Tractors and farming implements: choice of hydraulic fluid
Autumn has arrived and the field work associated with this season has begun. Tractors will begin to plough the farmland in the next few weeks and producers will be vibrating their olive trees to harvest their fruit a couple of months later.
There is a wide range of implements for tractors designed for their hydraulic power. They are normally attached to the rear power take-off (three-point hitch system) and ensure greater control over these implements, a more effective use of power than mechanical systems, in addition to facilitating the transportation of implements when they are no longer being used.
All this farming activity has one thing in common in the tractor: the hydraulic system. When faced with the choice of hydraulic fluid for running in a tractor, we find the information provided by the manufacturer of the equipment is generally scarce or limited to a list of commercial product brands, without any details of the characteristics, specifications and properties of the fluid.
Choosing the right hydraulic fluid based on its viscosity (suitable for the operating temperatures of the equipment) and its degree of cleanliness will reduce consumption and increase the machine´s reliability and productivity.