A simple oil test could save farmers costly repairs and downtime at the
most critical times of the crop year.
The test analyzes engine oil to learn whether traces of metals are
signs of engine problems.
The analysis can also flag whether fuel or antifreeze are in the oil,
which are other indicators of impending trouble.
“It’s really good preventative maintenance,” said Dennis Budney, an
inspector under Alberta’s Farm Implement Act.
“You can save yourself an awful lot of grief.”
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A number of companies in Western Canada will do the analysis for less
than the cost of an oil change.
The best way to find one is to contact a local implement or automotive
dealership.
Large commercial trucking fleets have the analysis done regularly on
their big rigs, especially as their trucks age and engine wear
increases risk of breakdowns on the road.
“Most of the fleets I know do it,” said Monty Kohn, field service
co-ordinator for Cummins Alberta.
But farmers have not embraced oil analysis to the same extent, even
though they use large trucks, tractors and combines with expensive
engines.
“That surprises me,” Kohn said, noting he has the analysis done for his
own vehicle two or three times a year.
Wo Yuen, manager of the Saskatchewan Research Council’s analytical lab
in Saskatoon, also sees merit in oil analysis, mainly for the heavier
duty equipment.
He said the instruments used to do the analysis were originally
developed by the United States military in the 1950s.
While the analysis may not pinpoint every problem in the engine, it can
offer clues about what is happening inside the motor.
Those clues could help prevent a costly engine failure when a field
needs to be seeded or a crop must be harvested.
Budney, a hobby farmer, puts about 300 hours on his tractor each year.
He gets the oil tested about once every three years.
“There are people who do it routinely,” he said. “Then there are people
who do it only when they sense a problem.”
He said an analysis can also be done on the fluids from automatic
transmissions, hydraulics and front and rear differentials to help
gauge whether there are problems arising in those parts of an implement.
