The farming equipment parts you’re not thinking about until they break.
And when they do break?
They always seem to break at the worst possible time. Mid-harvest. Mid-planting. Right as a storm is about to hit. Time is ticking, and every hour your equipment is down means money in the hole.
But did you know that most breakdowns are preventable?
One of the best ways to prevent unnecessary equipment downtime is to use genuine replacement components. Not those cheap knockoffs from the big box store. This guide explains exactly why that’s important and how it can help power any farm’s performance for years to come.
Here’s What You’ll Learn…
- Why Genuine Parts Are Important For Farmers
- Repair Costs Aren’t Just Parts Prices On The Farm
- Genuine Parts Lower Agricultural Equipment Failures
- Where To Source Original Agricultural Equipment Parts
- Agricultural Parts Procurement Best Practices
Table of Contents:
Why Genuine Parts Are Important For Farmers
Nobody wants to spend more than they have to on farm equipment parts.
Farm budgets are stretched thin. And those aftermarket parts? They look almost identical to the real deal and come with a much smaller price tag.
But that’s where the similarities end.
GM Genuine parts are engineered to precisely fit and perform like the original piece that came with your tractor or combine. Aftermarket components are designed to generic specs that may fit your machine…sort of.
When it comes to hay equipment, forage machinery or just about any piece of ag machinery really — every little tolerance matters. Sourcing quality krone parts from a trusted supplier is one of the easiest ways to ensure equipment runs exactly the way the manufacturer intended.
That’s why it’s so important to source original agricultural equipment parts from a supplier you trust. When you stick with generic, brand-fictitious alternatives you introduce variability into your machine that can cause failures elsewhere down the line.
You should care about agricultural parts because…
Lower quality = more frequent replacement = more time spent in the machine shed.
Repair Costs Aren’t Just Parts Prices On The Farm
Think about the last piece of equipment you had to replace on the farm.
Yeah, that part wasn’t cheap. But let’s dig a little deeper into the real costs of equipment failures.
For starters, prices have been rising across the board.
Costs for parts and labour associated with agricultural machines increased 41% since 2020 alone, and have nearly doubled over the last 20 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On average, farmers lose $3,348 per year due to repair restrictions and downtime, according to research from PIRG (Public Interest Research Group). That’s almost as much as they spend on livestock feed!
But it doesn’t stop there…
The hidden costs of downtime include:
- Rushed planting/harvest windows
- Poorer crop quality due to late planting/harvest
- Overpaying for emergency part orders
- Hiring extra labor to help with backlog
- Damaged reputations (for custom ops)
Prevention is almost always cheaper than cure. If parts were free farmers would spend twice as long unnecessarily sidelined by breakdowns.
Genuine Parts Lower Agricultural Equipment Failures
Want to know the real secret to preventing unnecessary downtime?
Original parts are engineered to reduce wear in two ways: prolonging the life of that single component, and by not overstressing the surrounding parts.
Let’s use a drive belt as an example.
A belt that’s too loose will vibrate. That vibration wears out bearings. Pulleys. Every adjacent component. What should have been a cheap fifteen-minute belt replacement turns into an hours-long repair session that costs three times as much.
Genuine parts don’t have “close enough.”
By stocking up on GM replacements before the season starts, it’s possible to…
- Eliminate the “I’ll just use this for now” part swaps
- Avoid damage to surrounding components
- Ensure every single part on the tractor meets OEM specs
- Protect equipment warranties (when applicable)
- Future-proof repairs with manufacturer-backed parts
If a parts supplier can’t tell you the origin of the parts they sell, odds are they’re bunk.
Where To Source Original Agricultural Equipment Parts
This is simple.
Original equipment parts are available at dealerships… or from a genuine parts supplier online that specializes in stocking hard-to-find components. HRA’s parts catalog covers thousands of genuine krone parts, with experienced staff on-hand to help find the right component fast.
Here are a few things to look for when vetting a parts supplier:
- Genuine parts from leading agriculture manufacturers
- Part-specific details on every item in their catalog
- Knowledgeable staff with hands-on experience in agronomy
- Quick delivery so operations can get back to work fast
- Transparency around OEM vs aftermarket parts
Bonus points if the supplier specializes in the specific brands the operation uses most. That usually translates to better availability of parts and faster shipping when something is needed urgently.
The Right Approach To Parts Procurement
When it comes to parts, most farmers take the path of least resistance.
Buy what you need as you need it. But that reactive buying is far and away the most expensive way to manage parts.
Here’s a better way.
Part of proactive parts management is knowing which parts are likely to fail within a given season. Attachments, belts, bearings, filters, wear plates. Get a jump on these components before the season begins so genuine replacements are on-hand long before they’re needed.
To summarize…
- Buy genuine ag parts, not cheap knockoffs
- Factor downtime into the “cost” of buying cheap parts
- Partner with a supplier that specializes in your brand
- Practice proactive procurement, not reactive reactions
- Identify wear pieces and replace them before they’re needed
Time To Call It A Day
Farm equipment breaking at the worst possible time is never fun. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Equipment failures are often the direct result of using non-genuine parts. Either because of intentional spec-cutting or just plain old manufacturing tolerance issues.
Either way, farm equipment will last longer and perform better when it’s running on genuine parts. With repair costs rising sharply across the industry, there has never been a better time to take agricultural machinery parts procurement seriously.
Don’t wait for a breakdown to figure that out.
