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.

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

Harvest is one of the busiest times of year for farmers.  One thing no farmer should have to deal with during this time is an under powered combine.  Lugging up hills, slowing down the system, and in general costing the operation money can be enough to drive you nuts!  

Each year, just after harvest, we take an influx of calls inquiring about adding horsepower to combines.  Farmers tend to be detail orientated, and have a lot of questions before tuning any equipment.  Which is totally understandable, combines are not exactly cheap and they are one of the most crucial components of a successful harvest. 

If you think tuning a combine is crazy, take a look at the 3 most common reasons we find farmers love combine tuning.  

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)

Harvest is one of the busiest times of year for farmers. Trying to get the crop in before the weather turns, managing employees and rushing to get a myriad of tasks done can be daunting. One thing no farmer should have to deal with during this busy time is an under performing combine. Lugging up hills, slowing down the system, and in general costing the operation money.  This does not have to be the situation for you this fall!

Each year, just after harvest, we take an influx of calls inquiring about adding horsepower to combines. Farmers tend to be detail orientated, and have a lot of questions before tuning any equipment. Which is totally understandable, combines are not exactly cheap and they are one of the most crucial components of a successful harvest. 

A few questions come up in every conversation about tuning a combine. Below, I hope to provide answers to the most common questions about combine tuning. 

• Learn More About Emissions Equipment
• See testimonials from actual farmers that have tuned their tractor
• Tractor Tunes in Action! 

Custom Tuning for Tractors!