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Equipment maintenance is more than just a good idea; it is a good investment. Most importantly, it is an investment that will pay off in both the near and long term, suggests Dave Bruns, Van Diest Supply Co., Webster City, Iowa. Near-term ROI comes through impact on customer expectations.

"When you have equipment that is in good shape, customers are more confident they are getting the application rate they ordered," he says. "They aren't left wondering if the old equipment is accurate."

For Van Diest, maintenance begins fresh with each new machine. When four new TerraGator® 6203 LQs were delivered this past spring, all operators went through a half-day schooling on operating and maintaining the machines and their new features. With virtually all application equipment in the fleet wearing the Ag-Chem™ colors, daily maintenance review needs little attention, adds Bruns.

"One of the nice things about staying with one brand is that some things don't change a whole lot between machines," he says. "When it comes to changing oil or checking hydraulic fluid, all our operators have been down that road."

Existing fleet machines receive a preseason review, summer and winter, to identify major problems or areas showing wear. Cosmetic concerns get addressed at the same time, thanks to an in-house shop that also takes care of the company's fleet of semis, trucks, applicators and tender equipment.

"Dings and dents get taken care of, and that includes repainting," says Bruns. "We have our own paint booth and body man. A fresh coat of paint keeps you from looking like a fly-by-night operator."

Once units hit the field, maintenance includes spray down washes at least daily, and before exiting a field when possible, to prevent cross contamination. It is a simple precaution, but one that customers have come to expect and operators strive to carry out. For Bruns, the clean units are good marketing, letting the customer know the firm takes its responsibilities seriously. The practice also is simply good business.

"You can kill a lot of crop with the wrong product," he says.

Wash down is only the most visible part of daily upkeep. In addition, there is the inspection every morning with back-up service from two in-house techs to handle any problems that show up. Oil is changed every 100 hours with all other fluids changed annually. Needed lubrication is taken care of every 10 hours. If problems develop in the field, troubleshooting can literally be done by the book.

"We always make sure that each unit has a hard-copy service manual on board so the operator can stand at the unit with manual in hand," says Bruns. "He can call our guys or the service department at Ziegler, our dealer, and identify the problem. Those guys are there seven days a week during application season."

Fixing a problem quickly is another key to customer satisfaction. Another side benefit of sticking with Ag-Chem™ equipment is that Van Diest can justify keeping a supply of common Ag-Chem™ parts on hand. Bruns says they are also confident of a fast response from their nearby Ziegler dealer. "We've never had a problem getting parts," he says.

Having dependable machines and maintaining them is more important than ever, he adds. "With all the corn on corn, we are spraying more 32-percent than ever, and the window is getting tighter and tighter," says Bruns. "This past spring we sprayed more than 30,000 acres with the four new machines."

John Sabus runs one of the new 6203LQs out of the company's Boone outlet. He agrees that dependability is vital to keeping customers satisfied—one of the reasons he likes TerraGator®. "I put 9,000 acres on my machine in a matter of about two weeks," he says. "I don't believe there is another machine on the market that can stand up to what we put them through."

Starting with a dependable machine and maintaining it at a high level of service provides ROI by meeting customer needs and expectations, but it also is important in the long term for getting maximum resale. Bruns credits Van Diest’s 50-year reputation for maintenance for their ability to turn machines quickly. When an existing piece of equipment is replaced, Van Diest sells it instead of trading.

"People know our equipment has been well taken care of," he says. "We were selling four older pieces of equipment, and we had two sold before we advertised."