Farm equipment maintenance software for estates, mills and machinery fleets

Farm equipment maintenance software that services every tractor, trailer, pump, generator and mill boiler on its engine hours or its calendar date, turns drivers' daily checks into repair jobs, and keeps each machine's history in one place across all your estates.

Book a demo

Updated 15 Oct 2026

FieldEx scheduling board on desktop with a technician's inspection checklist open on the mobile app, as used by estate and mill maintenance teams

FieldEx is field service management and maintenance management (CMMS) in one system for plantation estates, farms and processing mills. It keeps every tractor, loader, lorry, pump, generator and mill boiler on its own record, schedules servicing by engine hours or by date, runs pre-start checks and statutory examinations, sends workshop and field crews to breakdowns, and tracks the spare parts each repair uses.

What FieldEx does for estate and farm maintenance teams

An estate's machines are spread over many blocks, divisions and mills, worked hard in the season and serviced by a workshop that rarely sees them all at once. FieldEx puts every machine on one record, plans its servicing from its hour meter or the calendar, and gets the driver's check, the mechanic's repair and the part fitted onto the same history, wherever the machine happens to be. See how it fits alongside other multi-site operations, compare approaches in our guide to the best CMMS software, or book a demo with your own estates and fleet.

Every estate, mill and machine on record

A site record for each estate, division, mill or workshop, with its address, map pin, contacts, service zone and the machines, jobs and maintenance plans that belong to it.
An asset record for every tractor, trailer, telehandler, lorry, irrigation pump, generator, boiler and press, with serial numbers, specifications, photos, warranty details and attached manuals.
Parent and component levels, so a tractor and its loader, or a boiler and its feed pumps, each keep their own history, in asset management.
Machines grouped by asset type, with a default meter unit per type, such as engine hours for tractors and distance for lorries.

Servicing on engine hours or the calendar

Maintenance plans that create the service jobs automatically when the hour meter, the calendar or whichever comes first says the machine is due.
Each machine's own meter interval, or one interval applied across the whole plan, with a default meter-based frequency for new machines of a type.
Different job templates and mechanics for the 50-hour, 250-hour and 500-hour points in the same cycle.
One plan applied across many estates, picking up new machines that match its criteria, in preventive maintenance.

Statutory examinations and certificates

Recurring certifications and inspections per asset type on standard or custom frequencies, with the examining body recorded.
Due, overdue and completed status, with reminders by email, in-app notification or both.
The date, the person who did it, the result and remarks on each record, with the examination report attached, through compliance documentation.
A dashboard of overdue examinations, those due in the next 7 days and those completed in the last 7 days, filtered by asset type or service zone.

Daily checks, defects and breakdowns

Pre-start and after-use checklists linked to each machine, opened by scanning its QR or barcode label.
A failed answer on a checklist that raises the repair job and its tasks, and can book a follow-up check.
A QR code for each estate or mill that opens a fault-report form without logging in, with a description and photos or video, arriving as a job in the backlog.
An alert when a new job repeats a recent job on the same machine, so a recurring fault is spotted early, in work order management.

Workshop and field crews

Automatic assignment by skill, availability, shift, leave, service zone and live location, so a breakdown in a far block goes to the nearest mechanic who can fix it.
A drag-and-drop scheduler with an unassigned backlog, and a notification to the mechanic each time a job is assigned or moved, in scheduling and dispatch.
Ordered tasks and procedures inside each job, with tasks that must be finished before the job can close.
Travel to each job logged with its distance and duration, viewable on a map.

On the phone, out in the blocks

Each job on the FieldEx mobile app with the machine's history, the right checklist and number fields for readings such as hydraulic pressure or hour-meter values.
Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.
Watermarked photos and video of the damage and the repair, and the supervisor's signature on completion.

Spare parts in the workshop and on the service truck

Spare parts in each store and in each mechanic's own stock, with transfers, barcode scanning and approvals where needed.
Reorder and low-stock alerts per stock location, so filters, belts and hoses are on the shelf before the service is due, in spare parts inventory.
Parts used recorded on the job and on the machine, with a movement history of every transfer and part fitted.

Machine histories and reports

Every service, check, examination, repair and part kept on the machine's record, with a change history showing who edited what and when.
Completion PDFs with the machine, fault and resolution, parts with quantities and prices, time on site, photos and the signature, emailed with a record of when each was sent.
Reports on machine reliability, maintenance cost, utilization and age, exported as CSV, Excel or PDF or emailed on a schedule, in reporting and analytics.

What is a typical tractor maintenance schedule by engine hours?

The operator's manual sets it. Penn State Extension's guide to managing machinery and equipment (updated March 2016) says the manual that comes with a new tractor gives the number of hours between maintenance intervals, and that is the schedule to follow. John Deere's operator's manual for the 4100 compact utility tractor (OMM134595, issue J7) shows the usual shape:

Every 10 hours or daily: check the engine oil, the coolant and the air filter indicator, and grease the lubrication fittings.
Every 100 hours: change the engine oil and filter.
Every 500 hours: replace the fuel filter and change the transmission oil.

Some models count in hours and on the calendar at once. Deere's manual for its 1435, 1445, 1545 and 1565 machines (OMTCU24076, issue L8) lists tasks "every 50 hours or yearly", whichever comes first. On an estate, a tractor that runs double shifts in the harvest and sits idle in the wet season reaches its hours at a very different pace from one on steady haulage, so the date alone is a poor guide.

What FieldEx does about it

Hours and dates on one plan: each tractor's maintenance plan can trigger on hour-meter readings, on the calendar, or on whichever comes first, matching a "50 hours or yearly" line in the manual.
Each interval with its own job: the 10-hour, 100-hour and 500-hour points can each use their own job template, checklist and parts list, so the oil change and the fuel filter service arrive as different jobs.
Readings from the cab: drivers or mechanics enter the hour meter on the phone, building a reading history on the tractor that moves the next service forward or back.
A default for each model: set a default meter unit and service frequency on the asset type, so a new tractor joins its schedule the day it is added.

What pre-start checks should tractor drivers do every day?

Start the day with them, before the tractor leaves the yard. Penn State Extension's guide to pre-operational checks for tractors (updated January 2026) says to begin every work day with a pre-operational check, including the coolant, engine oil and hydraulic oil levels. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guide INDG185, Using tractors safely (rev3, January 2013), adds that the brakes and steering must be checked to make sure they operate correctly. John Deere's 4100 manual lists, before each use, a check of the fuel and engine oil and a test of the safety systems.

Heating surface (single or combined)	Person in charge
100 m² or less	Steam boiler operator grade 2
Over 100 to 200 m²	Steam boiler operator grade 1, on each shift
Over 200 to 500 m²	Operator grade 1, plus engineer grade 1 or 2 (can be visiting)
Over 500 to 2,000 m²	Steam boiler engineer grade 1 or 2
Over 2,000 m²	Steam boiler engineer grade 1

So a daily check is short, but it covers fluids, brakes, steering and safety interlocks, and it only helps if the driver records it and a fault reaches the workshop the same day.

What FieldEx does about it

A checklist on the tractor itself: each tractor carries a QR label; the driver scans it and the pre-start checklist for that model opens on the phone.
Single-tap answers: fluid levels, brakes, steering and safety systems are answered pass or fail in grouped sections, with reference photos on the question where it helps.
A failed check becomes a job: a fail on brakes or steering raises the repair work order and its tasks straight away, ready for the workshop to assign.
The machine marked out of use: the checklist can update the tractor's status, so a supervisor can see it should not go out until it is repaired.

What should be done after each use of a tractor?

Clean it and look it over. John Deere's 4100 manual lists, after each use, cleaning away debris and checking for loose, missing or damaged parts. Its manual for the 1435 to 1565 range adds cleaning the air intake screen and the radiator and oil cooler fins. HSE's INDG185 says defects should be fixed or reported as soon as possible.

The after-use check is where small faults show up first: a cracked hose, a missing pin, a leaking seal. The value is in getting that report to the workshop before the next shift takes the machine out.

What FieldEx does about it

An end-of-shift checklist: a short after-use checklist on the tractor's record covers cleaning, the intake screen, cooler fins and loose or damaged parts.
Photos with the report: the driver photographs a damaged part on the phone, and the watermarked photo stays on the job and the tractor's history.
Defects to the workshop the same day: a fail answer raises a repair job in the backlog, where the workshop supervisor assigns it to a mechanic.
Repeat faults flagged: if a new job repeats a recent job on the same tractor, FieldEx alerts the user by email or in the app.

How should tractor and trailer brakes be maintained and checked?

As a pair. HSE's INDG185 says braking systems for tractor-trailer combinations must be properly maintained and adjusted, to keep them efficient and safe, and that operators should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for how often and how thoroughly to inspect. It notes that brakes that are not self-balancing need more frequent checks. Manufacturers often set an early check too: Deere's manual for the 1435 to 1565 range asks for the brakes and neutral lock linkages to be checked, and adjusted if needed, after the first 10 hours.

On a farm or estate the same tractor may pull several trailers in a week, so the check belongs to the tractor and to each trailer it is coupled to.

What FieldEx does about it

Tractors and trailers on record: each trailer is its own asset with its own brake checks and history, alongside the tractors that pull it.
The break-in check scheduled: a plan on a new machine can raise the 10-hour brake check from its hour meter, then hand over to the regular cycle.
Brake checks at the manufacturer's frequency: recurring inspections per asset type run daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, six-monthly or annually, each linked to its brake checklist.
Adjustments recorded: the mechanic records what was adjusted, the parts fitted and photos on the job, which stays on both machines' records.

What should be checked on hydraulic systems during farm machinery maintenance?

Levels, hoses, leaks and how the machine is held up while you work on it. HSE's guide INDG241, Working safely with agricultural machinery (rev1, October 2012), warns that hydraulic oil is under high pressure: never use your hands to feel for leaks, and release the pressure before working on the system. When working under hydraulically raised equipment such as a trailer body, use props and never rely on the hydraulics alone. Penn State Extension includes the hydraulic oil level in the daily pre-operational check, and John Deere's 4100 manual sets a transmission oil change every 500 hours.

The code sets no fixed interval, so the mill decides one and must be able to show it was kept.

What FieldEx does about it

Hydraulic checks in the service checklist: hose condition, leaks, oil level and props in place are questions on the service checklist, answered before the job closes.
Pressure released first: a procedure can put "release pressure" and "props fitted" as tasks that must be completed before the next task can start.
Readings as numbers: forms on the job record hydraulic pressures and oil levels as exact values, against the machine.
Oil changes on hours: the 500-hour transmission oil change runs on the machine's hour meter, with the oil and filters drawn from stock on the job.

How should PTO shaft guards be checked and maintained?

The guard on a power take-off (PTO) shaft is what keeps clothing and limbs off a spinning driveline. HSE's guidance on PTO shafts says guards should be properly used and maintained, cleaned and lubricated regularly, and that the shaft should have a non-rotating guard made to a recognised standard. HSE's INDG185 is direct: do not use a machine with a damaged PTO shaft guard. In the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) rule 29 CFR 1928.57 requires guards, shields and access doors to be in place whenever farm field equipment is operating.

So the guard is a daily check item, a regular maintenance task and a reason to stop the machine.

What FieldEx does about it

The guard on the daily check: the pre-start checklist for every PTO-driven implement asks whether the guard is fitted, intact and undamaged.
Photo evidence: the driver or mechanic attaches a photo of the guard to the check, so a supervisor can see its condition without going out to the block.
Damaged guard, machine stopped: a fail answer raises a repair job and can set the implement's status so it is not sent out until the guard is replaced.
Guards as parts: replacement guards and shields are stocked spare parts, with reorder alerts and a record of where each one was fitted.

What must happen before servicing or unblocking farm machinery?

Stop everything first. HSE's INDG241 calls following the Safe Stop procedure the most important safety measure before any maintenance or adjustment, including clearing a blockage. OSHA's 29 CFR 1928.57 sets the same order: stop the engine, disconnect the power source and wait for all machine movement to stop before servicing, adjusting, cleaning or unclogging the equipment. For farmstead equipment, OSHA requires electrical power to be locked out before maintenance or service is carried out.

Blockages are where the rule is easiest to skip, because they happen in the middle of a job with the clock running.

What FieldEx does about it

Safe Stop as the first tasks: a job template for servicing or unblocking a machine starts with an ordered procedure, such as engine off, key removed, movement stopped and power locked out.
No skipping ahead: tasks in a procedure can be required to be complete before the next one starts, and before the job can be closed.
Lockout recorded: the mechanic checks in to each task on the phone, so the job history shows when isolation was confirmed and by whom.
The right checklist for each machine: each machine type has its own isolation questions, so a combine, a feed mixer and a conveyor each get the steps that fit them.

Do telehandlers and loaders on farms need thorough examination?

Yes, when they are used to lift loads. HSE's guidance on the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) in agriculture says lifting equipment on farms needs thorough examination by a competent person, and that this includes telehandlers, fork-lift trucks, mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and fore-loaders. Regulation 9 of LOLER 1998 sets the maximum interval: at least every 12 months for most lifting equipment, and at least every 6 months for equipment used to lift people and for lifting accessories.

A fore-loader that comes off one tractor and goes on another still needs its own examination date.

What FieldEx does about it

Examinations per machine: each telehandler, loader and MEWP carries its thorough examination as a recurring certification on a 6-month or 12-month cycle, with the examining body recorded.
Attachments with their own dates: a fore-loader, bucket or pallet fork can be its own asset, so its examination follows the attachment, not the tractor.
Reminders before the deadline: sent by email, in-app notification or both, timed so the examiner is booked before the date passes.
The report on file: the examination report is attached to the completed certification, and any defect it lists becomes a repair job.

How often should boilers at processing mills be examined?

Two cycles run side by side: the routine tests and the statutory examination. HSE's guide INDG436, Safe management of industrial steam and hot water boilers (October 2011), says the routine tests recommended by the boiler manufacturer should be carried out as a minimum and their results recorded. For examination, HSE's INDG261, Pressure systems: a brief guide to safety (rev2, November 2012), says the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 require a written scheme of examination for most pressure systems. INDG436 adds that for a steam boiler the scheme should include an out-of-service examination, with the boiler cold, off-line and open for inspection, followed by an in-service examination.

For a mill running crop processing through the season, that means booking the boiler's shutdown around the examination, not the other way round.

What FieldEx does about it

Routine tests on a plan: the manufacturer's routine tests run as recurring inspections at the frequency it sets, each with its own checklist, and readings in number fields on a custom job form.
The written scheme as certifications: the out-of-service and in-service examinations each run as a certification with the frequency set in the scheme, and the competent person recorded.
Reminders ahead of the shutdown: reminders go out in advance, so the mill can plan its downtime and line up the inspector.
Every result on the boiler: test readings, examination reports and repairs are kept on the boiler's record, with its feed pumps and safety valves as components.

How do you set up maintenance for second-hand farm machinery?

Reset it, then follow the manual. Penn State Extension's machinery guide says that when buying a used tractor, ask when the oil was last changed and whether the hour meter is working. It recommends replacing all filters and fluids so you know it has been done, then building on that with the suggested maintenance intervals. New machines have their own starting point: John Deere's 4100 manual lists an engine oil and filter change after the first 50 hours as part of break-in.

Without a working hour meter, the hours-based schedule has nothing to count from, so the first job is to establish where the machine really is.

What FieldEx does about it

A record from day one: add the used machine with its serial number, photos, purchase details and any service paperwork from the seller attached.
The starting reading: enter the current hour-meter reading as the first meter entry, and the plan counts the next intervals from there.
A full service first: raise the first filters-and-fluids service as a job straight away, ahead of the plan's normal timing.
Schedules that float from that service: the plan can recalculate from the date the last service was completed, so the cycle starts from the reset, not the purchase date.

What records should a farm keep of machinery checks?

Enough to show each check was done, what it found and what was fixed. HSE's INDG185 points farms to the Farm Vehicle Health Check, a structured checklist of essential items that can also be used to record that checks have been made. HSE's guidance on inspecting work equipment, under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), says the result of an inspection should be recorded and the record kept at least until the next inspection of that equipment. Records do not have to be on paper, but if they are kept on a computer they should be held securely and made available to any enforcing authority on request.

The sampling dates are fixed in advance, so they are easy to plan and easy to miss in a busy crop month.

What FieldEx does about it

Each check stored as a record: every completed checklist keeps the answers, the date, the person and the jobs it raised on the machine's history, with photos attached to the job.
Secure, with a change history: access is set by permission profile, and each machine's record shows who edited what and when.
Ready for an inspector: checks, inspections and repairs can be reported by machine, estate or period and exported as CSV, Excel or PDF on request.
Kept beyond the next inspection: each new check adds to the machine's history instead of replacing the last one, so earlier results are still there when asked for.

How often must farm workers be instructed in safe operation and servicing of machinery?

In the US, OSHA's 29 CFR 1928.57 requires employers to instruct every employee in the safe operation and servicing of all covered farm equipment at the time of initial assignment and at least annually after that. HSE's INDG241 adds that operators should carry out any pre-use checks the operator's manual specifies, so the instruction and the daily check work together.

On an estate with seasonal staff and rotating drivers, the risk is a machine handed to someone who has never been shown its checks.

What FieldEx does about it

Skills on each person: technicians and drivers hold the skills they are trained for, and assignment rules send each machine's jobs only to people with the matching skill. Skills carry an expiry date, so refresher training falls due on time.
The manual's checks in the app: each machine's pre-use checklist follows its operator's manual, so the driver sees the right checks for that model every time.
Reference photos on each question: checklist questions can carry a reference photo, showing a new driver exactly what a good guard or a correct oil level looks like.
Who did each check: every completed check records the person by name, so supervisors can see who is using which machines.

Customer story

Agri Sumber Prestari (ASP), an agricultural manpower and training company under SD Guthrie Agri Bio, has 92 agricultural estates up and running on FieldEx. Its story describes automated preventive maintenance scheduled on usage or time, work orders and inspection checklists generated automatically, live tracking of job progress and stock levels with low-inventory alerts, and planning time cut by 50%: "What used to take an entire day to plan for the whole region now takes half a day."

Read the Agri Sumber Prestari story

Questions estate and farm managers ask about FieldEx

What is the best farm equipment maintenance software for estates with many sites?

One that keeps every machine on its own record across all your estates, services it by engine hours or date, turns drivers' checks into repair jobs, tracks statutory examinations and works on a phone without a signal. FieldEx does all of this in one system, with field service and maintenance management sharing the same machine records. Compare approaches in our guide to the best field service management software.

Can FieldEx schedule tractor servicing by engine hours?

Yes. Each tractor's maintenance plan can trigger on hour-meter readings, on the calendar or on whichever comes first, using the tractor's own interval or one set across the plan.

Can drivers record pre-start checks on their phones?

Yes. The driver scans the machine's QR label, answers its pre-start checklist on the FieldEx mobile app, and any failed answer raises a repair job for the workshop.

Does the mobile app work out in the fields without a signal?

Yes. Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.

Can FieldEx track thorough examinations for telehandlers and loaders?

Yes. Each lifting machine or attachment carries its examination as a recurring certification with its own frequency, due and overdue status, reminders and the report attached.

Can we manage machines across several estates and a mill in one system?

Yes. Each estate, division and mill is a site with its own machines, and one maintenance plan can cover many sites while each keeps its own history. Access can be limited so each estate team sees only its own records.

Can FieldEx send breakdowns to the nearest mechanic?

Yes. Assignment rules match each job to mechanics with the right skill who are available and on shift, then use live location to pick the nearest one. A drag-and-drop scheduler handles the exceptions.

Can we track spare parts in the workshop and on service trucks?

Yes. Each store and each mechanic's own stock is tracked, with transfers, reorder and low-stock alerts per location, and a history of every part fitted on each machine.

Can FieldEx show which machines cost the most to keep running?

Yes. Reports on machine reliability, maintenance cost, utilization and age can be grouped by estate, asset type or period, and exported or emailed on a schedule.

What does it take to get FieldEx running across our estates?

Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. Setup, data upload and training are included in the subscription, with no setup fee. Estates and machines can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included. See FieldEx implementation and training.

Put every tractor, pump and mill boiler on one maintenance record

Book a demo