Menu

Know How / Machinery maintenance

Advice on keeping your farm machinery in good working order, from tractors, to combines to tyres and trailer brakes. Get tips on pre-harvest combine and forager checks, see guides on tractor maintenance, such as checking tyre pressures and find out how other farmers have fitted retrofit options.

Advice and tips

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

How to get the best from a McConnel hedgecutter

Since the launch of its first Power Arm trimmer in the early 1950s, McConnel has been a dominant force in the world of flail hedgecutting. From a starting point of…

TRACTORS

22-year-old Fendt Favorit 515C gets £15k revamp

The allure of a new, top-spec tractor might win over many farmers and contractors, but Matthew Barnett has considerably more time for older machines with a proven track record. He…

FARM MAINTENANCE

6 tips to minimise problems with blocked fuel filters

Farmers across the UK are continuing to report problems with blocked fuel filters in tractors and other farm vehicles. An increase in fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) blend component for…

TRACTORS

Tips for maintaining a JCB Fastrac 2170

Hip-busting dry clutches, a tanker-like turning circle and shonky wiring are just a few of the common grumbles levelled at early JCB Fastrac models. The list of ailments has been…

See all

Case studies

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

Hydrogen-based cleaning kits get old engines running smoothly

A system for clearing carbon deposits from coked-up engines is now being offered by a Warwickshire firm as an on-farm service. Hydrogen cleaning has been used in the automotive industry…

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

How to pick the best cultivator wearing metal

Soil-engaging parts are one of those boringly inevitable expenses when running a cultivator or drill. But while many shop around for the cheapest lumps of metal to haul through the…

MACHINERY

Video: Custom Ford 7700 gets V8 muscle injection

If the burble of a throaty V8 engine puts a smile on your face, Luke Furse’s modified Ford 7700 will have you grinning from ear to ear. Twin gleaming stainless…

MACHINERY

Refurbishing your Vaderstad Rapid

Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Cambridge Farm Machinery, Vaderstad drills are big business. The company sells more than 40…

See all

Insights

TOOLS

Safest options for changing wheels and jacking machinery

Perching bottle jacks on timber blocks or using loader pallet tines to lift farm machinery ready for wheel removal may have been the standard practice of yesteryear, but today’s heavy…

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

Red diesel: The problems uncovered

Last autumn, reports of blocked fuel filters came flooding in from parts of the UK, with the finger being pointed at the increasing content of biodiesel being blended into red…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Tractor cab filters: are you protected?

Most operators and farmers will be well aware of the potential risks that working with agricultural chemicals brings, but with the right precautions, users will be kept free from any…

See all

News

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

Farmers report more problems with blocked tractor fuel filters

Urgent action must be taken to resolve ongoing problems with blocked fuel filters in tractors and other farm machinery, NFU Scotland says. The union has reported that once again farmers…

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

Don't re-end blown hydraulic hoses to save cash, says expert

Farmers have been warned about the dangers of cutting costs by re-ending blown hydraulic hoses themselves. Pinhole leaks in pipework can eject fluid at speeds in excess of 180m/sec, which…

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

New ceramic coating helps farm kit keep showroom sparkle

Tractor-proud farmers looking to keep their kit in sparkling condition can now order a paint-protecting film to prevent rust, scratches and UV fade for up to five years. Unlike vinyl…

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

UTV Products unveils new LED worklight range

Brighter illumination for telehandlers, forklifts and front-mounted attachments is promised by UTV Products' latest range of LED lights. The UTV332 lamps have a dual-beam setup that enables both high and…

See all

Video

COMBINES

Video: Orkney contractor converts his combine to tracks

Farming on the Orkney archipelago in the north of Scotland throws up challenges unlike anything on mainland Britain. The biggest of those is the weather – the Gulf Stream brings…

MACHINERY

How to service a Honda ATV

General Fluids & filters Engine Transmission Brakes & Tyres Suspension They're one of the most used pieces of kit on any livestock farm, but when was the last time you…

MACHINERY

Video: How to get the best from your sprayer

James Stafford Top 10 tips Videos Sprayers are one of those bits of kit that need a good dollop of TLC to keep them running at their best. We talked…

MACHINERY

Video: Getting the best from a Horsch Pronto

  Our series which sets out to advise users on how to get the best from their machinery continues with a look at the Horsch Pronto drill – a Pronto…

See all