Mowing Clearing the radiator of debris

[AlmostThere]

Hi all,

While brush hogging I've been getting plant debris and dust that gets by the screen clogging up the AC condenser and the radiator. I don't have a water outlet or electric at the property, so far I've been clearing it with a brush and canned air. That has helped but it isn't getting it as cleared as I would like. Today the AC was mediocre and the engine tended to run warm despite my attempts to keep it clear so I'm looking for a better way.

I have pond, thought about trying to get some kind of 12V pump to spray it out but I'm not sure I would get enough pressure. I've thought about a portable air tank that I could refill with a 12V air compressor while there. Another thought was a portable hand pump sprayer as is used with herbicide/insecticide applications, but again I'm not sure there would be enough pressure or volume to clear the debris.

I'd love your ideas/experience/suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[bruceatlam]

I use a gas powered leaf blower ---------- works great!!

 

[skipmarcy]

We've been dealing with this on our Mahindra 4110/3510 tractors for over a dozen years on this website. Our radiators have a very tight weave and get clogged easily. Water is not your friend, especially low pressure water, it will just cement the debris in there worse. I always use my compressed air from the back side of the radiator first, then from the front, then backside again and so on until it gets cleared reasonably well. The only way water will work is if you use a pressure washer and then you have to be careful not to bend fins over with the high pressure. The air has worked for me now for 14 years in some pretty serious bushogging. A small portable tank might help some but you really need many minutes of solid air volume to do the job.

 

[franklinute]

Leaf blower is a good idea. I bought a used tractor last month
that had two brackets sticking out in front of the grill. A 5" pipe was
hanging from the brackets. The brackets were bolted to the front axle.
My first thought was that this alerted the driver before he ran over an
obstacle. Then I realized the pipe pushed the grass over just enough to
keep a lot of the grass seeds from getting into the radiator.

 

[Turbys_1700]

All these are good suggestions. I typically use compressed air from the shop. When out in the field I keep a paint brush to sweep the radiator clean. Works well in the field.

 

[oosik]

I use my pressure washer - on VERY LOW setting. Its a cold water washer but I also put my suction tube into a detergent/water mix. The added detergent really helps loosen and remove the dirt/dust/gunk. I don't have to do it that often because I don't do those nasty dust raising activities - such as brush hogging.

I get plugged up enough with the dust/pine pollen & all the other stuff that the wind kicks up around here.

You might want to set up a cleaning station down by your pond. A small gas powered pump with a water hose & nozzle could do wonders cleaning the radiators. I've even seen nozzles with an injector port & suction hose thats designed to dispense liquid fertilizer but I'm sure it would dispense liquid detergent just as well.

 

[AlmostThere]

I use a gas powered leaf blower ---------- works great!!

I like this idea, something I had not thought of.

The idea of a gasoline powered pump by the pond I've considered. I could also use that to clean the tractor and implements.

Thanks everyone for your ideas and input!

 

[RSKY]

If you bush hog you will plug your radiator. There is no way that I know off to prevent it. My little Kioti has a removable screen to catch most of the trash. The bigger old Ford does not. If we wait until October to mow we usually stop after three or four rounds in a twenty acre field to clean em out. Mowing in June/July is not so bad.

Anyway you have to keep one eye on obstructions and the other on the temp gauge while mowing.

RSKY

 

[zmansmac]

I had the same problem when I used to mow with a MMM on my Kubota, especially if the grass was dry. The grill screen, the screen in front of the radiator and even the radiator itself would get clogged and start overheating the engine. The 2 screens were easy enough to clean with your hands, but not the radiator. The best solution I found without going back to my air compressor was to use a draftsman's brush. It looks like a bench brush from the side but it's only about a half inch thick so it gets into the tight space that I needed it to. I have since found a better, albeit more expensive, solution. I now mow with a ZTR.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Is there anything out there that you could spray on and in the radiator to repel dist? Don't know if anyone has tried anything with success or not.