Grease around fittings. . .

[Fallon]

Fallon, I've also been wanting to get a hot water pressure washer. Been looking at a lot of different brands but haven't yet purchased. There are lots of different choices and prices, but I think I'm mainly going to focus on the type of pump. If you do get one please inform us of what brand and how you like it.
Thanks, Greg

Will do. I'm likely to get whatever good deal I can find on Craigslist.

So far I'm mostly looking for a self contained one, which means gas engine. I've got 240 50@ outlets readily avalible in the shop. But would like to be able to use it elsewhere. Wash the deck & what not. But I haven't moved my old cheap gas cold pressures washer out of the shop in years. It might make sense to avoid another carb & engine to maintain. I've happily gone electric for weed eaters, chainsaw, non-tractor snowblower & what not to getvaway from ethanol gas & engine maintnance.

 

[Martin Roper]

Pressure wash, then grease.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I never clean it, other then being visually appealing there is not benefit and there is no harm by leaving it there ... if there is dirt on the nipple I will wipe off the top with my glove or what ever so it doesn't get pump in but that it... and I also pump it until its start to overflow unless seal joints so I know there is no water in it... grease is cheep bushing are expensive.

 

[LoudonNH]

I simply wipe off excess grease with paper towels and WD40, which I buy in gallon cans and dispense in a plastic spray bottle. The WD40 leaves a layer of protection and feeds the paint.
The tractor in this photo is 7 years old with more than 2000 hours.

 

[jetdriver]

Okey Doke. . . So I naively asked about 6 months after owning the tractor, "Where does all the grease go?" Well, I now know, as many folks replied, it goes everywhere. Mostly, onto the tractor around the grease fittings. My question is, do y'all clean up all this grease from around the fittings? If so, how? I just washed my tractor with the power sprayer, and that helps, but it just shoots the grease to other places, and it doesn't all of it.

How do y'all deal with this? And I am sure many just leave it on the tractor. Tell me your thoughts.

Thanks. . .

jp

Microfibre cloth sprayed with WD40

 

[S854]

Why so much grease
Only takes a squeeze or two wipe off nipple before and after and make sure loader or backhoe is in position so grease goes in pressure side
Just like front axle pivot needs
To be off ground so grease gets where pressure is.

What is the correct position for a FEL to get grease in The pressure side?

Setting the bucket on the ground, then moving the joystick through all its various positions (engine off) to relieve pressure?

I haven’t considered this… I have been using the hydraulics to get the zerks up to “eye-level”… high enough so I don’t have to crawl around on the garage floor to grease ‘em… then running all the cylinders through their complete range before actually using the FEL…

looks like I’ll be changing my approach…

 

[jca1952]

Diesel in a spray bottle and a rag does a nice job removing the excess grease.

 

[Arthur Douglas]

I like to keep my tractor nice and clean, but I draw the line at going crazy with keeping the grease points real clean. I generally wipe off the zerk, and remove excess grease with a finger swipe.
The stuff that migrates to the paint, which I believe what the op is concerned about, I wipe off with degreaser and a shop towel.

On a positive note, good that you see the boot expanding or the old grease being pushed out of the joints. I’ve had several bad zerks fail in tough-to-reach/see areas. They’re easy to change, messy (and self-defeating) if you don’t. US cleaning of the malfunctioning zerk may also help. (They’re a special order aka expensive on my Bobcat/Kioti!) Cheaper to buy protective caps for zerks those areas.

 

[sixdogs]

I use paper towels from a roll to wipe the fitting clean of dirt before I grease. Then I wipe the fitting when I'm done so it doesn't attract dirt. Once I year I might wipe excess grease from the surrounding areas but it's not something I dwell on. It's not possible to keep a tractor clean but I do admire those who try.

 

[kneedeep]

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Don’t over grease. Most greasable fittings are pumped full till they overflow.
Once movement starts (FEL, Ball joints, etc) will push out the excess grease.
Those fittings get about 5 pumps max.
Joints that don’t move a lot get about 3, others that are large capacity May get 7 or 8.
Even being careful I tend to add a couple extra stokes for good luck.
Nasty grease joints are much better than dry joints, it’s just a problem for the guys that want equipment showroom clean.