Common Tractor Problems and Solutions
Once you’ve purchased the right tractor for your farm, it’s up to you to use it properly and care for it. With a little practice, that first part is a breeze, but the second part can be more difficult at times, especially when something goes wrong. While our service department is happy to help you with all your machinery conundrums, some breaks might not require a professional’s help. Central Arkansas Mahindra has provided some of the more common problems a tractor owner may encounter and how to address them. If you follow the guide and still can’t get your tractor to run properly, feel free to contact our experienced staff and ask for advice or to schedule an appointment with our technicians. We serve those from Sherwood, Conway, and Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Dull Blades
Many tractor attachments require the use of some sort of blade, whether it’s a rotary blade, knives, or anything else that’s designed to cut down crops or grass. If you’re using one of these implements and you notice it’s not cutting the way it should, it might not be the tractor, but the blades. They need to be sharpened twice a year to keep them working the way they need to and dull blades will make for long days.
Make sure you refer to your owner’s manual before attempting this task and always proceed with caution. If you own a smaller tractor, you can probably remove the deck yourself and sharpen the blades by hand using a file. Some of the larger machines require a professional to do this. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be razor sharp, just smooth. The force of the motor will take care of the rest.
Fuel System
If the tractor itself has lost some steam over time, check the various parts of the fuel system. Your sediment bowl might need emptying or your carburetor might need cleaning. Take it from the experts, when a tractor--or really any motorized machine--won’t start, a good place to check first is the fuel system.
Pro-tip: if the weather forecast is predicting temperatures that drop below 20 degrees, you must add fuel stabilizer to diesel fuel. Otherwise it’ll congeal and once this happens, it gets significantly harder for us to help you fix your tractor. Stabilizer is a good lubricant for diesel in general, but it’s a must when the temperatures get particularly biting.
Electrical System
Just like you would for your car, if your tractor doesn’t start or you encounter any other electrical issues, you might want to turn your attention to the battery. Check to see if it needs to be recharged and if any of the posts or cables need cleaning. Keep in mind, if your tractor’s been sitting for a little while, unused and you didn’t disconnect the battery, then this is a pretty likely culprit. If this doesn’t solve the issue, there might be more complicated electrical issues at work.
Engine
Of course this brings us to the biggest source of power, efficiency, and problems: the engine. With so many moving parts, there’s a lot to check here, but we’ll cover a handful of them to get you started. Hard starts, low fuel consumption, and low performance could be signs that the spark plugs need to be replaced (especially since they’re a little touchier on agricultural equipment).
Always check fluid levels to ensure things like oil and coolant don’t need to be topped off or replaced. When you boil it down to the basics, trust in your instincts and look for signs that your tractor or its engine is performing unusually so you, or our experienced service team, can figure out what needs to be fixed right away.
Then again, maybe you’ve been sitting here reading through our tips and wishing you had a Mahindra tractor of your own to use and maintain. Well you’re in luck! Central Arkansas Mahindra offers a wide variety of farm equipment, so if you’re from Sherwood, Conway, or Hot Springs, Arkansas, then stop by today and let us know what you need to make your agriculture operating easier.