How do you wash your tractor??

[tugboat-2]

Yes I wash and polish my "truck" too,...BUT, while digging my pond,(summer of 2007)...I had to "waller" around in a foot or so of "thick-gray-clay-soup" for quite a few days in a row. First night I came in tired and left it to dry. Next day the entire under-carriage including things like power steering rams, tie-rod ends, CV(type)-joints, tire valves and many other items like brake and motion-pedal linkage etc,....were solidly encased in "concrete". Even standing on your head directing a power-washer won't disolve that stuff once dry!!!

Oh sure, I could have driven around till all the important stuff cracked, split and fell off in little chunks,...but the damage that "might" do, will actually "hurt" me as bad as hitting a rough R/R crossing or bad pothole with my truck,..(and yes I'm the PITA that hits the four-ways and "crawls" over the track and swerves to miss the potholes!!!!!)(Sorry boys but aside from a sort of "personal" connection to my "stuff", it has to last me a long, long time,....I hope!) Besides, I'm proud of my truck and tractor, and like to keep 'em clean. If that makes me a wierdo,..then, so be it, Amen.

So after that experience, I never shut down for the night without first parking over the lawn sprinkler a while, then garden-hosing the rest. My 3520-Cab has never shown any negative signs from having water sprayed "up" from the ground.

ALSOif your interested?) This week I put 6" wheel spacers on each rear wheel. I look forward to the extra room back there to get the power-wash nozzle in under where it was so tight and awkward before. Oh yes my "tiltmetre/inclinometre"(Cdn spelling) still lays right on over on the banks, but,...yes, yes,...my pucker has greatly lessened its factor most considerbly!! (Results: no longer hang clean undies on the FWD lever)

CHEERS !
. . tug

[workmytractor]

We get a good rain around here every now and then...that's when my vehicles get a wash. If my tractor is lucky enough it will be out of the barn during the ocational down poor

[BigD23]

I carefully wash with an electric powerwasher...So far, so good.

Don

[bughouser]

I live in the woods and the dirt, my barn has a dirt floor and my yard is not paved, so if I wash any equipment I end up with a muddy mess. Sometimes I blow off with air. Mark

[MtnViewRanch]

Originally Posted by bughouser

I live in the woods and the dirt, my barn has a dirt floor and my yard is not paved, so if I wash any equipment I end up with a muddy mess. Sometimes I blow off with air. Mark

I have the same problem, but I still wash em. I just let them set awhile before I move them out of the muddy area and I walk them out very slowly.

[Grrrr]

Ours get a steam clean with a Karcher Steam cleaner (electric pump / diesel heater) whenever they look dirty or more often then not when we fuel up.

Spend a lot of time on the road and at other farms so better present a good image with our name on the side of the tractor.

But I don't really even think where I spray with the steam cleaner, just give any muddy areas a real good blasting and spray lightly over electric looking things.

This is with full size ag tractors though, maybe they stand up to this abuse more!

But I treat the lawnmower in the same way, that gets a good steaming.

The steam also drys out much quicker, so they are not left dripping wet.

[Tig]

I do pressure wash mine on occasion but I can't say that I am too fussy on the painted parts. I usually clean the snow and dirt off with a broom before I park it inside. Where I do have an odd obsession is keeping the mechanical parts and the engine clean. When I first bought the tractor I cleaned the engine with a tooth brush. Now I keep it clean with a rag. Just about every time I life the hood something gets wiped. Helps me spot the little things before they cause problems.

[Kubota-guy1911]

I blow mine out with compressed air, especially the mower deck and radiator screens before it goes in the shed. I don't use water unless it's muddy, which doesn't happen often. I do wash down areas with spray degreaser as needed before I open any hydraulic fittings or fuel fittings. Gotta keep dirt out of the inside. Also gotta keep the cooling fins on the hydrostat area behind the fan blade clean to keep hydraulic oil temperature from getting hot enough to break it down. I carefully inspect for leaks too. In winter I will broom off any snow before it goes back in the shed.

kj

[ampsucker]

obviously, most of you do not have young kids!

i'm lucky to wash and wax each vehicle once a year. (not counting the occasional trip through the auto car wash to blast off the bugs.)

just gave the kubota it's annual pressure washing due to the plugged radiator screen and massive amounts of dust from tilling up the orchard.

amp

[CAB/AIR5225]

I will power wash mine 3 or 4 times a year, then use the gas blower to dry out electronics, engine parts, then hit everything with the grease gun and WD40.