Cleaning around your zerks and grease areas?

[dragoneggs]

What do you folks do to keep the tractor clean around your zerks and squeeze out areas? I see a lot of pics of either barely used tractors or very **** caring of tractors. For those of you who do spend a little time detailing, curious to know your methods.

 

[Wagtail]

I understand what you're asking & it's an interesting question Mate...

but I thought that cleaning up those areas was the domain of very old, well used, underwear.

 

[davrow]

Keep a spare tractor in the garage, washed and waxed. You never need to clean the zerks and you can show it to all your friends and brag about how well you care for your tractor.

I buy 'mechanics rags' in big bundles. As mentioned, t-shirts that have finally bit the dust are good candidates, too. I just wipe off excess, I don't 'clean'.

 

[Looking4new]

I only clean off the zerks when I grease. The dripping, drooling and slobbering grease that comes out at the joints stays there. It keeps water from migrating into the joints, for one and also the tractor is not my 'best of show' Packard.

 

[4570Man]

I usually don't do anything to clean them. If it is somewhere like the front wheels on my zero turn lawn mower, I wipe those off so I don't get grease on me.

 

[Eric102]

I just wipe the biggest blobs off after greasing so they don't end up on the floor, never wash the tractor.

 

[Scrambler82]

I wipe the ends before snapping the grease gun on and wipe some of the drippings but not all of it.

I also use Morley's red silicon grease, water proof, high pressure rating and stays put, whatever that is called.
There are other red silicon grease out there but I started with Morley's and stuck with it.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I only clean off the zerks when I grease. The dripping, drooling and slobbering grease that comes out at the joints stays there. It keeps water from migrating into the joints, for one and also the tractor is not my 'best of show' Packard.

Amen, I stop greasing when the new grease starts to weep. Dragon, your BX only has one zerk and that is out of sight under the floor board. I find using ground contact implements are mostly self cleaning once in use.

Ron

 

[KubotaToy]

I spray the area around the zerk and joint with WD40 and wipe'er down. keeps the area clean and keeps my wife from complaining about the grease she got on her when changing out the bucket or implements.

 

[CurlyDave]

I think paper towels from Costco are less expensive than buying rags.

I clean the zerks before I grease, when what comes out of the joints gets to be a large amount I wipe it off and pressure wash the machine out in the woods. Maybe once a year or so.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I'm with CurleyDave using paper towels, Bounty from Costco, for wiping off the zerk fittings before greasing and the extra that squeezes out if there's a lot of it.

I make sure to discard the greasy towels in the outside trash can because if it catches fire from spontaneous combustion, it'll do way less damage than if it was the one in the shop.

After using a pump gun for a few years I finally broke down and purchased a Lincoln 1162 air operated grease gun. I decided I didn't want a battery operated one because the battery would always be flat when I went to use it, and I've got air hoses long enough to get anywhere on the truck or tractor. I can even charge up a portable tank and take it out in the field because it doesn't use that much air.

 

[Sodo]

I thought that cleaning up those areas was the domain of very old, well used, underwear.

Underwear doesn't seem to make it out to the shop. If I take it off dirty it goes into one of two places:

1) in the wash
or
2) in the trash

If it goes in the trash, it's gone of course. If it gets clean, I generally run it one more time while intending to throw it away that evening. Which doesn't seem to happen. It goes into the wash again, round and round until my wife performs an intervention.

its the wife's fault my tractor is greasy.

 

[dragoneggs]

Underwear doesn't seem to make it out to the shop. If I take it off dirty it goes into one of two places:

1) in the wash
or
2) in the trash

If it goes in the trash, it's gone of course. If it gets clean, I generally run it one more time while intending to throw it away that evening. Which doesn't seem to happen. It goes into the wash again, round and round until my wife performs an intervention.

its the wife's fault my tractor is greasy.

I am on the same program, Sodo! :laughing:

 

[Wagtail]

Underwear doesn't seem to make it out to the shop. It goes into the wash again, round and round until my wife performs an intervention.

it's the wife's fault my tractor is greasy.

Your statement and logic is impeccable. :thumbsup:

 

[NewfieDan]

I have always left the small dab of grease on the zerk. I wipe it of the next time I grease. I have always been told to leave the grease there. It supposedly helps contamination from getting into the fitting by creating a barrier to dirt/dust.

 

[kubotacres]

I use these on the zerks for my equipment. ATV's, Tractors, Mowers, Trailers, Automobiles, ect. Even my yard windmill has one. If it has a grease zerk, it has the cap.

WP125449 Grease Fitting Caps - Grainger Industrial Supply

http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mnEJVvZA_GJEwLYZh6qmL5w.jpg

 

[xzcVAbc5]

I wipe off the zerk before greasing and try to wipe off the grease where it squirts out. My preferred towel is old socks because you can slip them on like a mitten or use them as a rag. I keep them in plastic Folgers "cans" around the shop. The left side zerk by the loader pivot I keep clean because I always touch in that area when I get on the tractor. Too bad they didn't put a handle there.

The first time I greased my BX25D backhoe was an experience. Now I know why farmers have big forearms.

 

[Dalmatian90]

I make sure to discard the greasy towels in the outside trash can because if it catches fire from spontaneous combustion, it'll do way less damage than if it was the one in the shop.

Vegetable-based oils and greases are prone to oxidization and thus fire (and within that a few are really much more prone, like classic Linseed Oil).

Petroleum-based oils and greases are not prone to oxidization and don't represent a spontaneous combustion hazard. Though I wouldn't recommend smoking next to a barrel full of gasoline soaked rags for other reasons

If you do put your oily rags of any type outside, still make sure you put them in a metal bin with metal lid, or if in plastic fill the barrel with water. I've seen folks who did throw them outside still end up losing the house on a windy day when the Linseed soaked rags ignited, spreading to leaves, spreading to the house.

 

[dragoneggs]

Vegetable-based oils and greases are prone to oxidization and thus fire (and within that a few are really much more prone, like classic Linseed Oil).

Petroleum-based oils and greases are not prone to oxidization and don't represent a spontaneous combustion hazard. Though I wouldn't recommend smoking next to a barrel full of gasoline soaked rags for other reasons

If you do put your oily rags of any type outside, still make sure you put them in a metal bin with metal lid, or if in plastic fill the barrel with water. I've seen folks who did throw them outside still end up losing the house on a windy day when the Linseed soaked rags ignited, spreading to leaves, spreading to the house.

Good advice!... or you can just burn them straight away and be done with that worry (if you can do that kind of thing in your neighborhood).

 

[Coyote machine]

I use these on the zerks for my equipment. ATV's, Tractors, Mowers, Trailers, Automobiles, ect. Even my yard windmill has one. If it has a grease zerk, it has the cap.

WP125449 Grease Fitting Caps - Grainger Industrial Supply

http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mnEJVvZA_GJEwLYZh6qmL5w.jpg

Cool. Does the size cap you linked to fit all your zerks, or do you have to use different caps on various equipment?

You're supposed to grease a tractor? Who knew? Don't they come with factory grease, for life?!