4 Common Mistakes Made By New Tractor Owners

If you’ve just purchased a tractor or you’re thinking about buying one, then you’ll want to do everything in your power to ensure that you take good care of it. A tractor can last you many years if maintained correctly. However, many new tractor owners sometimes neglect crucial steps in using and caring for their tractors, which can result in problems down the line.

Manor Home Center in Oakland is your Maryland tractor dealer, serving greater Garrett County, MD, and Morgantown, WV. Here are four of the most common mistakes that new owners make with their tractors that end up costing a fortune in repairs.

1. Panicking Over Puddles

Tractors have fluid reservoirs that typically have a breather on them which allows some of the fluid contained to spill out. This prevents the fluid from building up too much pressure and damaging the internal components. A small puddle of oil or other fluids under your parked tractor should be no cause for concern. It’s when the puddle gets really big that you should worry, as this may indicate a leak.

2. Leaving Hydraulics Up

Some people may try to park their tractors with the loaders up in the air to try and conserve space. This is a bad idea, though, because the hydraulics will settle over a few hours and can hit something that’s underneath them. Always move all of your hydraulics down to the ground when parking your tractor.

3. Ignoring Lug Nuts

After your tractor has been broken in, the owner’s manual will generally recommend that you tighten up your tractor’s lug nuts. These nuts can loosen over time and you don’t want to end up replacing studs or the rims of the tires.

4. Choosing the Wrong PTO Shaft

The power take-off (PTO) shaft on an implement might be too long for your tractor. If you fail to check this before you use the implement with your tractor, you can damage the PTO on your tractor or the gearbox on your implement. Before you take any implement home from a dealer, make sure that the PTO shaft is the right size.

Remember: if you need some assistance with tractor maintenance, contact the Manor Home Center service department to make an appointment with our team of mechanics. Looking to purchase a tractor? Visit our dealership in Oakland, MD, today to view our current stock of new and used tractors for sale. Talk to our staff about our equipment financing options if you’d like to make use of them. Manor Home Center serves all of our Maryland customers in Garrett County as well as those of you coming from nearby Morgantown, WV.