Pressure-Washing Tractors

[Harv]

I started to reply to LarryT about how clean his tractor looked in his photos in the Tip 'N Tilt thread, and then ask him about pressure-washing, but I think this calls for a new thread altogether.

I've been using my small electric pressure washer (1100 psi) for cleaning off my L2500, but I can't say I've had very good results. The washer itself seems to be more than enough to blast even hard-packed dirt and clay off, but I think I'm just too low on the learning curve to do the job right.

First of all, I generally do my tractorin' until it gets dark. In fact, I'm thinking seriously about installing worklights so I can keep going a little longer. Unfortunately, that means any cleaning I do is generally done in very poor lighting. It's amazing how clean my tractor can look under the feeble illumination of a couple of flood lights, when in fact the dirt has merely been spread evenly all over the whole machine.

I can probably deal with that part of the problem by doing the washing between two buildings (house and shop) and installing more floodlights on both.

The other problem I noticed is when I pulled the covers off the engine compartment after pressure washing, I found out where a lot of the dirt went. Do you guys take the covers off during washing so's you get the innards as well as the outside? Are there parts that shouldn't be pressure-washed?

Pretty basic stuff, huh? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif Just shows you where I'm at.

 

[LarryT]

Harv, I figure anywhere dirt can go, so can water. I have an 11 HP Honda powered 3000 psi pressure washer. Fantastic tool. Only problem is I end up almost as wet as the tractor. Glad I live in CA! For regular washes, I open the hood and spray everything I can, but occassionally I'll take the side covers off too. I don't think there is anything you can hurt as long as you don't spray into the air cleaner intake. On my tractor, that points down so you'd have to work at getting spray into it. My theory, and it works on my vehicles, is regular cleaning keeps it simple. If you let it go too long, then you have to do super cleaning and then it gets hard. I wash my truck and car engines every time I was the outside, but I use the same soap and water, nothing special. They look like they're fresh from the showroom, only takes a couple of minutes. Back to the pressure washer, I've found VOLUME is more important than pressure. Some of the electric units advertise high pressure, but look at the volume (flow). More is better. After you have a system for washing the tractor, you can do almost as good in the dark as in the light. Of course, caked on mud will take a little more time. My dirt is mostly heavy dust right now.

Hope this helps!

Larry...

 

[Bird]

Harv, I agree with LarryT. I suspect we may have some disagreement about getting water in a few places that we shouldn't, but I've been washing my car engines for years and never had a problem (except a time or two getting water in the distributor in older cars). And when I wash the tractor I raise the hood and wash in there, too. So far the only problem I've ever had was getting water in the cigarette lighter and letting it corrode, so I had to replace it./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird

 

[RobS]

I think if I tried to pressure wash my tractor right now I'd end up with a solid block of ice! I have found that the snow and ice are great for keeping the tires clean /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Rob

 

[Jag]

Harv, good thread. On my tractor I have only used the garden hose to wash it down.. Does a good job as I have a little more pressure than most waterlines.. The hose I use comes directly off my 1" service supply line, plenty of flow and pressure. When washing I am always careful not to spray directly on any seals or bearing... Yes under the hood too, just make sure that the engine has cooled down some.....

 

[Thomas]

Harv,
I also found out a strong mist works better than a jet spray.
I do cover the air filter also the muffler with a plastic bag so the water doesn't spray in.

If your sprayer also can mix soap try and use a dishwasher detergent,for when you rinse you have less spots plus it will shine and a kind of a wax film.

After your done spraying the mud off your tractor you still have to get a shovel and clean up the ground, /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gifand you be surprise how much mud etc..shall be laying there. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Hope mother nature gives you folks a break out there and let the ground dry up.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

I guess I should have included in my comments the fact that I don't have a pressure washer either. I either use just the spray nozzle on the garden hose (water pressure here of 80-85 psi) or I have a "gun" to which I hook the garden hose AND the air compressor hose (100 psi) which works quite well. Although for a lot of years, I used the coin operated car wash places in town to wash the car engine regularly.

Bird

 

[Thomas]

RobS,
With the weather you folks are getting washing your tractor just might be a mistake, /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif for it might be spring time before your JD thaws /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif and than you have no fun playing in the snow. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Keep those banks pushed back. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif



Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Harv]

Thomas -

Yeah, I've already noticed how much mud piles up under the tractor when you wash it. And that ain't nothin' compared to the box blade. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

<font color=blue>Hope mother nature gives you folks a break out there and let the ground dry up.</font color=blue>

That thought must be aimed at some of the other folks 'cuz we've had it pretty mild and dry out here in Californy. Only a few days of rain for the entire month so far. That stretch of mudddy road I referred to in another post is mostly due to underground seepage, and isn't likely to go away 'til summer.