How Often Should You Service Cotton Pickers?

Proper maintenance is essential for smooth operation and extended longevity for any machinery. Cotton pickers and cotton picker parts are no exception. Good service practices will keep cotton pickers in top condition and produce more efficient harvests.

So how often should this service occur? The answer partly depends on the type of machine and how it is used. Use the following guidelines to perform regular service for your cotton picker and cotton picker parts. For additional tips, contact your local experts at Certi-Pik, USA.

Daily Maintenance

For optimal performance throughout the day, clean and service cotton picker parts each morning and night. This can be time-consuming, but the reliable performance it encourages throughout the day is a net gain, making it well worth the extra effort.

Before and after each day’s work, complete a thorough cleaning from the top of the cotton picker to the bottom, cleaning and servicing all cotton picker parts. This should include the addition of fluids as needed, greasing parts, inspecting parts and making any necessary repairs. Never ignore minor issues, as these can quickly become major and cause additional damage to the machinery.

Finishing Touches

Once you’ve cleaned and serviced the interior cotton picker parts, move on to the exterior and the cab. Clean the lights and inspect them for proper function. Replace bulbs as needed. Then, clean the cab glass. Use a soft cloth and appropriate glass cleaner for these tasks. These finishing touches will keep cotton picker operation safer and more efficient.

Ongoing Maintenance

Even with a thorough servicing before you begin the day’s work, you may need to perform maintenance during the use of the cotton picker. It’s important to remove waste buildup as it accumulates to prevent fire hazards. Use a broom or manually remove lint and trash from the basket or bale chambers.

You may want to go ahead and clean the entire chassis area, as this will encourage optimal performance. As you clean cotton picker parts, be careful when using cleaning tools, high-pressure washers or compressed-air techniques. These can cause damage. Hand cleaning offers the advantage of reducing the chances of mechanical damage.

Manufacturer Recommendations

Of course, one of the main things that should guide your cotton picker parts service is the manufacturer’s recommended procedures. Check the recommendations for your specific make and model and follow these to achieve the best results. Check the manual for frequency of greasing and proper addition of spindle solution. Keep an eye on fuel levels, coolant and engine oil, replacing these per the recommendations from the manufacturer and based on cotton picker part performance.

Get Quality Parts

To minimize the amount of maintenance and repairs required for your cotton picker, choose quality cotton picker parts. At Certi-Pik, USA, we fabricate replacement parts for picking units and offer a broad list of specialty items and sheet metal parts for rebuilding units, including cam tracks, drumheads, spindles and spindle nuts, picker and grid bars, slip clutches, lubrication hoses, stalk lifters, idler gears, CTX scrapping plates, CTX pressure doors and more. Contact us today for the quality parts you need.