Morris Lubricants Urges Farmers to Prioritise Engine Oil Performance with its Top 10 Maintenance Tips

Morris Lubricants Urges Farmers To Prioritise Engine Oil Performance With Its Top 10 Maintenance Tips

 Morris Lubricants is advising farmers to put oil, lubricant and grease performance ahead of price as they prepare their tractors for Winter.

With rising costs hitting the agricultural community hard, it can be tempting to look for short-term savings elsewhere.  Choosing a cheap, alternative oil to the manufacturer’s specification, at a lower price, may seem like a sound investment. 

However, Morris Lubricants' Technology Manager, Adrian Hill warns that selecting the wrong, and possibly inferior quality oil, may result in significant, long-term consequences to equipment performance and in the end, an overall increase in running costs.

Adrian outlines the company’s top 10 tips for farmers as they prepare their vehicles for Winter.

1) - Quality first

Modern tractor engines are now designed to comply with Stage V emissions legislation, further reducing any harmful constituents in exhaust gases. These modern engines will include aftertreatment devices, such as AdBlue systems, diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate filters, to limit harmful particulate matter and NOx emissions. 

Oil choice is important. Selecting the correct, high-quality oil will more than pay for the slightly higher purchase price in the long run.  For example, an incorrectly specified engine oil can poison catalysts or block filters, potentially leading to significant remedial costs, possibly in the region of £14,000 (for large DPFs), plus the additional cost of labour and the downtime itself. It is therefore important to make sure the engine is serviced and topped up with the correct specification of oils.

2) - Service intervals

Investing in a new or modern tractor is a significant capital expense, and farmers and farming contractors need the assurance that the investment will perform reliably over many years.  After the initial three-year manufacturer’s service schedule, some owners may choose to delay future servicing, but this can prove to be a false economy. 

Engine oil over time will start to degrade, eventually causing damage to vital engine components, which is why it is always advisable to meet the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals. So make sure your engine is routinely serviced according to the maintenance schedule.

3) - Right oil for the right job

Some older machinery may have always operated reliably using a universal tractor oil, but modern engines fitted with diesel particulate filters can be sensitive to these universal oils. Farmers should check if dedicated lubricants are required and ensure they are using the correct oils for both the engine and the transmission (back end) systems.

As well as ensuring engine oil with the correct performance levels are used, it is important during winter to make sure that your agricultural vehicles receive essential maintenance that covers all vehicle compartments making sure they stay operational over the cold winter months.

Here are a few other products that Adrian recommends farmers keep topped up in their agricultural workshops.

4) - Antifreeze Coolant

Keeping the engine at the optimum running temperature is the job of the antifreeze coolant. Antifreeze coolants should be chosen on specification and not on colour. A correctly formulated product will protect agricultural vehicles during long operating periods at high ambient temperatures whilst ensuring frost protection when the weather conditions deteriorate. Products of different specifications should never be mixed and if there’s any doubt the system should be drained, flushed and re-filled.

5) - Greases

Grease products provide the necessary lubrication where oils cannot be used, due to loss or certain load bearing applications. Grease nipples will be present on critical parts of the equipment and grease should be applied as part of a regular maintenance regime following the manufacturer’s guidelines.

6) - Hydraulic Oils

Certain types of agricultural equipment, including material handlers, will require a dedicated hydraulic oil, as opposed to a universal fluid.  Hydraulic oil choice is critical as operational efficiency and component protection could be compromised if an inferior oil is used.  Hydraulic oils are often used in a wide range of temperatures, therefore it is important to only use hydraulic oils specified by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that meet the required quality and specification. Also keeping the reservoir topped up is essential to maximise performance and protection.

7) - Corrosion Protection

During the winter months, ancillary equipment that may be stored outdoors or under sheltered areas will benefit from the use of a film-forming corrosion preventative.

Products, such as Ankor wax, leave a robust wax film that will tolerate extreme weather, this product is self-healing and can be removed easily with a hydrocarbon solvent when the good weather starts again.

8) - Workshop Aerosol Grades

Having a selection of ancillary products in the workshop can make life easier for the odd task or for regular maintenance during the year. Products such as Workshop Pro MD4 Multipurpose Maintenance Spray are good all-rounders and can be used for a variety of tasks including water removal, easing corroded or rusted fittings, and providing a light lubricating oil film.

9) - Screenwash

In amongst the workshop aerosols should be a container of a well formulated screenwash. Keeping the wash bottle topped up with a 50:50 mixture of water and screenwash will stop freezing and keep the windscreen clear and smear free all year round.

10) - Seek technical advice

Machinery downtime is not only costly but can damage reputation if stock or deliveries are affected.  Seeking professional advice regarding the correct engine oil specification, or service intervals will always pay dividends.

Morris Lubricants has a dedicated team of technical experts to provide the latest oil, lubricant and grease recommendations for a wide variety of agricultural vehicles and equipment.  Whether it’s a tractor, combine harvester, mini digger, or all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the Morris Lubricants Technical team has the appropriate solution to keep tractors and other equipment working in the field rather than stuck in the workshop.

Adrian concludes,

“Choosing the right engine oil for the right tractor is a key part of equipment maintenance. It should be seen as a cost-effective and proactive means of protecting engine components, guaranteeing performance and ensuring equipment longevity. 

“Probably the most important tip is to be guided by performance and not purchase price.  This will ensure that farmers do not need to spend additional budget, at a time when costs are already at a premium, on unnecessary repair work.

“This is one of the key areas we discuss with Guy Martin in our video series, which concludes with why engine oil quality matters.”

 To emphasise his points Adrian recorded a launched series of videos with tractor enthusiast and mechanic Guy Martin, which can be viewed on the Morris Lubricants’ website. The short videos demonstrate that no matter the agricultural vehicle, equipment type, brand or model, choosing the correct oil, lubricant and grease can have a positive impact on uptime and profitability.

To view the videos, please visit: www.morrislubricants.co.uk/garage/guy-martin/how-oil-used-guy-martin-agricultural-edition

About the Agrimax range

Morris Lubricants also manufactures Agrimax, which is an innovative range of advanced multifunctional lubricants for the agricultural industry, manufactured at the Morris Lubricants facility in Shrewsbury.

Agrimax is designed to help reduce downtime, improve fuel efficiency and contribute to the reduction in engine emissions.

Further information can be found on the Morris Lubricants website at www.morrislubricants.co.uk/products/source or on the company’s social media channels.