Tractor Winter Storage

The harvest season is over, which means that it’s time to shut down and store all of your farm equipment until spring planting arrives. Here in the South, we don’t experience as many severe cold snaps or inclement weather conditions as our northern neighbors will, but proper tractor maintenance and storage is still important if you want to have a functional machine come spring.

Johnson Fleet and Farm, with locations in Yulee and Fernandina Beach, Florida, and Homerville, Georgia, is your local tractor dealer. Read on to learn more about proper tractor storage and how to prepare your machine.

Perform Maintenance Tasks

Ahead of anything else, you need to perform some basic maintenance tasks on your tractor to ensure it’s in good condition before you store it. Not only will this prevent damage over winter, but it will save you a lot of time and effort in the spring.

Check the engine oil as you would your passenger car or truck by removing the dipstick, wiping it down, reinserting it and removing it again to check the color and consistency. If it’s clear and clean, you can top it off and move on, but if it’s sludgy and opaque, then you should change it.

Drain the gasoline from your tank and replace it with fresh fuel that has a stabilizer added to it. Run your engine for a few minutes to allow this fuel to circulate through all the engine components.

Removing the battery if you’re in an area that sees more temperature fluctuations is a good call, since you can then store it in a warm area hooked up to a tender to help it hold its charge.

Finally, examine your tires for bald treads or embedded objects. Use support blocks to prevent your tires from forming flat spots. You can also let ⅔ of the pressure out of the tires so that they don’t develop worn spots over the winter.

Clean Your Tractor

Next, you should give your tractor a thorough cleaning now that you’re done with all of the tune-up tasks. Your tractor is probably pretty dirty and muddy after months of heavy usage in your fields, so you’re going to need to scrub it clean to prevent that caked-on dirt from doing damage to the finish or to delicate components. A mild car wash will work well for washing your tractor.

Start by rinsing down the whole machine. You can use a pressure washer to get stuck-on mud to come off more quickly and easily if you want to. Mix soap and water in a bucket and use a sponge to scrub the whole surface of your tractor from top to bottom and rinse as you go. Try to avoid getting water or soap suds in the instrument panel or electronic components. When your tractor is dry, you should lubricate grease points like the hydraulic cylinder rods.

Cover & Store Securely

Even if you store your tractor indoors, it’s best to have a well-fitting cover on it to prevent it from becoming dusty or dirty over the long months that it isn’t being used. The cover should be water-resistant, too.

Store your tractor in a secure indoor location when you can, such as a shed, garage or your barn. You’ll want to protect your machine from rain, wind and even sun damage. This will help prevent rust and pest infestation as well.

Your tractor is one of the most vital parts of your farming operation, which is why properly maintaining and storing it is so important. Visit one of our Florida or Georgia dealerships today to take a look at our full stock of new and used tractors and other farm equipment for sale. Johnson Fleet and Farm proudly serves the cities of Jacksonville and St. Augustine, FL.