Wash Your Tractor?

[mahlers]

I go over all of my tools at least twice a year to make sure they're clean and in good order. When the tractor comes in, it will get the same treatment. It's so much easier to work on something that's broken if it's all clean. Also, there's much less risk of dirt and dust getting into places where they shouldn't and grinding things up.

As far as waxing the exterior - I'll probably do that, too. You can always tell when paint has been taken care of, and that coat of wax makes is SO much easier to clean off the rig when it gets dirty.

 

[popeye]

I wash mine and wax it once a year. Orange doesn't look too attractive when it fades. I wash the mower too. My uncle's Ford has trees growing on his mower. I have an inclination that could cause the mower deck to rust. So I either sweep mine off or wash it.
Mike

 

[28RedHorses]

Yep sure do. Not to the point of being fanatical but when it needs it , the tractor and implements get washed / cleaned.

My father used to tell me "Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you". I found that mostly to be true.

I also feel that it's easier to work on clean equipment then dirty equipment.

28Red

 

[LAGEORGE]

Rimmer, does spraying it down with a garden hose count? If so I do that very often. My tractor gets very dusty from all the grading and mulch moving I do. In fact I have to clean the radiator and air filter very often to the point I keep two air filters in a rotation one clean one dirty. I did buy some car wash soap and have some wax but am always way to busy to slow down and wash it with a cloth and wax it. But since you brought it up I think I will do that. My hour meter reads 3 hours it should at least look like a new tractor again. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

George

 

[JDgreen227]

This is odd, back in 1989 when my JD 318 was new I used to wash it almost weekly when the mowing was completed. It even got waxed about twice a year, but as it grew older and the hours piled up (1400 at present) the waxing stopped and the washing declined to a few times a year.

I have owned my 4210 since April of this year, it's been washed one time after I pulled the MMM for the 50 hour service. Usually I just blast the grass clippings and dust off with an electric blower after the mowing is done. Wax it??
Maybe next year. A REAL tractor works and gets dirty in the process.

 

[jinman]

I rinse off my tractor often with a hose. In particular, I rinse out the dust from the radiator and rinse off the top of the battery. I also rinse heavy mud out of the cleats on my tires and on the axles. My trees also drop a lot of sap during certain seasons of the year, so I rinse sap off too. I never, never pressure wash the engine. If I pressure wash the loader, I grease it immediately afterwards. 95% of the time I just rinse off dust and mud with a hose and let the tractor air dry.

 

[chim]

Yes, mine gets washed. It just feels better to look out over a clean hood. I make no real effort to avoid getting it hogged up when working, but clean it up when I'm done........................chim

 

[Tractors4u]

I remember when I got my first new bicycle, I was about 10 or 11. It was an offroad BMX style. Within a week I had it covered in red clay mud. When my dad say he he told me to wash the bike. "Why?" I said, "its an offroad dirtbike". His explaination was that the mud held in moisture that led to rust and the caked on crud could also cover up problems. On my own I figured out that it was also bad for the threaded surfaces of fasteners. Every since then I have tried to keep my ATV's, lawnmowers, and now tractors clean. Not always with soap and water but a good high pressure hosing to knock all the bad stuff off. I then follow up with greas and WD40 as needed.

 

[Briarwood]

Yep. At least I hose it off after a job that gets it really dirty, especially muddy. My B2710 is four years old and has 350 hours on it. I have never waxed it but I probably should just to protect the paint. I always clean it up before the dealer picks it up for service. After the 300 hr service, the kid that delivered it back to the house remarked on how nice it was to work on a clean tractor and he wished others would keep theirs as clean. That provided some additional incentive to clean it up, especially when I sending it in for service. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif My tractor is more than just a tool for me. I was a townie and always envied my friends that owned farms. So, when I retired I bought a small farm built a new house and pole barn and here I am. I know I'm not a "real" farmer but I love this country life and I'm proud of what I have. Before I put the hose away for the winter last week, I sprayed off the tractor. I pulled the truck in the barn the other night and the orange tractor just kind of shined in the head lights and I thought about how lucky I am to have a nice tractor, a new pick up, barn and house and an old wife that loves me as much as I love her. In fact, I am just lucky to be alive, after open heart surgery one year ago on Nov 22. This is a time to be thankful and indeed I am.

Briarwood

 

[TCowner]

My TC40D gets a regular bath although a little less often when the loader is on. I've waxed it twice in 300 hours and must admit that after a fresh bath (the tractor not me) the tractor looks like the day it was delivered. I don't know about the other TBN members but I get that new tractor feeling each time.

My dealer stopped in one day after I had just finished its bath and also seemed pleased with the tractor's appearance. He commented that not every tractor owner pays much attention to the appearance. He also said that in his experience tractor owners who regular clean them up also tend to be sticklers for following the maintenance schedules. I tend to agree.

I think that once a dealership knows you take care of the tractor's appearance and the maintenance schedule you are usually rewarded at trade-in time.