Here's why you grease your loader faithfully.

[redman135]

Post #1 is a classic "death by grease starvation" situation.
Have you ever heard of a machine dieing of grease poisoning? I haven't. Grease is cheap compared to the cost of repairs, but lazy and stupid are 2 things you can't beat.

 

[Looking4new]

Post #1 is a classic "death by grease starvation" situation.
Have you ever heard of a machine dieing of grease poisoning? I haven't. Grease is cheap compared to the cost of repairs, but lazy and stupid are 2 things you can't beat.

I object to that statement! I am lazy. I am so lazy that I would rather grease my loader than have to replace the pins.

 

[jeff9366]

When I grease the loader at the end of the day, the grease flows easier and it's easier to get the grease in the pins. Probably things are warmer and the grease just goes in better because of that.

I do this now for that grease reason and also since the loader is already greased when I start up again, the option NOT to grease when I use it again is gone and I am in better compliance with greasing.

DOGS: Thank you for this valuable CONTRIBUTION.

I have always greased in the morning. I am going to start greasing after loader work.

 

[k0ua]

I'm the OP on this and learned a couple of things. When I grease the loader when I'm done with it or at the end of the day, the grease flows easier and it's easier to get the grease in the pins. Probably things are warmer and the grease just goes in better because of that. I do this now for that grease reason and also since the loader is already greased when I start up again, the option NOT to grease when I use it again is gone and I am in better compliance with greasing. Just a thought I 'd pass this along.

That sounds like a very good idea. :thumbsup:

 

[Looking4new]

I grease after the loader work is done. I don't care if all the joints are slobbering grease.
It is still way easier (remember I am lazy) and cheaper (I have rather deep pockets and short arms) than replacing pins.

 

[sixdogs]

DOGS: Thank you for this valuable CONTRIBUTION.

I have always greased in the morning. I am going to try greasing after doing loader work.

I also grease my mower wheel, hubs and spindles after mowing. The grease goes in easier, probably spreads better and next time I get ready to mow, I don't have those dreaded have-to-grease-before-I-mow blues. I just hop right on and mow. I've been doing this on lots of different equipment and bearings for maybe 10 years now and in that time have never replaced a bearing or shaft or sleeve or anything.

While we're on grease, I have suggested many times to use Deere polyurea grease on loaders and backhoes, especially the buckets and booms that normally get sloppy. There is something about this grease in that it stays sticky and eliminates some or all of the bushing slop and makes everything feel much better in use. It's considered JD's "Best" grease. I understand that Kubota is now selling a polyurea grease.

 

[murph1]

Here is a list of Makers of polyurea grease Google

 

[FatTire]

Around my zerks, pins, and joints on my Kubota is sort of a mess, I never really wipe up any grease except off the zerk. It looks normal to me, but if you were going to sell a machine, how much would you clean up? I was thinking of cleaning up all the grease except within about a half inch or 3/4 inch of a working joint or a zerk. Does that sound reasonable or do more?

Should also mention that I'll probably be using the machine, and greasing, right up until it sells.

 

[sixdogs]

Around my zerks, pins, and joints on my Kubota is sort of a mess, I never really wipe up any grease except off the zerk. It looks normal to me, but if you were going to sell a machine, how much would you clean up? I was thinking of cleaning up all the grease except within about a half inch or 3/4 inch of a working joint or a zerk. Does that sound reasonable or do more?

Should also mention that I'll probably be using the machine, and greasing, right up until it sells.

That sounds reasonable to just sort of wipe it off. Make an effort to wipe around the fitting and pin areas. This way, it can be seen that it was greased yet not so much that it looks sloppy. Buyers like that.

 

[Sysop]

I generally grease at the end of the day, unless I've worked until dark.

As far as extra grease oozing at the pins, it stays there till I wash the tractor. I hit excess ooze with the power washer and clean it all off. I don't use any sort of degreaser, 3500PSI is plenty to spray it clean. If it is oozing out, there's enough grease back inside the pins to keep the water out, but I still follow up every wash with a complete greasing of everything. When I grease, I always pump it full until there is a little fresh ooze coming from the pin.

 

[Fallon]

I generally grease at the end of the day, unless I've worked until dark.

As far as extra grease oozing at the pins, it stays there till I wash the tractor. I hit excess ooze with the power washer and clean it all off. I don't use any sort of degreaser, 3500PSI is plenty to spray it clean. If it is oozing out, there's enough grease back inside the pins to keep the water out, but I still follow up every wash with a complete greasing of everything. When I grease, I always pump it full until there is a little fresh ooze coming from the pin.

Same, except my 5 to pressure washer doesn't do a great job of washing off the nasty sticky black Molly grease I use. Gets most off, but smears a lot around. Think is around the same PSI. I really want to upgrade to a heated unit like a Hotsy one of these days. They are over a grand used vs $300 for a cheap decent homeowner gas powered unit.

I cleaned & washed my L3200 before selling it. Got most of the worst of the grease & dirt crust off. But a lot returned after promptly greasing it. Personally I'd rather see a greasy tractor than a clean one when buying used
It means the previous owner greased it well. You can tell how well they greased it long term by how sloppy the pins are generally.

 

[fried1765]

Same, except my 5 to pressure washer doesn't do a great job of washing off the nasty sticky black Molly grease I use. Gets most off, but smears a lot around. Think is around the same PSI. I really want to upgrade to a heated unit like a Hotsy one of these days. They are over a grand used vs $300 for a cheap decent homeowner gas powered unit.

I cleaned & washed my L3200 before selling it. Got most of the worst of the grease & dirt crust off. But a lot returned after promptly greasing it. Personally I'd rather see a greasy tractor than a clean one when buying used
It means the previous owner greased it well. You can tell how well they greased it long term by how sloppy the pins are generally.

I have a 40 year old electric Hotsy, with 1000 psi. pressure.

I also have a 3500 psi. cold water gas powered (13HP Honda) unit.

The 3500 psi. gas powered unit does a wonderful job of smearing old grease everywhere.

The 1000 psi. Hotsy (with soap) just gets greasy things CLEAN!!

 

[PILOON]

A grease story.
In my municipality they purchased a loader with a central grease system that probably added s0m3 $3000 to the purchase.
The smart intent was that the operator would push the button and do a complete grease job at the end of his work day.
Sounds good right?
Well the operators decided that this was not in their pay grade as they were 'operators' and not mechanics.
You guessed it.
All the central systems got mysteriously damaged and no longer operational, seems that greasing was not in the union negotiated pay scale.
The loaders were auctioned off at 'giveaway prices' all needing new pins and or bushings.

 

[sixdogs]

That had to be making horrible noises ..for quite a while.

Actually , no horrible noise but a mild straining sound. Nothing that would alarm the uninitiated while even more damage was done..

 

[fatjay]

Decades of non-greese just requires a little extra elbow greese when changing pins.

https://imgur.com/7UDnmXE

https://imgur.com/G4rvqoj

 

[sd455dan]

Actually , no horrible noise but a mild straining sound. Nothing that would alarm the uninitiated while even more damage was done..

Time sure Flies Sixdogs,

I guess (would hope) all of us have greased the machines at least a few times in the last nine years.

My problem was the opposite on my old TLB.
The main pins on the backhoe bucket were totally worn out, so i made some new ones out of a large axle shaft on the lathe, then put in a spiral on the shaft and slight reduced diameter directly under the new zerk.

Merry Christmas everyone, and Hope you either have one or Santa brings a cordless grease gun... So much easier especially with a lock and lube end.

 

[grsthegreat]

I grease my loader every ten hours. Sometimes the timer goes off in the middle of the night, but I dutifully get up and grease it anyway. I go through a lot of grease.

Honestly, it’s 10 hrs of use. For instance driving around hauling log rounds for 10 hrs does not mean all zerks need to be greased. I’ve run heavy equipment for over 30 years and I grease according to use. I may be wrong, but I’ve never had anything damaged. Ever.