Winter weather means it’s time to get farm shops ready for the off-season. Dan Nyberg, sales trainer for Morton Buildings, offers some recommendations.
“Check door rollers and latches on your sliding doors. You may benefit from oiling those rollers. On overhead doors, lubricate both the rollers and the torsion springs and double-check the weather seal on all those doors. While you’re checking the weather seal, check your walk doors and see that windows close and seal well. Consider adding to your attic insulation if it’s not up to acceptable levels, and give your heating system a checkup or call and have it serviced before the cold weather sets in.”
He also recommends organizing equipment for storage once harvest season is completed.
“Begin by getting your equipment washed and ready to put away before freezing weather hits and organize your equipment so you can easily get to those pieces that you have scheduled for either maintenance or upgrades. After you’ve finished harvest or you finish the repairs, shuffle your equipment so your tillage tools are easy to get out and utilize next spring. And lubricate your equipment. Coat any polished surfaces with rust inhibitor, check hydraulic hoses, and replace those that are cracked and likely to fail.”
It’s also important to prioritize winter equipment maintenance.
“Determine which projects and specific equipment need work. Ensure that critical needs will be addressed first. Also determine what parts will be needed. Finding parts for some older equipment could require some research and or shipping time, and many parts, even for new equipment, are taking longer to arrive these days. And make your priority list to be sure the most important equipment is repaired or tuned up and ready to go before spring. Some projects can take longer than expected.”
For more farm shop information, visit MortonBuildings.com/blog.
