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Posted 7 May 2007. Crop Management. Save Fuel During Spring Planting University of Wisconsin-Madison. www.cals.wisc.edu Madison, Wisconsin (May 1, 2007)--With fuel prices on the way up again it is a good idea to make sure tractors and equipment are correctly prepared to get the most work out of each gallon of diesel fuel. Farmers can take a number of steps to maximize fuel efficiency. UW-Extension offers the following recommendations.
Match the tractor to the job. Obviously, you don’t need a 100 horsepower tractor to rake hay, but it is not uncommon to see high horsepower tractors doing very low power jobs. Make sure air and fuel filters are changed when necessary. Partially clogged filters can starve engines of both air and fuel making them work harder just to run. Making sure oil changes and other maintenance are completed also helps tractors run efficiently. Make sure tires are correctly inflated. Radials are typically inflated to lower pressures than bias ply tires. Make sure the tractor is properly weighted, both total weight and distribution. Often a tractor is weighted for the hardest tillage job it will do and left that way. Most of the year it could be weighted with significantly less weight and burn less fuel. Eight to ten percent drive wheel slippage is the target for maximum efficiency. Recommended weight distribution for a two-wheel drive tractor with a semi-mounted implement is 30 percent front and 70 percent rear, tractors with mechanical front wheel assist should be ballasted with 40 percent front and 60 percent rear. Shifting up a gear and backing off the throttle can also help save fuel while doing many tasks, as long as it doesn’t cause the engine to lug down too much. Newer diesel engines should not be blowing a lot of black smoke while working. The black smoke is unburned fuel and indicates inefficient operation. Adjustments to the implements being pulled or used can also help get the most work for the fuel dollar. Tillage tools that are not correctly aligned or leveled make the tractor work harder to pull them across the field. It’s easier to pull forage harvesters if the knives are sharp and the shear bar is correctly adjusted. In order to reduce friction, all machinery should be kept lubricated according to the manual. Following these basic maintenance guidelines can help reduce fuel costs during fieldwork season. Contact: |
