Table 2: Making savings on diesel fuel Action Result Keep records of your fuel use/invoices If you measure it, you can improve on it Turn the engine off; don’t just let it idle Idling accounts for 6% of fuel use, the equivalent of about €186/year! 4 Shift up a gear and throttle back - when doing lighter field jobs or on road travel Higher speed, lower engine revs, lower

emissions and better fuel economy Consider using a quad when checking livestock Reduced fuel use When renting land – consider the fuel costs of getting to and from the land Travel to distant land blocks can cost from

€22 to €150/ha in machinery costs. Table 1: Know your diesel use Operation Average fuel use (litres/ha) Ploughing 21 Heavy cultivation 13 Rotary cultivation 13 Fodder harvesting 12 Combine harvesting 11 Rotary mower 5 Rolling 4 Fertilizer spreading 3 Spraying 1 Table 3: Tractor checklist Task Daily Weekly Other Dipstick gearbox oil level x Dipstick engine oil level x Change the engine oil and oil filters After 400hrs Change the gearbox oil After 800hrs Ensure the handbrake is working properly x Check wheel nuts/bearings x Check/adjust tyre pressures x Ensure pto U-guard is intact x Replace fuel filters After 400 hrs Clean mirrors and cab glass x Machinery diesel fuel use Remove unneeded tractor weights. It will save you at least one litre of diesel/hour of tractor use. Idling accounts for 6% of fuel use, the equivalent of about €186/year. Travel to distant land blocks can cost from €22 to €150/ha/year in machinery costs. Check tyre pressure regularly 20% fuel savings can be made if lower tyre pressures are used for field work. During times of heavy machine usage, check tyre pressure once a week. When using duals, make sure that they are accurately matched with the same tyre size. Know the correct tyre inflation pressure by seeing how many lugs of the rear tractor tyre are in contact with the ground; there should be at least three but not more than four lugs touching the ground. Protect your equipment against machinery theft €3million worth of equipment is stolen from Irish farms each year, and over 100 tractors A tractor equipped with a tracking system is four times less likely to be stolen and six times more likely to be recovered if taken. Tracking device can be retrofitted for under €300.