Grease - is there no better way? Can we talk about this?

[4570Man]

That's all well and good until you rent a skid steer and the track pops off. Try refilling the grease on that with a manual grease gun. Your hands/forearms will hate you.

Greasing a small tractor loader that only takes 2-3 pumps a pin isn’t bad with a manual pump. Greasing larger equipment that takes a lot more grease sucks by hand. And a battery grease gun is still capable of doing a low amount of grease. Aside from cost I’m not sure what the advantage is of a manual gun.

 

[Robfnk]

Grease is messy but better that then having to change a bearing or pin.

 

[Engineer42]

That's all well and good until you rent a skid steer and the track pops off. Try refilling the grease on that with a manual grease gun. Your hands/forearms will hate you.

Yeah, but your grip strength will be great. Between running grease guns, and pounding in grade stakes with an 8 pound hammer with a 25" handle, I had good forearms and grip strength for years. Age tells its toll tho.

I can't remember how many fittings were on a 613 paddle pan, 12E grader, 966 loader, Link Belt Dragline, or many other machines. Button head fittings in the large bearings on the shaker screens for sand plants each took one hundred pumps daily.

Greasing is part of ownership. Slow down, clean as you go, and know you're protecting your investment. It's a joy not everyone gets.

And, if you can't do the above, maybe the earlier recommended sale and relocation is your best bet. Just my opinion.

 

[Santa Craig Cringle]

I don't understand how you get it all over tractor and tools.

Tools - typically transference from my hands to the tools.
Tractor - trying to wipe off old or excess grease and it just smears.

 

[Chiefwebb]

I maintain 3 tractors that require greasing, which I must do. I have some physical impairment so I splurged a few years ago and bought a Lock-n-Lube "G-Gun". Very powerful with its foot lever. Lifting the lever after the greasing of a fitting and the pressure is relieved, reducing wasted grease. The locking coupler also prevents leakage and loss. The G-Gun has a fairly long hose allowing me to connect the coupler to different fittings without moving the bucket. I know its not something most people will splurge for but for me it makes greasing easy.

 

[Dadah]

One of the things I hate most about working with equipment is grease. I recently decided I was going to make it easier by getting a battery powered grease gun. Then I opted to put a lube lock fitting nozzle thingy to try to reduce the mess.

It helps but the grease and mess still gets everywhere.

All over my hands. Ruined countless numbers of rags. All over the tractor in places I'd rather not have it. All over the grease gun and even some of my other tools.

Is there a better way? Are there any products I should look into?
Is there no newfangled alternate to grease that isn't quite so messy?

Grease makes the already unpleasant task of maintaining equipment even less pleasant.

I would like to see a video of you greasing your equipment showing the problems you’re having that cause you to get so greasy. I have vehicles, tractor, equipment and a 61” ZRT Grasshoppers that needs grease regularly. I don’t stay squeaky clean but I don’t ruin rags or clothes.
What in the world are you doing?!?!

 

[neilpaku]

One option would be to fit an autogreaser. There'd still be grease but you'd deal with it less often. Other than that, you "could" convert some of the assemblies to oil-lubrication but it's probably not practical for all (or any) of them. When I rebuilt the axles on my gooseneck, I converted them to oil which makes topping them up super-easy. Probably a hangover from my logging truck days where all axles were oil-bath.

 

[Squirrel's242]

One of the things I hate most about working with equipment is grease. I recently decided I was going to make it easier by getting a battery powered grease gun. Then I opted to put a lube lock fitting nozzle thingy to try to reduce the mess.

It helps but the grease and mess still gets everywhere.

All over my hands. Ruined countless numbers of rags. All over the tractor in places I'd rather not have it. All over the grease gun and even some of my other tools.

Is there a better way? Are there any products I should look into?
Is there no newfangled alternate to grease that isn't quite so messy?

Grease makes the already unpleasant task of maintaining equipment even less pleasant.

I try to keep everything tidy and I still get a rag or two dirty. But the job got more pleasant after I made a few changes...

I switched from a conventional punger style grease gun to a Lube Shuttle. That change decreased the mess with changing tubes. The grease I use also doesn't separate and leak.

I also started using a swivel adapter with a Lock N Lube tip on the hose, that helped as well because it keeps the hose manageable when I'm working in tight spots.

I also don't over grease, I monitor the fitting so that I don't have grease blobs oozing out to fall out.

And when the fitting is full, don't give it the last squeeze, let the pressure in the last squeeze go into the fitting. THEN remove the grease tip. That way grease doesn't continue to ooze out the gun and go nowhere except your clothes.


I'm telling you though, get rid of the plunger style, that makes the biggest improvement in cleanliness.

 

[seez52]

Alls I know is ya don't wanna trip that spring loaded hannel until the top is screwed on good. Woohwee that makes a mess.

 

[deadheadmartin]

One of the things I hate most about working with equipment is grease. I recently decided I was going to make it easier by getting a battery powered grease gun. Then I opted to put a lube lock fitting nozzle thingy to try to reduce the mess.

It helps but the grease and mess still gets everywhere.

All over my hands. Ruined countless numbers of rags. All over the tractor in places I'd rather not have it. All over the grease gun and even some of my other tools.

Is there a better way? Are there any products I should look into?
Is there no newfangled alternate to grease that isn't quite so messy?

Grease makes the already unpleasant task of maintaining equipment even less pleasant.

Grease is cheaper than steel.