The importance of maintaining agricultural machinery
2023. October 15.Modern agricultural machinery has a huge value, so it is very important to protect and maintain it.
This is an important task for the operator, as it guarantees the smooth operation of the machine.
In this article, we explain when and why maintenance is needed and how to do it.
What is the maintenance of agricultural machinery?
Maintenance mostly involves cyclical cleaning, lubrication, inspection and diagnostic tests, but also includes adjustment and troubleshooting operations.
Maintenance does not usually require major assembly, so there is a fine line between repair and maintenance.
This is where we eliminate the sources of faults, creating conditions that result in favourable operating conditions for the machine.
This also means that the agricultural machinery will operate without accidents, safely and with good fuel consumption.
For all equipment, changes are sometimes necessary as the basic operating parameters are constantly changing.
This applies to wear and tear on components, mechanical influences, contaminants and the loosening of various fasteners.
It is not a bad idea to check the controller and regulators from time to time, as they all wear out over time, so wear and tear is an inevitable process, but regular maintenance can significantly reduce the amount of wear and tear.
Why is it necessary?
Maintenance plays an important role in the economy and efficiency of agricultural activities.
By keeping machinery in good working order, we can extend the life of machinery so that it continues to operate without failure.
This in turn reduces the frequency with which machinery needs to be replaced, and therefore also reduces costs.
In all cases, maintained equipment can operate more efficiently, with clean parts and functionality optimising performance, so you can get much more work done in a relatively short time.
Not to mention that regular maintenance reduces the risk of sudden breakdowns.
We don’t have to worry about the machine breaking down or malfunctioning during the peak season, so the whole process doesn’t stop. 
During seasonal work, it is essential to keep the machines running continuously, as a minor breakdown can cause a long period of stoppage.
Predictable maintenance activities are always cheaper than an unexpected repair or replacement of the machine.
What are the other benefits of maintaining agricultural machinery?
In the process we can increase worker safety, equipment can pose a great danger to workers if not properly cared for.
Easily broken parts and snapped wires can cause a major accident, which can then lead to a fall out.
In addition, maintaining equipment can help improve the quality of produce, as a well-adjusted tractor or combine harvester is less likely to damage the harvested crops.
They will be harvested, collected and stored in an optimal way.
Thanks to maintenance, machines consume less fuel, reducing the amount of pollutants produced during the work.
The environmental impact of farming activities will be reduced, helping to ensure sustainable agriculture.
What is predictive maintenance?
Predictive, also known as preventive maintenance, is based on the monitoring of the condition of the equipment by sensors and on-board computers.
This will tell you when and what maintenance is needed in the future.
During predictive maintenance, you are notified of expected faults before the machine has a problem.
The big advantage of this solution is that it is much more economical and safer, as the equipment can be used as long as it is in optimal condition.
Based on the forecasts, we can prepare for the replacement of parts and their procurement.