Best tool for cleaning radiator while mowing.

[RoyJackson]

I carry a cutdown 2" wide paint brush...cut the bristles down to 3/4's to 1 inch and they'll be pretty stiff. It's pretty easy to brush off the majority of debris on the grill and radiator which is all you need to do when you're out in a field.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I put a foam AC filter in front of the radiator. I just stop and pull it out and knock the debris off. It takes no time at all.

 

[EddieWalker]

In the field, I like to use a small stick that's kind of bow shaped. I keep it behind my seat and it gets into the corners easily. At the shop, I found that the flexible hose used for the grease gun fits onto the end of my air nozzle. I can fit that hose into the small, hard to get areas inside the shroud and blow everything out towards the front. The results are huge and one good cleaning will remove more dust and debris then you would think possible in the small space in between the fins.

Eddie

 

[cdavid1944]

Here's another one. I've used this for 15 years.
Air Blow Gun with 2 ft. Extension

 

[countrybumpkin]

Leaf blower here too, been using one for several years.

 

[LindenBruce]

What size tractors? B.

 

[boggen]

i guess i never really thought about it... i bought a spot sprayer hand gun, to hook up to a pull behind sprayer, but instead picked up a couple extra fittings and hose to connect it to a garden hose down stairs. to clean out pond filter media. i have a couple extra tips...
1 = full 90 angle hard spray, 1 wide spray, 1 wide spray more of a mister, 1 jet nozzle.
a couple cheap plastic extension rods

the end of the gun / spray tips, are interchange-able for boom tips, to hand gun tips.

i am not about to unhook this spray gun from were it is, afraid of chemicals getting into gun, then using on pond and killing fish...
but.... it should be beefy enough to handle compressed air (within reason), and it is small enough to fit into some pretty tight spaces.
i have sheets of filter media much, like a 4'x8' sheet of plywood cut in half. and a few of these pieces setting side by side, i just kinda push the tops over, and run the spray gun between the sheets. then push next top over and repeat.

there really is no replacing manufactured bought spray tips. just a little difference goes a long ways in adjusting the spray pattern.

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i have used "kaboom" spray on cleaning foam (kitchen/bath), on radiator and coils on the external a/c compressor unit outside. and a little bit more than shocked of how much gunk came out of different units. it was a noticeable difference in how warm radiators got (engine temp gauge), and how long a/c ran. everything was just cooler!

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granted non of above is ""ON THE GO"" cleaning but... *shrugs*

i do like the bungie cord and strapping a filter from say a central heating / a/c unit onto front of tractor. it would be no different that farmers taking a piece of card board and bungie it up in front of tractor in very cold times of the winter. to reduce amount of cold wind coming into the engine and freezing things.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I like the leaf blower idea. I can see it doing an awesome job on dry dust. Now if you have an oil cooler in front of the rad and it starts leaking then the leaf blower isn't gong to do much. What I like to use in grubby situations is a varsol gun. It uses a combination of air and varsol for oil but I've also used it with water and it works great. It doesn't bend the fins and yet the dirt and junk gets hit with enough to wash the rad clean. If you idle the tractor for a few minutes after washing the heat and air flow dries everything up and your good to go again.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Yes a leaf blower is only good on dry dust and leaves , grass , ect from bush hogging or mowing and such. For oil sludge or simile rebuild ups , mud or what ever I usually use a cleaner of some type and a garden hose with a spray nozzle. To much pressure you can start damaging fins real quick.

 

[Hill Farmer]

I made an extension out of a section of brake line. I put a 90 degree bend about an inch from one end after cutting off the fitting on that end. Screwed the fitting on the other end into air gun.
Works great at the shop and allows me to blow out the radiator and condenser from the back side.
A leaf blower is hard to beat in the field though. It also works great for blowing the crud off the top of the mower and knocking the dust off the windows.