Tractors and Grease . . how to make it less messy.

[AxleHub]

Wow have we no faith in ourselves to teach the young?

I remember well being a youngster and having an interest in almost anything mechanical. I also remember very well all the time all the older Men in the family took teaching me the right way to do things. I also remember well all the extra money I made when word got out that I could actually fix things and did things right. By the time I started high school I was doing engine and trans rebuilds under the table for the local garage and eventually became the owner of it. Here we are Many years later and I think I can take a little time to give someone else a chance at something just the same as I was given a chance many years ago.

Ronald Reagan said "trust but verify". Regardless of his political efforts, Reagan was a natural teacher.

I believe we lack "natural teachers" in far too many cases and as a result our generational youth have not become the students of learning and work. If you are doing more than showing a neighbor kid what to do . . actually training a mind and hands . . then you are part of a heritage each generation handed down in this country . . that the "flower power" generation forgot was their obligation.

 

[woody]

I like the sock idea and also I use the latex gloves and when I am done I slid the grease hose down in one of the fingers helps keep things clean.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I like the sock idea and also I use the latex gloves and when I am done I slid the grease hose down in one of the fingers helps keep things clean.

FWIW I have found, and noticed in others, that wearing gloves will make a bigger mess. The cause is losing the tactile feel of the mess as it occurs -- as well as the dexterity. ... A finger wiped off immediately on a 3ph pin or ball etc - or even the grass, is no longer messy. IF you can stand a little grease on your fingertips many spots on the tractor will benefit. The sock will keep the goo from your hands and take any excess on fingers. ... Then 1 paper towel when youre finished.

 

[masscity]

You know the cheap thermometers with the aluminum bracket that you mount on the outside of your window or where ever. I take the bracket and cut it to 6 inches or so and bend the end to about 1/2" to 3/4". I round off the edges and I use it to clean off the excess grease on my BH and FEL.

 

[PhysAssist]

Rubber gloves and a roll of paper towels help me a lot. I carry a trash can right by the machine I am greasing, put on the gloves and use a lot of paper towels. I wipe things off as I go and throw the towels away before they get so much grease on them that they themselves are making a mess. We often go through multiple tubes of grease a day with our various machines and it seems to work well.

We keep a [plastic] grocery bag hanging from the FEL post and just jam the too-soiled-to-use-again paper towels in there- then it gets emptied into the burn pile.

 

[PhysAssist]

Rubber gloves from Costco help a lot.

I bring an empty cardboard box and a roll of paper towels with me, when the towels get greasy, put them in the box.

Another tool I use is a 16d nail. It has two purposes. First it allows me to force a paper towel into the areas around a recessed zerk. Second use is that when the little ball in a zerk gets stuck, I put the point of the nail on it and push hard on the head. Usually frees it right up.

Hi CurlyD,

Get idea- and brings up something nobody specifically mentioned- but I'm sure we all do- that is pre-cleaning the Zerks and outflow areas before greasing.

To me, that's so much more important than afterwards- I think that the benefits of cleaning the Zerks is mostly obvious, but cleaning the outflow makes seeing and hearing the signs of adequate grease replacement so much easier appreciate.

We also have a Zerk clearing tool which gets filled with light mineral oil, clicked onto the Zerk, and then smacked with a hammer to free up the really jammed up ones.

I think we'll be using the nail more and the tool less from now on.

Thanks,
Thomas

 

[PhysAssist]

Ronald Reagan said "trust but verify". Regardless of his political efforts, Reagan was a natural teacher.

I believe we lack "natural teachers" in far too many cases and as a result our generational youth have not become the students of learning and work. If you are doing more than showing a neighbor kid what to do . . actually training a mind and hands . . then you are part of a heritage each generation handed down in this country . . that the "flower power" generation forgot was their obligation.

Over the years, we have co-opted a number of neighbor kids [with their parents blessings] to do yard work etc, and it seems like even with us there to set the example, guide, and motivate them to responsible work habits, only a few ever seemed to have any concept of work ethic, personal honor, or the value of earning money.

In my opinion, the ones who "worked out" were the ones who had parents who had already instilled those same values at a much earlier age- and as the years have passed, we are finding less and less of them- but we also find that it's worth seeking them out- and not just for what work they can do...

I was a lot like PaulFun9, except not really mechanically inclined, but my dad kept trying, and my inborn [?Germanic] doggedness and just general stubbornness made me keep trying, and so I keep learning.

 

[PhysAssist]

I like the sock idea and also I use the latex gloves and when I am done I slid the grease hose down in one of the fingers helps keep things clean.

That there is another excellent tip

 

[drizler]

I leave it on as a rust inhibitor..........

Gloves and wipe off any large globs with whatever is available.

That's what I do. I care a lot more about having it on there than having it getting on the paint. I just wipe off the big gobs if any and leave the rest be. As for nice clothes on a tractor........that's a mistake right from the start. You can't work well if you are always sweating getting dirty.

 

[SteveM70]

Where I worked all equipment operators were required to grease there equipment before starting there shift. A similar question came up one day about getting the grease off of hands. One guy said, "I just eat a sandwich once I'm done greasing."

Pretty sure it was a joke....mostly.

 

[TMGT]

I worked as an auto tech for a long time, when it was busy you just ate as you went. Bread is great at cleaning your hands apparently, but only if you're eating it............

 

[AxleHub]

Another item that helps with cleaning grease is hair shampoo . . especially cheap hair shampoo. NO CONDITIONER ADDITIVES and designed for oily hair. Shampoo by its nature is designed to be used on the body so it isnt caustic to skin. But its also designed to remove oil and greasy secretions but it doesn't have a cleaner or industrial smell . Works better than dish detergent (dawn blue) and doesn't separate like orange or go jo . And your hands won't smell like a machinist . . . and your wife will notice.

 

[SPYDERLK]

The foamed soap "Method" is surprisingly good alone. With just a little Fast Orange added its even better. The foam keeps the grit there so it can work longer.

 

[jrm21]

Another item that helps with cleaning grease is hair shampoo . . especially cheap hair shampoo. NO CONDITIONER ADDITIVES and designed for oily hair. Shampoo by its nature is designed to be used on the body so it isnt caustic to skin. But its also designed to remove oil and greasy secretions but it doesn't have a cleaner or industrial smell . Works better than dish detergent (dawn blue) and doesn't separate like orange or go jo . And your hands won't smell like a machinist . . . and your wife will notice.

Good tip. I think a key is "cheap" shampoo... the more expensive ones tend to have many additives (oils). Whether using shampoo or dish detergent, here is an old trick I learned... apply it "dry." Don't run the water and wet your hands. Apply the soap/shampoo first and work it in. After it is worked in, they use water to rinse. Much more effective than soap+water.

 

[AxleHub]

Good tip. I think a key is "cheap" shampoo... the more expensive ones tend to have many additives (oils). Whether using shampoo or dish detergent, here is an old trick I learned... apply it "dry." Don't run the water and wet your hands. Apply the soap/shampoo first and work it in. After it is worked in, they use water to rinse. Much more effective than soap+water.

You are correct on dry first. And I emphasized cheap shampoo because it still has to be safe for skin contact but the cheap stuff (or old leftover stuff) works better anyway as long as no conditioners are involved.

I grew up in a machinist and tool and die envirnment and my dad's hands always smelled of heat treating oils and lubricating oils for lathe work. The shampoo has a much more friendly smell than go jo or orange or pumice. And as long as it works so well . . Why not have your hands both clean AND not smell industrial lol.

 

[not2old]

I've used starting fluid also. Usually in conjunction with a burn barrel and a flame.

aerosol brake parts cleaner saved my good suit.

 

[TomSeller]

I use the latex gloves and when I am done I slid the grease hose down in one of the fingers helps keep things clean.

Latex glove with lube on one of the fingers....
Brings back uncomfortable memories.

 

[sixdogs]

aerosol brake parts cleaner saved my good suit.

Wait---this will take grease out of clothes? Any downsides you are aware of?

 

[AxleHub]

Wait---this will take grease out of clothes? Any downsides you are aware of?

Cotton is probably ok but I'd be concerned about nylon or rayon or polyester because brake cleaner is a solvent.

 

[ray66v]

Wait---this will take grease out of clothes? Any downsides you are aware of?

As I said previously, the old chlorinated brake cleaner, (generally in the red can), is a form of dry cleaning fluid. Which is exactly what they use at the cleaners to remove grease.

Other than the headache the vapors may give you, the only down side is, there tends to be a ring around the stain, because you can't immerse the entire garment in the solvent, like your cleaners can.

With enough effort, you can do a good job removing stains with chlorinated brake cleaner.

Compressed air, is the most effective way to remove a stain, once you get it to dissolve.

The other can of brake cleaner, the non-chlorinated type, is lacquer thinner, which also works, just not quite as well.