How do you take care of your tractor?

[Fredartic]

I just wait for my brand new tractor; my first of all... I'm so excited. I want to take care of my tractor. What are your recommandations? Which products do you use for the body? The tires? The seat? Oil? Grease? What is it recommanded to grease?

thank you

 

[john_bud]

Get yourself 2 quality grease guns. The normal side lever type and a pistol grip one. Buy high quality grease. Follow the MFG rec's for all fluids.

Have the dealer show you each and every grease and lube point along with each filter, drain and fill point. Have him show you how to recover from running out of fuel. Also have him show you how to clean the screens for the radiator and how to do the daily 8hr maintenance items. Get the operators manual and read it. Get the service manual and read it.

I use field dust to gently coat the body. Gooey mud for the tires & wheels, some times stinky organics will be used to coat the tires for more formal occasions. My butt polishes the seat, sometimes for hours on end.

enjoy!

jb

 

[RalphVa]

I normally clean the tractor with air pressure. Every so often, I wax the body and wheels. Use ArmorAll on the tires and plastic seat. Before waxing and ArmorAlling, I'll wash it with water and autowash soap. I use silicone spray on the 3ph rotation points.

I use Mobil 1 5w30 in the engine (EM says they're shipping out 0w30 all over the country; will be looking for it and check to see if it's diesel rated like the 5w30 and 5w40), changed yearly.

For hydraulic oil and filters, I buy these at the dealer. Be sure and save the filter boxes and take them next time you do a change. The dealer goofed last time on my hydraulic filter.

For the front end gear oil, any 90w or 85-140 will do. I've changed it once at the 50 hour mark and probably won't do it again unless or until any seals start showing some leakage. (I've never changed the transmission oil or gear oil in my VW nor my Toyota at near 100k and 150k miles on them. No leakage and no filters in manual transmissions. Only changed the Benz transmission and gear oil when the seals started slinging a tad. Change stopped the slinging.)

For hydraulic oil, you need to follow the scheduled maintenance. Main reason is to keep the filter from collapsing due to crud or water collection. Initially, the change (usually at 50 hours) is done to get rid of collected metal shavings.

Ralph

 

[jbrumberg]

I have read some posts indicating that ArmorAll leads to increased degradation of rubber products, but I do not use the stuff. I do follow the previous posters' general recommendations and I keep my radiators and outer air filter clean with air pressure and soapy water for the radiators when rotary cutting my fields. A rain shower or two keeps that patina of field dust looking good. My dog likes to put a little scent on the R-1's . good luck with your new tractor. Use it safely and well. Get it dirty and send us pictures- we like pictures. Jay

 

[pitt_md]

Get yourself 2 quality grease guns. The normal side lever type and a pistol grip one. Buy high quality grease. Follow the MFG rec's for all fluids.

Have the dealer show you each and every grease and lube point along with each filter, drain and fill point. Have him show you how to recover from running out of fuel. Also have him show you how to clean the screens for the radiator and how to do the daily 8hr maintenance items. Get the operators manual and read it. Get the service manual and read it.

I use field dust to gently coat the body. Gooey mud for the tires & wheels, some times stinky organics will be used to coat the tires for more formal occasions. My butt polishes the seat, sometimes for hours on end.
enjoy!

jb

I do store my tractor inside and follow the owners manual for recomended maintenence.
I take Johns approach to the cosmetics. But my tractor is two years old now. When I first had it I have to admit I washed it before taking it to church.

 

[Charlesaf3]

I wash my tractor regularly.

Every time it rains.

 

[Fredartic]

Of course I will put here pictures of my tractor... I'm supposed to get it in 2 or 3 weeks... It's a Cat, a CT-122 Bobcat.

 

[rcrcomputing]

I'm beginning to understand why some of the pictures that get posted never show grease around the pivot points. Wax your tractor? Ummm, what about the scratches from using it? You tractors do have scratches from limbs etc.. Don't they? Say they do... This is getting weird..

I've lot's of grease that squeeze out protecting the joints from getting dirt in them. I grease often.
I also strongly suggest keeping the tractor under cover. The sun steals the shine off it. And seems to make the seats more brittle.

Would like to know what would be good to get the black that the exhaust puts on the loader arms off. Haven't really tried but it seems stuck on there pretty good.

 

[browns40]

Hi Fred,

Congratulations on entering the exciting world of tractor owning/operating!

#1. Read the manual. Read the manual. Read the manual. Get to know your machine.

Take the manual to the machine and familiarize yourself with what you learned about reading the manual. Check the torques listed in the manual for everything listed. Check them at the intervals the manual states you should. Note the locations of all the grease zerks, fluid checks, and drain & fill points.

Get the fluids & filters the manual calls for (or equivalents), and the tools needed to change them. Change them at the intervals the manual specifies--Some do right away to get out any "post manufacturing" bits floating around in the first fluids.

Personally, I clean the outside of the engine as often as possible, for the same reasons you do any engine... compressed air usually, with water when needed... engines cool better without an insulating layer on them.

I probably have a DSM condition when it comes to maintaining vehicles... also the compulsive tool-buying... but it keeps them running smooth.

It is a machine, like a car or truck, outboard, generator, furnace, etc... get to know your machine & follow the maintenance guidelines outlined in the manual and it should give you years of trouble-free service.

Did I mention the manual???

 

[Reg]

A driveway ornament, is a driveway ornament, is a driveway ornament, is a...
SUVs, Boats, Winni_won'tgo, hardlydoesn'trun, etc. these are for posing, waxing and impressing the (equally weak minded) neighbors.

A tractor is just that; use it, abuse it, park it out of sight behind the barn until you're ready to use it, abuse it,,,, again and again.
BTW, oil and grease as required by the maintenance schedule, see owner's handbook for details - 6th grade reading skills may be required and perhaps the ability to understand a poorly translated Asian language.