I use a small used tooth brush as it fits into the tight areas and wipe excess grease off around joints with that and scrape the grease off of tooth brush into a used coffee cup as I go ( Tim Hortons for the win ) , than spray area wit WD 40 and wipe away , WD 40 on a rag is the answer .
Grease Cleanup
- Thread starter AndyM
- Start date
After a grease job, I go around to all the zerks and places where the grease is oozing out, scoop as much of the excess as I can with a Popsicle stick. A slit cut into a piece of stiff cardboard makes wiping the stick off real easy! Finish off with a quick wipe with a rag and then it all goes into the garbage can. Not too anal about having the machine looking pristine all the time.
Where its easy to access; who cares?..but inside the arms of my front end loader I imagine some of the grease goes back to the 1980's. I've tried brake cleaner, GUNK, kerosene, WD40, Dawn dish soap all both before and after pressure washing. No easy way. I finally got both sides to accept new grease after getting a locknlube coupler which allowed be to clip-on and nudge the loader up & down a tad while under pressure. I'd still like something that would dissolve the old grease enough to allow a garden hose stream to just knock it clean without risk of paint removal.
When I grease the FEL, I do pump the grit out. Using Mobil 1 red grease helps to notice the new grease oozing. With that said it does make a mess.
"My tools of the trade is a half roll of paper towels and big handful of Qtips."
I dont use any cleaning solvents, didnt think i needed any and a slight unnoticable film of grease is a rust preventative barrier.
First, pump grease in all the joints
Second, I have a piece if paper towel on the floor. Clean all the joints with the Qtips first, while throwing them in a pile on that paper towel. I can roll the Qtip and pick up the glop while not creating a bigger mess, using bith sides.
Third, wipe the rest of the joints with a piece of paper towel.
This is similar for my gun cleaning, so I always have a box of Qtips in the shop for the detail cleaning.
"My tools of the trade is a half roll of paper towels and big handful of Qtips."
I dont use any cleaning solvents, didnt think i needed any and a slight unnoticable film of grease is a rust preventative barrier.
First, pump grease in all the joints
Second, I have a piece if paper towel on the floor. Clean all the joints with the Qtips first, while throwing them in a pile on that paper towel. I can roll the Qtip and pick up the glop while not creating a bigger mess, using bith sides.
Third, wipe the rest of the joints with a piece of paper towel.
This is similar for my gun cleaning, so I always have a box of Qtips in the shop for the detail cleaning.
Creature Meadow
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2012 L4600, Disk, Brush Hog, GB60 Garden Bedder, GSS72 Grading Scraper
I just use paper towels, greased my FEL yesterday. I roll them up, fold them, ball them into all shapes and sizes as I do not like to see grease all over the tractor. I even have some large q-tips I use for those hard to reach places.
I also have a small 1/2 wide 6" long flexible flat blade I use to scrape of grease before using paper towels.
I do agree it is a pain every 10 hours but I want Katie the Kubota to be serviced as suggested.
Jay
I also have a small 1/2 wide 6" long flexible flat blade I use to scrape of grease before using paper towels.
I do agree it is a pain every 10 hours but I want Katie the Kubota to be serviced as suggested.
Jay
Just spent the better part of a day dismantling an air jack that has been neglected for years. Putty knife and scotch bright and varsol. I agree with keeping things clean. It should never be left so long that it comes to tearing it down to bits and pieces.
The shop (a place i worked years ago) pretty much tossed it out.the only thing was a small weld repair besides cleaning and lubing.
Similar with a tire machine i acquired recently, needed cleaning lubricating and a 90 cent o ring.
So for anybody that thinks you guys are just wasting your time, ignore them. Clean and properly lubricated will add to the life of your machine.
And theres nothing worse than getting covered in grime because nobody wants to clean up after greasing.
The shop (a place i worked years ago) pretty much tossed it out.the only thing was a small weld repair besides cleaning and lubing.
Similar with a tire machine i acquired recently, needed cleaning lubricating and a 90 cent o ring.
So for anybody that thinks you guys are just wasting your time, ignore them. Clean and properly lubricated will add to the life of your machine.
And theres nothing worse than getting covered in grime because nobody wants to clean up after greasing.
I'm at the other end of this spectrum. My guys leave grease hanging in the joints. They seem to think that if I can see grease, I won't bitch about them not greasing machines. An occasional pressure washing keeps them from looking so snotty.
I keep all my equipment greased as needed. I have a 5 gal. bucket of paper towels that were use for some other purpose and saved for one last job. I wipe of the zert top before greasing and after, and if a glob fall out I wipe it up. I keep the equipment clean.... but in my mind a "spit shine" is not required!
So does one grease every 10 hours on the hour meter or 10 hours of loader use? Could be a lot of the grease is making the owner/operator feel better, not helping reduce friction on the loader!
So does one grease every 10 hours on the hour meter or 10 hours of loader use? Could be a lot of the grease is making the owner/operator feel better, not helping reduce friction on the loader!
lol I grease any pins after every time I use it , just can't go on thinking my pins are not floating on grease , I have 6 grease guns all with different types of grease for different applications , remember moly only for pins and EP2 for HST peddle on a BX25 , yes I may need help with my greasing fettish , here she is greased and ready to go lol.
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Auto Zone spray brake cleaner is really good to clean stuff with and it does NOT harm the paint. Carburetor cleaner on the other hand will discolor and in some cases, bubble the paint..
I use NAPA, Mac's brand starting fluid (#7212). No paint issues and it is cheap. Spray, wipe and the rest evaporates quickly. See, there really is a use for starting fluid on these newer tractors! Just keep the fumes AWAY from the intake. For external use only!!! 
North Idaho Wolfman
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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
NO SMOKING WHILE CLEANING!I use NAPA, Mac's brand starting fluid (#7212). No paint issues and it is cheap. Spray, wipe and the rest evaporates quickly. See, there really is a use for starting fluid on these newer tractors! Just keep the fumes AWAY from the intake. For external use only!!!
No worries here, I don't smoke at anytime. I also don't use it around any engine that is running.NO SMOKING WHILE CLEANING!
I have this magic clothes hamper. I just throw my dirty clothes in it and somehow I find them clean and hanging in the closet.
Caper, if you treat your body with the same detail as your tractor you'll live to be as old as Methuselah!!
I know that this is an old post, but I just wanted to mention that I found a great way to clean off excess grease or wipe the grease nipples before greasing.
Put a disposable rubber glove on your hand and then slide an old sweat sock over the glove. I'm right handed, so I put the glove and sock on my left hand. USUALLY one glove will do the job, if not, use another. The old socks are thick enough to wipe the grease away and aren't usually good for anything else.
If you think grease is no fun to work with, try working with Prussian blue. First you have a dot of it on your right index finger and next thing it's behind your left ear. Very difficult to remove from your skin and almost impossible to get out of clothing.
Put a disposable rubber glove on your hand and then slide an old sweat sock over the glove. I'm right handed, so I put the glove and sock on my left hand. USUALLY one glove will do the job, if not, use another. The old socks are thick enough to wipe the grease away and aren't usually good for anything else.
If you think grease is no fun to work with, try working with Prussian blue. First you have a dot of it on your right index finger and next thing it's behind your left ear. Very difficult to remove from your skin and almost impossible to get out of clothing.
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I buy paper towels by the large-package of a dozen or more rolls and use them liberally in the garage along with WD40. Works great. Makes good fire-starter too.
By the Way…. I can’t help but believe that the “Ten Hour” grease-job recommendation applies to Ten Hours of USE… If I don’t use the Loader for 20 hours of mowing the pasture…. I don’t grease it. I grease it EVERY time I change the engine oil…and “about” every ten hours of loader use.
By the Way…. I can’t help but believe that the “Ten Hour” grease-job recommendation applies to Ten Hours of USE… If I don’t use the Loader for 20 hours of mowing the pasture…. I don’t grease it. I grease it EVERY time I change the engine oil…and “about” every ten hours of loader use.