What are your general implement care routines?

[cold1313]

I've got a new Woods brush cutter coming to the house in a few weeks and I got to thinking of general care and storage of implements.


In the fall, for my old cutter, I would scrap the underneath, blow out the pulleys, grease the joints and spray WD40 under the deck and anywhere that the powder coating had come off.

Farmer down the road does diesel fuel to cover all his implements - but they stay in a storage barn, not a smaller pole barn like me.

When I get the new cutter - anything I could apply to it now, to help prevent an issue. Like a dry lube spray? Or use that when storing? What do you guys like to use / do?

 

[mcfarmall]

Rotary cutter, keep the top surface free of clippings, leaves, etc. with a leaf blower after use. Under the deck...nothing as there is no perceptible buildup of clippings. If you park it outdoors, I'd cover it with a good tarp in between uses.

 

[cold1313]

I do clean off everything after each use with the air compressor, then store everything indoors....(until I run out of room here...quickly!)

 

[cold1313]

Also curious...I grease my PTO shaft...but I've watched videos where people just spray some WD40 on it and call it a day. Grease seems better to me, just messy.

 

[Thomas]

Your on the right path for care,also tighten any nuts and bolts.

 

[bdog]

I have definitely seen material build up and stick to the bottom side of a shredder. You wouldn’t think it could but it does. I have a 10’ shredder and I mowed 15 acres with it right before Christmas and then parked it. I moved it last week and there was at least a wheelbarrow full of cake up clippings and dirt mix that had fallen off the bottom side of it where it was sitting.

Another thing to do is make sure your pto coupler isn’t laying in the dirt. Some shredders have little brackets to hold it up when not in use. If yours doesn’t tie it up with some wire or something so it is off the ground.

 

[BrokenTrack]

It depends on the implement. For anything that touches something corrosive like fertilizer spreaders and such, it gets a good rinse before it is stored, but for others it might just mean parking them. I do like to remove my PTO shafts completely off the machine and store them inside; today PTO shafts are expensive, but don't take up much room if removed.

As for older implements, I have found I take one implement and totally rebuild it from the ground up about every year. Its often not that expensive compared to buying new.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Park them in the fall. Paint and grease them the next spring.

 

[bspeedy]

I look them over, clean as needed, replace / repair any damaged or missing items. Full lube. Park inside.

The last one is the most important, IMO.

 

[cold1313]

I look them over, clean as needed, replace / repair any damaged or missing items. Full lube. Park inside.

The last one is the most important, IMO.

Agreed. I keep everything inside. Especially here in Ohio with our weather, salt, etc.