Tractor Operation Tips

Tractors form the foundation of modern agricultural operations, with many farmers depending on them to drive other pieces of equipment. That means efficient and safe tractor use goes hand-in-hand with a productive growing operation. No matter how you use a tractor in your business, you and your workers should understand what they can do to ensure continued safety and a few tips for getting the most out of these powerful machines.

At Magnum Power, we are a tractor dealer that knows how important proper tractor operation is for hitting your end-of-season goals. That’s why we’ve put together this short guide with some tips for your benefit. Read on for more information or head into our dealership to see tractors for sale. We proudly serve those in Clay County, Missouri near Kearney, Liberty, Gladstone, and Kansas City.

Weight Distribution

Tractors are powerful, heavy pieces of equipment, but you’ll almost always run out of traction before running out of power. Unless, that is, you’re over-ballast. But operating at these weights won’t necessarily mean more work accomplished. Going over the maximum working weight of your tractor is a great way to exert undue stress on the drive train, which goes on to cause plenty of other issues, like decreased engine reliability and loss of rollover protection.

Fortunately, most of the work tractors do doesn’t require them to get close to maximum weight. Usually power output and weight stay well below these dangerous thresholds. But that’s where weight distribution can actually improve performance or reduce operating costs. Your tractor owner’s manual or your local dealer like Magnum Power can help to figure out the total ballasted weight for your tractor.

Gear Up, Throttle Down

Gear up, throttle down (GUTD) refers to the idea that a tractor engine is going to achieve the best ratio of work to fuel usage when operating under maximum or near maximum load. Most tractor applications don’t need to max out their horsepower, and operators can save a lot of fuel by shifting to a higher gear and slowing engine RPMs while maintaining your desired speed in the field.

If you’re doing work that needs less than 70% of your tractor’s power, then you can consider GUTD. Always refer to your owner’s manual for specifics, and if you aren’t well-versed in mechanical operations, it might be better left to the professionals at Magnum Power’s service department.

You can perform a quick test to get to the best settings. Start by operating for a short time at the desired speed and throttle setting, then quickly open the throttle. An engine that readily speeds up means that the settings are suitable. An unresponsive engine means you should shift down a gear or else increase the engine speed. You can perform the check again to move closer to optimum settings. Keep in mind that operating in GUTD will reduce the tractor PTO speed or hydraulic reaction time.

Maintenance for Performance

While there are enough tractor maintenance tips for several more articles, there are some particular points to pay attention to for maintaining quality operational condition to keep tractor performance in check.

Air filtration is extremely important for tractor engines to run optimally, and fields and farms are filled with lots of extra particulates that tend to cause serious damage if they get past the filter or else clog it up. If you’re looking for a maintenance task that directly influences both performance and fuel economy, then air filtration is a fantastic focus. You might try to install a dirt restriction gauge that will tell you when it’s time to change out your filter to make this maintenance step even easier.

The cooling system is also another likely candidate for performance maintenance. Your local dealer or the original manufacturer should sell affordable testing kits that make it easy to test and optimize engine coolant. Remember that antifreeze for diesel (and in reality, most heavy equipment engines) is different than the stuff you’d use on your car or truck.

Suppliers normally switch the fuel density as the seasons change, but you still need to make sure you’re running the right fuel for your tractor given the weather. Running winter fuel during the spring or summer fuel during autumn can drastically reduce engine performance. If you aren’t sure whether or not the fuel you’re using is right, ask your supplier to confirm fuel density for you.

Safety

Everyone who works around heavy farm equipment has a story, whether it happened to them personally or not, of something going horribly wrong. It’s tempting to think ourselves immune to accidents, but only by taking the proper safety precautions can you ever hope to avoid the most tragic of farming fates.

Start off by keeping all standard safety guards intact. It might sound silly, but many people simply think the extra effort to stay safe is beneath their worry. Likewise, don’t mess around on your tractor and save the shenanigans for the tractor pull on the weekends! Don’t allow extra riders, as there is never enough room for safe operation with two people in the cab.

Wearing the right clothing and safety gear can be important too. Close-fitting clothes without fraying are less likely to get caught in any moving parts, and you’ll want solid footwear to maintain good balance. Hearing protection like earmuffs or earplugs is great for that noisy engine, and always be ready to take a break should you need one — equipment operators of all kinds lose a lot of their ability to use machinery when fatigue, hunger, and thirst set in.

If you take your tractor onto the road, always make sure your “slow moving vehicle” sign is displayed and that any excess equipment is marked for other motorists to see. This is especially important both early in the morning and as the day winds down.

We hope some of these tractor operation tips can help you get more performance and safer use out of your equipment. If you still have questions, or you’re just interested in checking out our stock of new and used tractors for sale, head into Magnum Power. We are a tractor dealer that proudly serves those in Clay County, Missouri near Kearney, Liberty, Gladstone, and Kansas City. Let our team of professionals answer your questions and help you find what you’re looking for today.