Harvest time downtime — it’s about as fun as fencing in the rain, fixing a flat on Christmas morning or welding the underside of anything. You can’t eliminate breakdowns, but a Case IH Certified Maintenance Inspection can help reduce your combine’s chances of spending time in the shop this fall.
Prepping your combine is among your most important pre-harvest tasks. Extended breakdowns can push harvest past optimal windows and open your crops to weather-related losses. A delayed harvest can eat into important fall tillage time. And that can continue to set you back into next spring.[Tweet “Keep your equipment in peak working condition. Via @Case_IH #BeReady”]
A preventive approach is the best approach. But you’ve already got a lot to do to get ready for harvest. If you don’t feel you have the time or, perhaps, the mechanical skills necessary to ready your combine for harvest, contact your Case IH dealer and schedule a Case IH Certified Maintenance Inspection. These inspections are a proven way to protect your investment and keep your equipment in peak working condition. Because Case IH technicians use Certified Maintenance Inspection checklists — nearly 150 checkpoints, and that doesn’t even include the headers — for each inspection, you can rest assured that service is thorough and nothing is overlooked.
Upon completion, your Case IH dealership will place a Certified Maintenance Inspection decal on your equipment, distinguishing your commitment to keep your combine operating at its best. Not only does annual maintenance support productivity in the field, each decal symbolizes a completed inspection — which may increase the resale value of your equipment.
If you prefer to handle combine maintenance on your own, start with a review of your operator’s manual. It provides the maintenance procedures for removing your combine from storage; tolerances for chain, belt and sprocket wear; and initial harvest settings. Change fluids and filters according to schedule. If you didn’t lubricate your machine before parking it post-harvest, be sure to do so now.
Next, visit the combine page on the Case IH Red and Ready Productivity Hub. Here you’ll find:
- Video inspection tips
- Combine productivity tips
- Downloadable inspection checklists — the same ones used by your Case IH dealer
- Access to our online parts store and our Red and Ready Maintenance Event
No matter how you choose to prepare your combine for harvest, work closely with your Case IH dealer. The experts there can advise you on the necessary maintenance steps, ensure you have the right parts and answer your questions. A combine that’s in top condition before it rolls into this fall’s first field, gives you the best chance at a timely and efficient harvest.
