Fire Prevention

TS227-UN-15APR13

To reduce the risk of fire, follow these guidelines, especially in dry crop conditions:

• Equip the mower-conditioners with a water-type fire extinguisher. Large capacity water fire extinguishers are recommended because application of water can cool hot parts to prevent a fire. (See Attachments section.)
• Keep foreign material (crop, chaff, twine, etc.) from building up on the machine near potentially hot areas, such as bearings on ends of rolls. Remove this buildup as part of the regular service operations.
• Avoid high pressure power-washing adjacent to the bearings on ends of rolls to prevent damaging seals.
• Check bearings on ends of rolls regularly for early signs of failure replace as necessary. (See Lubrication and Maintenance section or see your John Deere dealer.)
• If noticeable changes in mower-conditioner performance occur which might indicate a part is beginning to fail, stop mowing/conditioning immediately and investigate the cause of any sounds, smells, or sights which are unusual.
• Use extreme care if it is necessary to park a mower-conditioner in a field of dry crop or stubble. Whenever possible, park mower-conditioner on bare ground or in an area surrounded by bare ground. Before leaving a mower-conditioner which has been operating, verify there are no areas which are hot enough to start a fire.
• If service operations require using a welder, cutting torch or grinder on the mower-conditioner, refer to Fire Prevention in Service—Mower-Conditioner section for guidelines which may prove useful in preventing a fire.
• Use extreme care when smoking around the mower-conditioner.