Combines are brilliant for what they are designed to do, but also act as a great store for straw, dust, dirt and moisture. Unfortunately, they also make a perfect home for rats and mice. To prolong the combine’s life and make it less appealing to pests, it’s recommended to clean down your machine as close as possible after harvest is complete.

Keeping it clean

Before we started this less-than-enviable job, we equipped ourselves with a few basics to make the job easier and safer. For starters, we bought a pair of disposable overalls with elasticated hood, cuffs and ankles.

These are great at stopping dirt, dust and grain getting in where it shouldn’t and keep your clothes clean. It was €7 well spent. The other advantage is they’re breathable.

Working the compressor is a noisy job so we also had ear defenders to protect our hearing. Lastly, we had a pair of gloves, boots and safety glasses, to protect our eyes from flying debris, which there was a lot of using the compressor.

The compressor

Industrial compressors are more commonly seen on building sites than in farmyards, but can be hired from as little as €45/day. We were lucky enough to have this machine available on the farm, with 10m of hose to reach around the combine without having to reposition either machine.

The workshop compressor is fine, but the extra blast was needed in especially hard-to-reach areas like augers and the threshing area. Any layered dirt in corners of the combine was easily blown away, making the job faster to complete.

The location

Pick a spot on the farm where there is plenty of room to work around the combine and away from the workshop or dwelling house. The last thing you want is dust and dirt flying into these two places creating more work afterwards. We parked in the middle of the yard on concrete. This also made cleaning easier afterwards.

Access all areas

There are plenty of access covers on combines for adjusting, servicing, unblocking or cleaning. Remove as many of these as possible and let out any remaining grain.

The panels should be left off and stowed with the combine until next harvest, giving rodents plenty of exit points. The stone trap should also be emptied and left open. Once this is done, turn up the fan speed to the maximum and run the machine. The extra airflow helps in loosening any debris in its path and unsettle any early winter visitors.

Get stuck in

Once we ran the combine for a few minutes, we shut down again to begin cleaning. Even at this stage, a lot of debris had loosened. Starting in the tank with the compressor, we worked our way down blasting out grain, dirt and straw.

In a few corners, there was the odd sprouted grain which was picked out with a pocket-knife. The compressor was fitted with a lance (pictured), which was very useful to reach into the belly of the straw-walkers and concave.

In a lot of areas, we just used the hose due to access. With the grain tank cleaned, we worked from front to rear through the panels already removed. We also took the sieves out to clean and check for damage or pebbles stuck in them.

Throughout the job, we got a great opportunity to give the entire machine a good once-over and spotted a few areas where parts had become worn or a little TLC was needed.

Some examples can include damaged belts, worn auger-flights, and leaking hoses. These can be maintained now in preparation for next year, possibly saving a day broken down when the pressure is on.

Pest deterrent

Some farmers like to put bait in various parts of the combine. If using, it should be placed beside the electrical components of the machine such as ECUs and junction boxes.

Rats and mice can get into the smallest of places, so if there’s room in a fuse box, put some in here. They are particularly good at chewing expensive wiring looms if not controlled or deterred. It could prevent a lot of expensive damage. Alternatively, ultrasonic devices can be used which serve the same purpose.

Rust prevention

When the machine is blown down completely, some people then use the pressure washer. There are differing opinions on this.

Some like to store a clean machine whereas others believe you are driving water into components such as bearings, electrical fittings and electronics.

Others like to give the combine a wash before harvest, as the heat of the machine working will repel water, avoiding mechanical and electrical trouble.

To oil up the internals of the combine, we used a 50:50 mix of oil and diesel. This was sprayed into the machine to prevent rusting.

It also acts as a water displacer and some say deters rats and mice nesting over winter. For this reason, we applied it liberally to deter our furry friends.

Using the workshop compressor, it was easy to spray and it clung on to the bare metal surfaces of the combine.

On the chains, we used a mixture of grease and oil, again to prevent corrosion and water damage. This will repel water and is another job done for next year.

All grease points including shafts and bearings were greased. Some people go to the effort of raising their combines on to blocks to prevent flat-spotting of tyres that have been parked for a long time.

This is often done with larger machines sitting on expensive tyres.

Others start up the machine every few weeks and move it around to prevent this issue.

Lastly, we brimmed the tank with diesel to prevent the condensation.

Once parked in the shed, we disconnected the battery to prevent any electrical shorts and closed the door until next August.

Special thanks to Con Twomey, owner of the combine we used, for his help and co-operation with this article.

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