Working in the rain

[Trev]

We are leaving for vacation in a few days, and there is so much that needs to be done. One of the big ones is that I need to go around with the dirt scoop and collect up all the rocks that have surfaced since I tilled the gardens and since the bulldozer put in a new driveway for us and pushed down a huge hill of dirt. He pushed out one rock that is the approx size of a VW Beetle. There are tons more of average size... basketball or smaller.

We have a storm coming, and it occured to me.. is it very rough on a tractor (JD 4300) to operate it in the rain? I know some people keep their tractors outside and uncovered, but is it a different story if it's running?

What are your thoughts on working in the rain?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Golfgar4]

<font color=blue>"What are your thoughts on working in the rain?"</font color=blue>

Ahhhh ---- You'll get wet?? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif Sorry!

Seriously, I can't imagine that there's any problems with working a tractor in the rain. You see farmers, construction crews, and landscapers doing it all the time. I suppose the possibility of side slipping, or something like that might be considered.

Heck, if we can operate golf carts in the rain, why not a tractor? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

Do you ever wash your tractor? Is so no difference between that and working in the rain once in awhile. These tractors were made to be exposed to water. I don't think longterm exposing one to rain all the time is good but if it's stored inside and then used, even with rain, I don't think you'll do any harm.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I've run mine in the rain and it still starts and runs. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I see a lot of farmers out in light rains. I figure if anyone knows about tractors, it'd be those boys. Just be aware that if it's a thunderstorm and you're out in a field that ROPS is the highest point out there and a pretty good conductor, too. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[gerard]

Don't think the rain will hurt anything but doing dirt work in the rain is a waste of time. Working in mud just doesn't do it. Doesn't hurt the tractor - just can't get anything done. Even the R1's load up and you lose traction to easily. Mud's a great lubricant!!!!

 

[Bird]

Won't hurt the tractor any more than it hurts your car to operate it in the rain. In fact, I'd rather have it running in the rain than just sitting out there in a rain; if the engine's running, you know there isn't going to be any water get into the muffler and sit there and rust./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[MReeter]

Trev,I'd like to have a good rain to work in!!!

 

[Trev]

<font color=blue>Won't hurt the tractor any more than it hurts your car to operate it in the rain.</font color=blue>

Except that my car instrument panel, switches, etc., are inside and out of the rain. I guess that was my biggest concern. Especially given that I've noticed that my instrument panel always fogs up a bit when the tractor has been used for a while. Does that suggest a problem brewing? I'm talking about just a normal, nice day.. run the tractor for a few hours, and the inside of the glass of the panel gets fogged up. Should I have JD take it apart and make sure it's sealed properly?

<font color=blue>...but doing dirt work in the rain is a waste of time.</font color=blue>

Yeah, I know.. mud is a pain when trying to get anything done. But all I needed to do was drive around and pick up rocks so they wouldn't kill the mower.

BTW, anyone want to buy some rocks? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

<font color=blue>Do you ever wash your tractor?</font color=blue>

Yeah, but I try not to hit certain places, and I try to make sure the engine is cold, etc.

Thanks for the thoughts, folks!!
Bob

 

[Bird]

Yeah, Bob, I would prefer not getting water directly on the instrument panel, but it happens. Hasn't there been some previous threads about the instrument panels fogging up on Deeres? The only time my Kubota instrument panel fogged up was about the first or second time I washed the tractor and sprayed water directly on the instrument panel and it fogged up immediately. After that I avoided spraying water directly on it and it never fogged up again.

 

[Trev]

Bird, I don't think I've ever gotten water on the instrument panel, except maybe a little overspray when washing. My guess is they got some water in it during assembly.. and only when the thing is fully warmed up and been running does it fog up. And it does it every time. Next service when it's in the shop I'll ask them to take a peek. Or I could pull it out, remove a bulb, and hit it with a hair dryer. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I'll do a search on fogging instrument panels. Never occured to me that anyone else would have had such a weird problem! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif