Spending a few minutes now to take care
of such tasks as properly inflating tires or maintaining equipment
can pay big dividends in diesel savings later this season.
“For many situations, every dollar saved in fuel may save a
farmer $5 to $10 in total production costs,” says Randall Reeder,
an Ohio State University Extension agricultural engineer in Columbus.
“Your goal is to make a profit, so you don’t want to go
all out to save a dollar in fuel if it’s going to cost you $2
in profit. But there are many simple things a farmer can do to save
fuel that either won’t cost a thing or only cost very little.”
Reeder provides some popular ways to “put
dollars in the bank, not in the fuel tank”:
- Invest in conservation tillage. Reeder says that the No. 1 way to
save on fuel costs is to switch to a no-till or other conservation
tillage production practice.
- Consider auto-steering.
- Maintain regular maintenance on equipment.
- Maintain the right kind of tires at the proper inflation. “On
the average farm, the majority of tires are over inflated,”
Reeder says. “Over-inflation causes excess slippage.”
He recommends checking tire pressure once a week during times of heavy
usage. You should also invest in radial tires rather than bias tires.
Although they’re more expensive, radial tires outperform bias
tires because of there design, Reeder says.
Regular upkeep includes changing air and fuel filters. “Scheduled
maintenance saves fuel and increases power,” he says. “A
partially plugged fuel filter cuts down the amount of fuel getting
to the engine, thereby losing power.”
- Shut off idling engines.
“Don’t let a diesel engine idle more than about ten minutes,”
Reeder says. “Research shows it’s less efficient to keep
an engine idling for warmth than it is to restart it.”
- Be mindful of fuel-wasting equipment use.
When subsoiling, for example, don’t go any deeper than necessary
to break up compacted soil.
- Replace worn equipment parts.
“Keeping any ground-engaging tools sharp make a big difference
when it come to saving fuel and improving speed and field efficiency,”
Reeder says.
