FARM MACHINERY REPAYS CARE

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 75, Issue 1, 15 July 1947, Page 65

FARM MACHINERY REPAYS CARE

THE use of farm machinery has increased enormously in New Zealand over the last few years, as is illustrated by an increase of 9301 farm tractors since 1939, bringing, the total in use in 1946 to 18,940. As machinery has assumed such an important place in farming operations, it is necessary to keep it operating at maximum efficiency, and in this article C. J. Crosbie, Assistant Machinery Officer, Christchurch, covers aspects of maintenance that arise in the periodical checking over of implements.

FARM machinery must be cared for 'intelligently and kept in good repair if it is to give efficient service. A big factor in the life of an implement is care, which must be given in the long idle period as well as in the working period. Too / frequently a machine receives liberal douchings-of oil while it is working, but it is left to the mercy of the weather for the rest of the year. Very few implements actually wear out. Many of them have only a few actual wearing parts, which can be easily replaced, while only in a limited number are there so many wearing parts that it is cheaper to buy a new machine rather than replace worn sections of the original. Proper maintenance includes protection from' the weather by housing, regular lubrication, adjustment and replace-, ment of parts, and prevention of rust and deterioration by painting and periodical tune-ups. The manufacturer’s operating manual should be referred to for the necessary data in phases of this work. Housing Machinery Most New Zealand farms have at least . one shed devoted wholly or partly to housing, farm machinery, and more expensive machines and those incorporating wood in their make-up will generally be found under cover, because the heavy average rainfall and long hours of sunshine that most districts of New Zealand enjoy are destructive to woodwork of machinery left in the open. However, as the rusting of iron implements is as costly as the rotting of wooden ones, it is just as important to house an iron plough as a wooden hay sweep. A machine that stands out in the open for 11 months is not likely to function well in the twelfth. Some farmers use stray macrocarpa trees as cover, but this practice is not recommended. Also . some , farmers may be influenced by a report from America that lack of housing did not greatly, reduce life of an implement, but the States covered by the report have not the -heavy, salt-, charged winds that New . Zealand

experiences, and, further, repair costs of housed machines are lower. . Finally an implement shed should be used as such and not to shelter stray farm animals and fowls. Animal droppings contain nitrogen, and, in rotting, the nitrogen is / formed into ammonia and then into nitric acid, which is the strongest acid known; examples of its intense corrosive action on steel and iron may be seen on any farm, and the point need not be stressed further. Repairs and Adjustments . Not . uncommonly implements are worked until they break down before, they receive attention. In many cases breakdowns can be prevented by periodical inspections and by making any necessary > adjustments; simple precautions such as running over a machine and tightening all bolts and set screws will ; save hours of delay which follow a breakdown. It is all too common to leave an implement where it is after the ; job in hand is . finished, whereas housing it and giving it the proper attention will ensure its being in good. order and ready ; when next required. A simple precaution ; that is well repaid 'in reduced depreciation and easier operation of the.- implement when next used is to coat the bright parts such as the mower fingers with waste oil or grease. The results of neglect after use are readily seen in topdressers, drills, and . spraying machines,' which may become un-

workable if corrosive chemicals are left in contact with the metal parts. : It is good practice 1 to give machines a thorough overhaul during the winter when outside work is unpleasant. In this way ; worn and weak parts are located and either repaired or replaced so that when the busy season arrives the machinery is ready, and valuable time is not lost in ' making running repairs, Further, as the greatest demand on spare ' parts from machinery firms comes , just before harvest, if repairs are' put off till then, the part required may be temporarily out of stock. Also, the local blacksmith is inundated with requests to do repairs immediately before harvest, and often much of the work has to . wait its turn before it can be completed. The wisdom of having ' this work done in the winter when the machines are not required and short delays do not matter is' therefore apparent. Running repairs and general overhauls are greatly facilitated by having a small workshop on the farm, and a number of farmers have made provision for this when erecting -farm buildings. ' The workshop need not be pretentious, but . should include a bench, a vice, and an efficient set of small tools. On larger farms it has been an advantage., to include a forge and a few power-driven tools such as a grinder, bench drill, and buffing machine. A hoist or -a pit is also a big help in major overhauls or repairs. ’ ’ . On some -larger farms, now that most machines are mounted on pneumatic tyres, a small air compressor has been installed for pumping tyres. When the compressor plant, is fitted with a spray-gun much time and labour may be saved in painting machinery and buildings. Compressed air may also be used with the forge,

greasing plant, and for cleaning parts under repair, but perhaps the greatest saving its use ensures is in tyre wear, for correct tyre pressures are important and are easily maintained with an air compressor. ■ Welding Many blacksmiths and most motor mechanics now have in their shops either a gas or an electric: welding plant or perhaps both, and most farmers use the services available when breakdowns occur or when overhauls are being carried out. Welding is used on farm machinery either to rebuild and to hard-surface worn parts or to join broken parts. Most worn parts may be . rebuilt by the welding process and finished with a metal that will wear well. Thus ploughshares may be reshaped and the leading edges toughened, axles and journals may be built up and either ground or turned to the correct size, while track pins, links and plates, sprockets and front idlers, mouldboards, cultivator tines, and potato-digger chains may also be given a second life by a competent welder. New techniques and new welding rods have recently been developed that can be applied to farm machinery and should do much to increase the life of wearing parts. ' When parts break during the harvest it is often quicker to have them repaired by the local welder rather than to send for a new part, as the saving in time may mean the . difference between a crop in the bag ,or stack and one left out in the rain. Welded parts are often stronger than the original, but before replacing them it is wise to consider the cause of the breakage. If the part itself is at fault, it is generally safe to replace it, but if the adjustment of allied parts is faulty, this should be corrected before the,part is replaced, otherwise the breakage is likely, to recur. Before a part is taken to be welded it should be thoroughly cleaned of grease, "or grease and oxygen under pressure can cause an explosion. Rust.

and paint around the weld should be removed, otherwise they- may enter the weld and weaken it. Such simple precautions _ save valuable time for : both welder and farmer. Painting r Farm implements are still being painted before being turned out from the factory, but because of the nature of their work, it is not long before they require another coat to prevent rusting. A good lead-base paint mixed. with linseed oil is preferable to the varnish" paint on new implements. It is not necessary in painting to make" the machine look like new, but if it is painted regularly and housed well, it is afforded a valuable protection. A mixture of -4 parts of metallic zinc powder with 1 part of zinc oxide and linseed oil is a good rust-inhibiting paint that is being increasingly used on farm machinery in America. It is a grey paint that may

be used both as a primer coat and as a finisher. New wooden buildings, especially those built of undressed timber; absorb a great quantity of paint, which can make the job of painting them expensive. Initial coats of waste oil overcome this to a large extent, and if ' they are left for a short period, the final coat of regular paint will take satisfactorily. - Alternatively, such buildings may be painted with a mixture of waste oil and red iron oxide to give a coating that is cheap, protective, and pleasing. Spray painting ‘is by far the best way to paint farm buildings ’ and machinery, and small air compressors and spray-guns are now available for this work at a reasonable price. On straightforward work about 800 square feet an hour can be covered, with a consumption of 3 to 4 gallons of paint. In painting, as the cost of labour frequently exceeds that of the paint, it is advisable to use a good grade of paint, whether, for metal or wood. Repainting should be done before the existing coat fails completely, for over a period of years good paint applied frequently enough is cheapest. Conclusion - As farming is becoming more and more mechanised, it behoves farmers to . look after machines if . the best is to be got from them. Machines, in poor condition cannot be expected to work well and losses from this cause, especially at harvest time, may be serious. Farmers who rely on machines to cut . production costs should have a -systematic ’ policy of care and maintenance. Better service from machines results from better maintenance. . < y ; -