Washing

[MJZ]

How do you wash a tractor? Anything to avoid?

I'm a first time tractor owner, a yanmar ym342. I mow, box blade, drag and lift cedars. Soon I will get a chipper, haul firewood.

Til this weekend we have been in a typical Oklahoma drought. So, super dusty when I mow.

I use a leaf blower to dust it off. It's time to get cleaned up. Just hose it off? Do I avoid getting the instruments wet? No pressure washing?

I'm probably overthinking this. Any input appreciated. Thank you.

 

[jyoutz]

Be sure to clean your radiator from the backside pushing out. A blast of air and or water. Invest in a set of radiator genies to keep it clean or you will soon have an overheating issue. I always just hose everything off afterwards. A few times a year I’ll use the soap foam cannon on my pressure washer to get everything really clean. Be careful washing under the hood and not when the engine is warm.

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[JJT]

How often do I wash my tractors? Never.

 

[RjCorazza]

I soap mine down rather than just rinse. I avoided the dash on my previous open station tractor, as well as most of the engine area.
Pressure washers can do damage of you're not careful, but I do occasionally use one.

 

[jyoutz]

I soap mine down rather than just rinse. I avoided the dash on my previous open station tractor, as well as most of the engine area.
Pressure washers can do damage of you're not careful, but I do occasionally use one.

I only use the low pressure foam cannon with the pressure washer to soap things down, and a regular garden hose for rinsing. High pressure washing can indeed cause damage.

 

[Yander]

How often do I wash my tractors? Never.

I have had my Yanmar for over two years and it has never had a bath. It needs one. I've worked it a bit and I do keep it maintained very well, grease, oil, air filter etc. Just no bath. It doesn't mind. Just gave it it's third oil change. I'll grease it before winter. I've almost completed all my winter service on equipment.

 

[jyoutz]

I have had my Yanmar for over two years and it has never had a bath. It needs one. I've worked it a bit and I do keep it maintained very well, grease, oil, air filter etc. Just no bath. It doesn't mind. Just gave it it's third oil change. I'll grease it before winter. I've almost completed all my winter service on equipment.

Washing is often an operator comfort factor more than maintenance. I don’t like climbing aboard a dust cloud, especially if I’m not field mowing.

 

[DK35vince]

Pressure washer.
I've been pressure washing all my equipment (tractor, mowers, atv's, side by side.)
including the engines for decades.
Never an issue

 

[ericm979]

Be sure to clean your radiator from the backside pushing out. A blast of air and or water.

Be careful you don't bend the radiator fins.

 

[MJZ]

How often do I wash my tractors? Never.

 

[jyoutz]

Be careful you don't bend the radiator fins.

Good point. The radiator genie works pretty well with water and it’s surprising how much gets flushed out even after blowing it out with air. It doesn’t put out so much water pressure that I’ve seen it bend the fins.

 

[RayIN]

Tractors are designed to sit outside in the elements, just avoid hosing electrical stuff.
I think the condition and appearance of my equipment are a reflection of my maintenance habits.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I use a dust blower.... That's about 95% effective.

Any equipment I pressure wash, I use the 40deg tip to reduce pressure and avoid bearing and sensitive areas.

 

[oosik]

When its raining and I'm using the tractor. So......seldom.

 

[JeepHead]

Being that I own a power washing business, I use a power washer

 

[rScotty]

I wash ours about once every couple of years. Some of it by garden hose and some by pressure wash. Usually in warm weather and always avoid the electrics, steering, and seat.
In fact I cover the operator area with a tarp.

I try to remember to disconnect the battery first. That's just good practice, and a chance to scrape and clean the connections from cable to battery posts..

One of my goals pressure washing is to to get the extra grease off of pivots, and the oil spills away from leaky hydraulic quick connections, but I don't think that doing so makes the slightest difference to the tractor. I mostly do that to keep from tracking grease around.

It's good to spend some time with the pressure washer on the underneath where there are filters and hoses. That gives me clean surfaces to change filters and is when I do an annual inspect for leaks and dents.

I don't pressure wash above the lower half of the engine. There is no advantage, and just too much sensitive wiring, electricals, vents, and stuff that doesn't need to be wet. I
If I'm ambitious, I'll hand wipe around the valve cover and high pressure pumps.

The radiator fins I do by hand with a garden hose, dish soap & soft brush.

 

[MJZ]

Well, today is burn day. Had bout 8 inches of rain over the weekend. Im sure mud will abound

 

[repete]

If I am out in the cow fields, cleaning manure out of the barn or spreading fertilizer it gets thoroughly rinsed after each use. Only a spray nozzle on a garden hose. I will every few years use my hot water pressure washer to clean oils and such but that is pretty infrequent.
Tractors are always stored under cover.

 

[grsthegreat]

Pressure washer.
I've been pressure washing all my equipment (tractor, mowers, atv's, side by side.)
including the engines for decades.
Never an issue

Same here. For over 30 years. You simply choose a spray head with a wider pattern to avoid damage. Ald dont get too close. Power washing a warm engine also does no harm if careful. Heck, people used to steam clean engines. All my engines stay clean looking doing this. I even do the undersides.

 

[Williy]

What you want to be careful about is a hot engine and cold water they don't mix. Our tractor gets a bath every time it rains

willy