How to a Growers Tips for ST Pathfinder Maintenance

Apr 30, 2025

Maintaining your equipment is essential to ensuring longevity and optimal performance. In this blog post, we share maintenance tips from Joe of VanQuaethem Farms, based on over five years of hands-on experience with the ST-8 and ST-10 models. Learn how to keep your ST-Series Applicator running smoothly with minimal effort.

Step-by-Step Instructions

There are a few key things to keep in mind to extend the lifespan of your equipment and ensure optimal performance:

1. Regular Calibration

Ensure that you calibrate the machine correctly when you first purchase it.
Once calibrated, you rarely need to recalibrate unless there is a notable change in your operation or product.

2. Keep Equipment Clean

Like with any large machinery, maintaining cleanliness helps prevent buildup of debris or residue that could affect the machine’s performance.
Focus on cleaning the metering rollers and any moving parts to avoid unnecessary wear and tear.

3. Check Moving Parts Regularly

Inspect moving parts such as the metering drive and metering rollers and ensure proper lubrication to avoid any malfunctions.
Make a habit of checking the hydraulics and chains for any visible signs of wear. This can prevent unexpected breakdowns. Newer models have direct drive hydraulic motors.

4. Simple Adjustments as Needed

The Salford Pathfinder is designed for minimal intervention. Once you get the machine set up, it runs smoothly.
Keep an eye on the machine’s components, but you should rarely need to make adjustments beyond basic checks.

Click here to see more...

Video: Is China Buying US Soybeans + USDA Nov 14th Crop Report could be “Game Changing”

After a week of a U.S./China trade truce, markets/trade is skeptical that we have not seen a signed agreement nor heard much from China or seen any details. There are rumors that China is buying soybean futures & not the physical. Trust in Trump?
12 MMT of U.S. soybean purchases by China by year-end is better than 0 but we all need to give it more time and give it a chance to unfold. China did lower the tariffs on Ag and is buying U.S. wheat and sorghum.
U.S. supreme court could rule against Trumps tariffs, but the Trump administration does have a plan B.
U.S. government shutdown is now the longest in history at 38 days.
But despite a U.S. government shutdown we will be getting a USDA November crop report next Friday and it could be “game changing.” If the USDA provides a bullish surprise with lower U.S. corn and soybean yields and ending stocks that are lower than expected both corn and soybean futures will break out above their ceilings at $4.35/bu and $11.35/bu respectively.
The funds continued their selling in live and feeder cattle futures on continued fears that the Trump administration want to lower U.S. beef prices. The fundamentals have not changed, only market psychology has.
Stocks markets continue to worry about a weak U.S. job market, but you can blame ChatGPT for that. In the future, we will have a more efficient, productive and growing economy with a higher unemployment rate until we have more skilled AI workers.
After 34 new record highs in the S & P 500 and 124 new records in the NASDAQ in 2025 we are back to a correction and investor profit taking as AI valuations may have gotten too stretched near-term ahead of NVDA’s 3rd quarter earnings announcement on Nov. 19th. But this is not an AI bubble.
75% of Tesla shareholders approved a $1 trillion pay package for Elon Musk!
It has rained in South America in the last 7 days, but both the American and European models agree that Central Brazil remains dry in the next 14-days!

Farms.com looking for ag moms to participate in Mother’s Day Q&A

Canada Post strike possible in May