We’ve already seen the wild swings in weather this spring in many parts of 21st Century Equipment country—everything from snow to summer-like heat—within a day or two of each other. Your equipment has to cope with these changes as well, so here are a couple of tips that can help.
We will typically receive a number of calls each spring related to the air conditioning systems inside tractor cabs. Customers say the system is not cooling the cab.
Most of the time this is a pretty simple fix—it’s simply dirty air filters. Some tractor models are more susceptible to this problem than others, but the increased efficiency in air handling systems means that more air is flowing through the cab—and that means more dust is trapped in the filters.
The outer engine filter and out cab filter should be cleaned daily. Removing the filters and pounding out the dirt, dust and debris should be sufficient. On a weekly basis, you should clean the cab recirculation filter located behind the seat. Take care of your air conditioning filters, and you should be able to keep your cool during the warm weather.
Speaking of cool: On these cool mornings, it’s always a good idea to start up your equipment and let it run for 15 minutes or so before you enter the field. This allows the hydraulics to warm up and stabilize—and that reduces the variances in flow and pressure that can occur during operation if you start your engines and go directly to work. You’ll spend less time making adjustments on the fly if you just take a few minutes at the start of the day to let the equipment get warmed up.
While the equipment is idling, walk around it to check all fittings, hoses, etc. Again, a little time spent each day double-checking the basics could help you avoid a time-killing breakdown in the field. And that’s the last thing you need when the heat is on!