How do you clean your greasy loader pivots?

[Shawn T. W.]

While my little tractor is no garage queen, and I'm not home a lot, so I rarely get a chance to "clean", just use!

A few weeks ago … I decided to give my Little Baby Fergie a good clean up ...the grease migrates out of loader pivot points when I get into heavier brush and makes a mess!

I went through nearly a roll of paper towels cleaning the grease, grime, and weeds out, then sprayed it down wiped some more ... Then washed with a cloth and dawn dish soap …

Not perfect, but a lot less likely to grease up my clothes!

Since she was mostly clean, and it had been over a year since I had waxed her ... I put some shine on her! Yes, it's a work tractor!

While I have sporadically cleaned and waxed "around" the greasy spots in the last 39 months since I bought it, I have never been shy about greasing in the 669 hours of use ... Has more now!

But the next time through the brush, I'll probably be running branches up through the pivot points and spreading grease ... Is there a way to prevent that? Or is it just the way it is?

Is there a good way, other than a STEAM cleaner to remove the old stuck on grease and gunk? (I couldn't get it all off!) I'm thinking “clean more often”?

 

[TerryR]

I don't.

 

[tacticalturnip]

As I said on GTT, I clean the excess grease off of my tractor by wearing my best shirt near it.

It is guaranteed to work every time.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Pump more grease in and leave it. Grease prevents rust

 

[Wagtail]

In all of the years that I've my 4105 (new, Feb '13) I have never cleaned any of the excess grease resulting from a grease nipple/zerk.

If there's a nipple, it gets grease. If it moves, but doesn't have a nipple, it gets a good spray of lanolin lubricant.

I may have washed it once... when I was young. It lives in an open-bay shed.

 

[billybobjimmyjoejack]

I have been using commercial grade Oven/Griddle cleaner like is used in restaurants. Spray on and rinse off. Grease, oil and dirt just wash away. If there is really thick grease some brushing is necessary. Be careful some paints can be removed with this product, usually rattle can or fresher paint.

 

[Runner]

I use diesel fuel and LOTS of cloth rags. I also agree with the idea that grease prevents rust so tend to leave the extra on there until it starts to get excessive. I believe using any kind of pressure washer on greased joints is asking for trouble, so I just wipe it down by hand.

It helps if you keep it cleaned up while you are greasing, rather than just letting what squishes out stay there. Even at that, I always try to leave a little on there.

Just for information, I had a hard time removing exhaust stains from my hood, but found that Turtle Wax liquid car wax removes it quickly.

 

[big bubba]

Power wash for me is the clear winner. once a year. i wouldn't make a big deal of it.

 

[nyone]

Power wash for me is the clear winner. once a year. i wouldn't make a big deal of it.

I have done this and it tends to blow appart the grease but then spreads it all over the machine.

What's the best way..idk as I dont clean mine like that.

 

[big bubba]

I have done this and it tends to blow appart the grease but then spreads it all over the machine.

What's the best way..idk as I dont clean mine like that.

i usually apply copious amt of Simple Green, let soak a while then pw. wipe down any excess afterword. but i only do once annually. i never was bothered with excess grease, best regards

 

[bdhsfz6]

On the rare occasion I clean greased pivot points, I use a power washer with a Rotox nozzle. Not sure why but it doesn't splatter the grease as much as a standard nozzle. I still do it away from other equipment and wear old clothes though.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

As I said on GTT, I clean the excess grease off of my tractor by wearing my best shirt near it.

It is guaranteed to work every time.

I immediately started laughing when I read your response as I can't count the times that I have turned a nice shirt into a work shirt by just doing something as simple as loading a roll of hay for someone on the way out somewhere, only to realize that I had brushed up against some grease off of the tractor or loader.

 

[chim]

Every few years when there are big globs - I don nitrile gloves, grab a roll of paper towels and a wooden paint stir stick. The wooden stick scrapes the globs off without scratching the paint. It is also useful as a "ramrod" to push a wad of paper towels through tighter spaces. After the worst is off a spray of purple cleaner massaged with an old paint brush and a rinse.

 

[Hoobie]

As I said on GTT, I clean the excess grease off of my tractor by wearing my best shirt near it.

It is guaranteed to work every time.

Excellent thinking. I use my hair, ears and other body parts while working around my tractor. Then my wife cleans me up.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Just for information, I had a hard time removing exhaust stains from my hood, but found that Turtle Wax liquid car wax removes it quickly.

I use that Dawn Platinum Power Wash shown above on the exhaust on the underside of my loader arm where it points when the bucket is flat on the ground, and I start it, it sends out a puff of black smoke, and soots it up!

Spray on, wait 30 seconds, wipe off with paper towel.

 

[grsthegreat]

I tend to clean mine, otherwise grease seems to get onto my windows while raising loader. I use pressure washer followed by simple green. Takes it right off.

 

[Molalla1]

Just wipe off the excess grease while you are at it and be done with it your greasing points love it (the grease) . . . from your pics it looks like you have rubbed off the plating of your cylinder rods a bit . . . j/k but it is coming off.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

That's just the painted ends of the cylinder ... Driving through my "Pasture" trying to reclaim it was tough on it ... With the brush/branches getting wedged in, ripped through ... Since I just bought this place, I had no Idea what was out there, found lots of "stuff" the bucket was a handy "feeler" ...

Lots of this rotten multi-flora roses to deal with ... But I gotten rid of most of them!

 

[RayIN]

Using loader as feeler;
Ya, Shawn I once high-centered my HF TO 30 on a tree stump when bush hogging, it's a good thing Ferguson makes the oil pan from cast iron. That was the last time that stump caused a problem. ¼ stick of dynamite removed it, all I had to do was pull it to the nearest sink-hole.

 

[DanBick]

That's just the painted ends of the cylinder ... Driving through my "Pasture" trying to reclaim it was tough on it ... With the brush/branches getting wedged in, ripped through ... Since I just bought this place, I had no Idea what was out there, found lots of "stuff" the bucket was a handy "feeler" ...

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Lots of this rotten multi-flora roses to deal with ... But I gotten rid of most of them!

Shawn TW, you and your little Fergy are a glowing testament to the quality and durability of current production Massey Fergusons,