Inspection Items, Common Faults and Maintenance Methods of Livestock Machinery

I. Inspection Items of Livestock Machinery

1. Mower Inspection ItemsReplace or install new blades; replace damaged guard plates; adjust the cutter; weld cracked parts; replace worn belts.

2. Rake Inspection ItemsReplace damaged or missing rake teeth and grass rods; weld cracked parts.

3. Square / Round Baler Inspection ItemsReplace missing or broken pickup teeth; clean, lubricate and adjust the knotter; sharpen the knife.

4. Silage Harvester Inspection ItemsTighten loose bolts; replace worn blades and adjust the clearance between guards and blades; adjust chains and augers; inspect and weld the feeding and crushing mechanism; adjust the reel; sharpen or replace chopping blades; adjust chains and belts of transmission systems; adjust safety clutches; inspect and replace bearings and bushes.For self-propelled silage harvesters, also inspect the brakes, clutch and engine of the traveling system.

II. Common Faults of Livestock Machinery

1. Mower ConditionerFailure to cut grass, missed cutting, excessive gear noise, machine vibration.

2. RakeIncomplete raking, ball bearing wear or seizure.

3. Square / Round BalerPlugged pickup, incomplete pickup, knotter failure, shear bolt breakage.

4. Silage HarvesterPoor or missed cutting, reel knocking off ears, unstable header, non-rotating auger or chain rake, poor chopping quality, broken chopping blades, machine vibration, slipping safety clutch, poor discharge.

5. Feed Processing MachineryCracked casing or screen, blockage, stuck or broken hammer blades, low power, failure to start, no power.

III. Maintenance Methods

1. Replace partsReplace damaged or lost wearing parts with spare parts.

2. Welding repairStraighten and weld cracked, deformed or damaged parts.

3. AdjustmentReadjust clearances and mechanisms to restore technical specifications due to wear and vibration.

IV. Reciprocating Mower Conditioner

1. Damaged blades and guardsCaused by hard objects, deformed guards, misaligned fixed blades or loose rivets.Solution: Replace blades and guards, straighten components, tighten rivets and screws.

2. Damaged cutter connecting rodCaused by excessive resistance, worn bearings or loose bolts.Solution: Adjust and tighten parts, replace bearings or rubber bushes.

3. Broken cutter barMainly at the cutter head, caused by excessive resistance or incorrect swing arm installation.Solution: Reinstall and adjust the cutter device and swing arm; replace the cutter bar.

V. Rotary Mower

1. Worn or damaged bladesCaused by hitting hard objects. Blades are installed in pairs; one broken blade causes vibration and uneven cutting.Solution: Replace blades in pairs. Blades are double-sided; reverse them when one side is worn.

2. Failure to cut grassCaused by blockage or belt slipping.Solution: Clear blockage, adjust belt tension.

3. Missed cuttingCaused by broken blades or retracted blades.Solution: Replace blades or pull out retracted blades.

VI. Rake

1. Stiff gear disk rotation

• Excessive ground pressure of rake teeth: adjust the pressure.

• Worn bearings: replace bearings.

2. Incomplete rakingCaused by insufficient ground contact or pressure.Solution: Adjust the tension spring position.

3. Small square baler faultsMainly in the knotter and baling chamber.Solution: Clear hay, turn the flywheel to complete the knotting cycle, and eliminate faults carefully.

VII. Forage Harvester

Types

1. Drum-type forage harvesterPicks up crops, conveys via cross auger, feeds through rollers, chops with drum blades, and discharges to transport vehicles. Similar to a combine harvester.

2. Cutter-head forage harvesterHeader, pickup and feeding system are similar to drum type; difference is in the chopping unit.

3. Flail-type forage harvesterCan spread chopped grass as green manure or windrow when the discharge spout is closed.

4. Fan-type forage harvesterUses a bladed impeller for chopping and air-blast discharge.

Main Faults

1. Cutter faultsPoor cutting or missed cutting due to worn blades.Solution: Replace blades; set clearance between blades to 0.2–0.4 mm; check transmission parts.

2. Reel faultsCaused by transmission or adjustment issues.Adjust height via lifting cylinder; adjust horizontal position via mounting holes; adjust speed by changing sprockets.

3. Unstable headerCaused by oil leakage in the distributor or cylinder.Solution: Replace oil seals and O-rings.

4. Auger and chain rake faultsCaused by slipping safety clutch (oil contamination or insufficient torque).Solution: Clean and tighten to specified torque.

5. Chopping unit faultsAdjust chop length by changing blade quantity or feeding speed.Common issues: broken blades, damaged bearings.

6. Vibration and poor discharge

• Vibration: damaged bearings or chopping blades. Replace bearings and blades.

• Poor discharge: blockages or insufficient airflow. Remove obstacles and replace wind boards.