Make your farming fuel go further

Improving the efficiency of your farm’s fuel consumption has many benefits such as reducing your outgoing costs, cutting down on the time spent refuelling machinery, and causing less harm to the environment. There are a number of ways that farmers can improve fuel efficiency;

Storing fuel

Due to poor storage, fuel can be lost before it even leaves the tank. If you are storing your fuel in an above ground tank it should be painted a light colour and kept in the shade where possible. This helps to stop loss of fuel via evaporation.

Lubrication and Maintenance

Using the right lubrication and oil for your farming machinery is essential to help your fuel go further. Having the right lubrication will put less strain on the engine meaning less fuel is required to operate it. Regularly cleaning and changing the air and fuel filters will also help you get the most out of each refill.

Keeping tyres correctly inflated will also make a difference to how well your machinery handles and how much fuel it needs to operate efficiently.

The Right Tractor For The Job

Selecting the right machinery for the job will help you to reduce fuel wastage through avoiding overloading smaller machines or under-loading larger vehicles.

For small light jobs use your smallest tractor, but for jobs that require a heavier load always switch to a bigger tractor to avoid overloading the smaller machine. Overloading results in increased fuel consumption and reduced output.

Harvest and Tilling Season

Harvest season is one of the busiest times on the farm resulting in a greater use of fuel and more strain on your farming machinery. Some tips to improve your fuel consumption rate for these busy periods are;

• Try to harvest on days when the soil is warm and dry - it is easier for machinery to operate in these conditions, and tractors especially will glide along the soil instead of becoming bogged down as they do in colder, wetter conditions.
• Create shallow rows when tilling so you have less digging to do when it comes to harvest time. Of course, always keep in mind the optimum seed planting depth for your crops.

Plan Your Route

Planning the most effective route around your land will help you conserve fuel and also reduce potentially wasting land. When driving around on loose soil the ground will become compacted, from a transportation angle this is ideal as less effort is required for your vehicles to operate efficiently; however it also means that this ground cannot be used for growing. So, by sticking to a planned route you are ensuring that only a small part of your ground becomes compacted and your machinery is able to move around more easily.

AID Fuel Oils Group has been supplying fuel to farmers across the Midlands for nearly 50 years. Call our sales team for a competitive quote on 01543 506 117

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