It’s very popular now to take photos of broken machinery with cell phones, then hand that cell phone to the guy/gal at the parts counter and say,” That’s the part I need.” That strategy is useful, but a few extra photos will dramatically help that parts person get the parts you need even more quickly.
First, take several pictures, starting with the machine’s model plate/decal. Then take a clear close-up photo of the machine’s serial number plate. Take a couple photos to show the general location of the breakdown--front right wheel, center frame hydraulic cylinder, grain tank auger--then take a couple close-ups that show the exact part that’s broken. That way the parts person has an idea of where on the machine the parts are located, the exact model and serial number of that particular machine, and finally a good idea of the exact location of the broken part and how it fits together with adjoining parts.
I strongly advocate spending an hour or so on a “slow” day going from machine to machine in your machine shed, finding each unit’s serial number plate, and taking a cell phone photo of that plate. That way you have in your cellphone a complete inventory of the serial numbers of each piece of equipment.
We’ve all stood at a parts counter and been told, “Uh, there’s a serial number break ,and I can’t get the right part for you unless I have the serial number.” Now there’s a way to answer that question, as close as your cell phone. And in our hyper-connected world, we are always within arm’s reach of our precious cell phones.
