Power Washing the Tractor

[HayFarmer]

I power wash tractors when groady and especially after spreading fertilizer. Must wash spreader and tractor after that. Blow hay tools, but wash the baler every couple years. Baking straw really filthy it up.

 

[5030]

My friend bought a new 560 jd baler. At the end of the season he cleaned it up for winter storage and used a power washer on some of it.
The next year he said he had to replace nearly every bearing in it.

Ouch and double ouch!

None of the bearings on any round bailer (or square bailer) are shielded in an y way which is why I only use an air hose on mine to blow them off. I will pressure wash the external sheet metal but nothing under the shrouds even gets wet washed.

 

[5030]

I power wash tractors when groady and especially after spreading fertilizer. Must wash spreader and tractor after that. Blow hay tools, but wash the baler every couple years. Baking straw really filthy it up.

try bailing corn stalks sometime if you really want filth. Think you meant bailing, not baking.

My spreaders get power washed after EVERY use. 46 will eat a spreader up in no time.

 

[big bubba]

Back in the 70's when pressure washers were new The dealers I worked at had a 500 PSI washers the used a twin cylinder Hypro pump. Later a 750 PSI belt driven unit was used. They were used to wash down combines and tractors either for resale or before mechanical work was started. Even those "low" pressure washers could blow off paint and decals if it was loose. My issue now is the manufacturers are all making 3,000 PSI plus washers. Do we really need that much to clean equipment? Or is it comparable to the horsepower "wars" in light trucks? You know gotta keep up with the neighbor mentality. Remember when freight was hauled in box trucks powered with 85 Horsepower then they even went to 110 yes the old flat head Ford. Now it seems a semi needs 850 to 1,000 horsepower. Pickups are bragging of over 500 horsepower and over 1,000 foot pounds of torque. Do we really need that high pressure?

that's why different degree spray nozzles are provided.
vary wand distance & technique, & should not be a problem on any high psi washer. but you're right, old school low pressure ones are perfect for that application.
glad i have all those ops on mine, all about the application & technique

 

[Sberry]

 

[Sberry]

They aint meant to shoot every connection and bearing, it takes some skill to operate properly. I usually train people on them, to shoot square and overlap. Have one in a truck also.

 

[Jchonline]

I had an electric about 18 years ago. Power washed my driveway and was really proud of myself (young and stupid). Got my electric bill…then I threw the power washer in the trash. It went from $150 to $200 from just that day of power washing.

I am sure the tech is better today, and electric is much easier to maintain. On my gas PW I just use a low pressure nozzle, it works fine. You can get them with interchangeable nozzles now.

 

[4570Man]

I had an electric about 18 years ago. Power washed my driveway and was really proud of myself (young and stupid). Got my electric bill…then I threw the power washer in the trash. It went from $150 to $200 from just that day of power washing.

I am sure the tech is better today, and electric is much easier to maintain. On my gas PW I just use a low pressure nozzle, it works fine. You can get them with interchangeable nozzles now.

Either your electric rate is sky high or something isn’t adding up. I’m assuming you just had a 110 volt plug in model so it’s 2 KW draw tops probably not that many. The current national average is 13 cents per KWH and I’m sure it was less back then. So that’s 26 cents per hour to operate at a 2 kw draw. So unless you pressure washed for 192 hours in one day or your electric rate is FAR higher you didn’t use $50 in one day. Obviously you didn’t pressure wash for 192 hours in one day and your electric rate couldn’t be very high and still maintain the $150 monthly bill.

 

[Unclewillie]

Does anyone else use an electric power washer on their tractor & implements? I been using a Craftsman electric motor driven power washer model CMEPW520 instead of the gasoline 5hp Husky which has so much pressure it can tear things up. The electric claims 2000 psi, but my guess (and my pressure gauge) shows it is really only about half that psi. Nice handy unit, though.

It's time for a new electric pw, & I'm looking for recommendations. I'd probably buy another Craftsman if they still made that one. Prices on others all seem to be reasonable, but I'm out of touch with what works best.
thanks,
rScotty

I been using a ryboi electric for about three years, first month of use had to buy a handle at Wal-Mart cause the ryboi started leaking. Other problem like with most my house end got welded to the machine water hose hook up, aluminum sucks with corrosion. Try to find one with brass .

 

[rScotty]

I had an electric about 18 years ago. Power washed my driveway and was really proud of myself (young and stupid). Got my electric bill…then I threw the power washer in the trash. It went from $150 to $200 from just that day of power washing.

I am sure the tech is better today, and electric is much easier to maintain. On my gas PW I just use a low pressure nozzle, it works fine. You can get them with interchangeable nozzles now.

That arithmetic doesn't work out.... Maybe instead of the pressure washer it was the electric meter than needed to be trashed.

 

[HayFarmer]

try bailing corn stalks sometime if you really want filth. Think you meant bailing, not baking.

My spreaders get power washed after EVERY use. 46 will eat a spreader up in no time.

Yes, typo from my phone. I think you meant "baling", not "bailing". The first is corn stalks, the second is water! The previous owner did bale stalks with my baler. Was still finding them 3 years later!

 

[5030]

Yes, typo from my phone. I think you meant "baling", not "bailing". The first is corn stalks, the second is water! The previous owner did bale stalks with my baler. Was still finding them 3 years later!

Got any paint left on the pickup? Corn stalks really take the paint off a pickup. I would never bale stalks. Just too hard on equipment.

 

[Diggin It]

Bettin' summyall wash the innerds of your trash cans every week too, huh?

 

[Septemberwheat]

Does anyone else use an electric power washer on their tractor & implements? I been using a Craftsman electric motor driven power washer model CMEPW520 instead of the gasoline 5hp Husky which has so much pressure it can tear things up. The electric claims 2000 psi, but my guess (and my pressure gauge) shows it is really only about half that psi. Nice handy unit, though.

It's time for a new electric pw, & I'm looking for recommendations. I'd probably buy another Craftsman if they still made that one. Prices on others all seem to be reasonable, but I'm out of touch with what works best.
thanks,
rScotty

I use a BE electric power washer, it’s great. I was sick and tired of maintaining small engines, so electric works out well for me. Low cost of use and low maintenance cost. My BE has a baldor motor which is SOLID, the pump is made in house (BE model). It runs on single phase, 20a circuit, has more than enough power especially with the tips that came with it. I wash EVERYTHING with it.

 

[rScotty]

That BE brand sounds like a good one. I looked them up, but what model is it? BE makes a lot of different ones.
So far the nearest contender I've found is a Ryobi at Home Depot. That brand wouldn't be my first choice, but I've never bought Ryobi so I don't know from experience.
A lot of the electric power washers look the same. I wonder if one company makes them all?

After a wrestling match, a new water pump, carb rebuild, and some other maintenance I got our old gasoline powered washer going, but would still like to have an electric for some uses.
rScotty

 

[5030]

Bettin' summyall wash the innerds of your trash cans every week too, huh?

Only when the stink gets to be too much.

 

[MoKelly]

Bettin' summyall wash the innerds of your trash cans every week too, huh?

Who uses trash cans on a farm?

MoKelly

 

[Midniteoyl]

Bettin' summyall wash the innerds of your trash cans every week too, huh?

My garbage guy leaves the lids open when its raining...

 

[DieselBound]

My equipment rental guy tells folks NOT to use pressure washers on his equipment. I'll hose things off when I'm done renting, which he says is OK.

On my equipment I use my air compressor. Highly effective and you aren't dosing yourself and everything else with water (not to mention no concern over jetting water into grease cavities etc.). Will still shoot grease all over, but there's little getting away from that!

When I was in the military they'd tell me that the big helicopters wouldn't fly unless they leaked hydraulic fluid (way up in the cold air, ramp down and staring at hydraulic stains everywhere- didn't crash, so best I can figure is that I wouldn't argue the point)!

 

[hosspuller]

If it the point hasn't been made before... Don't ever wash the injection pump. Especially a hot pump. The thermal changes can seize the very close tolerance pump parts.