If you didn’t grow up using a tractor you are likely not to have much time on one and in this How To we are going to go over some of the mistakes and problems that new tractor owners have.
Understanding your fluid levels and maintaining them is one of the most important things for new engines and equipment. When filling fluids there is a high and low level and the amount you add should be between those two marks. One of the big mistakes people make is over filling their fluids and then you can run into a number of problems. If your coolant levels are too high when the engine heats up and the fluid expands they will overfill the reserve tank and then you have what you think are leaks. If your oil level is too high when the oil heats up it will expand and come through the breather and clog your carburetor causing all kinds of problems.
Storing your tractor properly is the next situation that seems to give new tractor owners a lot of problems. One thing that most new owners don’t understand is that the power ram hydraulics can and will allow your outriggers and buckets to lower to the ground overnight if they are sitting unpowered over time. This is normal as the pressure in the system goes back to neutral. If you park your new tractor in your garage next to your new car it is quite possible that an outrigger can come down and put a big gash in a fender or door. You need to give your equipment lots of room and if you are moving it on a trailer you need to drop your bucket and if you can’t drop your outriggers they should be secured with nylon straps that are strong enough to hold them in place during transport.
Sizing your PTO extension for your accessories is another place people go wrong. If your extension is too long on your accessory and you raise it then the extension boom will destroy the pto / transmission or you have a pretty good chance it will. If you have never used a tractor you should get some training in how to properly size your PTO extension tube and how to make sure you won’t be causing lots of damage.
Using a Backhoe attachment on your compact tractor or a tractor that does not have a frame that is able to take the load. Many people want to use their tractor as an all in one tool and many times you need to use a backhoe so an attachment that you can get cheaply or rent or borrow. You hook it up to your tractor and then you crack the frame under the drivers seat. That is one of the biggest things to understand the force of using the backhoe attachment won’t brake your frame at your hitch it will happen mid frame under the drivers seat. You might not even notice you bent or cracked the frame until you drive the tractor away from the work. The way to cure this before it happens is to add a frame reinforcement that will not only beef up your frame but offer better transfer of the load from the backhoe through the axle and then through the tires to the ground. Outriggers can’t compensate for this load problem and kits cost about $1,500 which is less than the cost of repair and loss of time.
Final Note
These few mistakes or problems that people run into are extremely common and they happen to people that have worked with equipment for a long time too. Making mistakes will happen and you will find that you are always fixing something but if it is something that you should have been aware of and could have avoided then you need to take the time to educate yourself about the work you expect from your equipment.