Grease shortage

[LouNY]

It sounds like you may have found what you need but;
Schaeffer’s Polyurea Grease for Electric Motors | Buy1Oils

 

[Torvy]

The manufacturing problem is a lot like the great TP shortage during the troubles.

The factories for producing grease have a fixed capacity X tubes per hour. They can make the same amount summer or winter. If they built more capacity to meet summer demand, they would have equipment and people sitting idle in the winter. It would also increase costs which would roll down to prices.

Even if the corporations who make it were OK with it, they are driven by stockholders and cannot always do what seems to make sense in a way a sole proprietor might.

I see a lot of good advice about stocking up a bit in the off-season. I would add that those of us who don't NEED any right now should take a deep breath and not exacerbate the problem by trying to stock up now.

 

[Hay Dude]

Update: Not out of the woods yet. Got 2 boxes from UPS today. Both from O’Reilly. Not very heavy. Each box had only 3 single tubes in them. Not the 40 tubes I expected….

 

[Southernspeed]

Update: Not out of the woods yet. Got 2 boxes from UPS today. Both from O’Reilly. Not very heavy. Each box had only 3 single tubes in them. Not the 40 tubes I expected….

That's not a good sign!

 

[3930dave]

I found the compatible grease I need to use, but it wasn’t easy. Theres no way to mix greases and guarantee success, so it took a lot of investigating to find it.

Not being able to find one of the most common grease brands each year gets stressful. Theres no reason for this.

Up here in Canada, we have our priorities straight...... you can buy dope on every third street corner. Reliably stock Industrial Supplies..... that's so 1950, why bother.

I first heard about this grease shortage talking with the Parts Mgr at the local Intl dealer, back to March.

I used to joke about Things Grinding to A Halt.......

I need to joke less.

Rgds, D.

 

[Hay Dude]

Up here in Canada, we have our priorities straight...... you can buy dope on every third street corner. Reliably stock Industrial Supplies..... that's so 1950, why bother.

I first heard about this grease shortage talking with the Parts Mgr at the local Intl dealer, back to March.

I used to joke about Things Grinding to A Halt.......

I need to joke less.

Rgds, D.

You set the trends, we follow.
This new progressive, administrative state we have here now is really soweeeeeet !!!!!!!

 

[WM75Guy]

It’s a bit smaller than one on a mining machine. Holds about 15 tubes of grease. Krone gives you a special loader for it. You put the tube in the loader, pull plunger back and push the tube of grease into a 1” opening, then push the plunger in from the back to push the grease into the reservoir.

It’s typical for me to push 5-10 tubes into it. Has a “low grease” warning on the monitor in the cab.

Any way to use a 35# bucket with a manual pump? Or an air pump if you have air in the field. Would be the equivalent of 40 tubes at $5.43 a tube, not counting the one time cost of the pump.

 

[ruffdog]

A fire that levels a grease manufacturing plant will put a dent into the supply chain....

Chemtool fire causes potential grease shortage

 

[Hay Dude]

Any way to use a 35# bucket with a manual pump? Or an air pump if you have air in the field. Would be the equivalent of 40 tubes at $5.43 a tube, not counting the one time cost of the pump.

View attachment 811373View attachment 811374

Yeah, no.
The device Krone gives you a special tool to load the grease. It won’t work with that. It uses tubes only.
Besides, I’m not into lugging the heavy thing around up a ladder and into the baling chamber.
Heck a battery powered grease gun is enough of a PITA.
That would be nice for a shop , but not so much in the field.

I’m sticking with tubes. Hopefully more coming, but losing faith.