With their multitudinous usance and capabilities , tractorshave secure their office as farm staple with unbeatable utilitarianism . Farm life is rife with time - ware chores and tasks , and a well - kept tractor is essential to getting that work done more efficiently .
Typical farm chores , such as plowing fields , cutting and bale hay , and transporting and feed hay in the wintertime , are made easier by the use of the tractor ; however , this machine is a true workhorse , travel beyond the typical farm tasks when let out of the barn in the off - time of year .
Improve Access Roads
Whether you ’re traveling from the barn to the grass with a loading of hay or toting vegetable back from the garden , regularly used access route on your farm eventually erode , becoming unquestionable river during rains . Attaching a bucketful to the front - remnant loader and a box steel to the backside enable you to meliorate access road , saving money on the in high spirits monetary value of a professional heavy - equipment operator .
“ The center of the road seam should be about 3 column inch higher than the articulatio humeri of the road , ” say Perry Oakes , state of matter preservation engineer with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Auburn , Ala. “ This help deviate overflow into the side drainage ditches . ”
Use the tractor pail on the front - conclusion loader to move dirt from side ditch into the middle of the road and the box blade to drag and smooth it , raising the road bed and cleaning out the ditch . “ drain ditches on the side of the road should be at least 1 foot lowly than the surface of the road , ” Oakes says .
Using the pail of the tractor , coldcock crushed rock from an on - farm creek or a load brought from another source on the road . The box seat blade or a scrape blade turned at an angle grant you to smooth out a top layer of gravel on your freshly graded route .
Tractor Maintenance Tip
All that debris and dirt can take a bell on your tractor . Once you ’re finished with your road project , take time to check for any buildup in the melody filter . “ It need a slew of air to run a diesel [ engine ] , so you demand to remove the aviation filter for a visual inspection to see if it needs change , ” says Scotty Hiett , a service technician for Kubota .
Build Firebreaks
Whether you ’re deal a prescribed suntan orinstalling a fence linethrough the woods , the tractor is ideal for building play along firebreaks , which slow or halt wildfires that encroach upon your belongings . A grappling hook for the front - end loader makes the job of take limb and small , fallen trees from the property a elasticity . Once all the debris is remove from the propose firebreak or fencing line , the scrape or boxful blade can be used to make a clear path or firebreak road through the Wood .
Using a scraper that has an adjustable offset vane will remove leaf litter and debris , making a light dirt break . After you ’ve created the firebreak , go back over the break to remove leaf litter prior to a prescribed fire . Often the breadth of a 6 - invertebrate foot scrape blade or box blade is all that ’s take to safely lean the border of positive flack , but train local and state regulation and notify local fervidness officials before burn .
Although your tractor might regularly carry spraying tanks for weedkiller or pesticide program , when fill with pee , the tank car is a utile creature for control fervour that threaten boundaries . A small , manoeuvrable tractor is your best bet for this use .
Using the tractor for work in inscrutable , thick fields can have the front grill to clog quickly with leave of absence , junk and other debris . Stop sporadically to canvas the front of the tractor on the grill back and make trusted there are no impedimenta foreclose free flow of air . While you ’re checking for free airflow , inspect the rest of the tractor to ensure no sharp-worded joystick have been flip into the engine or penetrated tire . “ Also , keep the radiator cleaned out and free of debris because this can overheat the railway locomotive and quickly cause long - condition terms , ” Hiett says .
Overheating due to radiator - debris buildup can void the warranty in many slip .
Erect Fencing
Tractor implement , such as a mechanical place driver or yap practice , are available to help hobby farmers set up fences speedily and easily . If you require to salvage yourself afflictive muscles and hours of outwear labor , believe implements that confiscate to the front or rear of your tractor .
situation - hole drillscan be mounted to the three - point interference or front pail , which countenance for slap-up down insistency and fast dig and can be operated alone from the tractor tail . Post driver can be mounted to the front or rear of the tractor to push the post into the ground without using a power take - off - driven portion of the tractor .
Safety is a top priority when it comes to operating your tractor and its fastening . In addition to prophylactic features and right technique , your equipment needs to be prepared for the job at hired hand . Before and after each use , control and service all implements and equipment . Grease all try-on at the urge intervals , keep the fluids full , and service all blades or workings parts , replacing any worn belts or moving part .
A little cleverness and excess tutelage can go a long way to extending the body of work life of your tractor . Do n’t bench your tractor when the garden is dormant — more task wait , and this b tenant is quick to peddle in .
This clause originally appeared in the May / June 2013 issue ofHobby Farms .
