Anyone leave their tractor out in the weather?

[homeputter]

I am getting tired of running outside to cover my bx25 with a tarp everytime it threatens rain. It does not rain in Phoenix very often but still... The desert sun is probably harder on the tractor than the rain.
The dealers leave them out in the weather on their lots.

Anyone else leave their tractors out in the open?
Any suggestions on cheap carport kits?
Thanks

 

[rekees4300]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/178200-leaving-tractor-outside-elements.html

 

[CTMassey]

great link rekees4300......all the dealers here in CT have their stock outside,including the one I bought mine from......thru rain,wind, and snow. I'm keeping mine in a "shelter logic" type storage shed with hopes of a pole barn some day. It keeps the major weather off it and was cheep(free from a friend, but around $500 new)

 

[Carykong]

I keep a cheap tarp behind the seat and cover my tractor often rather than driving it back to the barn. saves fuel. Its a small step,only takes about a minute to perform. BTW,no need to tarp the whole tractor,just the top to minimize solar damage and rain falling on the dash and working valve levers,etc.

 

[mostly_gas]

Not a bad idea to cover shift levers as well. At least on some models poor fitting shift lever boots let water into trannie oil. Don't ask me how I know

 

[Qapla]

Our tractor lives outside. It has not suffered any major problems from this life. The other thread had some interesting comments ... but on I will comment on ...

Things last so much longer with a roof over them...uv is a biggie, and any crud that falls on the machine(needles, leaves and such) seems to hold water against the finish. A little lumber and a Saturday worth of time will go a long way in keeping your new machine looking lovely.

It may be true that a roof would be nice and one can be built in short order ... however, it is not as simple as a "Saturday worth of time". Around here any flat (or slanted/peaked/or anything that could be defined by the County as a roofor deck) that is more then 32" off the ground requires a permit!

To get the permit, you must submit an engineering plan complete with load rates and wind sheer calculations. These formulas are nearly impossible to do yourself - you need to be an engineer or an architect.

So, perhaps your friend/neighbor has already built one ... just borrow his plans and submit them ... Not So Fast ... they put a stop to that too because each plan must have an ORIGINAL signature on it. The engineer/architect will charge you the same for that signature as he will to draw a new plan.

If you get caught with the roof up and no permit you can just pay the fine and it will be OK ... NOT ... they can fine you, make you pay for the permit you should have had and make you tear it down. Then make you submit the paperwork for a new permit complete with the fee for the permit ... then they can "hold the permit" before issuing it or refuse to issue if they feel like it.

So ... our tractor lives outside and works just fine.

 

[Steave]

I leave mine outside with a semi-heavy piece of rubber across it starting in front of the gauges and going back covering seat. That covers the shifter, gauges, seat and the hydraulic lift. I bought used a million years ago and thats probably how its spent it's life. It's a 66' year. I do clean and throw a fresh coat of paint on the wheels and rims about every 5 years. The only time its inside is for repairs.

It's parked in the same place each time so I throw the mat over and a little weight thing when I'm done. Only takes a minute.

 

[robs660]

I kicked my wife out of the garage and my B20 has been in there ever since. I like peaking in on her at night sometimes. Kind of like checking on my daughter sleeping.

 

[MasseyWV]

My tractor is in the garage, and that's where it's going to stay.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Leaving the tractors outside will be ok but like with anything the elements will wear on it over time. The sun will be the worst enemy for you. It will ruin the rubber, vinyl and plastics as well as beat the paint. If you had two identical tractors and used them the same way every day but parked one inside when not in use and the other outside then after 5 years the tractor inside would still look great while the tractor outside would look much older then the other.

I try to keep all my tractors inside but currently have 2 tractors parked in fields as well as an excavator as that is where I am using them and there is no barn there yet. The rest of them are parked inside as well as a bunch of my implements. So if you could just build a simple roof over yours it would help a lot. Even a canopy on your tractor would help protect the operators platform from a lot of the sun damage.