Best way to remove that extra oozing grease?

cqaigy2 · Dec 20, 2020

I'll wipe the zerk before greasing. That's really about it.

BX23S-1 · Dec 20, 2020

Like others, i leave the grease there. Its a tractor, it gets used, it gets dirty, its a tractor, not a garage queen.

Peter 315 · Dec 20, 2020

cqaigy2 said:
I'll wipe the zerk before greasing. That's really about it.

Same here I just wipe the zerk with my thumb........

Avenger · Dec 21, 2020

If you really need to remove the 'extra' grease, then use Tub O Towels. Amazon.com: Tub O Towels TW9 Heavy-Duty 1" x 12" Size Multi-Surface Cleaning Wipes, 9 Count Per Canister: Industrial & Scientific

They are degreasing wipes.

Now, I use these on just about everything, including my hands. But, to be honest, I have never removed the 'extra' grease from the joints. I simply dont care that much. What I do care about is the zerks. I use a towel to clean the zerks before pumping fresh grease. I also use them to clean up the grease gun when I'm done.
This weekend, I actually went around to all the recessed zerks on my FEL and cleaned them out. The hole they reside in were all full of old grease, dirt, etc. Took a small flat screwdriver to remove the bulk of it all and wiped them out with the Tub O Towel.

I have a video of how I grease here: Tools, Techniques, Tips 'N' Tricks - Grease! - YouTube

masscity · Dec 22, 2020

I was a crane operator for a basement company in the Detroit area. I would bend an L in a steel wall tie and use it to get the excess grease off of the boom, jib and truck lower. Had to do it or you had

excess grease falling on the crane or maybe the guys in the hole.

On my L3540HSTC I use the aluminum bracket from a cheap thermometer and put a L in it and pull the grease away from the joints.

oosik · Dec 22, 2020

I get big boxes of shop rags from the local Salvation Army. They wash old T-shirts and rip into rags. One big box for a $5 donation. Wipe zerk before I grease > wipe off excess > burn the greasy rags.

s219 · Dec 22, 2020

I used to clean them, but don't bother anymore. But what worked great for me was to use a paint brush to swab the gobs of grease up. Wipe with brush to get the grease, then scrape the brush on a scrap piece of cardboard. That would get rid of the messy stuff, mainly the old grease that pushed out when greasing the FEL. If I really wanted it clean, I found that the best and cheapest solution was to put some diesel on a paper towel or rag, and use it to cut through the grease and wipe it clean. Diesel is cheaper than any degreaser product you are going to find in a bottle or spray can.

Porchfan · Dec 23, 2020

Use latex gloves and have a bunch of shop or paper towels and a trash can nearby. After you have greased up your fittings clean them off right afterwards. Use one finger to remove as much grease as possible and the other to hold the towel. Wipe the towel with the grease from your finger and repeat until the towel gets used up. After throwing the greased up towel away, get a clean towel and repeat. If you do this each time you grease your fittings, it goes quickly since you won’t be wiping off massive amounts of old grease and dirt. It’s really best not to keep the excessive grease on your tractor. It’ll only collect dirt and yourself once and a while. The latter is what got me to be religious about wiping off the excessive grease. According to my wife, I’ve “ruined” several shirts and a few pairs of pants getting excessive grease on them either by bumping up to the grease or wiping my greased up hands on my clothes.

747driver · Dec 23, 2020

I wipe off just the zerk fitting. Worked 30 years as a commercial aircraft mechanic with United. We were not allowed to wipe away the excess grease. It stayed as the inspector who came to look to make sure we lubed everything wanted to see fresh new grease !! Plus as others have said...the fresh new extra grease forms a seal on the outside to keep out dirt and moisture on my tractor and other implement's.