How often do you powerwash your equipment

[AKfish]

I use a power washer maybe 2-3 times a year on my tractor. However, like any equipment - it's important to consider the kinds of problems that might occur if you misuse it!

I use the 40 degree nozzle - wider spread of water jet - and I don't get too close to any surface that could be damaged by high pressure. Like painted surfaces!!! Window seals, axles, bearing's, external shaft seals (pto) and gear case vents.

Important to consider the likelihood of seal damage, etc. from 175psi air, too. All my hay equipment is air hose clean as well - except my disc mower cutter bar and the shroud. I pressure wash that.

However, my air compressor has never done a real good job of cleaning up the pins and bushings on my loader or backhoe! That built up grease and crud just sits there...

A little bit of degreaser and hit it with the powerwasher - thing of beauty!

AKfish

 

[DK35vince]

When I power wash my tractors I open the hood and do the engine also.
The first picture is the engine compartment on my 10 year old Kioti DK 35 with 1600 hours. Pictures 2 and 3 are of my 33 year old John Deere 850 with 1800 hours.
You don't keep tractors looking this good by just using air.

 

[WilliamBos]

When I power wash my tractors I open the hood and do the engine also.
The first picture is the engine compartment on my 10 year old Kioti DK 35 with 1600 hours. Pictures 2 and 3 are of my 33 year old John Deere 850 with 1800 hours.
You don't keep tractors looking this good by just using air.

Looks good Vince!!

 

[canoetrpr]

Clearly a mix of opinions here.

I decided to powerwash my bucket which was full of crud after working in manure today. Powerwashing curd off a tractor sure is a heck of a job as everything that comes off goes right back on elsewhere on the tractor unless you are super careful.

I found that a better technique was to use a shovel to loosen the crud out of the bucket and then powerwash or use a use rather than trying to use the pressure of the water to take the crud off.

 

[pat32rf]

I bought My JD4300 to reduce my workload around our house (and 80 acres of bush), not as a show unit. If I were to PW the engine it would probably look just as good as the one with 1800hrs, except mine has 4300hrs in 8 years.
I think that the only time I have used a PW on "John" is when I wanted to clean grease/oil/dirt off an area before I worked on it...if the weather was warm and the PW was out anyway to do another job.

 

[Short Game]

That built up grease and crud just sits there...

Yeah, ain't it nice?

I never worry about that grease coming out of the pins. It gives me a good feeling.

I said it once before on another thread that pressure washing isn't so much washing as it is transferring the dirt on what you're washing from it to you.

 

[5030]

I use a power washer maybe 2-3 times a year on my tractor. However, like any equipment - it's important to consider the kinds of problems that might occur if you misuse it!

I use the 40 degree nozzle - wider spread of water jet - and I don't get too close to any surface that could be damaged by high pressure. Like painted surfaces!!! Window seals, axles, bearing's, external shaft seals (pto) and gear case vents.

Important to consider the likelihood of seal damage, etc. from 175psi air, too. All my hay equipment is air hose clean as well - except my disc mower cutter bar and the shroud. I pressure wash that.

However, my air compressor has never done a real good job of cleaning up the pins and bushings on my loader or backhoe! That built up grease and crud just sits there...

A little bit of degreaser and hit it with the powerwasher - thing of beauty!
AKfish

Remember Fish, rust never sleeps and corrosion is rust's brother.

My air compressor will blow the socks off Obama.....

 

[5030]

Yeah, ain't it nice?

I never worry about that grease coming out of the pins. It gives me a good feeling.

I said it once before on another thread that pressure washing isn't so much washing as it is transferring the dirt on what you're washing from it to you.

Ain't that the truth.....

Somehow, when powerwashing, all the crud winds up on your face, shirt, jeans and everywhere else.

I do powerwash the cars because one, I'm lazy and two, we live on a dirt road so in order to see out the windows, powerwashing is mandatory.

Me, I like to see grease coming out from under pins and such. That dirty old grease has exited and the newer, cleaner stuff is inside.

That's what paper towels are for. Wiping the old dirty grease off things and sending it to the landfill.... Life is good.

 

[Short Game]

Power washing machines and engines is the last thing you do before tearing them apart. That would be my weakness.

 

[canoetrpr]

I'm going to make a confession.

On my last tractor I used this dirty black looking grease with Moly because I researched and found it was good good stuff as far as grease goes. Man did it make the tractor look ugly.

I do like a pretty looking tractor. It does not have to be clean but that black stuff was bad looking! I think I'm going to try to find grease that matches my tractor Any ideas? Really I think that so long as I grease it often and grease it well it is unlikely to matter what I use so long as it is compatible. I think my dealer put some blue stuff when he greased up the mower.