Tractors are a significant investment that every farmer expects will help them gain optimal efficiency on their farm. If your tractor isn’t working at peak performance, your entire farming operation can slow down, causing you to lose out on optimal efficiency. Use these five ways to improve tractor performance to make sure you’re getting the most out of your investment.  Â
Get New Tires
A new set of tires can make a big difference in your tractor’s performance. Replacing old or damaged tires with a new set can result in better traction and can make your tractor more fuel-efficient. However, purchasing the wrong set of tires can hurt your tractor’s performance, so make sure you know how to measure your tires and rims.
Don’t Skip Preventative Maintenance
The key to keeping your tractor at a high performance rating is preventative maintenance. If you don’t follow these preventive measures, you risk ruining your tractor’s efficiency and running into much bigger maintenance problems in the future.
One of the most important preventative maintenance measures is cleaning dust from radiator screens. Dust can reduce the airflow needed to cool the radiator, resulting in excessive heat that can damage the engine and decrease performance.
Limit Idle Time
Try to avoid leaving your tractor idling for excessive periods while working. While some tractors will need to idle to warm-up, idling for too long will hinder your tractor’s fuel efficiency, and you may spend more time fueling up than working.
Gear Up and Throttle Down
Gear up, throttle down, or GUTD, is another common fuel-saving technique. GUTD is most often used when a load requires less than 70 percent of the tractor’s power. Shift into a higher gear and slow the engine speed (RPM) to maintain the desired field speed.
Use High-Quality Fluids
It’s no secret that what you put into your tractor will impact how it works. High-quality fluids contain chemical additive packages that effectively protect gears, clutches, pumps, transmissions, hydraulic systems, and many other moving parts. Budget fluids might sound attractive as a lower investment, but they could cost you more in the long run. Look for these labels on fluid product packaging to identify high-quality fluids:
- Multi-purpose, enabling lubrication of a tractor’s transmission, final drives, clutches, wet brakes, and hydraulic systems
- Excellent wear-protection fluid that provides anti-wear properties for clutches, gears, and hydraulic pumps
- Designed to prevent brake chatter
- High-water tolerance product that protects parts from corrosion and erosion when contaminated with water
- Suitable for year-round use in extreme hot and cold temperature ranges
Your tractor’s performance plays a significant role in efficiency on your farm. Try these five ways to improve tractor performance to get the most out of your machine.Â
