The use of tractors and tools is a basic requirement in any of the activities of farming and agriculture. Thus, the fuel that will be used in them should be of good quality. The agricultural fuel that will be called as “bad” or “contaminated” can hurt the lifespan and work capacity of the farm machines.
For the best use of your farm machine, you need to work on managing the friction and lubricating their moving parts. Any misconduct can result in wear and tear in the components of the engine. This can also lead to overheating, and at the last stage, you can find a machine failure. In addition, if the fuel oil is of low quality, it can lead to blockages in the filters, and it can also damage the hydraulic systems.
Thus, using a bad quality of fuel oil can result in high expenses in farming activities. Get the idea in this article about what the negative impacts of using bad quality oil for tools and tractors can be, and how you can maintain all these machines well.
When Can Farm Fuel Be Categorized As “Contaminated”?
The agricultural fuel can get contaminated from the collection of water and many other impurities. This can happen in any situation within the work timing of the engine and its fuel.
The existence of moisture: The continuation of having moisture in the different kinds of liquid fuels can affect the functioning capacity of the machine. If the moisture will be there in a high level it can cause reduction of the engine power.
Microbial growth: The agricultural oil can also face microbial growth. It is also known as “fuel bug” and/or “diesel bug”. This is a category of fungi or bacteria that generally occur in the fuel storage tanks.
Degradation of fuel: The farm oil for tools can also face some sort of degradation. This is a process where the fuels like diesel, petrol, and/or gasoline show deterioration due to evaporation and oxidation. This makes issues in fuel combustion and performance in the engine of the tractors.
Effect of temperature: The farm fuel can also affect the temperature. If the temperature is high, there will be an occurrence of a high level of vapourisation, and this will reduce the length of “breathing” of the fuel machine. On the other hand, if the temperature is low, it can affect the overall economy of the fuel. The levels of temperature also make an impact on the density of the fuel.
Issues in storage: There can also be issues in the storage of the fuel. This can be related to the infectivity and degradation of the fuel due to excessive heat or cold. The storage can also be affected if the proper methods have not been adopted for it.
Need for fuel additives: The agricultural fuel of your machine may need to be added with fuel additives. They need to perform well. The matter of concern is that there are some additives that are not well-matched with some of the engines. They can create blockages in them.
Contamination by collection of water: Fuel can be contaminated if water is entered and collected inside the tank. This can cause damage to the fuel systems and engines. Water has the power to build corrosion in the parts and components of the engine and/or machine.
Unwanted colour or odour from the fuel: The fuel inside the tank can also show some unwanted colour and/or odour. The petrol can be of an orange colour when it is normal, and the normal diesel will have a light yellow colour. If the fuels have impurities, it can have colours like dark brown and/or black.
The Impact Of Bad Oil On Tractors And Tools
If the oil for tools and tractors is bad and/or contaminated, it can result in various imperfections in the engine.
Wear and tear in engine: Bad oil used in engines can result in wear and tear, which results in defects in the overall system of the machine. This can be caused by the heat, and fatigue in the material used in it.
Decrease in work efficiency: If the oil that has been used in the tractor is of bad quality, it can work with high levels of inputs with low levels of outputs. The tractors and tools can work like this also due to their suboptimal process of fuel use.
Overheating or low heating: The negative effect of the agricultural fuel can also result in an ineffective level of heating in the tractors or other farming tools. It can at times give a high level of heat, and sometimes it can give low levels of heat. An inefficient fuel can damage the cooling system of the machine, and/or its heater core.
Increase in friction: The agricultural oil used in a machine can increase the roughness of it. This increases the resistance of motion between movable parts, which can increase the use of energy and fuel.
Failure of engine: The mechanism that works with oil for tools can show an engine failure if the oil is not of good quality. This can be related to the issues of fuel pumps and fuel injectors. These issues can occur due to malfunctions in the engine, like disruptions in its starting-up process. It can also lead to misfires.
Leaks and spills: If the engine of a tractor uses a bad quality of agricultural oil, it can also lead to leaks and spills of oil. This can happen due to damage in the seals and gaskets, failures in the pump or valves, and some sort of human error while inserting the fuel.
Formation of sludge: A fuel machine can also show the build-up of sludge. This can occur in the internal parts of the engine. It can be due to the use of contaminated oil and/or fuel degradation. If the fuel machine is not maintained well, it can also occur.
Deposits and varnish: If the machine is not used with the right kind of oil for tools, it can develop deposits and varnish. This generally happens in the bigger fuel machines. These all deposits can impose some force on the moving parts.
Issues in oil pumps: If the agricultural fuel is not of good quality, it can create issues in the oil pumps. It can have low levels of pressure and various noises in the process of operations. This can also be a result of an improper level of lubrication.
Abnormality in the combustion process: The process of combustion can also show defects if the agricultural oil is not of good quality. The engine cannot have normal burning of fuel, and it can have issues in pre-ignition and detonation, and/or knock.
How Can The Tractors And Tools Be Maintained Well?
When you want to maintain the tractor of farming, you need to manage the oil for tools and work for better lubrication of the machine. The equipment should also be stored in an indoor place.
Use of the right kind of fuel: The agricultural fuel that will be used in the engine should be of the right kind. This will make the engine’s performance optimal and efficient and the engine can work for a long time. If the fuel that is used is wrong, it can lead to high levels of emissions.
Regular checks of the machine: The farm machine should be checked regularly. The verifications can be done by visual inspections or by using test kits. It will work to reduce the downtime.
Care in cold weather: The machine of agricultural oil should be verified and cared for properly. This can be checked for the coolant and the health of the engine. Cautions should be taken when the engine is operating in severe cold weather.
Care for fuel viscosity: There is a need to care for and cheque whether the fuel has the correct level of viscosity. The resistance power of a fuel from flowing is affected by the level of temperature. If the temperature is high, the viscosity can be low. For a proper range of performance, the range of viscosity should be between 10 cSt to 20 cSt.
Checking the work condition of the tractor and tools: The work conditions of the tractors should be checked for the right use of oil for tools. This will cheque its fluid levels, the condition of the field, and whether there are any damages in any part.
Checking the frequency of oil changes: You need to cheque how often you are changing the fuel inside the tractor. This will depend on the condition of the field and the condition of driving. It has been said that the oil changes should be done after completing a move of 200 hours to 500 hours.
Taking technical advice when needed: Your machine for agricultural fuel can show some technical errors. This can be of any type. Thus, you can take the expert advice. The engineers of OFTEC can give you better advice on this.
Contacting the right kind of fuel dealer: For the right kind of oil for tools and tractors, you have to contact the right kind of dealers. In the UK, you can find the dealers like Compass Energy, NWF Fuels, Crown Oil, and many more who are well-recognised.
Managing the tire pressure: You can work on managing the tire pressure of the tractors. This can be verified by looking at the loads, its speed, and the model of tractor used in farming. You can also work with specialised kinds of tires that have recently come onto the market.
Use of fuel injectors: Manage to have better kinds of fuel injectors. This works by delivering the agricultural fuel in the right quantity to have a better kind of combustion. This works for managing the fuel pumps in a better way.
Implementing the right techniques into harvesting: To use better oil for tools, you can work with better farming methods. The methods are added with an improved process of collecting crops and managing the crop yields.
Working on Gear selection: You can use agricultural oil in the best way with an improved progression of gear selection. The ratio of gears can be selected according to the needs of their conditions of operation and the needs of torque. It is also based on its durability.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, it can be said that the agricultural fuel that you will use in your tractors and farming tools should always be in good shape. If the fuel is damaged, it can increase the wear in the engine and lose the balance of providing heat. As time passes, the bad oil and lubricants can result in friction and can build corrosion in the machine parts, and your engine may need costly repairs.
For a better result, you always need to work on the upkeep of the engines and the upkeep of the oil for tools. If any part of the machine is damaged, you should change it immediately. You should always maintain the durability of the fuel and fueling equipment.
Work on checking the governmental restrictions and concerns of the environment while fueling your farming machine, whether small or big. Also, work on determining the ratio of torque, driving, and speed of the tractor while using agricultural oil in it.