Boosting Your Tractor’s Fuel Efficiency
Tractors have become an integral part of many industries, particularly construction and agriculture, allowing formerly backbreaking and time-consuming work to be done relatively quickly and easily. But these huge machines are known for guzzling fuel like it’s their day job, which can cost you time and money. We here at Burrows Tractor want to help you maximize your uptime, so we’ve put together a few tips on boosting your tractor’s fuel efficiency below. To learn more, or to see the tractors we have for sale, contact our stores throughout Oregon and Washington, today!
Avoid Idling
Of the many things that waste your tractor’s fuel, idling is near the top of the list. Using fuel to keep the tractor running when it’s not doing anything, particularly if you’re idling for a long period of time, is immensely wasteful and might actually damage your engine over time. The environmental impact aside, you’re losing money.
Of course, turning the engine off and on again also uses a fair amount of fuel, so your best bet is to shut the engine down if the tractor will be sitting still for around five minutes or longer.
Gear Up, Throttle Down
“Gear Up, Throttle Down,” or GUTD for short, refers to the art of finding the perfect balance between your tractor’s power output and fuel consumption any time the tractor operates at less than 70% of its full capacity. Essentially, it’s a way of minimizing the fuel you use without losing productivity. To find your balance, shift to a higher gear and slow your RPMs as much as you can without losing speed. Operate like this for a bit, then open the throttle. If your engine speeds up immediately, you’ve successfully Geared Up, Throttled Down! If not, shift to a lower gear or up your RPMs and try again.
Tire Pressure
Odd as it may sound, tire pressure plays a huge role in fuel efficiency. If it’s too low, the wheel could drag on the ground, and if it’s too high it can slip. Either way, the engine is working harder for the same amount of work. Check your tire pressure before you use the tractor, preferably in the morning when it’s cooler, and adjust it to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Fuel Injectors
If your tractor is starting to slow down and struggle, check the fuel injection system. Dirty fuel injectors can cause inefficient combustion, which reduces your tractor’s power output and fuel efficiency. If they get jammed entirely, no fuel will reach the engine at all. For any issues with this system, we recommend relying on a maintenance professional.
Regular Maintenance
Finally, preventative maintenance and your regular maintenance schedule will help keep your tractor operating normally. Keep up with fluid and filter changes and the like to keep on chugging along.
We hope these tips help you improve your fuel efficiency! For more information, or to see the tractors we have available, contact us at Burrows Tractor. We proudly serve the people of Oregon and Washington—let us serve you today!