Winterizing Farm Equipment

Winterizing Your Equipment

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report after this.

Now that we’ve moved our clocks back and leaves are quickly falling off the trees, winter is right around the corner. CHS Product Manager for Refined Fuels Neil Hoff shares some important winterizing basics for your farm equipment.

Hoff: “For us there are seven or eight things that include simple things mean so much to the equipment. Changing the oil, topping off the fuel, adding a fuel stabilizer; properly lubricating and greasing all the equipment; absolutely checking the cooling system now that the temperature is going to start dropping on us;changing all of your filtration whether it be your air filter, lube filters as well as your fuel filters; lastly checking the battery and taking notes of things such as burned out lights; lastly topping off the fuel storage tank and as well as your equipment fuel storage tank.”

Hoff adds that fuel stabilizer is important and can extend the life of the fuel in equipment that won’t be used til next spring.

Hoff: “The fuel requires a stabilizer which basically extends the life of the fuel. In our Cenex premium diesel package we actually have stabilizer already integrated into our additive and what that allows the fuel to do is last an additional six to nine months of storage life before it begins to degenerate and become non-valid fuel. Secondly, we have to worry about as far as fuel and fuel conditioners and additives is condensation.”

He advises that all of your fuel tanks whether in your equipment or storage tanks be topped off to avoid condensation.
For more tips, go to Cenexperts blog at www.tankofthanks.com.