Farm & Agriculture Equipment Repair Applications

“If you’ve ever had to use a torch to heat up a rusted or stuck nut or bolt, then you’ll quickly appreciate the Mini-Ductor induction heater. I was amazed by how fast it turned a nut red hot. By focusing the heat around the object I’m working on, the tool minimizes heating of surrounding objects – a problem when using a torch. This is great if I’m working around hoses or belts or something that would melt or could catch fire. There is nothing better for heating up fasteners fast.” – Farmer from Belmond, Iowa.

Eliminate the Torch, Increase Safety

The agricultural industry has created incredibly efficient processes and systems to drive high outputs thanks to advanced technology. This reliance on heavy machinery may leave farmers vulnerable in instances of machinery breakage or failure, causing them to be financially exposed until they can repair or replace vital equipment. Under extreme pressure to minimize equipment downtime and maximize production efficiency, farmers must have strategies for quick repairs that won’t jeopardize their substantial investment in their equipment.

Torches are used to remove the many rusted or otherwise seized nuts, bolts and bearings commonly found on farming equipment. However, using an open flame can be dangerous given the materials present on farming equipment after each day’s work, including dust, fertilizer, rust, threadlock compounds, manure and soils. Harvest machinery is the most dangerous to repair with torches because they are often very dry and covered in highly flammable chaff, so extreme caution is necessary to repair these machines.

When using an induction heating tool, the concentrated heat can greatly reduce your repair time while also decreasing the risk of major damage to your equipment. Because of this, using an induction heater to replace most torch use has been increasingly accepted by farmers as a safer and faster way to maintain their equipment, especially with the Mini-Ductor from Induction Innovations.

“The National Ag Safety Database estimates that combine and tractor fires cause over $20 million in property losses annually in the US and millions more due to downed crops and lost time during the busy harvest season. Combine and tractor fires also cause 40-50 serious injuries each year.”

How Farmers Use the Mini-Ductor

We recently interviewed several farmers that use our Mini-Ductor portable induction heater – many of whom purchased it on the spot at farming shows, even though they had never heard of it or used it before – and here’s what they listed as their most commonly used and repaired equipment:

• Tractors
• Combines
• Planters
• Plows
• Sprayers
• Pillage
• Feed mixers

Due to farmers repairing and maintaining their existing equipment rather than purchasing new, repair times are of the utmost importance. The Mini-Ductor is ideal for rusted bolts, bearings and other ferrous metal parts and fasteners, especially during the winter and spring major overhauls.

The Mini-Ductor has also been praised for being used to remove:

• Parts where in the past you were concerned with damaging the paint
• Hard-to-reach bearings hidden behind other sub-systems
• Parts when fertilizer and dust is present – especially combines
• Parts in sensitive areas where there is a risk of causing unseen damage to electrical wiring and automatic lubrication systems
• Removing pins and pivot pins
• Wire harnesses
• Rubber grommets
• Sprayers with chemical build-up
• Lug nuts and other fasteners on cars and trucks

All of the above is summarized in the infographic below:

The Mini-Ductor is available from Snap-On, Mac Tools, Five Star, Grainger, and these other authorized resellers – or buy it now.

Contact us to learn more about removing bearings and more with induction heat