While you're gathering tips to operate your tractor safely, you'll also want to learn the common mistakes that new owners make. These mistakes can not only damage your machine, but they can put you at the risk of sustaining injuries.
The experts at West Central Equipment have rounded up five common mistakes that you'll want to avoid. If you have more questions or need more ideas to operate your farm machinery, visit us at our dealership, where we happily welcome our customers from all of Pennsylvania.
Like many new owners, don't forget that the head of your tractor is not at the same height as the highest point of your equipment. So, consider the roll bar height while parking your machine in a garage or shed. If you ignore this while parking your equipment, you might take off your garage door and jeopardize your safety and the safety of others around you. So, before you try parking, check to see that you have enough clearance for doing it safely.
Hydraulics tend to leak over time when an implement is not in use. This is why you must park your tractor (and its attachments) properly.
If you park your equipment with the implement lifted in the air, the hydraulics can start leaking, causing the attachment to slump down or settle itself. While doing this, it can push itself through the drywall in your garage. This can lead to a dangerous accident, which you can easily prevent by storing your implements properly.
Another common mistake you’ll want to avoid making as a new tractor owner is moving loads with the bucket too high, which can be dangerous for both you and your machine.
When you lift your bucket with a heavy load, the center of gravity for the entire machine will also be raised. This will make it top-heavy and likely lead your tractor to tip or roll over. So, to prevent this situation, keep the bucket low when transporting loads.
Unfortunately, tractor injuries are far more common than you might think. That's why you'll want to wear proper gear before you start your machine and begin working. Wearing loose clothing or clothes with threads and long cords can put you at risk for your clothes getting caught on your machine's components while you are mounting or dismounting them.
So, while operating moving machinery, make sure that you wear close-fitting clothes and footwear with a good grip and slip-resistant soles.
Regular maintenance not only helps in keeping your pieces of equipment in good working order but also in adding life to them. So, to make your tractor last a long time, you’ll need to change the oil and oil filters, use fresh fuel, check fluid levels, and grease the parts that need to be lubricated. Keeping up with your maintenance schedule will help you avoid trouble at your farm or job site and prevent expensive visits to the service department.
We hope these tips help you avoid the common mistakes that many new owners make. If you have any questions or want to upgrade your machine, visit West Central Equipment to look at our extensive inventory of tractors for sale. If you let us know your requirements, we can suggest tractors and farm implements that’ll help boost your productivity and output. We serve all of Pennsylvania, so stop by today.
