Farmers across the U.S. are nearing the spring-planting finish line. With most crops more than halfway planted, a much-needed respite is in sight. Before enjoying that hard-earned sweet tea, however, take a little bit of time now to correctly put away your planter. It could save a lot of money in the long run by following these tips:

1. Clean up before shutting the door. “Cleanup is No. 1. Seed today is treated before it goes in the ground. It has some pretty corrosive materials in it,” says Adam Myers, regional operations manager for Baldwin City Heritage Tractor, a John Deere dealership in Kansas. “Hose everything down to get the mud off.”

To further prevent corrosion, remove seed meters, knockout wheels and belts to check for debris. “A lot of products can eat paint,” Myers says. “They’re also spring-loaded, so it’ll take off pressure.”

KEEP IT CLEAN: Cleaning the planter at the end of the season is your first task, according to Adam Myers, regional operations manager for Baldwin City Heritage Tractor in Kansas. “Hose everything down to get the mud off,” he says. (Mike Wilson)

2. Keep software and hardware running smoothly. This includes checking for software updates. Standard guidance recommends updating software twice a year, Myers says. In reality, however, updates can come out as often as four or five times each year, he adds.

Next, apply grease. “I would open up the operation manual and hit every zert,” Myers says, noting that some growers skip these basic steps every year. They end up in his shop later with much bigger problems.

And to make sure nothing has been missed, seek out the professionals. “It’s smart to start with an end-of-season, professional inspection,” says Daniel Stansbury, general service manager at AgRevolution. “Our technicians travel to the farm and check the machine top to bottom and front to back, identifying problems that could become breakdowns.”

While they’re on the farm, ask technicians to look over your sprayer and combine to make sure they are ready to hit the field.

3. Make repairs sooner than later. When it comes to off-season maintenance, hose replacements and filter changes can all be completed without much risk. If something is broken, don’t shut the door until it’s been fixed, because there might not be a better time than now.

“Time is especially valuable during planting and harvest, and opting to spend it under the hood of a tractor or combine usually isn’t the most profitable decision,” Stansbury says.

And if there are supply chain issues, it could take a while for parts to come in. So the best advice Stansbury offers is don’t wait for winter before ordering parts.

For more complex repairs, or anything involving electrical components or computers, Stansbury says it’s probably best to call a technician. But for basic fixes, a longer runway could let handy operators tackle projects themselves.

“Many of the maintenance and repair tasks identified in the inspection can be completed by the farmer,” he says. “We approach equipment care as a partnership where the grower and the dealer work hand in hand to keep machines up.”