Check Your Cotton Picker Parts to Avoid Costly Expenses

Your cotton picker is the central part of your harvest season—without it, you wouldn’t be able to collect every acre of your cotton crop, meaning you may lose a lot of money. You need your cotton picker to be in perfect condition, which means that each part on your picker should be in good shape, too. Failing parts typically means failing machinery and a failing farming business.

Routine inspection and maintenance on your cotton picker parts are crucial for the longevity of your machinery. You may be tempted to skip inspection as long as the picker seems to be functioning properly, but this is a big mistake. Failing to check your equipment regularly typically results in an unknown broken part that could cause major damage and safety hazards if left untreated.

The importance of inspecting your cotton picker parts

Cotton pickers are large pieces of machinery that come with a host of safety hazards for both the operator and your crops. Because of the sheer amount of use cotton pickers see in a given season, parts begin to break down and may need replacement sooner than expected. If you aren’t regularly checking your cotton picker parts, you may not know something is about to break. Checking your parts is part of preventative maintenance to catch problems before they happen. If you see that a belt or pivot is worn down, you can replace it before you incur costly downtime from a broken machine.

Leaving broken parts on a cotton picker can also cause further damage to your machine over time. Belts, pivots and other parts that aren’t functioning properly can rub, scrape or smash other parts of your machine. If you check your parts routinely and find something broken, you have the opportunity to get it replaced before more parts get broken or worn down.

What to check and when

There are certain aspects of your cotton picker that should be checked each morning and night, before and after use. The engine, in particular, should be routinely checked to ensure that all coolant, engine oil and transmission oil are full and ready for use that day. Similarly, the tires and tire pressure should be checked approximately every 12 hours to avoid a problem while in the field.

Most axles and pivots should be routinely checked and lubricated between every 50 and 100 hours to ensure that they will continue to run smoothly. The feed belt and wrap floor belt tensions should also be checked. Refer to the user’s manual for your specific cotton picker model to view the recommended cleaning and maintenance schedule for your cotton picker parts.

Rely on the best if your cotton picker parts fail

If you check your machine and find that you need replacement cotton picker parts, contact Certi-Pik, USA. We manufacture and supply quality parts to keep your cotton picker running smoothly. We offer parts for a wide range of models, including specialty items, at competitive prices. Contact us to see what we can do to help your business!