HES Tractes Top Ten Tips for basic winter maintenance. Hydraulic Equipment Supermarkets

With the colder months now upon us it is important to ensure that winter maintenance is carried out on your agricultural or off-highway machinery.

HES Tractec

Tel: 01452 733106

The most common cause of death or serious injury within the agricultural sector are accidents involving vehicles, and many of the worst cases of these take place during the colder months.

By having a winter maintenance program in place and servicing your agricultural or off-highway machinery, replacing any parts that have worn, show signs of wear or appear clogged etc. can really help reduce the risk of accidents occurring.

Here at HES Tractec we have produced the following "Tractec Tips" to assist you with your basic winter checks and the maintenance of your agricultural, construction or off-highway machinery. This is by no means a definitive guide and we know many of our customers are perfectly adept at maintaining their equipment without being taught to "suck eggs" but we like to look after our customers; whether we are sourcing hard-to-find components for their machines, identifying a part from a photograph without a serial number or providing expert technical advice for problems they may be facing with their machinery - HES Tractec are here to help!

So, read on for some basic, but we think essential, tips for ensuring your agricultural or off-highway vehicle is properly maintained during winter.

Storage

Many people put at least some of their agricultural, construction or off-highway machinery into storage during the winter months where it remains, unused, until spring arrives. In order to reduce the chances of damage to your machinery it should be kept, wherever possible, in warm, dry and sheltered enclosures which are kept in a good state of repair. The cost of maintaining a good winter storage facility is often minimal compared with the cost of repairing, or even replacing, the machinery you could be storing within it if it becomes damaged as a result of poorly maintained storage facilities.

Our first tip would be to:

Keep your winter storage unit to a good standard to prevent the risk of damage to your machinery while not in use.

Batteries

Many of us have been in this situation at some point in time: our car, tractor, motorbike, van has been sat, unused for a week or so, maybe even longer, in cold weather. We go to start it up, turn the key, push the ignition switch, and click... nothing. How frustrating! Especially when you're in a hurry to get somewhere.

In cold weather batteries lose their charge quicker, especially if they're not exactly fresh off the shelf. During your winter maintenance schedule, you should check your machines battery to see how well it holds its charge. If your machinery is going into storage for the winter, disconnect and remove the battery and store it somewhere warmer while the machinery is not in use (following safe battery storage guidelines of course) or, if you cannot remove it or have nowhere appropriate to store it, disconnect it. If you are still going to be using your machine, but less frequently, or you cannot reasonably remove the battery, then start it up at least once a month (or as often as possible) and leave it running for a short while to maintain the batteries charge - this will also help to prevent your machine from seizing up over the winter.

So, our next tip would be to

Look after your machines battery to ensure it holds its charge through the winter.

Tyres

The braking distance of agricultural or off-highway vehicles can increase by up to 10 times during the wetter and colder months, depending on how icy the conditions are, so ensuring your tyres are properly maintained and fit for purpose is essential to avoiding unnecessary accidents. Check your tyre pressure and keep it topped up to the manufacturers recommended PSI rating for the relevant use and check them regularly for cracks or other signs of wear as tyres can warm up during use and then cool down quickly while stationary during winter and these rapid temperature changes can cause tyres to crack, especially if they have had prolonged usage or are worn already.

Check your tyres for cracks, correct pressure and signs of wear before and after use and, if necessary, replace as soon as possible.

Filters

Checking hydraulic, fuel, air, water filters regularly should be part of your year round maintenance program, but when the temperature drops it would be wise to check them more often and replace them as soon as sediment starts to build up too much before they become clogged. HES Tractec would also recommend having a few spares of each type of filter that your machine uses in case you do need to replace any quickly.

Check your filters more often in winter and keep spares to hand.

Lubrication

It is even more essential during the colder months to keep your machine well lubricated to prevent rust and parts seizing up by helping to keep moisture at bay as much as is reasonably possible. This is especially important if your machine is going into storage for the winter as the parts are likely not to move as much and will be more prone to seizing by the time that they're due to be used again. Before your machine goes into storage ensure that all moving parts, bearings in particular, are properly lubricated and signs of rust and bare metal are treated with grease or rust prevention paint.

Lubricate regularly and thoroughly, especially before going into storage.

Plugs

Checking your spark plugs and glow plugs, whichever is applicable to your machine, is an important element of many regular maintenance checks. But during winter, as with filters, it is essential to check them more often. It may not be necessary to change them every winter, but it would be wise to clean them and check they are in full working order. If they appear to be showing signs of wear, then replace them. Again, as with filters, it would also be a good idea to have a stock of spares to easily replace any worn plugs if necessary.

Clean and check all glow or spark plugs and replace when showing signs of wear, keeping spare stock to hand.

Seals

Check all seals on your machinery for signs of damage or wear. Don't just limit these checks to seals within the hydraulic system, but also check seals around windows and doors too, while also checking the glass for any damage. If the machines doors and windows are not sealed properly this will let the cold and damp into the vehicle, which may result in preventable damage occurring, which could be costly! If a windscreen is not sealed properly then winter, when the machine is not in use or used less, is an ideal time to replace it. If your machine is being used throughout the winter then it is especially important to ensure all windows and doors are sealed properly so working conditions within the vehicle are as warm as possible - people are more likely to make mistakes when they are colder, often being tempted to cut corners or rushing to get work done so they can get somewhere warm quicker. It is also equally important to check the hydraulic seals in the machinery too in order to prevent leaks occurring or outside contaminant to enter the machine, replace any seals that show signs of wear and keep a stock of spares to hand to make this task easier.

Check all seals and glass for signs of wear or damage and replace where necessary.

Brakes

Check all brake linkages and components on your machines for mud, dirt or ice build-up, which may prevent them working properly, and ensure they are well lubricated. Remove any detritus from the brake system and check brake cables and components for wear or damage. As previously mentioned, during winter an agricultural or off-highway vehicles braking distance can increase by up to 10 times, so maintaining a properly functioning brake system is absolutely essential. Replace any cables, pads, linkages or any component of the braking system that show signs of wear or damage immediately. This maintenance could not only prevent a costly repair bill further down the line but could, potentially, save lives!

Check the brake system and its components for signs of wear, damage and detritus build up and clean and replace where necessary.

Anti-Freeze

This one is more than likely to be teaching you to "suck eggs" but always check anti-freeze levels and top up or increase dilution where appropriate during colder months. While doing this it would also be wise to check the radiator (if applicable) is working properly and is well sealed. Ensure you are using the correct type of anti-freeze and the appropriate level of dilution for your machinery.

Anti-Freeze; use it and check levels and dilution regularly.

Oil and Fuel

Ensure your oil and fuel tanks are topped up and showing full, as condensation can cause water to enter tanks if they are not full. With some equipment and in some locales, where the temperature can get a lot colder, it may be necessary to change your oil or fuel to one more appropriate for the temperatures you may experience. While checking oil and fuel levels it would also be wise to check for any sediment build up and, if found, flush the system and replace the fluid. It may be worth adding a fuel stabiliser where appropriate too. Check oil and fuel lines for damage, wear and leakages and repair where necessary.

Check oil and fuel levels and type, topping up and replacing where required.

There we have it; HES Tractecs top ten tips for ensuring your machinery survives the winter.

But we're not quite done yet. Here are a few more tips to help you ensure you get the most out of your machine during the colder months or once winter is over.

Make sure you clean your machine thoroughly - removing all dirt, ice, mud etc. before storing or after use and grease or treat any bare metal components. Ensure the inside is clean and tidy too in order to prevent rodents being attracted to it and damaging the wires, hoses, seats or any other components.
Check all moving parts of your machinery, letting them run for a short while, to ensure it is in full working order and replace or repair where necessary.
Ensure you have a good stock of appropriate spare parts for your machinery; take an inventory of the parts you do have and reorder any parts that would be worth having spare now to avoid being caught short when you really don't need to be.
Repair any parts that require repairing before the machinery is stored for long periods of time to prevent problems worsening during winter.
Loosen any belts on your machine by reducing the tension while in storage to extend their lifespan.
Park your machinery on concrete, where possible, or raise them on blocks to help reduce exposure to the cold ground and moisture.
Use an appropriate, heavy-duty, water-resistant, protective cover if storing machinery outside to reduce exposure to the elements wherever possible.

HES Tractec can help with the winter maintenance of your agricultural, construction or off-highway machinery by providing you with the genuine parts you need to ensure your machinery is in full working order.

We stock thousands of products from global brands and can get hold of often hard-to-source components for your machinery.

Call HES Tractec today with your winter maintenance requirements and we will help wherever possible with great products at great prices.

HES Tractec; your partner in the field or workshop.

Providing genuine brands at genuine value: we are the genuine parts people.