We all know that for many industries, large machinery is a must in order to ensure efficient operations which, is why whenever we think of factories we envision row upon row of scary looking machinery that is crucial to the manufacture and production of products. Machinery makes the world go around and that doesn't stop at factories; they play just a crucial role in farming too.
From tractors to ploughs and combines; modern-day farming has developed and is now far more efficient and productive thanks to a range of machinery. For farm owners, within today's competitive market it is increasingly important to ensure that constant care is provided in order to keep these machines in working order. From regular maintenance to annual checks and services, a lot of attention is given to these machines including the use of agricultural lubricants.
Designed to ensure the efficient and smooth operation of machinery; agricultural lubricants play a great part in the success of today's modern-day farms. With numerous oil companies throughout the country alone providing a range of lubricant products, it has never been easier to look after machinery
Whether you're new to it all or curious as to just what agricultural lubricants are and can do, below are the basic facts...
There are a range of lubricants available but they all operate with the same functions in mind; to protect and seal. By reducing the friction between different parts, agricultural lubricants will allow a machine to easily function without issue.
The engines of large machinery can be subject to rigorous use which is where agricultural lubricants come in as they are designed to help in today's operations by minimising the risk of wear and tear.
The right agricultural lubricant can both optimise the performance of the machine and maximise the component service life.
The majority of lubricants can be used in a number of environments and natural settings.
Lubricant oils can vary by viscosity; this refers to the physical ability of the fluid to maintain lubrication under different speeds, temperatures and pressures. The more powerful the machinery, the higher the viscosity of lubricant oil you will need.
Lubricant oils are classed by grades (grades are given depending on the viscosity of the oils as mentioned in the above point). Different machines will require different grades; this can be determine by the make and model number.
The majority of lubricants will have been tested and approved by major machine manufacturers.
Tractors have a rich history around the world as one of the best and most well-used tools of modern man. In this article, we delve briefly into the history of farming and some of the early tools then get into the origin of tractors and how they quickly revolutionized agriculture.
The history of tractors in agriculture is a long and storied one. There's a lot to it that most people may not know. Sure, many of us have played with tractors as kids and we know that they're used in farming. But if you didn't grow up in a rural environment, you might not be familiar with just how important they are in growing most of the food we eat.
Early on in colonial times in the United States of America, the most important things to a farmer was his oxen and/or horses. Oxen were pretty much the original tractors going back through history. Farmers have always needed to till the ground to keep it fertile and to sow seeds. The best tool for that job was a beast of burden like an oxen or a horse. Sure, a farmer could do it himself with a hand plough, but that's extremely strenuous work and takes a long time. So, until tractors were invented, beasts were the main tool for farming.
While horses worked OK for pulling plows behind them, oxen were much better and valued more in purely agricultural terms. Oxen are stronger than horses and can pull more weight. Horses do a fine job but sometimes can founder a bit if they get worked too hard after a long layoff. Oxen can pretty much just get up and go.
As trains and methods of steam technology grew, we began to invent machines that could do the work of our beasts of burden. The first of these were called traction engines. These were immensely heavy steam-powered machines that moved slowly. They were also referred to as road locomotives. Some of them weren't even self-propelled but instead were hauled to a location (sometimes by oxen or horse). These type of traction engines could be the source of energy to power things like a wheat thresher or do other similar farming tasks.
But these traction engines were slow, clunky, and due to their weight didn't function very well on rich, tilled farm soil. They would sink right into the ground despite having huge spikes on their iron wheels for better traction. Traction engines didn't last long.
Luckily technology continued to advance and we got what is known today as the modern-day tractor. Steam power quickly gave way to the more powerful internal combustion engine. Tractors could be made much lighter than a traction engine and quickly gained acceptance among farmers everywhere, although some still used oxen and horses, even alongside their tractors. Whatever could get the job done to pull heavy equipment through soil would win out. Slowly, the price of tractors dropped and the amount of horsepower they could output continued to climb. This combined with the huge amount of horsepower they could output made oxen and horses essentially obsolete - at least in terms of pulling things like plows around a farm.
Farm equipment dealers soon arose and tractor sales quickly increased. Soon the tractor became an indispensable part of agricultural life. Perhaps this is why so many of us have a strong affinity for antique tractors and collect things like toy John Deere tractors. They were such an integral part of our transformation into modern society and we relied on them so much that we look back on them with fondness. Certainly the John Deere brand carries weight with many people for this reason.
Tractors have become an indispensable part of modern agriculture. Today they have GPS guidance and using things like AutoTrac guidance technology can have crops in almost perfectly straight lines. Farmers can even plot out things like a corn maze and expertly cut a swath in intricate patterns. They can even farm all night long and illuminate entire fields with their huge halogen lights. We've certainly come a long way from tiny hand ploughs. So for every bite of farm-grown food we take, we should give thanks to the humble modern marvel known as the tractor!
