Greasing tips for an absolute beginner?

[plowhog]

I've greased my MF GC1710 a few times, using a hand held grease pump and lithium based grease. I'm about to take delivery of another tractor, a MF 1758. I want to upgrade my grease knowledge and capability.

I only have a manual grease gun now. I'm considering a Dewalt 20V portable electric grease gun. And just ordered a locknlube fitting.

Somewhere I ready "moly" grease is better? What is that? And I read to wear gloves and use eye protection in case of a high pressure leak.

What else might you know or recommend? And how often do most folks grease? My dealer said every 10 hours. I read here some people grease after every use?

 

[Looking4new]

Winter time plowing snow with the FEL I grease every other time. It take me 3-5 hours to plow everything I do. IF I am snowblowing, then every time I use the blower I grease it. The entire tractor including the loader gets greased every spring and fall. This is in addition to the every other use grease job on the loader.

 

[90cummins]

I've greased my MF GC1710 a few times, using a hand held grease pump and lithium based grease. I'm about to take delivery of another tractor, a MF 1758. I want to upgrade my grease knowledge and capability.

I only have a manual grease gun now. I'm considering a Dewalt 20V portable electric grease gun. And just ordered a locknlube fitting.

Somewhere I ready "moly" grease is better? What is that? And I read to wear gloves and use eye protection in case of a high pressure leak.

What else might you know or recommend? And how often do most folks grease? My dealer said every 10 hours. I read here some people grease after every use?

Moly is an additive added to grease that increases the load carrying capability of grease and is recommended for loader pins and heavy equipment in general.

The Moly plates the wear surfaces preventing wear during extreme pressure and slow sliding conditions found in loader pins.
I've used Tractor Supply Moly grease with good results.
I have used it for many years with no issues.
90cummins

 

[RNeumann]

I was in the same boat- wanting to use a good product and be safe doing so. The Lucas Red N Tacky gets high praise and is available at Amazon and HD plus several local stores. HD is the cheapest I've seen at about $4.59 each. Folks who know a lot more than me will have more technical knowledge but the main issue with tractors is the type of load. The FEL etc sees impacts unlike a wheel bearing or other car parts. Because of this the grease needs additives that are designed for the impacts.

The gloves you want are made of nitrile. They can be had at Amazon, HD and most auto parts stores. Eye protection is always recommended.

 

[Paul Thornton]

Every 10 hours.

 

[Captain Dirty]

What else might you know or recommend? And how often do most folks grease? My dealer said every 10 hours. I read here some people grease after every use?

Your owner's manual probably has a recommendation for grease, most likely an EP (Extreme Pressure) moly. Using that grease, the 10-hr recommendation should be OK. Old timers say the grease doesn't matter as much as religiously doing it often (daily, i.e. 8 hrs). Grease is cheap; parts are expensive. You can probably grease every fitting in less time than it would take to replace a pin or a PTO U-joint.

With attachments like the backhoe I grease all fittings and exercise full range of motion before demounting and after remounting.

 

[Fallon]

Molly is nasty black sticky stuff that gets everywhere & is a pain to get off... Makes for a good grease additive, but not so good for clothes & staining.

Unless you have a bolt or seal more grease & more often greasing is never a bad thing. Don't blow out seals on your steering gear with to much grease. Nothing on your loader has any seals on the joints. Otherwise greasing at least every 10 hours is good. It lubes up the joints & forces contaminants out. Worst case is you just get things a bit dirty & greasy outside the joint where it only looks bad but doesn't matter.

I use a Molly grease. But using the "wrong" grease every 10 hours will be far better in the long run than the "right" grease every 15-20 hours. Most greases will be fine, but check with your manufacturers recommendation. Stick wit 1 kind of grease as in theory some greases aren't compatible. As a matter of practice an occasional switch is very unlikely to cause a problem if you grease often.

 

[Texasmark]

1. Go to HF or Lowes and get a box of 100 ea. 5 mil. nyquil (spelling) blue "rubber" gloves, about $9 and worth every penny......be sure to watch for your size. Before you touch anything put a pair on.

2. That gooey crap will get on anything and everything around you when using it. Expect it.

Now that you are adequately indoctrinated, you can proceed with the answers to your questions.

 

[s219]

One thing I learned is that grease is a heck of a lot cheaper by the pail. I noticed the rate at which I was using/buying tubes and invested in a 5-gal pail. That will last me a long while.

 

[Brazos by Nemo]

Since everyone covered the greasing question I will add I have the 20v DeWalt grease gun you mentioned and it is great.