The 15-Minute Pre-Season Check That Saves a Planting Window

Ask any field mechanic about the worst week of the year and they will name the first warm stretch of spring, when every tractor that sat all winter gets fired up at once.

Most of those service calls, they say, are preventable with a quick walkaround done weeks ahead: check fluid levels and look for milky oil, inspect hoses and belts for cracking, test batteries under load, grease every fitting, and look closely at tire sidewalls and pressures.

"Rodents and dead batteries cause half my spring calls," said one technician. "Both are easy to catch in February and miserable to deal with in April."

Owners who log what they find — even on a phone note — also make the dealer's job faster when something does need fixing.