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

[jrsavoie]

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.

I tried 3 Licolns and got my money back after the third

 

[just_Dave]

Not an expert but was in another thread reading the type aka makeup of the grese needs to be compatible with what is already in the machine, so avoiding mixing of different brands and staying with what is recommend by the manufacture is and can be a good thing. this is related to the quality or brand wise.

in terms of using it assuming the part isn't past it's prime is epic important, pins on a bucket depending on the environment could need to be lubed every few hrs. drivelines on a tractor every day to few days might be way more then needed but not enough in wet muddy areas..

In terms of staying clean... hot pressure washer is great in getting the device clean and then being reasonable on keeping it clean with a rag, towl, etc and yes dirt on the hands is handy way to clean up.

 

[eKretz]

I have a DeWalt electric grease gun and it has been great. I'm not sure why some guys make a big deal about whether a gun is manual or electric. I can pump just as slowly with the electric as I can with the manual. The electric is nicer for quickly running through a machine with a lot of zerks. One hand connects the line to the fitting, the other hits the trigger. Pop it off, move to the next and do it again. No hand repositioning. With a manual gun you have to remove that hand from the fitting and use two hands to pump. On a machine with 30+ fittings that can add a bit of time and even more mess.

 

[Merck]

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.

You should be glad they still put grease fittings on them. Within the next few years I expect to see them disappear just like they did on cars and pickups. Of course in the case of cars and pickups most people never greased them anyway. I hope it isn't the same for tractor owners.

 

[ning]

I have a cheapazz grease gun I got from the local napa auto parts, or maybe HF idk, and I don't have a problem using it with one hand. Lock n' Lube at the end of a short flexible hose and I manage just fine.
The gun does get messy in storage, so it sits in an ancient coffee can.

 

[dodge man]

I just greased my tractor today and ran out on the last zerk. I don’t usually have to bleed air out but today I did. I circled the bleed screw in red and it took me a few minutes to get it going. I use about 5 to 6 clicks of the gun when I grease. It doesn’t put out a lot with a click, about how much toothpaste I would squeeze out.

 

[Squirrel's242]

I have a DeWalt electric grease gun and it has been great. I'm not sure why some guys make a big deal about whether a gun is manual or electric. I can pump just as slowly with the electric as I can with the manual. The electric is nicer for quickly running through a machine with a lot of zerks. One hand connects the line to the fitting, the other hits the trigger. Pop it off, move to the next and do it again. No hand repositioning. With a manual gun you have to remove that hand from the fitting and use two hands to pump. On a machine with 30+ fittings that can add a bit of time and even more mess.

Not necessarily. The pistol grip manual models allow one handed pumping. I'm one handed and aint got a choice to use two. But point taken on the quickness of an electric model, especially with a large number of zerks to get to.

 

[ultrarunner]

I had to buy a pistol grip because some are too awkward to grease with one hand holding the fitting.

As a kid my uncle greased his sickle bar mower every morning as he let the diesel warm up…

Later I greased all the fittings in my Model A’s… even the brake and clutch pedals have grease fittings… water pump has a grease cup.

My Bridgeport has a single pump to grease all… works well.

The large back gate at the farm wouldn’t budge with the opener… seller said she could not open it… it’s was very difficult but once I did grade it no more problem.

 

[gckshea]

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.

Buck up, Buttercup. Not really anything but a First World problem.

 

[NUTTERDW]

If my hands are greasy I just pick up a handful of dry dirt and scrub them like washing my hands. The dirt absorbs the grease and the dirt wipes off my hands easily. If one handful isn’t enough I do a second round. Dad always said that grease is cheaper than parts.

One thing I have learned to do is grease what ever I am using when I finish while I am dusty or dirty from the days work, then it is ready to go the next time I use it. If it has been a period of time I usually hit it with a few pumps of new grease before I start work.