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

[walnutman]

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.

 

[Engineer42]

View attachment 3818001

Very true! But it's good stuff, whether I'm using it helps me or the next guy.

 

[tbear640]

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 use heavy paper towels after each use and make sure grease guns and equipment gets wiped off as part of my maintenance routine.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

A battery operated grease gun isn't important when all zerks are easy to reach but is a godsend when they're in an awkward place. My RV has zerks in spaces that are too tight for a lock 'n load so it means lying on my back with one arm fully extended to hold the hose onto the zerk and trying to operate the handle with my hand in a cramped position with the gun trapped between me and the chassis. When I'm in that position I'd rather pull a trigger than squeeze a handle.

 

[tjandrews]

I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and some water to clean my greasy hands. Works great, better than some mechanic's hand cleaner I've tried. I figure if they can use it to clean birds after an oil spill, it ought to be good enough for me.

 

[bill karrer]

"Funny Story" Many decades ago, '70s '80s, I worked at an IH dealer. IH claimed they solved the grease problem. They went to all sealed and permanent lubed surfaces. No grease fittings. When asked why they did this, the reply was, "the farmer never greases anything anyway"! Might say something about why they went belly-up?

 

[OldPaint]

I think the OP must grease like I paint. I can’t get near a paint brush in any clothing that my wife will allow me to wear in public. I get paint on me just looking at new paint stirrers in plastic bags. I’m a self proclaimed 50/50 painter because half the paint goes on what I’m painting, the rest goes on me.

All kidding aside, what some people think is a little smear, others who are a little pickier really don’t like a little mess. Being OCD or **** retentive with a tractor is perfectly fine, as long as you’re willing to put in the time. Some have show tractors, some have mechanical beasts of burden. Me, I’m a little less worried about a few smears and more focused on getting the job done with maintained equipment.

As for the grease that oozes out of pin/bushing joints, better to leave it there until the next lube cycle. It’s a lot better to have dirt stuck to grease outside the lubrication zones than to attract it straight into the joints. It also keeps some water out if you operate in the rain. You’re certainly entitled to disagree with me, but the excess from proper maintenance is your seal against the bad things that will destroy the joints. Cleaning the zerks and excess off BEFORE greasing is important and probably the best way to visually confirm the grease is going where it should. As another poster said, rags are rags for a reason. I keep a few around that Ive already made stains on with something and use those where a nice white super clean rag isn’t necessary, then toss them when I use them for greasing. I’m smarter than keeping any oily ones around. I don’t like fire in places that I don’t put it. I also keep a roll of blue paper towels (because they’re tougher than regular paper towels) on the rack and two more in the cabinet for spares. I wipe the zerk, wipe the places I expect grease to ooze out, then pump until I can see it, typically 2-3 shots per pin, or 4 to the SSQA latches. Annually, I take the loader off and pressure wash it to inspect the boom and pins for wear and cracks. That is also when I clean off what grease escapes and sticks to the tractor

Tractors are noisy and dirty, kinda like most 8-12 year old kids. Unless you give a kid a lot of ‘maintenance’ they don’t usually perform as expected either. Noise and dirt aint for everyone.

 

[kenhar]

As a machinist who's made parts for worn out equipment, I disagree with that statement

Explain, please.

 

[dannyojudd]

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.

Paper rags by the box and paper towels on both sides of driveway in the barn. Hand cleaner with pump dispenser a must. I always grease in the shade so the person holding the grease gun keeps a cool head... Pistol grip Lincoln and new coupler makes it easier.

 

[not2old]

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.

Next time, get born to wealthy parents

 

[not2old]

I also store my grease guns in a 5 gal. bucket and am surprised at how much oil leaks out of the grease and collects at the bottom of the bucket.

I did some research and discovered that grease guns should be stored horizontally and not vertically. In horizontal storage, less oil will separate from the grease and the oil that does separate tends to stay in the grease tube.

I plan to now store my guns on a large cookie sheet.

Mine came with a holder similar to a fire extinguisher and I screwed a pill bottle to the wall for the drips from the nozzle.

 

[not2old]

Yes, too much grease only makes a mess and attracts dirt. Daily greasing was expected, no demanded when I ran a Cat 966 years ago. A couple pumps kept the passages clear and saved the cost and hassle of unnecessary pin and bushing replacements. My favorite gun was an Alemite that I still have today 50 years later although I more recently bought a pistol grip made of Chinesium that allows one hand operation on light duty stuff. I store mine vertical so the oil runs out and doesn't leave a trail on the garage floor.

I;m still using an Alemite about the same age. Kids gifted me a Lincoln cordless about ten years back that quit working after about the third tube. I will get around to fixing it when I find the time.

 

[rScotty]

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.

I'd like to hear more about conversion to oil lubrication. One of our old tractors has some FEL pins and bushings that are almost locked tight with hardened grease. Oil lubrication might loosen it up.
I've tried a hammer grease gun and also tried replacing the zerk with a brass fitting and tube full of penetrating oil. Neither of those tricks worked.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

I'd like to hear more about conversion to oil lubrication. One of our old tractors has some FEL pins and bushings that are almost locked tight with hardened grease. Oil lubrication might loosen it up.
I've tried a hammer grease gun and also tried replacing the zerk with a brass fitting and tube full of penetrating oil. Neither of those tricks worked.

An FEL might be too big of a heat sink for this to work successfully, but I've had success using a heat gun on a joint to get hardened grease to flow.

 

[Hodado]

I’ve always felt like I waste more than I should,never sure when to stop pumping

 

[pacosperson]

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.

A tiny amount of grease goes a long way! Make sure the article to be greased is ‘unloaded’. You want to make sure the grease goes into the side doing the most work. . Then you only have to pump enough grease into that few thousandths gap to force any old grease out. Any more is wasted extra and added mess. I think synthetic greases cleanup easier that petroleum greases.

And don’t start in the same place every time. The first ones will be greased properly, but the last ones, when your attitude is shot, will be poorly greased.

 

[rScotty]

An FEL might be too big of a heat sink for this to work successfully, but I've had success using a heat gun on a joint to get hardened grease to flow.

Well, thanks for that idea. I do have a nice industrial heat gun. I'll try that before getting out the torch.

 

[eKretz]

Lots of differing opinions here, many of which don't take into account the differing states of equipment. One guy says I only use 2 pumps, next guy uses a ton and doesn't know when to stop... Why might that be?

Generally it's because one guy has a machine with nice tight pin to bushing fit and one doesn't. You don't need much grease *if* the fits are very good. Keep them full of fresh grease and they'll stay that way a pretty long time, almost indefinitely for home use. If the fits are loose as a goose, the grease won't spread to where it's needed, it will just go to the point of least resistance and pump out the big hole. The only way that pin joint stands a chance of getting enough fresh grease where it's needed is if it gets over pumped a ton and exercised through it's full range of motion during.

So the best bet is to keep those pins and other joints greased frequently and generously unless you really want to replace them. Better too much grease than not enough. Oil is not a realistic option for a pin unless you make modifications to add a bunch of o-rings to the pins near the ends of every joint or something. Otherwise it would just instantly run out, and whatever was left would likely squeeze out.

 

[jrsavoie]

I also store my grease guns in a 5 gal. bucket and am surprised at how much oil leaks out of the grease and collects at the bottom of the bucket.

I did some research and discovered that grease guns should be stored horizontally and not vertically. In horizontal storage, less oil will separate from the grease and the oil that does separate tends to stay in the grease tube.

I plan to now store my guns on a large cookie sheet.

Laying them.on.a large cookie sheet would br storing them horizontally

 

[jrsavoie]

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.

I like the manual hand squeeze on sealed bearings. I can feel when it's full.
On my old stuff, it often takes several pumps.

My 6' mower deck is a 1986 and I've never changed a spindle or ujoint.
We grease every time we mow.

1 to 7 acres at a crack.