Is it insane that I want to wax my new kubota? It looks so good shiny I find myself cleaning it more often than my truck!
Anyone wax their tractor?
- Thread starter KBorange
- Start date
I waxed a 20 year old tractor when it was up for sale. Also used tire shine. It sold in a hurry.
Nothing wrong with keeping your tractor nice. Buyers will see that you have taken care of it.
Nothing wrong with keeping your tractor nice. Buyers will see that you have taken care of it.
If selling, sure. But day to day, no way. Like my machine tools, they are to be used. I put time and energy into making sure they work properly and are kept reasonably clean, pretty much nothing into keeping them pretty. But that's just me. I don't have enough energy and time to complete the things I feel I need to complete, much less dedicate extra time and energy to waxing the tractor. But if you have the time, energy and desire, then I wish you the best (and envy you 
).
).I can't imagine it would take more than an hour to do. Maybe once a year! You must be a busy busy manIf selling, sure. But day to day, no way. Like my machine tools, they are to be used. I put time and energy into making sure they work properly and are kept reasonably clean, pretty much nothing into keeping them pretty. But that's just me. I don't have enough energy and time to complete the things I feel I need to complete, much less dedicate extra time and energy to waxing the tractor. But if you have the time, energy and desire, then I wish you the best (and envy you
I was ping to wax mine when I first got it. It's 10 years old and dull. My wife came out before I started and began teasing me. She said 'its a tractor'.... Lol!!
Sorry, I should quit for the night, I seem to be having a hard time communicating effectively. I didn't mean that to say that just waxing the tractor would present a hardship on it's own. It was more a statement about the general approach to such things.I can't imagine it would take more than an hour to do. Maybe once a year! You must be a busy busy man
For example, I'm pretty serious into being what some might call a "hobby machinist" (and fabrication). In that world I have friends who I respect, and who have shops and machines I envy. Some of them are like me, and their only real criteria is a clean functional machine that helps them achieve their real goals, which are not the machines themselves. Others (who I also respect and envy) have wonderful machines, pinnacles of their era that originally cost more than a luxury car AND a house of that time. With scraped and flaked precision surfaces that look more like jewels than tools, and paint that would look at home on display in a fine museum. For some, the machines are ends to themselves, and rarely even get used to restore their shop mates. And even harder for me to comprehend, others actually use them to produce still more beautiful things without concern for marring their beauty! I've been down that road in other lifetimes and hobbies and that level of commitment/obsession doesn't do well with me. An example would cars that ultimately reached a level of "perfection" that I could no longer enjoy them for fear of damage or theft. Going out on a date, I had to be seated at a window so I could keep watch (and you can imagine how that played). And worst of all, I took a CJ7 that was pretty nice and fairly capable off-road, and ruined it! It all started with thoughts to the effect that "the paint is looking a little beat, I think I'll paint it." But to do it right, the body needed to come off, and then I might as well paint the frame, but then... Just about a year later I had sunk all my time and "disposable income" into it, and it looked like a show piece at SEMA, and I didn't even like taking it down gravel roads!
So, waxing a tractor alone isn't a big deal. But unless there is some emotional or otherwise exceptional value associated with the specific tractor, to me, doing so only makes sense if that is the general approach to "your things". And lest I be misunderstood again, I'm not saying that's bad. Wildfire is clearly like that, and I very much respect what he accomplishes, there is no way I could. But I don't see why waxing the tractor is anymore important than painting/polishing my other machines, and THAT I don't have time or energy for. So for tractors, machine tools, wood craft tools, and my off-road rigs; I get far more out of them by just letting them be what they are. My street truck (that also earns it's keep) is kept in prime shiny form (actually I find it more productive to pay someone to do that) and any blemish is immediately addressed (by me, I'm not generally satisfied by others work in that regard). I'm also restoring a "horse property" bought out of foreclosure (with the expected accumulated neglect), and these are worthy of that extra effort (in part for that resale value mentioned earlier). I tend to utilize my resources at near 100%, so for me, everything is a trade off, so I try to make sure I get return for effort. If your return is emotional satisfaction of a shiny tractor, I'll just have to enjoy the pleasure vicariously.
Hopefully that clarifies my point a bit better. Or if it was just rambling, please forgive...
Wildfire
Active member
Equipment
Kubota L5740 HSTC3 and a Kubota ZG222Z, 2013 BX25D,Custom Toyota fork lift.
To be honest. Yes it is insane but I do it all the time as well so we're all in the same boat
Nothing wrong with wanting to keep your investment in great shape. I'll go one farther. I use tire dressing on mine as well. Ya I know. There's no hope for me
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I have a an old B6200 and I'm doing a very simple restoration which includes hand polishing most of the painted surfaces, a little at a time. To watch the sun fading disappear and the true colors come back is inspiring enough to keep me going to the next panel. Once completely polished and waxed I probably won't have to do it again since it's stored inside but I can certainly understand the motivation, especially with a new one!
Hook
Member
Equipment
L3240 with LA514 FEL, Box Blade, Howard Rotovator, All Purpose Plow, Sub Soiler
TripleR
Active member
Equipment
BX2200, BX2660, L5740 HSTC, M8540HDC and some other tractors and equipment
Very good post by BadDog which pretty much mirrors mine. I do have a power washer if they start looking too disreputable.
Well guess I will jump in lol.... I use a pressure washer to keep her clean and typically twice a year put a coat of wax on it. I must say the two times I do wax it, I get the same thing.... what in the dickens are you doing man, for petes sake its a tractor!!!!
Maintenance, it also includes the looks, makes it last longer. The biggest thing is the extra money on resale. Look at 2 tractors, same make, same year, same hours. One looks better than the other, which one is going to be sold first and for more money. I had a chevy truck once, paid $6200 for it. Took really good care of it includeing paint and wax. 230,000 miles later, sold it for $4800. Mainly because it looked like it had 70,000 miles.
I wax mine. I don't use it to make a living, so the time is easier to find, plus it only takes a few minutes.
Also, keeping up with it is a whole lot easier than letting it go and have to clean it later. Keeping my tractor clean on a regular basis increases my joy in it, and I don't have to powerwash it.
I get a lot of enjoyment and pride out of my equipment. I have a 99 Honda TRX300 ATV that looks like the day I bought it. I use it, work it, and I don't baby it at all, but it is in the best shape it can be for the age. I don't spend much time at all on keeping it up, therefore it never gets out of hand or out of control. The paint still shines on the frame, the engine looks like new with no grime in the crevices or oil leaks/stains, and the plastic is at 90% or better (a few scratches). I both enjoy what a tool will do and how it looks.
This probably came from my previous profession as a tile setter. It may seem trivial, but customers were impressed by well cared for tools that still looked good. That conveyed that I'm organized, methodical, and if I take care of my equipment, I would take care of their home. Same way with my work truck. It shined, and literally, I got work because of it. I heard it more than once- "If you take care of your truck like that, then you are welcome in my home". I made a comfortable living in tile, and that was partly do to clean equipment. I know what these customers thought of the guys who showed up in a ratty van with old tools and clothes covered in silicone/caulk- a slob isn't going to keep their house clean.
I bet that more than one customer has chosen Wildfire because of his immaculate attention to detail. Who here wouldn't?
Also, keeping up with it is a whole lot easier than letting it go and have to clean it later. Keeping my tractor clean on a regular basis increases my joy in it, and I don't have to powerwash it.
I get a lot of enjoyment and pride out of my equipment. I have a 99 Honda TRX300 ATV that looks like the day I bought it. I use it, work it, and I don't baby it at all, but it is in the best shape it can be for the age. I don't spend much time at all on keeping it up, therefore it never gets out of hand or out of control. The paint still shines on the frame, the engine looks like new with no grime in the crevices or oil leaks/stains, and the plastic is at 90% or better (a few scratches). I both enjoy what a tool will do and how it looks.
This probably came from my previous profession as a tile setter. It may seem trivial, but customers were impressed by well cared for tools that still looked good. That conveyed that I'm organized, methodical, and if I take care of my equipment, I would take care of their home. Same way with my work truck. It shined, and literally, I got work because of it. I heard it more than once- "If you take care of your truck like that, then you are welcome in my home". I made a comfortable living in tile, and that was partly do to clean equipment. I know what these customers thought of the guys who showed up in a ratty van with old tools and clothes covered in silicone/caulk- a slob isn't going to keep their house clean.
I bet that more than one customer has chosen Wildfire because of his immaculate attention to detail. Who here wouldn't?
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I don't wash anything during the summer season. I do tend to blow off any debris after each use. I then wash each piece in the fall, do all of its yearly maintenance and then wax it. If I am not going to use it during the winter, I go a head and winterize it. I enjoy keeping them looking as close to new as I can, just as I enjoy restoring old equipment.
John in VA
John in VA
Yeah Im guilty as well,, but only when she needs it, and I use a spray on wax,, wax on wax off made by mothers, same stuff I use on the Harley but I ride it too like I use the Bouta I play with my toys they are used, sometimes hard, but not abused. Now I do know of a guy that will jack his B up and wash and wax the frame,, that's got to be a little over the edge for me
Just bought my first Kubota and plan to get it cleaned up in the spring unless we get a nice warm day yet this fall. Is the hood a solid plastic with the color all the way through or just topcoated? Previous owner took really nice care of it, I just have a quite a few scratches on the hood from low hanging branches that I'd like to buff out.
Any suggestions on the best way to go about that would be greatly appreciated.
Any suggestions on the best way to go about that would be greatly appreciated.