This planting season has been a welcome change across the northern Plains. With fewer weather challenges compared with the last two years, farmers have made good headway on spring wheat, sugarbeets and other crops. Timely maintenance can help ensure the rest of the season goes smoothly.
Although you likely would welcome some moisture-related downtime, it’s important to keep up on basic maintenance. Fewer breakdowns will help ensure more of your crop is in the ground when the rain does fall. Your planting equipment plays such a critical role and relies on so many moving parts. It deserves special attention.
Stay current on recommended maintenance. Consult your operators manual regularly to ensure you’re current on recommended maintenance intervals. We’re deep enough into the season that some of the longer-term checkpoints warrant attention.
When you visit the planting page at the Case IH Red and Ready Productivity Hub, you can download the Case IH Precision Disk 500/500T Air Drills Productivity Tips. It’s an excellent supplement to your operators manual, providing all the information you need to properly set up, adjust and care for your drill.
Although the included inspection checklist is designed as a preseason productivity tool, you can use it now to give your air drill a midseason checkup. Make this review your routine when switching over from seeding wheat to barley or to soybeans or canola. The checklist walks you through each critical component of your air drill. The process can help you flag parts for replacement before they flag themselves later — likely at the most inopportune time and at the farthest point from the shop.
Even if you don’t use our checklist, make the time to do frequent walk-arounds. Here are some important spots to watch:
- Examine seed delivery lines; check hose conditions and look for obstructions.
- Confirm depth settings.
- Look for opener disk and scraper wear.
- Adjust trash shield position.
- Make sure gauge and firming/closing wheels rotate smoothly.
- Check tire pressure; tighten lug nuts.
- Make sure hydraulic hoses and electrical wires are secured and not crimped or kinked.
Preventive maintenance can seem mundane and time-consuming. A formal checklist can help focus your efforts and make you more efficient. If you find repairs beyond your mechanical abilities or if your time could be better spent on other spring work, tap the expert technicians at your local Case IH dealer. They can help get you back up and running quickly while you’re free to start prepping the next field for planting.