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Agricultural Equipment Operators Occupation Detailed Description

Agricultural Equipment Operators career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Agricultural Equipment Operators

The main tasks and work activities of Agricultural Equipment Operators are to confer with managers to make operational decisions, maintain forestry, hunting, or agricultural equipment, inspect equipment or facilities to determine condition or maintenance needs, operate irrigation systems. In general, for the Agricultural Equipment Operators, operation and Control, operation Monitoring, troubleshooting, quality Control Analysis and other 4 skills are required.
Agricultural Equipment Operators Job Description
EducationSome of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Related ExperienceLittle or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
ExampleThese occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include food preparation workers, dishwashers, sewing machine operators, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, and baristas.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Agricultural Equipment Operators jobs. 19.13% of Agricultural Equipment Operators have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 14.41% of Agricultural Equipment Operators have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
56.78%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
19.13%
Post-Secondary Certificate
14.41%
Some College Courses
9.53%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.14%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
0.01%

Tasks and Work Activities of Agricultural Equipment Operators

  • Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.
  • Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
  • Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.
  • Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
  • Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.
  • Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.
  • Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.
  • Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.
  • Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
  • Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.
  • Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.
  • Drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers.
  • Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals.
  • Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information.
  • Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
  • Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products.
  • Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRunning, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialInspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Controlling Machines and ProcessesUsing either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Handling and Moving ObjectsUsing hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Performing General Physical ActivitiesPerforming physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentServicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Confer with managers to make operational decisions.
  • Maintain forestry, hunting, or agricultural equipment.
  • Inspect equipment or facilities to determine condition or maintenance needs.
  • Operate irrigation systems.
  • Prepare materials or solutions for animal or plant use.
  • Operate farming equipment.
  • Direct activities of agricultural, forestry, or fishery employees.
  • Apply chemical solutions to plants to protect against disease or insects or to enhance growth.
  • Attach equipment extensions or accessories.
  • Plant crops, trees, or other plants.
  • Record agricultural or forestry inventory data.
  • Measure physical characteristics of forestry or agricultural products.
  • Load agricultural or forestry products for shipment.

Skills and Abilities for Agricultural Equipment Operators

  • Operation and ControlControlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Operation MonitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • TroubleshootingDetermining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
  • Quality Control AnalysisConducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • RepairingRepairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
  • Equipment MaintenancePerforming routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Multilimb CoordinationThe ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Control PrecisionThe ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Depth PerceptionThe ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Reaction TimeThe ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Rate ControlThe ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Response OrientationThe ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Manual DexterityThe ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Trunk StrengthThe ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
  • Static StrengthThe ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Hearing SensitivityThe ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Extent FlexibilityThe ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Sprayerse.g. 2-point sprayers
  • Sprayerse.g. 3-point sprayers
  • Seed drillse.g. Air carts
  • Seed drillse.g. Air drill seeders
  • Combine harvesterse.g. Air reels
  • Seed drillse.g. Air seeders
  • Diskse.g. All terrain vehicle ATV discs
  • Harrowse.g. All terrain vehicle ATV harrows
  • Fertilizer spreaders or distributorse.g. All terrain vehicle ATV manure spreaders
  • Ploughse.g. All terrain vehicle ATV plows
  • Hole diggerse.g. All terrain vehicle ATV post hole diggers
  • Graders or land levelerse.g. All terrain vehicle ATV rakes
  • Seeder attachmente.g. All terrain vehicle ATV seeders
  • Sprayerse.g. All terrain vehicle ATV sprayers
  • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheelede.g. All terrain vehicles ATV
  • Agricultural tractorse.g. Auger movers
  • Wagonse.g. Auger wagons
  • Backhoese.g. Backhoes
  • Air dryerse.g. Batch grain dryers
  • Graders or land levelerse.g. Bed shapers
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.