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Overlooked tools can save the day during field repairs.
Probing to test voltage in electrical connectors on farm equipment can be a challenge. Here are some tricks.
Even minute amounts of moisture can cause big problems when making repairs to sensitive electronic circuits on modern farm equipment.
There are some things I can absolutely guarantee when working on machinery. Such as ...
A well-stocked tractor cab sets the stage for a smooth planting season. Beyond good snacks and a solid playlist, a perfectly packed cab kit can reduce a planting frustration or two.
There are tools every farmer knows to have handy while planting. But here are a few useful “pocket tools” unique to planting.
Here’s a story about my father’s experiences with bench vises.
A fellow mechanic and I used to say, “Fire is our friend” when we were stymied making repairs.
There comes a time when we‘re almost caught up with the most pressing chores. Then we find ourselves in our shop wondering, “What should I do next?” Here is my list.
Some accuse me of having a “negative personality,” and say I focus too much on my mistakes.
Mid-winter often brings the click-click-click sound of a starter solenoid signaling its battery is dead.
No matter how many sketches I draw with welder’s chalk on bench tops, no matter how many tack-welded prototypes I build, my “improvements” and “inventions” never seem to work as I envision.
No matter how long you work on farm equipment, there are always things to learn. In the past few years I’ve finally learned or understood…
A lot of things laying around an average farm shop have multiple uses.
If you were to review your shop inventory this winter, here’s what shop guru Dan Anderson suggests.
A few decades ago a group of local farmers, young bucks full of vim and vigor, spent a winter pranking each other.
Experienced MIG welders will be insulted by the simplicity of these welding tips, but they may help folks who weld infrequently.
Sometimes the difference between a “good” tool and a “bad” tool is hard to discern. Phillips screwdrivers are a good example.
Profanity is often the first impulse after breaking a bolt. After that, try these ideas.
If you are installing a new u-joint, here’s a quick way to dramatically reduce its lifespan: Over-tighten the bolts on the straps that hold the caps in place.
Here’s how to build a torquing stand that allows one man to easily do the job.
Customers often ask Dan Anderson how often to oil chains on planters. Here’s his answer.
Here are a few good facts, tips and reminders about common fasteners.
If you’ve got a slow oil leak on a gearbox, possibly even an engine crankcase or hydraulic reservoir, consider this temporary fix to get you by until you have time to fix it “right.”
Every mechanic has an illicit stash of salvaged treasures.
Brazing is a skill that approaches art. Do it right and it’s a thing of beauty. Do it wrong and you’re reaching for a can of spray paint to hide blobby abominations.
Don’t let the excitement of getting in the field this spring provoke planting mistakes.
There are farmers, there are professional mechanics, and then there are farmer-mechanics. You qualify as a farmer-mechanic if:
Midwinter is a great time to rejuvenate the Great Chain Lubrication Debate.
John Steinbeck wrote in “The Grapes of Wrath” that, “A man has to do what a man has to do.” That’s my excuse for some of the repairs I’ve made over the years.