Tips for winter combine storage

Oct 22, 2020

Cleanliness is the name of the game, an industry rep said

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

As producers put a bow on the 2020 grain harvest, an important next step is preparing the combine for winter storage.

With proper storage in mind, Farms.com connected with Victor Gunn, a harvest specialist at Case IH, who shared some tips for farmers.

Prior to any maintenance, a producer should consult the operator’s manual, Gunn said.

After that, the main goal for any farmer should be to ensure the combine is as clean as possible while it’s stored.

Cleaning your machinery “helps you see any potential issues for next year, and it also makes the unit a lot less attractive to rodents over the winter,” Gunn told Farms.com.

If crop residue is left on the combine, mice or other small animals could make a home in the machine. This can be problematic.

Moisture from any fermenting residue could create rust. And the little creatures could damage the combine as well.

“They can chew wiring harnesses, and the urine can get on circuit boards and cause corrosion,” Gunn said. “If we can prevent the animals from wanting to make a home in the combine, farmers should aim to do that.”

Producers can also take action to ensure the cold winter conditions don’t take a toll on the combine.

Removing some components from the machine during storage can help ensure they’ll work properly next fall.

“I recommend physically taking the batteries out of the machine as well as the display and the receiver for the GPS, and storing them in a warm location if possible,” Gunn said. “Batteries will slowly discharge in cold weather, so if you’re able to remove them for the winter, there’s a good chance they’ll survive the winter compared to if they remained installed.”

Grease is another important part of winter combine storage.

Applying grease to bearings after pressure washing the equipment can help remove any moisture.

“The pressure washer will drive water past the bearing seal, and you can get water sitting in there,” Gunn said. “The grease will help push out any water that did get past.”

And storing a combine with a full tank of fuel will help prevent any condensation from accumulating in the tank, Gunn said.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.