In the UK, regardless of the farming process, the use of agricultural heating oil is a basic necessity. This is necessary for every farming operation, whether conducted in summer and/or winter. The usage of this fuel is needed for managing the greenhouses, managing the crop yields, and heating the livestock shelters. Where on the one side the usage of this fuel is very important, on the other side the farmers make many mistakes while handling it.

If the agricultural oil is not applied to farming operations properly it can lead to breakdowns of the systems, reduction in the efficiency of the heating oil, and high levels of risks for the environment. In modern times the price of this oil is increasing and there is the pressure of various governmental laws for various users. Thus, the heating oil should be handled in a better way.  

In many of the situations, the poor level of handling of heating oil comes from a lack of proper understanding of its storage. There are also chances of fuel thefts.

Read this article to get an idea about the common mistakes that farmers generally make while managing the heating oil. Understanding these mistakes will result in its high efficiency and proper management of farming machinery. 

Mistakes That Farmers Make While Using Agricultural Oil

Farmers generally make the mistake of selecting the correct level of fuel and not following the industry standards related to their usage.

Managing The Level Of Fuel Storage

The farmers should cheque and manage the levels and conditions of fuel storage.

Mistake: As a farmer, you may make mistakes like not having a proper reading of the fuel storage and not checking the fuel thefts. You also may not be able to cheque the fuel spills and leaks.

Solution: For better results, you should work with various flowmeters of fuel storage monitoring and cheque the methods of spill prevention. You should work on regular audits for fuel intensity.

Selecting The Category Of Fuel

The farmers should work on a selection of the best category of agricultural heating oil. It can be kerosene, diesel, and/or red diesel.

Mistake: As a farmer, you may make the mistake of selecting the wrong category of fuel. For example, selecting gasoline for a machine that runs on diesel. Choosing the wrong fuel can lead to a lack of compatibility with the machine and it can have incorrect volatility.

Solution: The agricultural oil should be selected as per its availability and dependability. It should also be checked for the combustion properties it has. It should match the energy needs of the machine.

Monitoring The Fuel Level

The fuel can be used in the best way if its level is checked within a particular time frame.

Mistake: Several mistakes can be made while checking the levels of heating oil. This can lead to many issues. This can be recognised as not caring about the proper level of calibration and not caring about the potential malfunctions of the fuel gauges.

Solution: You should work on standardising the fuel tank and checking the type of fuel gauges used to cheque the fuel level. You also should cheque the drift of the sensors.

Being Regulatory Compliant

As a farmer, your use of agricultural heating oil should follow various rules and policies of the government.

Mistake: While being regulatory compliant you can have the wrong kind of documents, you may have a lack of awareness of rule changes and you may overlook the basic needs of the rules.

Solution: For having the best level of fuel use and following the relevant laws you should be updated for current law changes and should take proactive steps to follow the rules of safety. You should also work on following the new technologies.

Managing The Engine Of The Tractor

The farmers should work managing the work capacity of the engine of the tractor.

Mistake: There are many common mistakes that you can make while managing the engine of the tractor. These can be like not checking the malfunctions of the fuel filters and not checking the levels of fluids in them. You may also avoid the unusual sounds and smells from the engine.

Solution: To prevent these mistakes you need to work on preventive maintenance of the engine from time to time. This will be added with changes in the oil filters and cleaning them when needed. You should verify the issues like release of black smoke and hard starting of the engine.

Managing The Idling Of The Machine

While using the agricultural heating oil the farmers should work on checking the idling time of the machine. This is meant to find the time when the machine’s engine was running but the machine was not working.

Mistake: The farmers made the mistake of not checking the idling of the machine. This they do by ignoring vibration while idling and not checking the long idling before shutting down the machine. This can lead to a high level of consumption of fuel and friction in the engine and machine parts.

Solution: As a solution, you need to work on focusing the clear time of idling and adding the technology to track the activities of the engine. It is also needed for a proper level of workflow of the engine and the agricultural oil.

Loading And Unloading And Vehicle Trips 

The farmers need to work on managing the loading and unloading of farm goods in the vehicle and checking how many trips the vehicle has done.

Mistake: When you make common mistakes in loading and unloading of farm goods with improper plans for trips it can impact the use of agricultural heating oil. This can be the result of uneven distribution of loads and not having real-time adaptation of trips.

Solutions: For having an optimal level of vehicle trips and load management you should work on having an effective level of resource allocation and plans for vehicle directions. This will work to have an efficient level of use of agricultural oil.

Managing The Pipe-work 

As a farmer, you should have an effective level of pipe-work and you should work on understanding the system of piping.

Mistake: At times you can make an incorrect selection of the size of the pipe and inadequate installation of it. You can have the connections of dissimilar pipes.

Solution: As a farmer, you should work on particular planning and should work on using the correct level of tools while installing and managing the pipes.

Efficiency Of The Fuel And The Tillage Operations

The various forms of tillage operations are very important for the use of agricultural heating oil. Here an important part of the energy of the fuel can be used in the process of soil breaking.

Mistake: There are various mistakes that you can make in this procedure. They can be like the excessive level of tillage and not checking the condition of the soil and/or the tractor.

Solution: For the best usage of agricultural oil as a farmer you can work on checking the tillage depth, the speed of the machine, and the speed of the combined operations. If you work on the intensity of the tillage and have an optimal level of tire pressure and ballast you can get better results.

 Considerations For Alternative Fuels

In modern times, farmers are working on the use of alternative fuel sources like bio-fuel and HVO.

Mistake: At times your farming infrastructure can be inadequate for the alternative sources of agricultural heating oil. You can also have a low level of R&D work and may not cheque the proper work of the existing farming machine.  

Solution: To have an optimal level of alternative fuel usage you should work on improving the integration and storage infrastructure of fuel and working on better conversion methods. You should also cheque and manage the fuel emissions.

Levels Of Record-keeping 

The farming activities and the usage of agricultural heating oil should go through effective levels of record keeping.

Mistake: In the record-keeping process of farm fuel use you can make the mistake of adding wrong data and you may fail to find the exact use of agricultural oil. This can lead to a high level of cost tracking and theft of fuel. The tracking of business and non-business moves of the vehicle can be wrong.

Solution: You should work on regular check-ups of the fuel use and mileage. You can work on various fuel cards, manual logs and telematics.

Cultivation And Crop Management 

The process of crop management and cultivation is needed to be proper to have the best usage of farm fuel.

Mistake: As a farmer, you may have too much dependency on the heavy machines and you may neglect the efficiency of the farm fuel. You may not have an optimal level of speed and accuracy of the machine in some of the specific tasks.

Solution: For the best use of agricultural heating oil crop management should be proper and there should be an optimal level of tillage practices. Many of the new technologies can also be used.

Fuel Management 

The farm fuel should be used by the implementation of fuel management systems.

Mistake: The use of agricultural oil can be disturbed by an inadequate level of fuel management. This can be the result of a rapid level of acceleration and negligence in speed. Having unverified safety hazards can also be a mistake in it.

Solution: There should be proper checks of the use of agricultural oil and anomalies should be identified. You should work on taking preventive steps to maintain efficiency and reduce the waste of fuel.

How To Address The Mistakes 

As a farmer, you should keep the focus on the various preventive measures and work on proper fueling of the farm machines. Let’s find what the other initiatives are for this.

Managing the fuel storage time: You should work on checking the storage time of the fuel. This will be based on the types of fuels. For example gasoline and diesel can work for the time frame of 6 months to 12 months.

Uses of the right kinds of lubricants: Work on using the best quality lubricants as this will reduce friction and protect the machine from corrosion. They can be silicone-based lubricants and the forms of oil-based lubricants.

Contacting reputed suppliers: You can have the best quality agricultural heating oil from reputed dealers. In the UK there are dealers like Compass Energy, Crown Oil, 123 Oil, etc.

Taking expert advice: For managing fuel management mistakes you can also take expert’s advice. This advice can be taken from both online and offline platforms.

Considerations on digital gauges: In the process of best usage of agricultural oil you can work on digital gauges. They can be like the hydrostatic and float gauges. They can also be like ultrasonic gauges.

Managing fire safety: The farm fuel should be stored safely and should be handled well to prevent the accidents of fire. You can use fire alarms and fire extinguishers for this.

Training for the users: The employees of the fuel station and the farmers should be well-trained for the best fuel usage. They should be able to find and mitigate the risks.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, it can be said that you should work on avoiding the common mistakes when you go to use agricultural heating oil. This will be helpful for preventing the costly repairs of the farm machines and protecting them from any kind of damages.

Mistakes such as poor maintenance of the machine and the development of wear and tear in them should always be avoided. The fuel should be kept apart from a collection of dust, debris, and water.

As a farmer, you should be informed about how to safeguard the agricultural oil and its storage tank and how to reduce excessive downtime. Your best initiatives will work on getting high results from your investments in farming operations and fuel usage.