Road Salt....new tractor

[legrandice]

Am I getting soft with the shiny paint and new tractor?

I own apartments within a 30 minute drive of my house. In the winter when we have a lot of snow I took my old tractor to stack the piles left by the plow guys. Some of the parking lots are pretty tight and this makes a big difference in the tenants having room to park.

Now that I have the new tractor, I don't want to drive it around and get road salt on the tractor!!! To fit it in my trailer I have the bucket curled over on the tongue of the trailer. My vehicle throws a good amount of road spray onto the trailer.

My options are:
Suck it up and bring the tractor
use my 1332 ariens snow blower


Tractor: Mahindra Max 26hst
Trailer: 6x10 open
Tow vehicle: 2010 4 Runner
Distance: 15 miles no highway

Thoughts?

 

[kiotiken]

I never drive my tractor on the road in the winter because of the salt. I've even told my dealer he'd have to put off warranty work on it because he couldn't fix it in my yard and I wasn't having it floated to his shop until the roads were clean in the spring.

I also don't use mine to make money and I'm expecting it to last for the next 40 years.

 

[kevingweq]

Get a nice canvas Tarp made for your tractor (or find the proper size) Make it as easy as possible to cinch it tight and protect your baby , Heck of a lot cheaper than an enclosed trailer

 

[tractchores]

Hose it off after. Just make sure to park it somewhere that isn't way below freezing and empty the hose after. I do this with my tractor and trailer, my garage is not heated, but generally stays just above freezing so I haven't had big issues with ice.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I say just wash it as you would your trailer and tow vehicle.

Chris

 

[Sprinklerman]

Fluid film look it up online , Tractors dont stay new forever .

 

[ShowroomShine]

Oh good lord, wash it off. I'm as **** of a person as you've ever met (extreme OCD level, used to own a high end detailing company etc), and this wouldnt bother me. Wash it off, chamios it dry, wax all painted surfaces.

Done.

 

[tcreeley]

Salt will rust it- even without trying. Enclose the trailer or raise the sides high. It will pick up salt from the parking lots. Wash it off if you can. But it will rust.

 

[legrandice]

Thanks for the great responses! I think I will bring my snowblower to the apartment tomorrow. I will look into fluid film for later this winter. I don't have a heated space to store the tractor, and I don't really want to get it coated in salt this early in it's life. I am hoping this tractor will last a Loooonnnngggg time. Perhaps next year I will have a larger trailer that I can cover the tractor on!

 

[s219]

I'd be more worried about the safety of that trailer.