Farm Tractors

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Career and job resources for Farm Equipment Mechanics.

You love gardening. You spend a lot of time taking care of your garden and farm. You plant herbs and shrubs, you cut lawns, till farms, do watering, trimming, pruning – the works! It is a tedious job at times. How about some assistance? Well, garden tractors are there to help you.

Development

The Western Malleable and Gray Iron Manufacturing Company, produced the first garden tractors. The first one was developed in 1937, and was sold by Montgomery Ward. Two years later, in 1939, the first riding tractor became available, and then in 1950, the first riding lawn mower came into existence.

Gradually the size of the tractors went on getting reduced, while the features and facilities, increased. A smaller sized model farming tractor was designed in 1972, and that’s where today’s compact garden tractors found their roots.

Usage

Garden tractors are farming tools to be used for diverse farming activities :

- The job of pulling heavy loads can be physically tough. They can assist you with the job at hand. Let these heavy-duty machines do all the hard work.

- Cultivators, provided with garden tractors, may be used for plowing, thus making your farms more fertile. Tilled land, according to the experts, is always a good idea if quality crops are to be expected.

- Often used for mowing lawns in gardens. Trimming with the help of tractors, helps reduce odd grass lengths, bringing the parts of the surface back in sync.

- Plowshares embedded in garden tractors, are mostly used for purposes other than gardening as well. A stack of snow may be cleared with the help of plowshares.

Handle with Care!

Garden tractors are machines after all! Proper care must be taken while operating the system, to keep ourselves safe and our good investment safe as well. Here are some guidelines :

- One should always turn off the engines before moving out of the driving seat.

- Servicing should never be attempted while they are in operating mode.

- Garden tractors, with running engines, should never be left in closed garages to avoid accidents.

- Neither the driver nor the idle sitters on the tractors, should smoke there.

- Your body should always be kept at a distance from the operating machinery.

- Speed of the miniature machines should be taken care of.

- It is always advisable to regularly check whether the brakes are working properly.

- Untrained drivers should not be allowed to experiment with the machines.

Buying Tips

You need to be cautious when buying. Following are some guidelines to help you:

- Guarantee of the product purchased and warranty period associated, should be checked.

- Getting your new purchase insured proves to be a good move. Do so when it is time for the warranty to expire.

- It is always better to ask in advance if servicing will be provided at some extra cost, or the price you pay would take care of it.

- Be wary while choosing the brand. Verify that the parts are available close to your location. Getting compatible parts at a later date can get difficult.

- First aid treatments should be learnt to help you in case of of accidents and emergencies.

No doubt with the right care and handling your Garden Tractor could last for years.

Machinery categorized as heavy equipment include large vehicles and mobile equipments used in industrial activities such as construction, lifting of heavy material, tilling of land, digging of trenches for drains, laying of pipelines and paving of roads.

A heavy equipment technician is a skilled workman, who repairs and maintains heavy diesel engines, fuel, brake and transmission systems, electrical and other systems that are part of farm machinery, cranes bulldozers, railcars, heavy dumper trucks, excavators, pavers and many other type of such machinery. His key objective is to ensure that the machines remain in top working condition and continue to function at peak levels for a long time in line with safety norms. In view of the advanced technology used in machinery these days, these expert technicians are required to be conversant with the use of computerized diagnostic equipment, tachometers, dynamometers, ohm meters, ammeters, voltmeters specialized tools like pneumatic wrenches, operating lathes and grinding machines. An ability to work with jacks and hoists, gas cutting and welding tools in addition to the use of common hand tools such as screwdrivers, pliers and wrenches is also essential. Knowledge in electronics, hydraulics and welding technology is considered mandatory to perform well in this field.

Generally, a heavy equipment technician works indoors unless the job position is that of a field technician. The latter is required to work onsite on machines that cannot be moved to a shop. Field technicians are exposed to outdoor conditions, which include hostile weather and inadequate arrangements for meals or rest. The job involves lifting of heavy parts and carrying them in awkward positions. Though, by adhering to safety norms and working in well lighted, ventilated and heated work areas, serious accidents can be avoided, minor cuts, bruises, and burns are only to be expected in this job.

Working hours are generally 40 hours a week but might go up to 50 or even 60 hours if you are working in the farming sector during planting and harvesting seasons.

Although three to four years of on the job training earned by working as assistants under experienced technicians is considered sufficient, most employers prefer applicants who have completed a formal skill based program after graduating from high school. The candidate should be flexible with an aptitude for quick learning.

There are programs of one or two years duration leading to a certificate or an associate degree in diesel or heavy equipment mechanics. Such programs are offered by various community colleges and vocational schools. High school courses in automobile repair, physics, chemistry, and mathematics provide a strong foundation for a career as a heavy equipment technician. It is essential for technicians to be able to read and interpret service manuals in order to keep abreast of engineering changes

Ideally, a combination of formal and on the job training equips a technician with the knowledge and skills typically required for the repair and maintenance of heavy equipment. Employment opportunities for heavy equipment technicians exist in large construction and mining companies, local and federal governments, agencies that sell farm equipment, garden tractors, railcar and locomotive manufacturers and other companies operating and maintaining fleets of such equipment. As per statistics compiled in 2004, the average hourly earnings of a heavy equipment technician in the US during the year 2003-2004 ranged between $17 and $20.

Farm Equipment Mechanics job description