Diesel Tuner's Blog

Times they are changing. Everything seems to be moving in the direction of "smart" technology. While this seems like an annoyance living in a world of folks glued to smartphones and using an app for everything, it also has it's advantages when it comes to the modern farmer.

Smart farming is bringing the farmer what he needs to push his yield and his land's productivity past where it traditionally performs. These days we see combines manipulating calibrations to help achieve less time in the field while saving on fuel costs. This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many different aspects in which the world of agriculture is moving.

Farmers all around the country have utilized box programmers or other various items for tuning their tractors. With tractors becoming more and more electronic based, the need for tuning your combine has gone up. It can be overwhelming if it's something new to you and your equipment, so let's dive into the most common questions asked in regards to up-rating your tractor with a custom programmer.

How Tractors Measure Exhaust Gas Temperatures

Have you ever noticed that some OEM's do not install an EGT (exhaust gas temperature) probe on the manifold?  Any performance diesel gear head will tell you it's the best place to measure EGT's giving you the  most accurate insight to any immediate stress on the motor.  

Spiking EGT's in the manifold could be a symptom of many different problems including low boost, failing injectors, airflow restriction, EGR failure, etc.  All of these failures signify a lit fuse that ultimately ends in engine failure if left unchecked.  Clearly it's important to monitor EGT's, right!?  

The problem with installing a probe from the manufacturer stand point is the life expectancy of the probe.  Seeing extreme temperatures and still measuring accurately for the life of the service life requires high quality probes (read: expensive).  

Never fear, manufacturers have come a long way in measuring temperatures (and cutting costs).  In fact many feel no real need for a probe favoring a dynamic EGT model instead.

Tillage and Deep Ripping is Laborsome and Expensive Work! 

Annual tillage can help mix nutrients in the soil, combat compacted soil, conserve soil moisture, and help in other ways.  Many of us throughout the corn belt have to do heavy tillage work (deep ripping, chisel plowing, etc.).  

For you, tillage work represents the  the hardest job your tractor will see this year.   Afterall, the ripper is probably the biggest implement you will run.  Which explains why so many reports come in about tractors being grossly under powered for this practice.  Bogging down on headlands, running slow up gentle grades, being forced to raise the plow to keep from getting stuck, and generally not being able to run at target ground speed to get a consistant finish are complaints we commonly hear from farmers doing this work.  

We see the stress and heavy power demands of tillage work as the biggest opportunity for savings.  Below we'll outline the case for tuning the tractor to save fuel during tillage operation.  We'll also save you from having to make significant capital investment in higher horsepower equipment to pull larger plows and finishers.

Power Manager

• Custom tractor tuning
• Safe for your tractor
• Easy to use and readily available
• Use less fuel per acre
• Cover more acres per hour
• Supports Green, Red and Blue tractors

Tillage work is labor some and has high fuel cost! 

Annual tillage can help mix nutrients in the soil, combat compacted soil, conserve soil moisture, and help in other ways.  A common problem with the farming community throughout the corn belt, is heavy tillage work (deep ripping, chisel plowing, etc.) can be a chore for their tractor. 

Tillage work involves using your tractor to pull what is generally the largest implement you own.  Most people report that tillage work is when a tractor will be put under the highest amount of stress.  Which explains why so many reports come in about tractors being grossly under powered for this practice.  Bogging down, running slow, struggling to climb hills, and other complaints are often made during tillage work.  

This is a situation that can be easily remedied with the custom tractor tuning provided by our Power Manager! 

Power Manager

• Custom tractor tuning
• Safe for your tractor
• Easy to use and readily available
• Use less fuel per acre
• Cover more acres per hour
• Supports Green, Red and Blue tractors

Shift Up, Throttle Back, What is it?

Many farmers run their large 4WD tractors while performing tillage work. Generally they find a gear that lets them achieve a desired ground speed and run at WOT. This practice will get the job done, no question. However, operators may see the Gallons Per Hour go up while this work is performed. This is a result of the tractor running more RPM than neccessary for the drawbar requirement. The amount of power needed for most drabar activities is probably not the peak power output of the tractor. This excessive RPM operation is the root cause of wasted fuel.  Good news though: Iowa State University, University Extension studied the "Shift Up, Throttle Back" strategy and have given suggestions on how to save fuel.  In fact, during testing some tractors measured up to a 20% reduction in fuel useage.

• ISU Shift Up, Throttle Back Article
• Mark Hana (Co-Author)
• Dana Schweitzer (Co-Author)

Small farmers have a tough time making their passion profitable. Varying market prices, harsh weather conditions and rising cost of goods can become a true strain on the farm. 

Since the beginning of agriculture farmers have been finding ways to cut cost and increase production. This concept is what has driven innovation on the farm. However, with as many advances and "life hacks" that have been established, the cost of fuel is ever rising. Even with today's high tech, computer controlled equipment, the cost of fuel can still be staggering. 

Some other great articles about tractor fuel consumption:

• Predicting Tractor Diesel Fuel Consumption
• 6 Ways to Save Fuel on the Farm
  
  

BEFORE diving into saving fuel, you will want to gather as much detail as you can about how much fuel is currently costing you. This means knowing more than just how much you spend on fuel each year, quarter, or month, but knowing how much fuel each tractor uses for each task. To download a tracker that will help you narrow in on your most costly activities check out the Performance Tracker below.

Custom Tuning for Tractors!