The Effect of Usage and Storing Conditions on John Deere 3140 Tractor Failures in Khouzestan Province, Iran

The use of tractors to carry out agricultural work has played an important role in mechanizing the agricultural sector. A repairable mechanical system (such as an agricultural tractor) is subject to deterioration or failure. In this study, a regression model was used to predict the failure rate of a John Deere 3140 tractor. The machine failure pattern was carefully studied, and key factors affecting the failure rate were identified in five regions of the Khouzestan province. Through a questionnaire, data was obtained from farm records. This data was grouped into six sub-groups, according to the annual use hours (AUH) and the manner in which the tractors were stored. Results showed that AUH and storage policies affected failure rate slightly. With an increase in the age of the tractors, the failure rate in the tractors used for 1050-2000 hours annually and stored outdoors was higher than those used for 200-1000 hours annually and stored in sheds. When the tractors were of the same age, the slope of the curve in the 200-1000 annual use hours increased gradually and then rapidly, but failure rate in the 1050-2000 annual use hours was high from the beginning, and subsequent increase in this value was almost uniform. As a result, it can be said that with an increase in the annual use hours, the failure and breakdown rate in John Deere 3140 tractors rapidly increases, but maintenance conditions only slightly affect the failure and breakdown rate.