Better Farming Prairies | January 2024

39 Follow us on Twitter: @PrairieFarming Better Farming | January 2024 Tractors, Trucks & Growing Grain Winter fixing season is upon us and many farmers are heading out to their shops to repair their vehicles and equipment. The first tools mankind ever used were the rock and the stick. These are still in use today – even I still use them now and again – but thankfully tools have improved greatly over the years. I remember when I was a teenager, and I was so happy with my first good set of wrenches. They lasted me for decades. Here are some handy dandy tools that you might find useful in your shop. I bet there are a couple of them you don’t already have in your toolbox. Block heater tester This is very helpful in the winter months. Plug it in and it will show whether the block heater is drawing current. Make sure to wiggle cords and ends to check if you have an intermittent short in the cord. I checked the block heater on the school bus my wife Sheila was driving one time when it wouldn’t start. I picked up the dangling cord, plugged in the tester and it tested fine. Next day, no start! I then checked the cord in the normal position, which was hanging down, WONDROUS TOOLS FOR YOUR SHOP Look out for this helpful gear. By Ron Settler Dusan Stankovic/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo Ron Settler photos Tools can make your tasks easier when you're in the shop. Block heater tester

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