How bad is it to store tractor outside?

[JD5210]

Look at the problems on this web-site to answer your question. Mice and squirrel damage, water in hydraulics from rain and condensation, problems created by rust (clutch, brakes), seats coming apart glue getting wet, electronics getting wet. Since you have a floor you are able to notice leaks, before you run out of fluid. You do not need anything fancy, plus you get to build yourself a man cave and a dry place to work on your tractor.

Just me, but how one keeps their equipment tells me a lot about the person.

 

[dcyrilc]

I have to pose this question.
What about your vehicles? Do they sit outside? Ever?
My tractor was over 30 years old when I bought it and for the most it has been outside. Not that I wouldn't like to keep it under cover, but right now I just haven't spent the money to build a barn. Both my truck and car sit outside all the time as well.

I do have one thing that has only been outside a couple of nights. Thats the Cub Cadet I bought new back in '89. I dont wax or wash it, but it just doesn't sit outside. The again it's small enough to fit in the little utility shed I have.

Wedge

Try leaving the truck and car for the whole winter without being run and see how they do. Part of the difference is that they get used regularly. We had a vehicle years back which had to sit all winter because of a tranny issue which we couldn't get fixed until spring. It molded inside after sitting for a few months and took a lot of work to get all the mold out of it.

My tractor is a 1980, but I try hard not to let it sit out in the weather when I'm not using it. I'm not worried about rust or fading, but the moisture can't be good for the starter or guages. If I ran it every day like I do my car, I wouldn't be as concerned. Especially if it had a cab.

 

[JJT]

Just got a Kubota B9200. It's apprearance is already fairly weathered. I am tight for garage space. How bad would it be to store it outside? Would putting a tarp help. BTW, I'm in western PA.

It sounds like you have a garage, leave the car outside and park the tractor inside.

 

[Don87]

It sounds like you have a garage, leave the car outside and park the tractor inside.

My car and pickup are both outside.

My Massey(and my former Cub Cadet), will stay in the garage............as well as all the attachments that I can fit into my 1 1/2 car garage.

P.S. My old Cub that I had spent 3 nights outside in 14 years. I've had My Massey since May of last year.......been in the garage every night.

Edit: The last night that my Cub was left outside.......it rained(wife left it out). Next 3 winters, the choke cable froze up when it got cold out.............never could get the water out of that cable.

 

[RoyJackson]

It sounds like you have a garage, leave the car outside and park the tractor inside.

That's what I do. That's to prevent theft as well as preserve the tractor.

 

[bigbull338]

you cant prevent theft if they want it bad enough.i know a guy that had his tractor locked in his barn,an it got stole.his gate to pasture was locked as well.so they took it off the hinges.drove in cut the chain to the barn loaded tractor drove out put gate back on hinges.

 

[RoyJackson]

you cant prevent theft if they want it bad enough.

No, you can't...but no sense in making it easy for them. Plus, a charge of breaking and entering (on top of the equipment theft) might deter them.
But I'm not as concerned about professional thieves as a casual "theft of opportunity" by a couple local punks.
Plus, there's the 12 gauge or AR-15 they'd have to contend with...(and the ever present Glock 19).

 

[wedge40]

Try leaving the truck and car for the whole winter without being run and see how they do. Part of the difference is that they get used regularly.

Had a Cougar that sat for over 2 years. Needed a coil pak. Finally told a guy at work that he could have it all he had to do was haul it away. He came out one day I handed him the keys and it fired right up. No mice had invaded it and the inside wasn't moldy. He even drove it onto the trailer.
My truck has sat out for a few months without ever being turned over and I've had the same tank of gas for over 5 months. Still ran fine.
Not everybody has the luxury of being able to put everything they own under roof.

Wedge

 

[wvpolekat]

Had a Cougar that sat for over 2 years. Needed a coil pak. Finally told a guy at work that he could have it all he had to do was haul it away. He came out one day I handed him the keys and it fired right up. No mice had invaded it and the inside wasn't moldy. He even drove it onto the trailer.
My truck has sat out for a few months without ever being turned over and I've had the same tank of gas for over 5 months. Still ran fine.
Not everybody has the luxury of being able to put everything they own under roof.

Wedge

X2. My tractor does have the luxury of staying inside, but my car and my truck stay outside all the time and the truck rarely moves in the winter. Never seen any mold or anything like it.

 

[dcyrilc]

X2. My tractor does have the luxury of staying inside, but my car and my truck stay outside all the time and the truck rarely moves in the winter. Never seen any mold or anything like it.

Probably a climate issue. We rain almost all winter long. This was a 55 gallon aquarium my son sat here around Halloween. The pic was taken on Jan 17th. When I looked at it today, it was about 1/4" from the top.:confused2:

 

[slowzuki]

Both my cab tractors live outside, have for 8 years. No worse for wear. They get a nice wash everytime it rains. Too many barns burn down with all the equipment inside.

I'm considering a tarp building for in the winter so I don't have to clean snow off, but I won't leave it in my shop.

EDIT Btw, I don't leave them on grass/soil. They are on gravel in a well ventilated area. Cars left on grass rot quickly as the air and moisture gets trapped underneath.

 

[smstonypoint]

Here's a study from the University of Georgia that looks at the economics of commercial agricultural equipment storage. The study cites an old (1981) survey that found that tractors stored inside had a 16.5% higher resale value after five years than tractors stored outside for the same time.

Also, the authors say "(d)eterioration of rubber and plastic parts due to exposure to the sun is a major contributor to breakdowns and increased maintenance time. It has been estimated that barn-stored equipment has less than half the down time of field-stored equipment."

Economics of Farm Storage Buildings | Publications | UGA

I'm not arguing for or against covered storage, but rather suggesting that the linked study provides a useful perspective on how the storage issue can be addressed.

Steve

 

[trook]

I would LOVE to have a barn to store my tractor and implements, but $$$ seem to be unavailable right now! :confused2:

 

[VitaBene]

No, you can't...but no sense in making it easy for them. Plus, a charge of breaking and entering (on top of the equipment theft) might deter them.
But I'm not as concerned about professional thieves as a casual "theft of opportunity" by a couple local punks.
Plus, there's the 12 gauge or AR-15 they'd have to contend with...(and the ever present Glock 19).

I like the plus!

 

[MMH]

It sounds like you have a garage, leave the car outside and park the tractor inside.

The cars already are parked outside. I recently got the house & severely downsized. The house is 1500 sq.ft. & very tight for me, the wife, four kids & two big dogs. The garage is used for house storage space.

Eventually, I will add an addition to the house & get garage space back. For the time being the tractor is staying outside. I don't like it, but there is no other way about it right now. I was just trying to determine how bad it was on the tractor.

 

[dmccarty]

We do not have a garage or a barn. We have something we call the barn but it does not allow us to park the tractor much less implements inside.

The tractor is going on its 11th year outside. I wish I had a place to put it but we do not. Maybe in the next year or two a barn might get built....

I used tarps for a couple of years but the metal on the tarps would scratch the tractor so I stopped using them. I have only had one mouse in the tractor and it died when I started it up. No problems with water in the engine oil and I know because I do UOA. No idea on the hydraulic oil but figure it is ok.

There has been fading of the plastic but I think if I buffed it the fading would disappear. The only real problem is the seat "cushion" has separated from the seat bottom. Looks like there is expanding foam gluing the cushion to the seat bottom and the glue just failed. Could have been from being outside but I just think it was time for the glue to fail.

Tires are ok. Only ok because there are chunks tore out of some of them because I used the tractor in the woods and rocks and tree limbs/stumps/etc gets run over. Not easy on tires. Surprised I got 10 years out of the tires to be honest.

I thought about getting a cheap shelter. But cheap shelters look cheap and I do not like the look. The more expensive ones were just more money and getting into a price range of building a proper barn. Frankly, anything short of proper barn is a waste of money for me. We get high wind gusts for some reason and any tent like structure or even the metal ones do not seem like they would last long. We have had several storms over the years that have taken down very large trees and lots of them. As well as winds that have broken 24 inch diameter trees in half.

The tarps I use to cover the wood pile last 5ish years before the UV kills them. Using something similar for a shelter just seems like a waste of money for me.

Funny thing is, the tractor paint is as good as new. No fading. It is only the plastic fenders and such that have faded. No real rust either on the tractor. Most of the rust is on the box blade. A bit of dirt work wears of the rust. Wish the plastic fender had not faded, and they have not faded much, but as long as it works I could care less. It gets scratched up in the woods anyway. I bought the tractor to do work and save me money not look like a show vehicle.

The wifey's family has a tractor sitting in a barn. Now it is likely 30 years old at this point. But it looks like scat. All tore up and rusted. Keeping it in the barn did not really help it at all. Still runs though. :thumbsup:

I think I could spend a day power washing my tractor and buffing it and you could not tell it had been kept outside.

Wish I had a barn though.

Later,
Dan

 

[k0ua]

Plus, there's the 12 gauge or AR-15 they'd have to contend with...(and the ever present Glock 19)

30 rounds of 55 grain bumblebees would sure make you sit up and take notice:laughing:

 

[Piston]

I read a recent article in the WSJ. 1 in 12 people in the US live in Texas. Much of the attraction is the attitude you expressed. Sounds like a compelling place to be. However, I'm shocked to see how cold it can get down there.

A friend of mine lives in Texas, he had to fight just to be able to put up a pergola over his back porch.

 

[Zebu Fellenz]

Our tractors stay outside during the season (~8 months of the year) Only time during those 8 months they're inside is when they're in the shop being fixed or having maintenance done.

 

[PILOON]

My Mitsubishi MT 180 has lived outside for 18 years!
I do wash time to time and touch up any nicks.
Perhaps the cab helps, but for all purposes it looks as nice as the day I bought it.
I did renew the seat couple years ago and renewed the tires last year due to severe weather checking.

Like with a mobile home or RV's I would suggest covering the tires with something to prevent checking.
On the other hand, 25 years (+/-) is not terrible either. Still the $$ hurt. LOL