How to Conduct a Farm Vehicle Inspection: A Step-by-Step Guide

Farmers and farmhands must perform a farm vehicle inspection before setting out into the fields for the day. This is an important part of a successful day.

Farming is one of the most important industries in the entire world. All of the world’s food comes from farms. Whether its meat, fruit, vegetables, or grains, the food is raised or grown somewhere, making agriculture the world’s food source. In order to ensure a successful day of farming and avoid becoming stranded in a far-off pasture or field, farmers must conduct a farm vehicle inspection every day.

What goes into this inspection?

Some aspects of this inspection occur before the tractor is started, and others occur once you get into the seat. Before performing this basic inspection, the operator should consult the owner’s manual to ensure any additional items are already handled.

Here are the basics of a farm vehicle inspection:

Check all the fluid levels

Like any vehicle, a farm tractor has fluids that help it operate properly and effectively. Sometimes, hoses and fluid lines start leaking, and you might not notice this problem at the end of the day, but it will become a problem at the start of the next day. Every morning, before starting the tractor, you should check:

• Engine oil
• Coolant
• Fuel
• Hydraulic fluid
• Additional fluids

It’s also important to check under the tractor for any leaks or puddles from fluids that have leaked out overnight.

Tires and wheels

It might sound like overkill, but part of a farm vehicle inspection is to check the tires and wheels every day. Unlike a car driving on a road, farm tractors must handle tough and rugged terrain every single day. This causes a lot of added wear and tear on these vehicles.
When checking the tires and wheels, look for:

• Properly inflated tires
• Check for cuts and breaks in the treads and sidewalls
• Inspect the lug nuts to ensure they are tight

Batteries

If your farm tractor battery fails, you’ll know it pretty quickly, but there are some items you should check before you get into the seat. The batteries need to be in good working condition and ready for the start of your farming day. When checking the batteries, ensure:

• They are securely held down
• Have good, clean connections
• The electrolyte level is good

General Condition

Your farm tractor needs to be in good working order, which most items on this list help ensure, but you should perform a walk around the vehicle to ensure it is ready for your farming day. Part of your farm vehicle inspection includes looking at the vehicle’s general condition by searching for:

• Cracked or broken parts
• Leaking or damaged hoses
• Shields that are in place
• Loose parts, bolts, or nuts
• Steps are clean and free of grease or mud
• Slow-Moving Vehicle emblem is in place, clean, and unfaded

Seatbelt

After the previous steps are completed, your inspection continues in the cab of your farm vehicle. Like a car or truck, the seatbelt is the primary, and sometimes only, safety item in farm vehicles. Ensure this item is functioning and free of damage. This should be one of the quickest and easiest items to complete on your checklist.

Gauges

Your farm vehicle inspection continues when you start the vehicle and observe the gauges. These items provide you with the desired information regarding the vehicle and how it operates. Check the engine oil pressure gauge and any other gauges to make sure everything is working properly. If there isn’t any oil pressure, you may have a serious problem with the tractor that you missed during your inspection of some of the previous items.

Lights and Walk Around

The final item on your inspection list is to turn on the lights and flashers. More farming is done in the dark these days than ever before, mostly because it can be completed at any time, day or night. Once you turn on the lights and flashers, step out of the tractor and walk around the machine to see if everything is functioning properly.

Although this list seems like a lot, it really isn’t. After you’ve performed this farm vehicle inspection a few times, it will become a habit and might take no more than five or ten minutes each day before heading out into the fields. Performing this inspection could be the difference between finding a problem at the barn where you’ve got tools and being stuck in the most remote field of your farm with a tractor that doesn’t work.