A Guide to Preventing Damage to Your Combine

Preventative maintenance will help you extend the life of your combine harvester, save money on repairs, and reduce lost productivity due to the machines sitting in a repair shop. Some wear or tear is unavoidable, but several factors increase the damage, such as not following the service schedule or poor worksite practices. We’ve gathered up our favorite tips for preventing damage to a combine and header.

Regular Upkeep

A common cause of farm equipment damage is a lack of maintenance. The longer you let preventative maintenance tasks slide, the greater chance you have of facing damage. Consult the owner’s manual of your combine to see the relevant tasks, the frequency of service, and any products you should or should not use.

The owner’s manual should have some care and maintenance tips that are specific to your piece of implement, which will help you clean it safely. If you don’t have access to your manual, try to locate it online.

Proper Usage Techniques

Operator error is another major reason for damage. Make sure that anyone who will be using the combine and other machines has already undergone the required training and is confident about safely operating the equipment. If the individual has had training, but it was a long time ago, it’s useful to have a refresher.

Compatible Attachments

One perk of agricultural equipment is it can be used with a variety of attachments. However, it’s important to check that any attachments used are compatible with your combine and are in good condition. Otherwise, they can cause damage to your machines.

Proactive Repairs

Even the highest quality attachments will suffer some natural wear and tear. Once you start noticing a performance issue, get it repaired or schedule a service appointment as soon as possible. Minor damage can quickly lead to extensive damage, which will also cost you more to fix.

Cleaning

You should clean your combine at least once a year. Some circumstances may arise that require you to wash it more often, such as working in especially muddy or dirty conditions, when there’s a lot of build-up of mud, grass, and oil, or when you’re preparing to store your equipment for a long period of time.

We hope that you found this guide useful! If you want more advice or need to get your machines serviced, get in touch with the experts at SS Equipment in Oregon and Washington. We also have a wide selection of equipment for sale, so it will be easy for you to find exactly what you need for your farm.