On a farm the uses of a motor are innumerable. Of course, your pickup, your tractor and other major equipment use motors. But have you ever considered all the small equipment with electric motors? There are irrigation tower drive motors, dairy vacuum pump motors, silo motors, auger drive motors, incubator fan motors. The list of motors for your farm or other agricultural operation could go on and on.

Motors keep our equipment running and in turn, they keep our farms running. To ignore your motors, to never maintain, to never inspect, and to never replace a motor may be a recipe for disaster. Down time to replace or repair a motor can really eat into your profits.

Here are a few tips for electric farm motor maintenance. If your motor is beyond maintenance, we recommend checking out the Farm Duty motors from LEESON® Electric.

While electric motors are generally low maintenance equipment, agricultural motors do take a beating. They are the power horse behind your equipment and keep it humming, but they are not invincible. They need regular preventative maintenance. Here are a few tips adapted from Utah State Agriculture Extension on maintaining your electric motors on your farming operation.

• 1. Keep dust from building up on the motor.
  Dust acts like insulation when covering a motor enclosure, which can result in the motor running at elevated temperatures. This deteriorates the insulation within the motor, causing the motor to run less efficiently.
• 2. Lubricate motors bearings per manufacturer recommendations.
  Be careful not to over lubricate as it attracts dust and dirt.
• 3. Check the air discharge from fans and cooling parts.
  Clean completely if the flow is obstructed.
• 4. Ensure the belt tension is correct.
  Loose belts will slip, reducing power transfer and shortening belt life; overly tight belts can increase motor bearing loads and shorten bearing life.
• 5. Ensure correct motor shaft alignment.
  Incorrect alignment can also reduce motor bearing life.
• 6. Replace any broken safety guards to protect yourself, your employee and your livestock.

A well-maintained motor is an efficient motor. The efficiency of a motor is calculated on how well it converts electricity into work. Efficient motors have good starting and running performance, and provide a high level of reliability. A proper preventative maintenance plan for your motors will keep them at peak performance and reliability at the highest level. Work these tips into your maintenance plan and you will always be up and running.

No matter how well you maintain your electric motors though, eventually it will need to be replaced. When that time comes, we recommend that you check out the Farm Duty line of motors from LEESON® Electric.

Like you will see on our website, motors from LEESON® Electric are the pioneers in energy efficient motors. Their line of Farm Duty motors are built and designed to thrive in the tough applications of agriculture. Here is a sampling of the options of LEESON® Electric Motors you can find here at QC Supply.

• Leeson® Farm Duty Hi-Torque Motor – This line of Farm Duty motors are the workhorses of electric motors. They are designed to withstand the harsh environment that comes with agricultural work. They are well suited for a variety of agriculture equipment including, fans, feeders, conveyors, grain elevators, and silo unloaders. They come in several models and sizes from 1 1/2 to 10 horsepower.
• Leeson® Direct Drive Feed Auger Motor – This line of motor was designed specific for swine and poultry feed delivery systems. Its highly efficient design is dust tight. It will keep functioning long after the others have quit. It is available in several models and in sizes from 1/3 to 1 ½ horsepower.
• Leeson® Washguard Motor – This line of motor is built to withstand the wet and humid environment of a milk barn and other farm areas with high moisture. It is totally enclosed with moisture resistant components. It works well with most milk pump receiver units. It is available in several models and sizes from 1/2-1 ½ horsepower.
• Lesson® Variable Speed Fan Motor – This line of motor is versatile and well suited for fans in poultry, swine, and cattle barns. Its design helps withstand high moisture. It is available in several models and sizes from ¼ to 1 horsepower. See all the options available here.

Regular maintenance of your electric motors can pay huge dividends. It can reduce the number of breakdowns, limit costly repairs, and it can extend the life of your motors. However, at some point the motors will need to be replaced. When that time comes, we recommend you check out the options here at QC Supply.

You can shop and purchase LEESON® Electric Motors right here on our website. They can be shipped to you in as little as a couple of days and don’t forget to check out our bulk pricing.

Let us know in the comments what you use your LEESON® Electric Farm Duty Motor for. We would love to hear from you!

And if you want more information about the operation of this important equipment, we have another post on troubleshooting common motor issues.