Shops
A new version of the chop saw is quickly relegating those original soot-covered noise machines to the back corners of farm shops.
Here are some tips and tricks about U-joint maintenance and repair.
Go ahead and buy the special pliers or tools to remove those annoying plastic fasteners. You might as well order a bag or box of replacement rivets, too, because trying to reuse those rivets is a waste of time.
Inverter welders are not for welding structural steel all day long. But for repairs around the farm, their economical cost, light weight and ability to use 120-volt or 220-volt power supplies make them practical.
Many farm shops now function at the level of a commercial repair shop. Here are options to increase the efficiency of shops that hum with activity 12 months a year.
When should dielectric grease be used? What is dielectric grease? Why should you care? Talk to lubrication experts or specialists who work on electronic systems and you’ll get a dozen confusing answers.
That box of assorted rubber O-rings under the workbench in your shop might supply the cure to leaky hydraulic connections, or it might just interrupt the leak for a day or two.
Arc welders rarely wear out, but they can become out of date. Here’s a look at modern welding options for farm shops.
Comparing his mediocre welding skills to a young guy who knows how to weld very, very well, Dan Anderson noticed several things he needs to incorporate in his welding skills.
Using WD-40 or motor oil on drill bits to lubricate and cool the tip results in an oily mess. Add a drill bit lube stick to your Christmas List, rather than another pair of socks, this year.
After botching many welding jobs, Dan Anderson has established baselines for any weld he now attempts. For example, positioning his helmet closer versus further from the arc allows him to better monitor the weld puddle.
Sometimes it’s necessary to do things that aren’t by the book to get crippled machinery moving again. Here’s how Dan Anderson used a penny and a dime to fix a hydraulic cylinder on a folding spray boom.
A sheet of copper or aluminum roof flashing, a couple hours in the shop and an internet pattern can allow even a fumble-fingered klutz to make a present that has the appeal of roses and the durability of sheet metal.
According to lubrication experts, some of the additives in modern lubricants might settle to the bottom of a container during long periods of storage. Does that indicate a problem?
Twist drill bits, carbide-tipped hole saws and annular cutters will do the trick when you need to make big bores.
There are many misunderstandings about grease guns. Here are several helpful tips.
After decades of making service calls and visiting farmers’ shops, here are a few simple yet clever ideas I have run across.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In the case of this photo, the damage is obvious while the mind is left to wonder what the mechanic on his cell phone is saying to the person on the other end.
Every experience is a learning experience — even when a combine is stuck in a gully.
When warm, corn head grease is near liquid, which allows it to flow into all the nooks and crannies of oddly shaped gearcases. So, to live long and prosper, the answer is yes.
A new generation of portable, battery-powered air compressors fit behind the seat of a pickup.
Welding arcs aren’t as illuminating as they seem. A special light designed for welding and a good welding helmet can help.
Dan Anderson has used ethanol in all his vehicles and recently fell into information that expanded his knowledge of the flex fuel.
Big tools, such as ¾-inch impact wrenches and 1,000 lb.-ft. torque wrenches, are impressive, but many jobs are rescued or made easier by small specialized tools.
Are you pouring concrete this summer? A pro shares advice to improve the quality of the finished product.
Whether you use a vise, hammer and socket, or special tool to repair U-joints, be careful how you reassemble and install them.
Don’t do what Dan Anderson did. Learn from his mistakes when it comes to lubricants, torque and double checking your work.
Planting has been running smoothly, but you notice a few rows are consistently planting a higher or lower population. Here are things to check.
My father’s rule was, “Never walk past a grease zerk without greasing it.”
I’ve had opportunities lately to talk with chemical engineers and mechanical engineers about greases and lubrication. Here are some tidbits that caught my interest.