# Daily Maintenance and Care of Agricultural Machinery

Guide to Daily Maintenance of Agricultural Machinery: The Key to Extending Service Life I. The Importance of Daily Maintenance Agricultural machinery (such as tractors, harvesters, rice transplanters, etc.) is a core tool of modern agricultural production. Scientific daily maintenance can significantly reduce failure rates, improve operational efficiency, and extend equipment service life. According to statistics, regularly maintained agricultural machinery can reduce maintenance costs by more than 30% while reducing unexpected downtime by 50%. II. Checklist of Basic Maintenance Items 1. Inspection Before and After Daily Operation Lubrication system: Check the oil levels of engine oil, hydraulic oil, and gear oil, and replenish promptly when insufficient (using original manufacturer-recommended oil grades). Example: A tractor needs the oil filter replaced once every 50 hours of operation. Cooling system: Clean weeds and dust from the radiator surface, and check the antifreeze level (a 1:1 mix with water is recommended in summer). Tires/tracks: Check tire pressure (refer to the manual for standard values), remove gravel from the treads, and adjust track tension as needed. 2. Maintenance of Key Components Air filter: Clean the filter element every 8-10 hours of operation (shorten the interval in desert areas), and replace immediately if damaged. Misconception warning: Blowing compressed air directly onto a paper filter element will reduce filtration effectiveness! Fuel system: Use national-standard diesel, and drain water from the fuel-water separator daily (especially important in winter). Drive chains/belts: Apply lubricating grease regularly and check tension (a downward deflection of no more than 10 mm under thumb pressure is ideal). 3. Maintenance During Long-Term Storage Thoroughly clean the machine body, and apply anti-rust grease to key metal parts; disconnect the negative terminal of the battery and charge it once a month; retract the hydraulic cylinder piston rod to avoid seal aging. III. Key Seasonal Maintenance Priorities | Season | Maintenance Priorities | | Spring | Replace antifreeze with ordinary coolant, check wear on the seed metering device of the seeder | | Summer | Strengthen cleaning of the cooling system, inspect belts for high-temperature aging | | Autumn | Lubricate harvester blades, calibrate monitoring sensors | | Winter | Switch to low-pour-point diesel, install an engine preheating device | IV. Common Warning Signals of Failure Abnormal noise: Bearing wear/poor gear meshing (accompanied by localized heating); power decline: clogged air filter/carbon buildup on fuel injectors (requires professional equipment testing); hydraulic failure: oil pipe leakage/valve body sticking (abnormal pressure values). V. Professional Maintenance Recommendations Establish a maintenance file: Record each maintenance time, replaced parts, and fault conditions. Prioritize original manufacturer parts: Aftermarket parts may cause more than 80% of compatibility problems. Annual comprehensive overhaul: It is recommended to have this performed by professional technicians during the agricultural off-season (including circuit testing, hydraulic system pressure testing, etc.). Conclusion Agricultural machinery maintenance is like a "regular physical checkup." The seemingly tedious daily maintenance is actually the best investment to avoid major repairs. Master these techniques, and your equipment will deliver maximum performance during the busy farming season! (Note: For specific maintenance intervals, please refer to the equipment manual. This article applies to mainstream agricultural machinery.)