Maintenance of agricultural equipment

Tapuwa Mashangwa
AFTER spending thousands of dollars on agricultural equipment, you’ll want to do all you can to take proper care of your investment.
You wouldn’t let your tractor sit idle, collecting rust and accumulating dust on its working parts. Why would you let the same happen to your equipment?

Luckily, there are easy steps you can take to prevent agricultural equipment from being damaged by the elements.

For general cleaning and maintenance when it comes to cleaning your equipment, it is recommended using a pressure washer.
Stand two to three feet away from the surface you’re cleaning and use different attachments to properly clean the equipment.

For equipment that is covered with mud or silt, make sure you clean it quickly after you finish using it so the substances don’t have the chance to harden on your equipment.

It is also a good idea to purchase additional spare parts so you have them on hand in the event you need to make some repairs to your equipment.
It can take several days or weeks if you need to have a part shipped to you, so having it available right away can prevent you from spending days or weeks without your equipment.

For some general preventative maintenance, you’ll want to perform some recommended services for farm vehicles which include; checking hoses, fittings, and seals to ensure they’re in good condition; checking the engine’s oil and coolant; and other fluids; checking the filters and replace them as needed.

Make sure all the tires, wheels, wheel bearings are ready for use and properly inflated; inspect the battery and make sure there are no signs of corrosion.

Also ensure your battery doesn’t need to be replaced; make sure all your lights, signals, and hazards are working properly, and also check your hardware for loose or missing pieces.

In addition to these maintenance tips, you should also consult your equipment’s owner’s manual to see if there is anything else you will need to do to make sure your equipment is running efficiently.

For rust prevention: Rust can cause big problems for your farm equipment. Luckily, some simple maintenance tips can help prevent rust from forming. First, you’ll want to make sure that you properly clean off machinery after you use it. (Pressure washing the machinery as mentioned earlier should be enough to keep your machinery clean.)

You’ll also want to store the equipment in a shed to keep it clean and dry. For additional rust protection, consider waxing your equipment touching up the paint on the machine to provide additional protection.

Other farm implements that need to be maintained are sprayers, manure spreaders, scales, feed mixers, dispensers, medicators, refrigerators, coolers and temperature-monitoring devices.

To protect the safety of food, livestock and poultry, equipment maintenance and calibration practices must be performed at the required frequency and according to the equipment manufacturer’s specifications.

The maintenance of these can be done by: Calibrating equipment at recommended frequencies following manufacturers’ instructions to ensure measuring is performed accurately; Performing maintenance as detailed in the manufacturers’ operating manuals, such as lubricating with proper lubricants, changing oil and filters, replacing parts, tightening loose screws and adjusting belts; Visually inspecting equipment for potential problems such as cracked or pitted surfaces and leaking oil; Repairing or discarding damaged equipment, crates and containers and using food-grade lubricants, paints and oils if these materials are likely to come into contact with ready-to-eat product such as fresh produce, eggs or milk.

Benefits of maintenance and calibration in addition to protecting food safety, equipment maintenance and calibration is that they can maximize production efficiency and reduce equipment-related costs due to unexpected repairs, replacement and downtime thereby improving the general efficiency and effectiveness of functionality of the agricultural system.

The writer is Eng. Tapuwa Justice Mashangwa, a young entrepreneur based in Bulawayo, Founder and CEO OF Emerald Agribusiness Consultancy. He can be contacted on +263 739096418 and email; [email protected]