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Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary.
    • Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary.
    • Fabricate new metal parts, using drill presses, engine lathes, and other machine tools.
    • Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.
    • Clean and lubricate parts.
    • Clean and lubricate parts.
    • Install and repair agricultural irrigation, plumbing, and sprinkler systems.
    • Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary.
    • Repair bent or torn sheet metal.
    • Install and repair agricultural irrigation, plumbing, and sprinkler systems.
    • Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools.
    • Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.
    • Repair or replace defective parts, using hand tools, milling and woodworking machines, lathes, welding equipment, grinders, or saws.
    • Tune or overhaul engines.
    • Dismantle defective machines for repair, using hand tools.
    • Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools.
    • Calculate bills according to record of repairs made, labor time, and parts used.
    • Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.
    • Repair or replace defective parts, using hand tools, milling and woodworking machines, lathes, welding equipment, grinders, or saws.
    • Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems.
    • Record details of repairs made and parts used.
    • Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems.
    • Drive trucks to haul tools and equipment for on-site repair of large machinery.

    Skills

    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    More than 1 year on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    59150/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    28.44/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    1,570
    Yearly Projected Openings
    150

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Persistence
    • Initiative
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Independence

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Air compressors
    • Ammeters
    • Angle grinder
    • Automatic lathe or chucking machine
    • Ball peen hammer
    • Bastard cut file
    • Bench grinder
    • Bench vises
    • Bolt cutters
    • Box end wrenches
    • Bullet pilot point
    • C clamps
    • Calipers
    • Center punch
    • Claw hammer
    • Cold chisels
    • Combination pliers
    • Combination wrenches
    • Countersinks
    • Crimping pliers
    • Diagonal cut pliers
    • Dial indicator or dial gauge
    • Drill bit set
    • Drill press or radial drill
    • Dynamometers
    • Engine tune up tester
    • Feeler gauges
    • Flow sensors
    • Fuel pressure sensor
    • Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
    • Grinding wheel dressers
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammers
    • Heat guns
    • Hole gauge
    • Impact wrenches
    • Insulation resistance meters
    • Jacks
    • Levels
    • Linemans pliers
    • Locking pliers
    • Mallets
    • Metal inert gas welding machine
    • Micrometers
    • Multimeters
    • Needlenose pliers
    • Notebook computers
    • Nut drivers
    • Offset screw driver
    • Ohmmeters
    • Oil gun
    • Oscilloscopes
    • Personal computers
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Pipe reamer
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power riveter
    • Power saws
    • Pullers
    • Punches or nail sets or drifts
    • Pyrometers
    • Ratchets
    • Router bits
    • Saws
    • Screw extractors
    • Screwdriver bits
    • Screwdrivers
    • Sharpening stones or tools or kits
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Slip joint pliers
    • Slip or groove joint pliers
    • Sockets
    • Soldering iron
    • Spark plug gap gauge
    • Spark plug wrench
    • Speedometers
    • Squares
    • Tachometers
    • Taper punch
    • Taps
    • Thickness measuring devices
    • Thread pitch gauge
    • Threading die hand tool
    • Threading taps
    • Timing light
    • Tinners snips
    • Tire pressure gauge
    • Tire repair kit
    • Torque screwdriver
    • Torque wrenches
    • Tungsten inert gas welding machine
    • Vacuum gauges
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Wire gauge
    • Wire-stripping pliers
    • Workshop cranes

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Facilities management software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software