Preparing Your Tractor For Winter Storage

With the winter season just around the corner, it’s about time to start prepping machinery for its long stay in winter storage. However, skip this important preparation stage and your tractor is likely to come out of storage riddled with various maintenance issues and looking worse than ever before. To ensure your model is ready for spring the second the snow begins to melt, follow our important winter storage prep guide below. 

Inspect Your Tractor

If small issues are left unattended while your tractor sits in storage, they’re very likely to become serious repairs come springtime. To keep maintenance costs low and ensure your tractor stays in good condition, give your model a thorough inspection from top to bottom to see if you need to perform any repairs. When examining your tractor, don’t forget to also include your model’s tracks or tires in your inspection—otherwise, your equipment may end up stuck in storage when you need it most. 

Maintenance 

To ensure your tractor doesn’t rust or corrode while sitting in storage, you’ll need to give your model an in-depth cleaning with a gentle detergent and a scrub brush. Afterward, be sure to apply a lubricant to all of your model’s sensitive moving parts—for example, hydraulic cylinder rods. 

Once your model is spic and span, you’ll need to have the oil changed and add a fuel stabilizer to your gas tank. You’ll also want to double-check that the coolant is a nice bright color and free of any dirt or debris. Afterward, inspect your tractor’s tires or tracks for any signs of damage. If everything looks good, you’re welcome to top off the air in your tires and move on to removing the battery. To keep your battery alive during the winter season you’ll need to connect it to a drip charger. However, before you do, be sure to apply a small amount of water mixed with baking soda to your battery’s terminals to fight off rust and corrosion. 

If your tractor is in rough shape, be sure to visit us here at Tractor Bob before you try to place your model into storage. Our expert mechanics here in Oklahoma City, OK will have no trouble getting your tractor or farming equipment back in top condition, and are equipped to tackle any maintenance problem you throw their way! We also take great pride in serving the border community and are always happy to assist clientele from Norman and Edmond, OK.