Winter is Around the Corner – Tips to Be Ready

Tips for WinterizationAs the fall season quickly comes, winter is right behind it. Depending on who you listen to, it appears the majority consensus is that El Nino will be having a strong effect this winter, bringing possibly harsher and longer winter conditions. Whether you’re simply bringing in the lawn mower for the winter or a John Deere farm tractor, preparations should be made on both fronts. In an effort to keep ahead of mother nature, here are some tips to be prepared for the winter ahead and winterize your equipment correctly.

For Storing Your Tractor:
1) Get a tune-up? Yes, it’s actually recommended to give the tractor a quick tune-up before going into hibernation for the winter so that when the time comes to start it up again, it will start as quickly as possible and run as optimally after resting for such a long duration. By implementing the tune-up before the winter, you’ll have a chance to run it a couple of times and acclimate any new equipment to the tractor rather than adding or replacing those items and have to start it from a cold state.

2) Get charged up! The battery…ah yes, nothing worse than trying to turn the engine over with nothing but a click, click, click.   Many that store equipment for the winter have already made it an expectation that the engine will not start due to the idea that the battery can’t hold its charge over the winter. However, this is inaccurate. A battery certainly can hold its charge, but it needs to be in good working order; fully charged, fresh fluids, and doesn’t hurt if it was bought recently.

lawn tractor3) Check your equipment. Whether it’s simply the fuel or something more important as a skid steer or round baler belts, each needs to be handled correctly. It’s always best to check with the manufacturer to determine what their recommended winterization methods are; however, the important piece is to check. Realize each piece of equipment or supply is different and may require very different methods in order to work optimally after the winter season.

There you have it, 3 tips to help keep you ahead of the upcoming winter, as we know we can expect it every year! Be sure to take the preventative measures as the repair costs often outweigh the preventive costs.