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How clean is your tractor?

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Just curious, but do you guys wash your tractors? I don't mean the occasional wash when you get it really muddy, I mean do you actually go out and wash your tractor on a regular basis to keep it clean?

I can honestly say that I have never taken a soapy sponge to the Kubota, the Cub or the Ventrac. I have, ONCE, soaped down the NH, but it had a good deal of old diesel on the hood that had accumulated into a grimey mess (it looks that way again but I've not gotten up the desire to clean the hood).

The Kubota, Cub and NH have each been sprayed down with a power washer a few times, but not wiped down. And when I pressure wash them, I only do it when they are really really grungy.

Am I just a slob? Do any of you guys keep your equipment clean enough to run down main streed during a parade?
 

OhioTC18

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Not this tractor, not yet. I need to though. Birds played hell on it over this past winter. I didn't know they could get inside the building but they did. It's been too wet here to do much with it. I've had to use the rider to mow so far. The tractor is too heavy with the wet yard. Just glad I don't have a Kioti. I'd never be able to even pull it out to get the rider out :coolshade

edit.......
But I prolly would have waxed it 3 or 4 times inside the building
 

DaveNay

Klaatu barada nikto
SUPER Site Supporter
The only regular cleaning I give the JD855 is hosing off the MMM after mowing. Lots of clippings and dust collect on the top of it, and I remove the covers, hose it all off and shoot some grease in the zerks.

Other than that, the only other cleaning is after I have used the FEL to clean out the horse paddocks. Shi....errr....mud gets everywhere when doing that. :puke1:
 
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Cityboy

Banned
Wash my tractor? :yum: You're kiddin', right?

I just leave it out in the rain when it needs cleaning.....of course these days in Georgia thats about once every three months.

Seriously though, I'm in the market for a pressure washer; and when I get it I'm planning on giving the old JD5205 and all my other equipment a good going over. I bushhogged for 4 hours today and the wind quit blowing the last 30 minutes and the dust just hovered in one spot. Me and the tractor both came home a different color. :eek:
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
It's Parked outside. I only hose it down when it's too dirty to sit on, the dirt is caked into the treads, or I'm doing some maintenance.

I thought of getting a barn for the tractor but I think I'll just do a slab and carport so I can hose it down and wash the dirt off the slab.
 

HarleyScooter

New member
I do wash my tractor regularly, wax it and use a tire dressing to blacken the tires. Also hit all the grease fittings and spray lube all pivots. It keeps the investment looking good.
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
B_Skurka said:
Do your kids have the task of cleaning them or do you do it?

I won't as long as I have a teenager in the house and YES, #2 washes my tractor! It ain't clean now because I'm in the middle of a project but when I'm done he starts!!!
 

jwstewar

Active member
I usually end up having to power wash after I use the bush hog. Because the tractor, cutter, and me are usually covered in dust and MUD. That usually does for awhile, but then depending how dry it is during normal mowing it gets dusty as well. I then may just hose it off. But usually a couple of times a year I will get ambitous and break the bucket and soap out and wash it. I've only waxed it once though and that was at the end of the summer in 2004 and I knew that the garage wasn't finished and it could no longer sit in the shed (other stuff had taken over) and it was going to be sittin' out in the shell of the garage. Now that it is in there except when I use it I haven't waxed it again.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
If I get mine real muddy I'll power wash the same day I get her muddy. Otherwise, I power wash once a year. I actually felt guilty when reading the TBN posts by those who wax regularly. To me if a tractor is too clean, it just doesn't look right. :confused:
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
B_Skurka said:
Do your kids have the task of cleaning them or do you do it?

Nah, I do it. I'm so darn picky about my stuff that they wouldn't do a good enough job for me and, besides, I always seem to have to bleed each time. You know, all those sharp places to get your hands cut when cleaning around the front axle, under the fenders, and when washing the engine. I take that time to also make sure that the HEPA filter cleaning the air coming into my cab is not plugged and to vacuum and wipe out the cab.

Now, I don't wash my implements though. They only get a "bath" with compressed air before I put them back up on the shelf with the fork truck. If not, it seems that I make the perfect place for mice to breed in the grass trimmings on top of a mower deck.
 

DaveNay

Klaatu barada nikto
SUPER Site Supporter
PBinWA said:
I suspect Dargo has a drive through tractor wash hidden on his estate.:D

I thought he just traded'em in when they got dirty or ran out of fuel. :whistle:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
All I know is that Dargo would probably have a holy cow if he saw how dirty my stuff/shop gets. When it gets too bad, then I pay my daughter $5 to sweep the floor, she does a lousy job, but at least all the dirt clods are gone.
 

LarryRB

Member
I wash mine frequently and always after hog mowing the fields.. I do this to get the chaff out of the radiator and screens, and also it is the best way to check for any hydraulic problems... I have a L48 TLB, and hydraulics is something you want to watch at all times
 

Mith

The Eccentric Englishman
SUPER Site Supporter
We have a ban on using hoses or using water unnescisarily, unfortunately washing tractors and mowers comes under that, so they all are covered in dust and mud, nothing I can do. Given the chance I would wash and wax.
 

DaRBy

New member
I keep my tractors garaged and washed , three of them are in a tractor show this week end.
Gotta admit though , there not as well kept as they once were ! gettin a bad case of the lazy a$$.:whistle:
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
I am about like BobS, I suppose .My tractor is dirty .

Everything seems to be scattered between the different places . Shop is in California, Tractor is in Idaho and someplace there is a pressure washer . Trying to get a new barn built in Idaho and that should help centralize everything .

Right now the tractor is outside and a mess as I been using it to cut the new pad for the barn . I usually try to stay in front of keeping everything clean and tidy.

No one can please me on cleaning my shop ,so when the time comes ,I do it myself .
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
My tractor, ZTR, RTV, ATV's, implements never saw a sponge or soap.

They get an occasional hose down with the pressure washer.

I'm surprised nobody as mentioned the use of a leaf blower. For the days I need to blow dust or grass clippings, I just grab a leaf blower and hit it. They're also my preferred method for cleaning out the shop (but use care so you don't blow things off shelves). :pat:
 

Viking

New member
Site Supporter
I keep mine in the garage and use a leaf blower to remove grass clippings and dust after each use. I then wipe the body panels, seat and hood down with 409 Cleaner or something similar after use. I have pressured washed after extreme muddy useage.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well I've just spent the past hour or so undoing the roof bolts of my Snow Trac and realized that it looks like I went "mudding" with the Snow Trac. One of the tractors was in the next bay of the garage and it too is looking pretty bad. I had to pull the Ventrac out of the garage to make room for me to work on the Snow Trac and that is covered with grass, dust and dirt.

I think it is time to break out the pressure washer and clean all the equipment.
 

OhioTC18

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
As jwstewar, a member here, can testify mine is filthy. I think I have "hosed it off" once :yum:

This past winter birds somehow found their way into the barn and crapped all over it. I really do need to clean THAT off.
 

jwstewar

Active member
Hey Jerry as you are getting THAT off, you will have washed enough of it, you might as well finishing washing the rest of the tractor.:yum: Of course, I even though I've washed mine already twice this year, I think I'm still dirtier. Last time I mowed it was pretty dusty, but we started getting a few sprinkles of rain so now it looks like mud caked on the hood. But mine doesn't have THAT.:eek:
 

buy_25

Banned
I wash mower desk off and stripping attachment every month.

Tractor plastic get cleaned and protected with Poorboys Natural look dressing

Painted surfaces get 1 week QD with S&W from Poorboys, or Chemcial guys Pro detailer.

Every 3 months it is:
1. Washed with Optimum no rise
1.5 clayed if needed.
2. Then either removing scratches with SSR2.5 or DACP: or maybe
[FONT=arial, verdana,]Menzerna IP.
[/FONT]3. Then use a polish like EX-P or carlack 68 for LSP
4. Next,use a Carnauba Wax or
[FONT=arial, verdana,] Acrylic to add gloss and depth.

Outside of that, not much
[/FONT]
 

johnday

The Crazy Scot, #3
SUPER Site Supporter
Well I sorta wash it. I hit it once with a power washer, a year ago I think. Mine usually just gets a lot of dust on it, Ma Nature does a fairly decent job for me getting that stuff off. Right now it's spider webs and mayflyies. I know, it's June, but that's when they hatch, I didn't name them afterall!:tiphat::beer::beer:
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Kind of related...

I just washed the inside of my truck windows and vacuumed it for the first time. No big deal... except the fact I've had the truck for 18 months. :pat:
 

johnday

The Crazy Scot, #3
SUPER Site Supporter
bczoom said:
Kind of related...

I just washed the inside of my truck windows and vacuumed it for the first time. No big deal... except the fact I've had the truck for 18 months. :pat:

Man, you must live in that thing!! 18 months and you already had to clean it?:eek::tiphat::beer::beer:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Dargo said:
I'm so darn picky about my stuff that they wouldn't do a good enough job for me and, besides, I always seem to have to bleed each time. You know, all those sharp places to get your hands cut when cleaning around the front axle, under the fenders, and when washing the engine. I take that time to also make sure that the HEPA filter cleaning the air coming into my cab is not plugged and to vacuum and wipe out the cab.

Now, I don't wash my implements though.
Well I washed both the New Holland and the Kubota today. I think Dargo would be proud because there were implements on both so I washed those too.

Actually I just parked them both in the front lawn and waited for the rain. :hide: And it rained pretty hard!

It might be the first time the NH got wet since the snow melted off of it from the last snowblowing?
 
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