With just over a month until the official winter solstice, you’re probably beginning to bring out your puffy coats and snow boots in preparation for the cold fronts, and getting excited for the holidays. But, as a farmer, it’s also an important time to start thinking about preparing your farm, including tools and equipment for winter. It can be a grueling process, but it’s a must-do in order to keep your equipment in good shape. This week’s Richmond Brothers Equipment blog is here to provide you with some helpful tips on how to keep your farm tools, and yourself, protected this winter.
Richmond Brothers Equipment is a farm equipment dealer in Bay Port that specializes in a variety of tillage tools and agricultural machinery, including high-quality ripper points and chisel plows. Our team of experts can help you determine which type of equipment is right for your needs. Read this week’s blog post to learn more about how to gear up for winter and contact us in Bay Port today!
Get Cold Weather Gear in Advance
There’s nothing worse than a winter storm rolling in and realizing that you don’t have the proper winter gear to stay warm. While your tools are important, protecting yourself should always be the number one priority.
Start shopping for cold-specific gear in advance so that you’ll be prepared for the toughest of conditions and don’t have to put work off because you’re stuck inside. Protect your body with some insulated bibs, but don’t forget about your hands, feet, and head as well. Always be sure to wear a high-quality hat and gloves so your extremities aren’t exposed to harsh cold. With the proper gear, going outside in the cold won’t feel like such an awful chore.
Recharge Power Equipment
Winter chores are about more than just protecting your farm tools and equipment — you also want to use this time to make life easier come spring. With that said, we recommend recharging your power equipment that you won’t be needing during the winter months.
Begin by draining these tools of fuel and give them a nice, thorough cleaning. After you’re finished, replace or recharge the batteries — if you’re having to plug things in, do not forget to unplug the batteries, as you never know what may happen in your storage shed.
Inspect, Clean, and Sharpen Machines and Equipment
Since you’re many of your farm tools and equipment won’t be used while there’s snow, ice, or frost on the ground, we recommend thoroughly inspecting, cleaning, and sharpening everything that’s to be stored away. Winter is also a great time to catch up any necessary maintenance for any tools and machinery that may need fixing.
Check for anything that may look out of the ordinary and go through and clean and sharpen each piece of equipment. If you decide not to, you risk allowing your tools to degrade while they’re in storage. This goes for farm tools and equipment such as ripper points, chisel plows, shovels, and other tillage tools, as well as hand tools. After you’ve finished sharpening each tool, don’t forget to oil them also, as this can help prevent them from rusting.
Store Your Tools Somewhere Dry
You’ve probably designated a specific place on your farm for storing tools, such as a barn or shed. If not, it’s important to do so before winter rolls around. This storage place should be a dry place that’s suitable for metal tools, as your main concern during the winter months should be rust and degradation. Be sure that no snow or moisture can leak into this structure.
You should leave enough room for larger types of machinery as well. No matter what type of storage area you have, just be sure it’s dry and protected from harsh weather.
Prepare Your Soil
While taking proper care of your farm tools and equipment is absolutely essential during the winter months, it’s not the only thing you have to consider. You also need to prepare other areas of your farm, including the soil.
In order to make life easier for yourself when spring comes, you should prepare your soil by giving it the nutrients it needs before the snow begins to consistently fall. You should feed your soil with nutrient-rich fertilizers and compost before the first snowfall, if possible, which will break down slowly over the course of the winter months. By preparing your soil, you’ll ensure it’s in optimal condition come spring time.
Deep Clean Around the Farm
As mentioned above, you probably have a designated storage area on your farm to store all of your farm tools and equipment. We not only recommend cleaning the equipment itself, but also the area your tools will be stored in. If you do so now, it’ll be much easier to keep clean when the spring season is in full swing.
Evaluate Insurance Needs
Things change fast, and you want to ensure you’re always protected with adequate insurance coverage. Evaluating your needs before the winter season is ideal to ensure you’ll be squared away by spring. That way, you won’t have to stress about it when you have lots of other important things to focus on.
Check Your Inventory
While you probably have a general idea of your current inventory throughout the season, the winter season is the ideal time to thoroughly evaluate your current inventory situation. Maybe a piece of equipment is outdated and you’ve been thinking about getting a new one, or maybe you need more of a certain tool. Now’s the time to make a list of all your needs for the upcoming season. This way, you can stock up on everything you need long before you’ll have to use it.
Purchase Any New Farm Tools and Equipment You May Need
If you’ve evaluated your inventory and determined that you need to stock up on a few new pieces of farm tools and equipment, Richmond Brothers Equipment is here for you. Our farm equipment dealer offers a range of high-quality tillage tools, as well as agricultural machinery that’s durable and designed to outlast competitors by three to six times.
At Richmond Brothers Equipment, we not only believe in providing superior farm tools and equipment, but also friendly customer service. Our knowledgeable team can help you find the tools and equipment you need or evaluate your current situation to help you determine which tools and equipment would be most suitable for your farm. To learn more about our farm equipment dealer or to purchase farm tools and equipment, contact Richmond Brothers Equipment in Bay Port today!