What Breaks Down First on the Farm?
The Machinery Most at Risk Without Preventive Maintenance
What breaks first on most farm equipment? Bearings, belts, chains, and gearboxes are often at the top of the list. And when they go on you, it always costs more than just the part. Learn why they fail, how to spot the warning signs, and what to do to avoid downtime during the busiest season.
What Breaks Down First on the Farm? The Machinery Most at Risk Without Preventive Maintenance
Farms on the Prairies run hard in tight weather windows. When something fails, it’s usually a small wear part that snowballs into hours of downtime. Here’s a farmer-first look at what typically breaks first—and what you can do to prevent it—and where a millwright shop fits in.
The usual suspects (ranked by risk)
Bearings on anything that turns
Dry, worn, or misaligned bearings are a leading spark for harvest-season downtime—and they’re a known ignition source for combine fires when hot debris packs around them. Many extensions now recommend routine bearing temp checks with an infrared thermometer during harvest (look for outliers >180°F / ~82°C).Belts and sheaves
V-belts fail early when tension is off or pulleys are misaligned. Manufacturers note that any degree of misalignment shortens belt life and can escalate to rapid failure under load; keeping proper tension and alignment dramatically increases run time.Drive chains, elevator chains & sprockets (combines, augers, conveyors)
Chain “stretch” is pin/bushing wear. Industry guides advise replacement at ~2–3% elongation (many use 2% as a conservative trigger) to save sprockets and prevent breakage.Hydraulics (hoses, fittings, pumps, valves)
The number-one killer here is dirt. Major fluid-power vendors estimate most hydraulic failures trace back to contamination, so filtration, clean fluid handling, and timely filter changes are non-negotiable.Grain-handling wear parts (auger flighting, paddles, chutes, bearings)
Flighting with razor-sharp edges and shrinking effective diameter cuts capacity and cracks grain; replacing worn flighting and keeping bearings greased maintains throughput in bin unloads and unload augers.PTO/drivelines & U-joints
Guard bearings seize, shields get damaged, and dry U-joints pound themselves to death. Keep the driveline shield intact and freely spinning; follow the implement maker’s greasing intervals.Electrical & charging
Chafed harnesses near moving parts, dirty grounds, or alternator load spikes often show up first during harvest. They’re also implicated in many combine fires along with hot bearings and belts—keep the engine bay clean and wiring supported.
Preventive maintenance that actually prevents
A. Combines (pre-harvest + in-season)
Inspect/replace bearing points on choppers, spreaders, shoe drives, elevator heads; spin and listen, then verify temps warm vs. hot with an IR thermometer during the day.
Check belts for glazing/cracks; align pulleys and set tension to spec.
Measure elevator/drive chain elongation and replace at ~2–3%; don’t pair new chain with worn sprockets.
Clean engine bay and around hot surfaces daily; look for leaks in fuel/hydraulic lines.
Useful checklists and OEM inspection sheets are widely available and stress these same items.
B. Grain dryers & handling (before harvest)
Dryers: service burners and fans; inspect belts, pulleys, and bearings; verify safeties and sensors; clear lint/dust from compartments; confirm gas, electrical, and flame-sensing systems.
Conveyors/bucket elevators: track and align belts, check idlers and bearing temps, add or verify hazard monitoring (belt misalignment, belt speed/slip, bearing temperature).
C. Air systems, augers, and conveyors (pre-season)
Augers: check flighting edges and hanger bearings; ensure guards are in place; verify drive chain wear and sprocket condition.
Air systems: inspect fans and couplers; balance/align as needed to cut vibration.
D. PTO/driveline care (all season)
Confirm master shield + driveline guard are present and spin freely on their guard bearings (they should rotate independently of the shaft).
Grease U-joints and telescoping sections at the intervals in the implement manual; replace any damaged guard parts.
Quick reference: replace or re-work when you see…
| Component | Replace/Service Trigger | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Chains | ≥2–3% elongation, hooked sprocket teeth | Prevents chain breakage & sprocket ruin. |
| V-belts | Cracks, glazing, sidewall wear, poor tension; any pulley misalignment | Misalignment/tension errors slash belt life. |
| Bearings | Noise/roughness; hotter than peers (>~180°F) | Hot bearings are a known fire/downtime risk. |
| Auger flighting | Razor-sharp edge; reduced diameter | Cuts capacity and damages grain. |
| Hydraulics | Dark fluid, metal in filters, slow/erratic actuators | Contamination is the big failure driver. |
How a millwright shop helps (and where they add ROI)
A good millwright crew (a.k.a. the “Millwrighter”) does more than “fix it when it breaks.” They bring precision tools and procedures that extend life of the parts that usually fail first:
Laser shaft alignment on fans, pumps, unload drives, and gearboxes → reduces bearing and seal loading, heat, and energy draw.
Dynamic balancing of fans, rotors, and augers → lowers vibration, protecting bearings and structures. (Common offer in SK/Western Canada.)
Condition monitoring (vibration & infrared) → flags a failing bearing before it gets hot enough to start a fire or take out a shaft.
Conveyor/bucket elevator alignment & rebuilds → proper tracking and hazard monitoring for safer, more reliable grain handling.
These services are available locally across Saskatchewan. Custom Millwright Services has a team of agriculture millwright’s ready to serve both your equipment maintenance and repair needs as well as your agricultural machinery emergency requirements.
A seasonal PM plan that fits Prairie reality
Off-season (winter/early spring): deep inspections, replace worn bearings, chains (by elongation), belts/sheaves (align + new belts as a set), rebuild leaking gearboxes, send fans/rotors for balance, flush/condition hydraulic systems. This is the cheapest time to do precision alignment and balancing.
Pre-harvest (mid-summer): run the combine at speed, listen/feel, then do a hot check with an IR thermometer across similar bearings; replace outliers now. Clean engine bay and around drives; verify elevator chains/sprockets; check electrical harness routing and shields; test all safety systems on dryers and conveyors.
In-season (daily/weekly): grease to spec, blow off debris, quick temp scan of high-load bearings during unloads, feel belt/chain tension, watch for tracking issues on conveyors. If a component is heating or vibrating abnormally, stop and correct—don’t “finish the field.”
When to call the millwright (rule of thumb)
You’re replacing the same bearing twice in a season → check alignment/balance, not just the bearing.
New belts keep failing → verify pulley alignment and shaft runout; consider laser-aligning the drive.
Conveyor belt keeps walking → ask for a tracking audit; mistracking chews edges and idlers.
Persistent vibration in fans/rotors → dynamic balance before bearings and welds pay the price.
When you require custom fabrication suited for the agricultural industry.
Bottom line
Most breakdowns aren’t surprise failures—they’re gradual wear you can see, measure, or feel: hot bearings, misaligned belts, elongated chains, dirty hydraulics. A disciplined PM routine plus a millwright’s precision alignment/balancing will push those weak points far down your failure list and help you hit Saskatchewan’s narrow weather windows with fewer interruptions.
Custom Millwrights offers a complete package of equipment maintenance services. Please feel free to contact us at any time to consider how we can best service your farm!