Spring preparation on many farms includes maintenance checks, which are critical to ensuring a machine's efficient running and preventing unscheduled downtime - which can be very costly if your machinery breaks down when you need it most.

Part of any maintenance should include checks fluid levels ensuring there is no leakage. It is also important to remember when checking these levels to consider when these fluids were last fully changed.

Some just top up fluids as opposed to a regular full change to save money and in some cases, where usage is low or good quality lubricants are being used, this might seem to suffice.

However, these perceived savings are false, as continued topping up without a full change at recommended intervals can lead to more costly issues.

For example, once a lubricant has been through a system and returns to the sump, it will have cleaned all the parts it ran through and collected particles of dirt and/metal that can become dislodged internally. Lubricants are designed to continue to perform even with particles in it, in particular, high-quality lubricants.

Still, all lubricants will reach a point where the amount of contaminates will decrease the effectiveness of the lubricant which will lead to increased wear and tear. Consider a chip pan here; topping up does not remove the dirt from the oil it gets darker with dirt the longer its left, only a full drain will remove the dirt.

For operators using equipment that requires connection to your tractor’s backend, regularly changing is even more important as your backend oil flows from the tractor to the equipment and back again resulting in the oil mixing with any left in the equipment from the last use which carries several risks:

Grease collects dirt caused by wear and tear but where grease points are not sealed it also catches dust and dirt externally to prevent it from getting into the points it is protecting.

By continuing to top up the grease instead of changing, this dirt is kept in the system and builds up causing the grease to no longer prevent it from getting to the machine parts resulting in damage.

Coolant/Antifreeze does so much more than just prevent your engine from freezing, it cools your engine down by removing the heat generated during operation, protecting from overheating and ensure its efficient operation.

Topping up with water alone will reduce the properties of the coolant in your system and reduce its effectiveness.

Another easy temptation to save on the upfront maintenance costs is using cheaper brands of lubricants, especially recently as according to Eurostat, the cost of lubricants has risen by 59% since 2021.

This however, results in a short-term gain and a long-term loss, as most will fail and cause breakdown at the most important time.

These lesser-quality lubricants do not go through the rigorous tests fully approved lubricants from trusted international brands have to and are usually blended to the minimum requirements of the manufacturer’s specification, using the least amount of additives to meet the lower end of the tolerance levels of specifications to cut costs, thus not being as reliable to ensure your machine is performing at its potential.

The importance of machine longevity and performance to Irish farmers is at the heart of the reason why Finol Oils has been a trusted lubricants partner to the Irish farming community for over 40 years.

Finol provides a wide range of high-quality and approved products from trusted international brands such as TotalEnergies, Elf and Petro-Canada and their own Finol brand, all of which are designed to ensure maximum efficiency of machinery.

Finol has below, identified the most important parts of most tractors to check the fluids in regularly.

As well as providing the products needed for all these important parts, Finol also provides a comprehensive range of services which includes technical advice for those who want to gain a better understanding of how best  to use their lubricants for maximum efficiency.

This ensures that you can be sure in your purchases from Finol, while also optimising their productivity levels through better knowledge about using the best fluids in your equipment to ensure minimum downtime and learning how some lubricants can help reduce fuel usage.

To learn more about one of the most trusted range of lubricants in the Irish farming community or purchase their products click here, ask your lubricants supplier for Finol products or call +353 (1) 2238532.

You can also send an email to [email protected] for any queries.