Start-of-Season Tractor Checklist: The 20 Points to Check After Winter Storage

After winter storage, check five groups before the first job: fluids, filters, electrics, mechanical parts and running gear, plus a hunt for rodent damage. Budget 2 to 3 hours, as L'Atelier does. Most of it is done engine off; a handful of checks need the engine running, notably the alternator, which should put 13.8-14.4 V across the battery terminals.

What winter does to a parked tractor

Three to five months in the shed is enough for seals to dry out, the battery to discharge, condensation to form in the oil and the tank, and mice to move in. L'Atelier's checklist groups the 20 points by system. Below, we have kept the publisher's numbering but arranged the points in two stages, engine off then engine running, so you can work round the machine without going back and forth.

Stage 1: engine off, cold machine

Fluids (points 1-5)

• 1. Engine oil: dipstick level and condition. Black oil smelling of diesel means storage condensation has diluted it; change it before you start.
• 2. Coolant: level at the expansion tank, and antifreeze strength with a refractometer. Target: protection to at least -37°C. Replace if cloudy or rusty.
• 3. Hydraulic and transmission oil: dipstick or sight glass. Clear is good; milky means water, black means it has overheated.
• 4. Diesel: if the tank was left part-full, condensation may have built up. Drain the water separator and ideally top up with fresh fuel.
• 5. Brake fluid (separate circuit only): check the level and replace if it is over 2 years old, as it absorbs moisture.

Filters (points 6-9)

• 6. Oil filter: change it with the oil if the service is due.
• 7. Fuel filter and pre-filter: stored diesel can leave deposits; replace if in any doubt.
• 8. Air filter: remove, inspect, blow through from the inside out. Replace if oil-soaked or torn, and look for a mouse nest.
• 9. Hydraulic return filter: if you are over 400 hours since the last change, do it now. The normal interval is 500 hours or once a year, whichever comes first.

Battery, belts, leaks and tyres (points 10, 14, 15, 18-20)

• 10. Battery: more than 12.4 V means it is fine. Clean the terminals and coat them with technical petroleum jelly. Over 4 years old? Plan a preventive replacement.
• 14. Belts: alternator, fan and air-con belts. Look for cracks, fraying and glazing, and check the tension.
• 15. Leaks: under the tractor and around the engine. Identify the source of any oil, coolant or hydraulic trace before starting.
• 18. Tyre pressures: all four, with a gauge. Expect a loss of 0.2-0.4 bar after storage.
• 19. Tyre condition: sidewalls (cracks, bulges), lugs (wear, stones lodged in), valves.
• 20. Wheel nut torque: re-check every nut to the specified torque; vibration on the last job can loosen them.

Stage 2: engine running

• 12. Starter: if it turns slowly or hesitates, check the earth cables and connections before buying a starter motor.
• 13. Alternator: with the engine running, 13.8-14.4 V at the battery terminals. Lower means it is not charging properly.
• 11. Lights: every one of them, from headlights and work lights to indicators, hazards and side lights. Early mornings and late evenings are part of the season.
• 17. Steering: it should respond at once, with no tight spots. Excessive play or a delay means an urgent inspection.
• 16. PTO: test engagement and disengagement, check spline play and grease the output shaft.

On the PTO, L'Atelier's dedicated guide gives the tolerance for its annual check: radial play under 1 mm on the shaft splines. It also covers driveshaft cross joints: grease every 50 hours or before each season with lithium EP2 grease, until clean grease comes out of the seals. Black grease coming out means a worn joint. Check that the driveshaft guard is in place and uncracked before using the implement.

The values in one table

The tyre figures are L'Atelier's typical ranges for a 100-150 hp tractor and depend on tyre size, load index and actual load: the tyre maker's inflation table is the reference. Its rule of thumb is the lowest pressure compatible with the load. The base does not give wheel nut torque figures; use your operator's manual.

Do not skip the rodent check

Damage you do not spot can mean a short circuit or a coolant leak halfway through a job. After a winter in a barn, the checklist asks you to inspect:

• Hoses and wiring looms, since some manufacturers use soy-based coatings that rodents like.
• The air filter housing, where nests are common.
• The cab, for droppings, nests and smells.
• The exhaust and intake: if you blocked them with a rag when putting the tractor away, as L'Atelier's winterisation checklist suggests, remove it before starting.

Coolant: getting point 2 right

The coolant check is the one with the most numbers attached, so it is worth knowing what L'Atelier's coolant guide says behind the checklist line.

• Strength: a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and demineralised water protects to about -37°C. In very cold regions you can go to 60/40 (about -52°C), but never above 60% antifreeze, because heat transfer suffers.
• Interval: every 2 years or 2,000 hours, whichever comes first. Some makers claim up to 5 years or 5,000 hours for long-life OAT coolant, but the guide says to verify with a concentration or pH test. Replace it after any overheating.
• pH: between 7.5 and 11 depending on type; below 7 the coolant is acidic and corrosive.
• Never mix types (OAT with IAT, for instance): the mixture can gel and block the system. Colour is not a reliable guide to type.
• Bleed after a refill: open the bleed screws, fill slowly, close them when coolant runs without bubbles, idle for 10 minutes with the cab heater on full, and recheck the level once cold. Some systems need 2-3 cycles.

Warning signs to note while you are under the bonnet: white exhaust smoke or milky oil on the dipstick point to a head gasket problem; overheating at low load points to a stuck thermostat, a blocked radiator or a faulty fan.

When the checklist turns up a problem

Starter not turning: L'Atelier's no-start guide looks at the battery, the starter motor and the safety switches (seat, clutch or brake pedal, PTO disengaged, gear lever in neutral). Starter turning but no fire: the fuel filter is very common after winter storage; replace it with the water separator and bleed the system. On cold mornings, a diesel needs preheating below about 10°C, and a glow plug light that stays on only 1-2 seconds instead of 5-10 points to the glow plugs. For hydraulics, the diagnostics guide gives a simple drift test: raise a heavy implement, stop the engine, and if the linkage drops more than 20 mm in 10 minutes there is an internal leak at the control valve or check valve.

The oil change guide sets the general baseline at every 250 hours for heavy work such as ploughing and every 500 hours for light use, always checked against the service manual. To check any of these figures for your own situation, ask the L'Atelier power tools and garden machinery base: it answers with the source passage.

Main source: Start-of-season tractor checklist: 20 points on la-telier.com, with the PTO guide and tractor tyre guide. Generic values; your handbook takes precedence.