BASIC FARM MACHINERIES

AND MECHANIZATION
At the end of the semester, the students should be able to:
• Determine how mechanical skills, concepts and principles
are used in agriculture and related occupations.
• Determine how skills in agricultural mechanics may be used
to earn a good living.
• Recognize major work areas and use safe procedures when
working in an agricultural mechanic shops.
• Interpret safety colors and codes, protect the body against
injury, and work safely in agricultural mechanics setting.
• Recognize and reduce hazards in agricultural mechanics
settings, and to react effectively in case of fire and other
emergencies.
• Work cooperatively with classmates to clean the shop
efficiently and to store all tools and materials properly.
• Identify and correctly spell hand tools, hardware, and
fasteners that are commonly used in agricultural mechanics.
Introduction
- Agriculture mechanics is one of the most widely
taught courses in agricultural education programs.
- Agriculture mechanics has been fundamental to
the development of agricultural industry.
- The role of mechanics in agriculture will be as
prominent in the future as it has been in the past.
Unit 1. Exploring Careers in Agricultural Mechanics
Agriculture
- refers to the production of agriculture – farming
or the production of plants and animals.
Agriscience
- Refers to the science involved with the industry
of agriculture.
Renewable natural resources
- Considered to be part of agriculture.
- These are the nature that can be replaced or
renewed.
The Role of Agricultural Mechanics
- Mechanical applications are found throughout agriculture.
- Few examples of people whose occupations involve
agricultural mechanics.
1. Engineer – designs tractors and other farm and ranch
machines.
2. Forester – Who keeps chainsaws and other equipment
going.
3. Builder – Who constructs processing plants, farm buildings
and aquaculture facilities.
3. Electrician – who installs climate controls
and milling equipment.
4. Soil Conservationist – who construct
terraces to control erosion.
5. Hardware store employee – who obtains
and stock repair parts of agricultural tools
and machines.
6. Specialist – who create air conditioning,
refrigeration systems in processing and
storage facilities.
7. Welder – Who repairs farm machinery
8. Mechanic – who keeps diesel trucks and
machines in good repair.
- Machines requires designers, engineers,
operators, maintenance and repair
personnel, and construction worker.
- Even other fields may need some
knowledge of mechanics when their
assignments deal with agriculture.
Impact of Agricultural Mechanization in the Country
Agricultural mechanization in the Philippines had a
significant growth during the era of the Green Revolution.
Although the use of tools and equipment in farming
operations is independent of the kind of seed or crop variety,
these machines have become necessary components of the
package of technology that also includes irrigation water,
fertilizers, pesticides, and management techniques.
Socioeconomic Impact
- Different types of machines have varied impacts
on labor and labor productivity.
- Some machines can generate labor by increasing
cropping intensities
- Making possible the full utilization of farm
products and by- products.
Labor Productivity
- Some can directly replace animal and human labor.
- some machines enable farmers to perform tasks that
cannot be done by available human and animal
power.
- Ebron et al. (1983) reported that according to the
workers themselves, mechanical threshers brought
more advantages than disadvantages to the landless
workers.
Labor Productivity
- Gonzales et al. (1983), in their study on the
impact of five machines on labor utilization and
production reported that tillers and tractors
displaced family labor more than hired labor while
threshers displaced more hired labor than family
labor.
Women and Family Labor
- Mechanized threshing provided more
opportunities to women and children.
Farm Income
- Mechanization significantly affected income
beyond certain farm size. Lim (1983) and Campbell
(1990)
Yield and Cropping Intensity
- Without the use of appropriate machines, the
introduction of modern agricultural technology
may not bring about any increase in yield.
Unit 2. Career Options in Agricultural Mechanics
- Young people today have a wide variety of
options when planning a career.
- Earning enough money to make comfortable
living is important.
- Looking for an enjoyable and rewarding career
is important.
- Agriculture maybe the area with the greatest for
satisfying career since it encompasses so many
different areas.
Agriculture is No. 1
- Agriculture is Number 1 in terms of
employment.
- While the average age of farmers in the
country is 57 years old, still agriculture is the
main source of income for every families.
- Large proportion of agriculture jobs are off the
farm which requires skills and competencies.
Agriculture is No. 1
- Students enrolled in agriculture and allied
courses have the edge on others who seek
careers in agriculture.
- Agriculture education programs prepare the
students specifically for the world of work.
Agricultural Divisions
- In the Philippines, the Department of
Agriculture is the
Career Selection
- Some career options in Agriculture
- Horticulture
- Agriscience
- Agricultural Mechanics
- Agribusiness & Mgt.
- Agricultural Products & Processing
- Agricultural Production
- Agricultural Services & Supplies
Specific job titles in agricultural mechanics.
- Agricultural mechanics, general
- Agricultural electrification, power & control
- Agricultural mechanics, construction, and
maintenance skills
- Agricultural power machinery
- Agricultural structures, equipment, and facilities
- Soil & water mechanical practices
- Others
Unit 3. Shop Orientation and Procedures

Objective: To recognize major work areas and use safe

procedures when working in an agricultural mechanics
shop.
THE SHOP AS A PLACE TO LEARN
• The agricultural mechanic shop is a wonderful place to
learn.
• Such shop may be found in schools, on farms, and in
other agricultural businesses.
• Good lighting, adequate electrical power, proper
ventilation, and grounded electrical outlets are
essential for safety and efficiency in all shop areas.
1. Agricultural Shop Operations
• Most agricultural mechanics shop operations fall
under several broad categories:
• Selection care, and correct use of hand tools
and power equipment.
• Woodworking and carpentry
• Use of sheet metal (metalworking)
• Handling and fastening structural steel,
including welding
Agricultural Shop Operations
• Pipe selection and fastening (pipe fitting)
• Rope work, such as tying knots and splicing
• Machinery maintenance and repair
• Painting and finishing
• Electrical wiring, motors, and applications
• Hydraulic and pneumatic applications
2. Agricultural Power Machinery
• The agricultural mechanics shop should have
large, open spaces for project construction and
machinery repair.
• Students typically build projects to develop
skills.
• They also bring equipment from their homes,
farms, or places of employment and repair it
as a way of learning through hands on
experiences.
Agricultural Power Machinery
• Hands – on experience, simply means learning
by doing an operation rather than just reading
or talking about it.
• However, reading, discussion and
demonstrations precede hands-on experience for
most activities.
Agricultural Power Machinery
• Agricultural power machinery experiences
include the selection, management, adjustment,
operation, maintenance, and repair of:
• Gas and diesel engines, Trucks, Tractors, Field
machines, feed handling equipment, other
mechanical devices used in agriculture.
3. Agricultural Electrification
• American Agriculture is more efficient than that
of most other countries due in part to the use of
energy to operate machines.
• Electricity – form of energy that can produce
light, heat, Magnetism and mechanical changes.
• By using the energy of magnetism the engineers
have develop electric motor and controls.
Agricultural Electrification
• They create high voltage to provide spark for
gasoline engines.
• Knowledge of electricity includes the selection,
installation, and maintenance of wiring and
electric equipment.
• Basic wiring skills are useful. Many of these skills
may be learned in the agricultural mechanic
shop.
4. Agricultural Building and Equipment
• Many people in agriculture are around buildings
and equipment in their work.
• This is true whether the person is an aquaculturist,
crop farmer, nursery operator or teacher.
• Scale drawing and Plan reading – Most agricultural
mechanics projects are too large to be drawn actual size.
Therefore, drawings must be scale down (reduced) to
make dimensions proportionately so the project can be
planned on paper.
• Scale drawing – object representation on paper
and uses a smaller dimension to represent a large
dimension.
• The dimension ratio used must be indicated on
the drawing. The actual dimensions of the object
are stated on the drawing.
• Scale drawing can be made of a part or object that
is too small to show details clearly.
• Actual dimensions of
the part or object are
increased on the
drawing.
• Plan reading – simply means using the scale
drawing to build the project from the
information given. The ability to do scale
drawing and plan reading is the basic to all
construction.
Functional Requirement of Buildings
Functional skills are needed to plan, install or
repair water systems, irrigation equipment,
sprinkler systems, drainage pipe, and sewage
system. This requires the agriculturist to be a
junior engineer or a jack-of-all-trades to keep
operating cost down.
Concrete – is a mixture of Portland cement,
water, sand and coarse aggregate (stones).
Can be poured to make objects or structures
of nearly any shape. It is hard, durable, and
resistant to abuse. Hence, a lot of concrete
used in agriculture.
POLICIES FOR SAFE PROCEDURES IN THE SHOP
- The school shop is similar to well-equipped
shops used by contractors, farmers, or other
agricultural businesses.
- Most procedures recommended for safe
operation of a school shop also apply to home
shops.
Shop Size Proper instruction
- Students must be properly
- The school shop must
instructed in the correct and
be big enough for 20 or safe way to use each tool.
more students to work - To avoid crowding, which
at one time. creates serious hazards,
students must be spread
- To be safe and efficient,
throughout the shop.
the shop must be large
- The instructor generally has
enough to meet students working in different
reasonable standards. shop areas during the shop
period.
Safety Policies and Procedures
- Every school shop should have policies and
procedures to improve instruction and promote
student safety.
- A policy is a plan of action or a way of
management.
- A procedure, is a method of doing things or a
particular course of action.
Unit 4. Personal Safety in Agricultural
Mechanics

Objectives: To interpret safety colors and

codes, protect the body against injury, and
work safely in agricultural mechanics
settings.
SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
- Work in agricultural mechanics involves
extensive contact with tools and machinery.
Therefore workers should be especially aware
of the hazards that exist and safety
precautions are needed.
1. Install all electrical devices
according to the National
Electrical Code.
2. Install all machinery
according to the
manufacturer’s
specifications.
3. Keep of all tools and
equipment adjusted or
4. Provide proper storage
for tools, materials, fuels,
chemicals, and waste
materials.
5. Keep work areas clean
and free of tools, materials,
grease and dirt.
6. Keep moving parts
properly shielded.
Safety precautions
7. Manage all situations to
avoid the likehood of falling
objects.
8. Avoid areas where objects
may fall.
9. Avoid the flight path of
objects that could be thrown
by machines
10. Protect eyes, ears,
face, feet, and other parts
of the body with protective
clothing and devices.
11. Move slowly enough to
avoid creating hazards to
self and others.
12. Read and heed all
precautions.
First Aid
- Is a care given to a victim immediately
following an injury or the onset of illness.
- First-aid training is a critical need in every
work setting because such incidents often
occur without warning.
Basics of First Aid
- Before rendering aid to a distressed person, it
is important to quickly and accurately assess
the situation.
- Do not place yourself in danger by entering an
unsafe area to quickly.
When accident done: one must prioritize the
order of care.
A. Airway – make sure that airway is not obstructed.
B. Breathing – determine whether breathing has stopped
and administer aid if there is a breathing problem.
C. Circulation – Identify and treat sources of bleeding
and symptoms of shock.
D. Disabling injury – check for burns, broken bones, or
similar injuries.
When accident done: one must prioritize the
order of care.
- A person who is not breathing must be given
resuscitation immediately, cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR).
First – Aid Kits.
- Every shop and lab should have first-aid kits to
treat minor injuries.
- Injuries that are serious such as cuts that
require stitches should be treated by trained
medical personnel.
- The kit should be readily accessible in an area
of the shop.
First – Aid Kits contents:
- Antiseptic such as alcohol to sterilize the
wound.
- Sterile water to wash out the wound
- Adhesive bandages for various sizes.
- A roll of sterile gauze
- Adhesive tape
- Scissors
- Antibiotic ointment
- Burn gel for treating minor burns
SAFETY COLORS – CODING IND SHOPS.
- Color in the coding are used to;
- Alert people to danger hazards
- Help people locate certain hazards
- Make the shop a pleasant place to work
- Promote cleanliness and order
- Help people react quickly to emergencies.
SAFETY COLORS – CODING IND SHOPS.
- Each color or combinations of color conveys a
specific message, based on standard codes.
- Students need to memorize the message
conveyed by each color; then safety message
will be understood in the shop.
- Shop must be properly painted for the color-coding
system to make its proper contribution to shop
safety and efficiency.
Danger – Red is used to identify areas Warning – Orange is used to designate
or items of danger or emergency, such machine hazards, such as edges and openings.
as safety switches and fire equipment. Orange is also used as background for
electrical switches, levers and controls.

Caution – Used to identify parts of

machines, such as wheels, levers, and
knobs that control or adjust the
machine.
 Black and Yellow – A yellow
sign with a black fan-like
symbol in the center is
Information – Blue is used for Safety – green is a special designated as marking for
signs if a warning or caution is shade of green and indicates the radiation hazards.
intended. Such signs are made of the presence of safety
white letters on blue background equipment, safety, first aids,
and carry messages such as “OUT and medical practice.
OF ORDER” or “DO NOT
OPERATE”
 Black and Yellow – A yellow
sign with a black fan-like
symbol in the center is
Information – Blue is used for Safety – green is a special designated as marking for
signs if a warning or caution is shade of green and indicates the radiation hazards.
intended. Such signs are made of the presence of safety
white letters on blue background equipment, safety, first aids,
and carry messages such as “OUT and medical practice.
OF ORDER” or “DO NOT
OPERATE”