Air Seeder Maintenance Steps
An air seeder can help you put the seeds into the ground so they have full contact with the soil. This obviously makes it an important piece of agricultural equipment as it can greatly increase the chance of germination and growth. This is why many farmers depend on these agricultural beasts to help them start the process of sowing crops. All that hard work can take a toil on these machines so they need some professional service from time to time. To save some cash and time, there are also some air seeder DIY maintenance steps you can take at home!
As your local air seeder dealer in Devils Lake and Harvey, ND, High Plains Equipment wants to help you take better care of your machine! Read our maintenance tips below and get in touch with us if you want to check out our wide selection of air seeders for sale near Minot or Grand Forks!
The Seed Boot
The seed boot does the important job of placing the seed into the furrow, so you want to ensure it’s working properly. You have to check the working condition of the boot by inspecting how much has been burned off at the bottom. If more than half an inch has worn off (or if the height of the seed boot is less than 11.3 inches), you should replace it.
The Metering Roll
For the air seeder to do its job correctly, the metering roll should be able to turn freely. You have to ensure that the meter housing is kept clean and there are no foreign objects in it that could affect movement. You should also perform in-field checks to see if the metering rates are accurate. Check the meter calibrations after you're done seeding a few acres.
The Air System
Your air seeder needs air to transfer the seeds from the machine into the soil, so the air delivery system is a crucial part of the machine. Check that the air system fan is running at the right speed. Also check the delivery hoses and product tanks carefully to make sure there are no air leaks in either, as this will affect the performance of the machine.
The Tank Pressurization System
This system is essential to get accurate metering from the air seeder so you have to keep it functioning well. Make sure no foreign material makes its way into this system as it can block the pressurizing airflow. If any of the primary hoses has a hole it, it should be fixed; otherwise you’re going to end up with pressure imbalance and overapplication!
The Openers
The opener blade of your air seeder opens the trench so the seed can slip into the soil. This is an important job so you have to ensure the opener disc is working as it should. Check these periodically to see if they’re getting worn out. If they have worn out, you have to replace them, otherwise you might not get the best results when it comes to seed placement.
Additional Steps
Some of the other inspections of an air seeder involve checking the drive system, drive chains, hydraulic motors and transmissions. All of these have to run properly to get the best results from your air seeder. Make sure you use the right configurations before you put the machine to work and test out the configurations if you aren’t too sure about them!
We hope these tips help you take better care of your farm equipment! For more help or if you’re looking for air seeders for sale in Devils Lake or Harvey, ND, get in touch with us at High Plains Equipment and have a talk with one of our expert and helpful staff members! We’re also proud to be the preferred air seeder dealer for our friends from Minot and Grand Forks!