How often do you powerwash your equipment

[slowzuki]

The only washing is once in the spring with the pwash to get salt off from the winter, once in the fall to get mud off. I don't pwash electrical connectors or near pins. Gets a greasing right afterwords.

Oh I guess I pwash the glass a few times a year so I can see out.

A friend of mine waxes it each year when he borrows it.

 

[TripleR]

If I ran a dozer or excavator, I might use a power washer too, but I don't need one for my equipment and how I use it.

We have a power washer, but have yet to need it for any of our tractors or equipment.

 

[oldballs]

How often power wash?...... Never! And I too have some very old equipment...not with dozer tracks however. Compressed air and a rag most of the time; and rarely do I use some Gunk and a garden hose. Older models of cars/trucks used to get a Gunk/hose bath occassionally, but not these newer (post 80's) engines. Maybe if one lived on dirt and gravel roads those car engines would really be dirty.....but that would be a losing battle.

 

[creekbend]

The tractor gets a good washing about 3 times a years. Sometimes I wash under the fenders and the tires, in between washes, when they are muddy. I always keep the spray from the electrical connections, fuses, grease fittings; etc. I protect the important components from the spray. The tractor gets a good greasing afterwards. The equipment gets washed when necessary, and the bush hog gets cleaned and lubricated before retiring for the winter. And I forgot to mention that my wife reminds me to wash the seat cover at times also.:laughing:

 

[sweep]

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.

Vince
Do you make certain precautions such as cover up with plastic bags items like the alternator/put plastic bags over the oil fill tube, cover up main electrical connections etc?

I do cover up these items when I wash mine down with the hose.

 

[DK35vince]

Vince
Do you make certain precautions such as cover up with plastic bags items like the alternator/put plastic bags over the oil fill tube, cover up main electrical connections etc?

I do cover up these items when I wash mine down with the hose.

I don't cover anything up. Been pressure washing my motors for years, never had a problem.

 

[sweep]

I don't cover anything up. Been pressure washing my motors for years, never had a problem.

Do you let everything dry before you start it up? I would be concerned about water getting in a connector and shorting something out.

 

[DK35vince]

Do you let everything dry before you start it up?

I let the engine cool before I spray it.(Its not good to spray a hot engine with cold water)
No need to let it dry before you start it. I usually start the engine when I'm done powerwashing to let it dry out.

 

[hosspuller]

Like most of the others I don't PW my equipment to clean it. A leaf blower works well enough. Otherwise a garden hose and a bucket of soapy water...
Bearings and electrical connections don't like high pressure water... brittle plastic parts are expensive ...

 

[sweep]

One thing not brought up about washing down engines is never water down a hot engine...could lead to cracking of the block or head.