Combine Care: Downtime Maintenance Means Uptime Performance

The last three combines that Erle Brewer has owned have all been traded back to Shoal Lake Farm Equipment shortly after the warranty expired … which means Brewer hasn’t had to worry much about repairs. However, that doesn’t mean the Hamiota, Manitoba, farmer is any less diligent about end-of-season maintenance and inspection.

With 2,500 acres of canola, oats, wheat and barley to harvest each year, the Massey Ferguson® Model 9560 he currently owns gets a good workout by the time harvest season is finished. Hence, the first thing he does before putting the machine away for the winter is thoroughly clean and check it over for needed repairs.

“I go over all the usual things, like checking the belts and chains, and making a list of any repairs that need to be made,” he says. “I can still do a lot of mechanical repairs myself; but with all the electronics on combines these days, I hate to get too far past the warranty. Fortunately, I haven’t had many problems to worry about since I try to keep fairly new machines. Keeping them clean and properly maintained just makes harvest that much more trouble-free.”

Trading in combines just after the warranty expires is a terrific approach to managing a fleet. However, as Brewer notes, it doesn’t eliminate the need for regular maintenance. So, to help farm equipment owners develop or enhance their own system and maximize uptime, FarmLife is offering a series of maintenance checklists.

Check out the latest we’ve crafted with the help of farmers and AGCO dealership and corporate personnel. Also, see parts one and two in the series—on balers and tractors.

For more, see http://www.myfarmlife.com/advantage/dont-wait-for-a-harvest-breakdown/ or visit the maintenance series from FarmLife, our exclusive customer magazine, at http://www.myfarmlife.com/maintenance/.