor Your Fuel Levels
This might sound like a bit of a no-brainer, but when it’s busy season sometimes fuel gets forgotten about. This is usually fine at times of the year when demand is lower, but during the busy harvest period you might find yourself without fuel to keep your machinery running if you don’t order in time.
Use Winter Grade Fuel During the Cold Season
Although winters aren’t necessarily as cold as they used to be, the ever-changing British weather can still unleash sub-zero temperatures on us. In the cold weather, diesel can begin to solidify which makes it difficult to circulate around the engine. For this precise reason, winter grade diesel is blended differently to prevent waxing from taking place.
Change Your Oil Regularly
One of the least talked about, but possible most important functions of oil is that it prevents the build up of dirt and other debris that might otherwise cause damage. This is important because most farm machinery works in dusty, muddy, gritty conditions which means that agricultural oil and fluids need to work extra hard. For this reason, agricultural lubricants need to be changed frequently. Heating fuel shropshire can help to keep your farm machinery running smoothly throughout the busy harvest season.
