Paddy, I was told it happened the same way, with a log. I also have a fender that if you washed it you would have to iron it. Maybe a tractor can be worked like a rifle then cleaned and readied for the next work. The guy I bought the tractor from muddied it bloodied it and threw it in the corner. Never got it running right or working right from the day he got it. There are a couple of men on this forum whose tractors are in better shape than the day they got them, and they work them. There of course are people who always use the wrong tool for the job,[no one on this forum who would do that] and all tools and machines are throw aways.
I'd like to here more about your Kama, start a thread, Maybe some of your remedies can be used by the rest of us. Richard