Tractors and Grease . . how to make it less messy.

[chim]

When I get grease on a shirt that matters I use either brake cleaner or 2+2. I lightly stretch the cloth over whatever is handy that will keep it fairly flat and hit the spot with a jet of cleaner.

 

[Burtonbr]

I keep a box of nitrile (replaced latex) gloves handy. I put a pair on, grease the tractor/bush hog/chipper (etc) and all is done without much hassle.
.

Hard to keep it off the equipment but wearing disposable gloves helps a lot to keep it from getting everywhere else, I don't mind greasing joints as much since I started using these gloves last year.

 

[MF283]

.
When you grease your machine ,just before the grease comes out to meet you there is a (usually, not always) "crackle" sound as the air is forced out of the joint being greased. Stopping at this point means less over greasing and less clean up.

2nd this, even though i'm hard of hearing, i can hear that, surprisingly. In warmer temps the grease will spread around easily, not so much in colder temps. It's amazing how grease seems to windup in spot's nowhere near where you greased it to get on clothes & body parts & it usually happens when you have on decent clothes & just needed to do a small chore & not when your out really working the equipment:confused3:

Ronnie

 

[Deezl Smoke]

Regardless of what size tractor you own or will own . . grease is an integral part of tractor use . . tractor maintenance . . and regular cleanup of grease.

Unlike many other machines . . Motorcycles, jetskis, snowmobiles, even lawnmowers . . tractors require regular greasing of zirks in front end loaders, mower decks, the tractor itself, and many other implements.

Too little grease and you age your equipment . . too much grease and you have dirt catching and aging grease waiting to harden or color your hands, tools, and clothes.


Im hoping some of you might have some good insights in determining how often to grease items. Also some ideas on cleanup and choices of grease for different uses and purposes.

Here are some of mine.

A. When ever we get fast food and there are left over napkins . . instead of putting them in the trash I stick them in a large zip lock bag I keep in the truck. I use them liberally on large deposits of grease or oily items and then I switch to Grime Boss hand wipes for cleaning hands and finer deposits on equipment. Grime Boss wipes have heavy grease cutting ingredients even better than "orange cleaners" etc..

B. Blue Dawn works good for final phase hand cleaning and also when cleaning tooth brushes used to clean greasy tight spots etc..

I rarely use paper towels or cloth towels on grease because accumulated grease accumulates sand, grit and dirt.

I rarely use the cheapest grease because it seems to dry out faster around the zirks and doesn't hold up well from sun in my experience.

I'm planning on getting a couple locknload zirk connectirs because they are much easier to attach and detach from zirks.

Lastly, I'm not fond of cleaning equipment but I've found grease is a magnet for sand particles and grit and leaving that accumulation around bearing surfaces is just not healthy for the equipment . . So every 45 or 60 days I try to eliminate the excess accumulated grease (the very same grease that shows us we pumped in enough to stop). Odd isn't it . . We need it as an indicator yet leaving it there lobg term can cause problems.

Obviously others must have some good tricks and technics for greasing and grease cleanup . . lets hear em

My methods are very similar to yours. Though I do use the blue paper shop towels even though they seem spendy, they do 10 times the work as regular paper towels and napkins.

I never buy cheap grease. I have 2 main lithium greases that I stick with. Bigfoot orange and Universal Lubricants blue "21C". Bigfoot for anything that spins or rotates fast like splined shafts, and blue for most all else. But those are just my preferences and I know there are many that prefer moly greases and other types.

As far as the extra bit of grease around the seals and purge lines, I dont like to clean it all off. It may seem that it attracts dirt and grit, but only on the outside of the grease as the dirt and grit does not work into the grease, it just sticks to the outside. But I do try to keep any purged grease to a minimum on the outside, using the blue paper towels. One thing that is a 100% sure bet in life is that no matter where that grease is, no matter how hard I try to avoid it, it WILL get on my somehow and I will not see it till I get into a pickup and see it on the seat or seat belt later. By then..................I need blood pressure meds by the pound, not milligram.

Some people like grease on every pin. I recently bought a Kubota B2650 with the BH77. The dealer put never seize on the hoe mounting pins and loader mounting pins. I hate this. Those pins are not sealed in any way and the never seize actually does attract dirt and grit into the mating surfaces which will cause it to wear faster than a dry pin.

WD-40 is a great cleaner of grease. I buy it on sale at costco or other discount stores and use it a l ot for cutting grease and grime as well as initial hand cleaner, then finish with a citrus hand cleaner.

For some reason though, I dont mind grease on me as much as diesel or gear lube. I tend to go to more effort to keep diesel and gear lube cleaned up than grease, and keep it off of me when possible.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Last time I greased, I had to put a new tube into the grease gun. Just as I was about to screw the lid back on, I bumped the plunger and it popped loose from the retainer and started pushing the black lithium grease all over the place. Wasteful I can handle, but the mess from this was incredible; it makes a little bit squeezing out around the joints and seals look totally insignificant.

 

[Egon]

Grease has a natural affinity for all those places it becomes an unwanted product. If old dirty coveralls or overhauls are worn the situation becomes quite acceptable as grease will go unoticed.

 

[ray66v]

WD-40 is a great cleaner of grease.

The reason WD-40 is good at cutting grease, removing price tags, and tar, is, it's mostly solvent. Solvent, with a drop of oil in it.
That's why it's a lousy lubricant. Because, being mostly solvent, it evaporates.

Buying solvent, in a WD-40 can is by far, the most expensive way to purchase it.

You can buy wax and grease remover, or even mineral spirits, for far less money. And, it does come in aerosol cans, if you have to have it that way.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Cut the end off an old white cotton sock and use it to sheath the grease gun body. Youll be surprised how much grease they will absorb before they must be replaced.

 

[newbury]

When I get grease on a shirt that matters I use either brake cleaner or 2+2. I lightly stretch the cloth over whatever is handy that will keep it fairly flat and hit the spot with a jet of cleaner.

I try to not wear shirts that matter, especially if grease will be involved.

Hard to keep it off the equipment but wearing disposable gloves helps a lot to keep it from getting everywhere else, I don't mind greasing joints as much since I started using these gloves last year.

The gloves are a key part of my equipment, usually from Harbor Freight.

I try to set up a "schedule" to grease by, like every 10 hours of use, and use that as an "outer limit". Then as soon as it is convenient and about half way to the "outer limit" I look for opportunity to grease. So if I just put about 6 hours on the clock and it's the end of the work period I try to fill it up. Pump till it crackles or oozes.

 

[TMGT]

My preference is moly (actually the Wal-Mart brand is excellent) and that suff doesn't like to come off, good for the joints, not so good for my clothes and hands. I try to use gloves when I can, blue Scott's towels are excellent.