Preventative maintenance of agricultural machinery reduces productivity loss by almost 30%

Planning, management and monitoring of weather conditions reinforce the need for preventive use of machinery in the field for the next harvest

04.10.2024 | 15:18 (UTC -3)
Valeria Benites
Photo: Disclosure
Photo: Disclosure

Preventive maintenance of agricultural machinery involves scheduled actions, such as inspections, replacement of parts and periodic adjustments. It has become essential for agricultural operations to be carried out efficiently within the appropriate timeframes, directly contributing to the productivity of the agricultural sector. Among the many advantages of preventive maintenance, accompanied by inspections carried out by qualified professionals, in relation to corrective maintenance, the main benefits are: reduction of unexpected downtime during operation, increase in the useful life of machinery, improvement in operational performance, preservation of resale value and cost reduction.

An internal survey conducted at RZK Agro presents important figures regarding the availability of machinery. An unplanned shutdown, whether due to the need for preventive maintenance or corrective intervention, can cause a loss of up to 25% in equipment availability. And depending on the weather conditions and the crop cycle, the financial impact of these shutdowns can compromise the producer's profitability. Jonathan Rocha, corporate after-sales manager for RZK Agro's Mato Grosso operation, explains that producers who put maintenance on the back burner may miss the ideal time to plant or harvest. “For example, after the ideal planting window, losses in productivity potential increase week by week, impacting crop productivity and potentially compromising the planting of the second crop.” 

In addition to the impact on operation and productivity, another important aspect to consider is maintenance-related costs. By anticipating potential equipment failures, small or cheap parts can be prevented from causing more serious damage to expensive machine components. Although the initial cost has some impact, in the medium and long term, investing in preventive maintenance, with qualified technicians and original parts, is always more advantageous.

Genuine parts reduce costs

In a study conducted by André Pessini, Strategic Account Manager at RZK Agro, which compared machines from the same year and with equivalent usage patterns over the years, it was found that equipment that uses original parts and labor from the dealer only in extreme cases has a maintenance cost up to 60% higher than those machines that perform 100% of the services at the dealership. “Searching for dealership services guarantees, in addition to trust, a guarantee of the services performed for the producer”, emphasizes André.

Connected machines represent a breakthrough in monitoring operating and maintenance conditions. It is now possible to monitor several machine parameters remotely, allowing customers and dealers to know instantly what is happening with each piece of equipment. Among the package of connected solutions offered by John Deere and RZK Agro, Expert Alert stands out as an advanced remote monitoring and diagnostic system designed to predict failures and optimize maintenance of agricultural machinery. Using real-time data captured by sensors on the machines, the system analyzes performance and identifies potential problems before they become serious failures.

Cultivar Newsletter

Receive the latest agriculture news by email

LS Tractor February