# Scheduling Preventative Maintenance



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

So, the situation is that i have machines that need fluid changes on an annual basis "short" of the programmed hourly schedule from the dealer. I do mostly hay work, very minor tillage, mostly for fun and my own snow removal work. So the bulk of my hours are from may 1-Oct 1. I am talking about cleaning which I do regularly and at the end of the season, thorough greasing, fluid change and primary air and HVAC filters. Also have oil in discbine and balers.

I am just curious as to what the group does in this case. Do you do preventative maintenance in the fall after major work is finished or in spring just before major work starts? I have seen multiple comments on this over the months I have been on haytalk, often focused on moisture collection in the oils over winter. As I recall, the arguments were change it in the fall so it doesn't corrode over the winter, and change it in the spring to remove any moisture accumulation over the winter. So, what say you?


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

I am just curious as to what the group does in this case. Do you do preventative maintenance in the fall after major work is finished or in spring just before major work starts? I have seen multiple comments on this over the months I have been on haytalk, often focused on moisture collection in the oils over winter. As I recall, the arguments were change it in the fall so it doesn't corrode over the winter, and change it in the spring to remove any moisture accumulation over the winter. So, what say you?

"*change it in the fall so it doesn't corrode over the winter, and change it in the spring to remove any moisture accumulation over the winte*r"

This is what I'd do plus re-grease what was greased in the fall and change all the filters, change all the gear oil that is due in the spring as well.


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

I do most of my maintenance in the spring. We pressure wash everything before it goes in the barn for the winter and just give it a quick rinse job to wash the dust off when we pull them out in the spring. After they're hosed off they get the oils changed, filters checked and or replaced as needed and any other necessary work done at that time. So far I've never seen or heard of anyone actually having problems with engine corrosion due to keeping the old oil in an engine over the winter. Modern oils have detergents and other additives to combat acidity in oil so I've never seen the point in changing the oil to park it in the barn just to change the oil again in the spring but if you feel it's necessary then by all means go for it, Shell oil company will thank you!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Orchard6 said:


> So far I've never seen or heard of anyone actually having problems with engine corrosion due to keeping the old oil in an engine over the winter. Modern oils have detergents and other additives to combat acidity in oil so I've never seen the point in changing the oil to park it in the barn just to change the oil again in the spring but if you feel it's necessary then by all means go for it, Shell oil company will thank you!


Exactly, if you ever to have a problem with corrosion from leaving old oil in, it either come from having way too many hours on that oil, or another internal problem with the engine.

We blow everything off in the fall before parking it, don't like to get stuff wet too late in the fall as it never dries out fully over the winter. Change oil in the spring so it starts out fresh.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I'm more of a fan of 'blowing' things off, not much power washing and putting water where it would not get (I do some power washing however). But I DO grease in the fall, thinking that I would rather have the bearing full of something verse a partial void for moisture. Just last summer, I did not grease my v-rake right after finishing second cutting, greased it couple of weeks later before starting third cutting, noticed pushing some water out of a couple of bearings, reinforces my thinking. IMHO

Larry


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

r82230 said:


> I'm more of a fan of 'blowing' things off, not much power washing and putting water where it would not get (I do some power washing however). But I DO grease in the fall, thinking that I would rather have the bearing full of something verse a partial void for moisture. Just last summer, I did not grease my v-rake right after finishing second cutting, greased it couple of weeks later before starting third cutting, noticed pushing some water out of a couple of bearings, reinforces my thinking. IMHO
> 
> Larry


Exactly, last year father and a hired man cleaned the planter up for storage, they forgot to grease the gauge wheel arms, come this spring over half of em had to come off as they wouldn't take grease, no corrosion, just the old grease dried up. I greased each of em, worked all 32 up and down a few times then gave em a few more shots.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

mlappin said:


> Exactly, last year father and a hired man cleaned the planter up for storage, they forgot to grease the gauge wheel arms, come this spring over half of em had to come off as they wouldn't take grease, no corrosion, just the old grease dried up. I greased each of em, worked all 32 up and down a few times then gave em a few more shots.


If they WOULD have greased in fall, what would you do in spring?


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## gearhartfarms82 (May 10, 2015)

Well since we bale yr round we do it yr round. Everything is power washed off at least 2 times a yr. we probably go above and beyond what most do but we shake equipment down That we run every two weeks when it's being ran, just like we would in the winter we try to catch everything as fast as we can to prevent issues.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

deadmoose said:


> If they WOULD have greased in fall, what would you do in spring?


Anything but waste time on something that already should have been done?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I like to certain kinds of PM mid-summer, others over the fall.

Specifically: PM, such as oil changes, mechanical fixes, etc. usually get done mid-to-late summer. I like this timing because, if my inspection finds anything major that needs to be done, like a bearing, I can do it then and still have at least one more, low pressure use before I put it away for the winter. If I screw up something, I'll find it then rather than the first big cutting in the spring when the pressure is on and the weather is iffy.

Other routine PM, like cleaning and waxing, I do in the late fall as I put it away for the winter.

I like to do heavy duty PM, like re-sizing the baler belts or work that needs to be done at the dealer, over the winter. Dealers usually get slow around Christmas and stay slow until March 1st. Often, they discount labor during that time frame.

I do not like working under extra-ordinary pressure--the weather gives me more than enough pressure.

Ralph


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