When you want your farming activities and operations to be perfect you need to use the farm oil smartly. These all fuels will be used in the machines that will be operating into agriculture and will carry heavy kinds of farming goods. These all fuels also have to be used as per the changes of the season and weather. In any case, the cost of the overall operations should be balanced.
In many situations, farmers make some general mistakes while using fuel in agriculture. These can be like making compromises in farming activities and choosing the fuel of wrong or bad quality. All these mistakes can result in damages that will be for long-term. These kinds of mistakes generally happen when the farmers have less awareness of proper storage and handling methods of farm fuel. They can also overlook the regular levels of maintenance of the fuel and fuel tanks.
Get the idea of what those top mistakes are that farmers do while working on a farm fuel usage, in this article.
11 Mistakes To Avoid While Using Farm Oil
While using farm fuel, farmers make the main mistake of ignoring the fuel’s shelf life. This becomes especially accurate for different cold-pressed oils. They also do not do proper research while undertaking the projects of farming.
1. Using the wrong type of fuel
There are many farmers who make mistakes while choosing the farm oil. They generally select the wrong type of fuel. This can happen in the case of kerosene, red diesel and/or petrol. If the fuel that has been chosen is wrong it can lead to damages in the engine and even in the whole machine.
2. Overheating the oil
Sometimes farmers work on overheating the substances of fuel oil. This means burning the fuel above the intended level of temperature. In agricultural machinery, overheating in the farm fuel usage can lead to negative effects on safety. This can make a negative impact if the fuel has been lubricated or been used for cooling purposes.
3. Improper storage
The farmers, at times, also work on improper storage of farm oil. They do not use the containers that are well-approved and are made up of a good quality of metal. This can lead to issues like contamination of fuel and the fuel quality can be reduced. They at times do not store the container in an area that is well-ventilated and is apart from the reach of children and various ignition sources.
4. Improper maintenance of the machine
While working on farm fuel usage, the farmers also do not care about the machine for fuel storage and farming. This they do while using the fuel injectors and fuel dispensers. This leads to an increase in the wear and tear of the machine and creates hazards for safety maintenance. It can also lead to damage to the environment.
5. Lack of record-keeping
The farmers also have less awareness of keeping the usage record of farm fuel. This leads to a lack of checking the level of fuel consumption and checking the cost of fuel. They also lack the process of tractor maintenance and managing the spreadsheets and software for fuel management.
6. Improper training for the users
There are users who are not properly trained for farm fuel usage. They are not aware of the consequences that can occur in not using the fuel properly, and they also do not know how to manage if any risk is found. The improper training of the users can affect the process of fuel dispensing and managing the fuel properties.
7. Improper management of irrigation
The farm fuel usage can be degraded if the management of irrigation is not proper. This can lead to overconsumption of fuel and loss of overall fuel economy. It can also lead to a high level of CO2 emissions. Many farmers also face the challenges of water logging in the places where tractors will be used. This happens due to over-irrigation.
8. Not checking properly the level of heating oil.
There are situations where the level of heating oil is not properly checked. This can lead to fuel run-outs. There can also be chances of leaks, and they can become severe if the heating machine is not in a proper stage. This can also result in high costs for machine repairs. The fuel quality standards can also be degraded due to this.
9. Ordering winter farm fuel at the last minute
The significant mistake that the farmers make is that they order the farm fuel at the last minute when they find that the tank is completely blank. For this they can face issues in farming and even may need to pay high levels of costs of fuel.
10. Delivery delays for bad weather
There can be issues of delivery delays. These kinds of issues can occur when there is any blockage in the routes because of traffic, and/or any blockages that have been created by the weather. The delays can happen due to storms, the rains, ice and snow falls etc. The farmers who are located in remote areas may also at times face delays in the delivery of farm fuel.
11. Contacting the wrong supplier
You have to contact the correct kind of supplier for farm oil. This is because here you can get the fuel in the right quality and at the right price. If you will contact a wrong supplier the fuel may not come in the correct quality and the price can also be high. In the UK there are many reputed dealers of fuel for farming like Compass Energy, Nationwide fuels, NWF Fuels etc.
Best Process For Using Farm Fuel
When you are able to mitigate all the mistakes made in farm fuel preferences you will be able to know how to use it in a sensible process. You have to work on selecting the right kind of tractor for the farming tasks and checking the proper level of tire pressure.
Understanding The Types Of Farm Oil
You also need to understand the different forms and types of farm oil. Let’s verify and identify here some of the types of agricultural oil.
Agricultural lubricants: There are various types of agricultural lubricants. They can be different forms of oils and farm fuel. These kinds of lubricants enable the tractors and harvesters to work effectively in harsh weather. They help to make the lifespan of the machine longer. They are like different types of transmission oils, engine oils, and the forms of hydraulic fluids.
Spray oils: There are also various kinds of spray oils that manage the process of farming. They are used to control the mites and fungi. When you use the spray oils, you need not to apply the other oils repeatedly.
Agricultural Greases: You can find various kinds of agricultural greases in the market. They work as barriers to contamination in farm fuel usage. These greases can be calcium greases, lithium greases, and greases that are used at high levels of temperature.
Selection Of The Correct One
You need to select the best-of-a-kind farm fuel to be used in your tractors and/or harvesters. The best selection processes manage the uptime of the farming machinery.
Considerations on applications: There should be proper considerations for the application of farm oil into the farming machinery. This will be based on the types of fuel, its impacts on the environment, and how long it will be effective. People in farming vastly use the traditional diesel and red diesel.
Selecting the fuel that will be of the right quality: While doing the farm fuel usage the selection of fuel should be proper. This is affected by the existence of the particles of sulphur, Octane and FAME. This will also be based on the fuel system of the vehicle.
Caring for sustainability: Also, cheque what the sustainability concerns of fuel usage in agriculture are. This can be related to resource depletion and water contamination. The farmers should not make a choice of fossil fuels while farming as this can lead to many of the sustainability hazards.
Proper Methods Of Storage, Handling, And Disposal
The farm fuel should be properly stored. It should also be handled and disposed of wisely.
Storing the farm fuel safely: The container where the farm oil will be stored should be either made of plastic or steel. It should be packed and sealed well. If the fuel is hazardous the container should have double layers and be properly labeled. The containers should be covered with SDS or Safety Data Sheets.
Preventive measures for spills: The tank should be checked for any kind of spills or leaks. There should be a proper plan for checking and preventing the spills. Keep with you various kinds of absorbent materials. They can be like spill kits and different types of absorbent mats.
Proper level of disposal and recycling: The best level of farm fuel usage should also have the proper level of disposal if the fuel is contaminated. You have to locate an area that will be good for fuel disposal. The people working in such areas should be certified.
Wrapping Up
Overall, it can be said that you have to be aware of what are the common kinds of mistakes that you can make while using the farm oil. These can be related to the maintenance of the farming equipment and working for managing the overall cost. You have to make sure that your operations of farm fuel usage are safe and secure.
You can make mistakes while choosing the right kind of fuel and following the relevant policies and regulations. For this you have to be informed about the best work practices of farming. Your farm fuel tank should be verified and checked within a particular timeframe.