Here are some suggestions for making your tractor safer, more convenient, and save a few bucks to boot:
Safety:
- Roll Cage. New tractors automatically come with one these days, but if you have an older tractor or a gray market model, yours probably doesn’t. You can purchase one pre-made to fit your tractor or have one fabricated from steel.
- Seat Belt. It’s not too hard to get thrown off your tractor. If your seat belt is broken or missing, it’s time to replace it. Check your seat for cracks and loose or missing bolts while you’re at it. You only want one if you have a roll cage.
- Widened Wheel Base. If you operate your tractor on hillsides, a widened wheel base can add a lot of stability. Many tractors allow you to change the position of your wheels.
- Head Lights. If you are going to be working in low-light conditions, headlights make it safer for the operator and those around him or her. If you are running down a roadway, headlights make you more visible. Even if your tractor never had headlights, it was probably an option so you can probably get some made just for your tractor. You can also adapt other types of lights to fit or add them to a roll cage.
- Amber Flashing Lights. If you drive your tractor on roadways, a flashing light can alert other drivers in a timely manner.
Convenience:
- Tool Box. A tool box attached to your tractor is a handy thing.
- Hydraulic Filter with Warning. Either visual or audible warnings allow you to know when your hydraulic filter is getting dirty and needs changed. This can prevent inconvenient downtime where your hydraulics just stop working. It can also prevent costly damage to your hydraulic system.
- Umbrella. You can buy an umbrella made for tractors with a bracket system. These are most handy for sun protection.
- Cup Holder or Water Bottle Bracket. You get thirsty out there!
Savings:
- Air Pre-cleaner. This device acts like a dust collector. You can just take it off and dump out the dirt particles that would normally collect in your air cleaner. Your air cleaner lasts a lot longer with the pre-cleaner doing the job.
- PTO Override Clutch. If you don’t have a dual-clutch tractor, this will prevent PTO gear breakage in the transmission if your attachments, such as brush hogs, push you along.
We can install any of these modifications for you. Give Dallen a call at 360-480-8138 or 360-748-3480.
This is one confident bunny!
If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to get your equipment ready for the cold weather. Proper steps taken now can ensure that your equipment will fire up and be ready come spring. Whether you have a lawnmower, tractor, or bulldozer, any type of equipment can benefit from these steps:
- First, check your antifreeze levels in equipment that have radiators. Flush if rusty. Add antifreeze to bring the freezing temperature of the coolant down to zero degrees. You will need a coolant tester.
- Grease all greaseable joints. This includes steering knuckles, bearings, and any moveable joints with a grease fitting. You will need a grease gun.
- For any equipment that will be parked for 6 weeks or longer, add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank. Make sure to use a stabilizer made for your type of fuel. Gas engines should have the carburetor drained.
- This is also a good time to check your oil and hydraulic levels and the condition of your belts, lines, hoses, and cylinders.
- Washing your equipment to get rid of the year’s dirt and grime is another good thing to do now.
If you have equipment that needs winterizing, and don’t have time or feel inclined to do it, Bear Foot Mobile Farm Services will come to you with our fully-equipped service truck. Call Dallen at (360) 480-8138 or (360) 748-3480.
Check out this video of Skidboot, a smart cattle dog. Watch more videos and learn about his life at skidboot.com.
The Houstons are very excited to announce that we have moved to our property in western Lewis County near Adna. We have been working towards this move for some time. You can expect the same personal and dedicated service as always!
Check out this fun video of playing with cattle with a remote-control car!
Enterprise for Equity in Olympia has announced its next agri-preneur business training program for food, farm and fish enterprises. Dallen and I went through this excellent program before we started our business. Check out the details on their agri-preneur page.
Raising Organic Family Farms is an initiative by Lundberg Family Farms to award grants and scholarships to aspiring or transitioning commercial organic farmers. They are awarding a total of up to $50,000 in varying increments. Winners can use the award for seed money for equipment, supplies or repairs; education funding towards schooling or conference registration; and mentorship with experts in business planning, marketing, retail, livestock management or crop planning. The applications are via a 500-word essay. To apply, go to their grant application page. The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2011.
With haying season well upon us, we thought we would share a few tips to make life a little easier for you and your equipment.
- Inspect your equipment a couple of weeks before you will need it so you can do any last-minute repairs or maintenance.
- Know how to adjust the hay feed on your baler. If you start getting curved bales, adjusting the hay feed should square them up.
- Don’t be tempted to substitute heavy-duty bolts for your shear bolts or pins. They are meant to shear off to save damage to your equipment.
- Before installing a new baler needle, trace it on heavy cardboard. If it gets bent out of shape later, you can heat the needle and bend it back to the correct shape, using the tracing as a guide.
- If problems arise while haying, plan to get your equipment repaired over the winter so it will be ready to go next year.
- Stock spare parts so you can keep working instead of waiting for your parts if your dealer doesn’t keep them in stock. Having to wait days or weeks to get your part could be disastrous.
Good parts to have on hand:
- Shear bolts or shear pins, depending on what your equipment uses
- Pitman arm if your mower has one
- Belt if your mower is belt-driven
- Spare needle for your baler
- Master-links and half-lengths of drive chains for your baler
We can order in most parts at a discount. Give us a call to order parts and/or install them.
