How do you wash your tractor??

[HCJ]

We have no well and no electricity at our 300 acre hunting property. I have built a pole barn to store our equipment and now have a 250 gallon aboveground cistern to collect rainwater, so water is now available. I have a small Honda water pump (WX10) that produces up to 43 psi so I can hose off dirt and fertilizer residue, about the power of a regular garden hose. My question is how to run a pressure washer with this system. My pressure washer requires a mimimal inflow of 5gpm at 20 psi. If I hook the pressure washer directly up to the cistern, there is not near that much pressure, so I am afraid I will damage my pressure washer. I have run my little Honda pump to feed the pressure washer but that's a lot of trouble to keep two engines running. Is there any other way you guys have seen this done. I see the portable auto detailing type rigs. How do they feed their pressure washers? Or do they have a different type machine that will draw water from a tank? Surely there is a simple way do do this. Do any of you guys have any experience with running a pressure washer from a tank? I would rather not have to buy anything costly to do this. My Honda pump is adequate, but sometimes it would be nice to have the pressure washer to really clean that caked red clay. Thanks!

[Cat_Driver]

There's pros and cons to pressure washing. With some units they will destroy electrical connectors and you won't even know it. Others have literally removed the paint. Heck the pressure washer I have you can write your name in concrete with it.

Perhaps just those sweeper nozzels.

Brass Sweeper Nozzle # GT-1015 by Mintcraft


http://lawn-and-garden.hardwarestore...s--611016.aspx

[RalphVa]

I would not use a pressure washer to wash my tractor.

I wash my tractor and vehicle engines with plain water from a normal (43 psi) water jet. If there's much oil, I first squirt on some detergent (Green stuff, Purple stuff, Greased Lightning, Tide, etc.) and let sit. Then hose it off.

Before liquid detergents, I used to wet, sprinkle Tide over the oil/dirt, let sit and hose off.

If it's REALLY bad, I use some kerosene with a stiff brush and then hose off.

Ralph

[Flatheadyoungin]

i pressure wash it.....

let it dry.....

spray everything with purple power......let it stand a bit....

then i pressure wash it again.....

this usually gets rid of most things....

sometimes i sponge off the hood and fenders....

then, i let it dry again...

then i wd40 everything......looks like new....

i do with with atvs, chainsaws, weedeaters, walk behind string trimmers, generators, etc.....even the pressure washer itself!

[polo1665]

I also use a pressure washer. I leave the stream wide and stay away form the engine compartment as much as I can.

Mark

[silverdollar6]

I also use rainwater,but no cistern, just natural.

[pitt_md]

I had no idea you could wash a tractor.

[zzvyb6]

My pressure washer is electric (Stihl), so I have an additional element for running it: a pto alternator. I put a 110gal horse tank in the front end loader along with the washer, then run the 115v cord back to the genny. I can add weed killer, tree/moth spray and soap, etc to the tank and wash anywhere the tractor will go. My washer has a water volume control via the pressure setting. And, there's no problem when and if it goes dry. Why don't you just throttle down the washer to use less water flow rate? Also, don't use it with a continuous spray. Just use it intermittently. Yes, I wash the tractor with the pressure washer, but not with full concentrated spray, I set the wand for a wide pattern and get the mud off. The major concern I would have is blowing water into the engine oil and hydraulic outlets, thus contaminating the oil supply.

[greenmule]

Wash a tractor?

[Flatheadyoungin]

and wax it too...

and read it bed time stories......

and snuggle with it.......

and spoon.......

and.......well, never mind......

i haven't waxed mine yet, but may try it....

Originally Posted by greenmule

Wash a tractor?