Harvest Service Tips

Top 10 Harvest Inspection Tips

Do you have your combine ready? With the 2017 harvest season upon us, it is important to make sure our combines are running at their best. Here are some tips from our service team to help keep your equipment running this season.

1. Pull your combine into an open area and check to see if the a/c & heating are working.
2. Check the charge of your fire extinguisher and keep one in the combine and grain cart tractor.
3. Install your corn and bean headers to verify auto header height functions are calibrated and in working order before you head into the field.
4. Visually inspect all of your combine’s belts & chains.
5. Re-acquaint yourself with the various buttons in your combine cab. 
6. Never start a harvest without new fuel and air filters. It is too hard to tell if your machine is losing horsepower in varying crop conditions, don’t let these simple fixes rob you of power and efficiency.
7. Check the condition of the transport vanes in the rotor and cone area. Damage to the vanes causes crop flow interruption and really affect the threshing and separating performance of the machine.
8. Don’t forget about your grain cart. Check the gearbox and take time to drain and refill the gearbox with fresh oil.
9. Make sure your monitor and GPS are ready for operation.
10. Make sure your radiator and coolers are cleaned out.

Most of these inspection items would be handled as part of a Birkey's CMI, but if you aren't a CMI member these are just a few friendly reminders. If you have any issues during the season please call your local Birkey's service department!