Pre-op Checklists

[TomIre]

Just upgraded (to say the least) from an 8n to a new 3725 Branson diesel. With the 8n I'd do a circuit around the tractor and check oil (add oil, it burned a bit), attach battery cable (had a draining short somewhere), turn the fuel petcock on, check radiator level, check hydraulic level and all the while looking at tires and grease fittings.
Now with the new tractor I feel like it's more bullet proof and I wonder if all those checks are a bit ****! I don't check the oil in my car before heading home from work for instance.
What do you all do before and after operation in terms of checks?

 

[plowhog]

I think checklists are great. I have been slowly assembling checklists for various equipment. It's so easy to overlook something small, but potentially important if you don't refer to a list.

 

[Tractorable]

I have an 8N as well and am looking to upgrade soon as well. Congrats on your new machine.

For the old tractor I'm more meticulous because there's a real threat that something is going to go wrong with it.

For my new John Deere X590 garden tractor, I just make sure to service it based on the maintenance schedule in the owners manual.

I should probably do a check list/walk around but the new stuff is so good it hardly seems to need much.

 

[coldsteelva]

If you follow a checklist, you will never overlook the 'obvious' thing that will cause you great pain. A quick walk around will never hurt. You may not need to grease everything every time, but take a look at least. When I finish mowing, I park the GC1720 in the garage, pop and prop the hood so that the next time I return to it, I'm 'forced' to remember to clean the debris screen (now cool). And while I'm in there, I take a quick look at the coolant reservoir bottle, oil cap, check the dipstick and close the hood. It all take less than 2 minutes. I quick peak of the garage floor and I know whether anything is leaking or not.

Totally worth it to not blow it up.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Well you won't have to turn on the fuel petcock, or attach the battery anymore.

A quick walk around never hurts, looking for the obvious, leaks on ground, damage to tires or hyd hoses, etc. Also looking at the coolant reservoir and the fuel-water separator while finding the dipstick hole for the engine oil dipstick. I hit my grease fittings all the way around about once a month too, and that's really about it. Oh, and look at the hydro sight glass once in a while too.