The #1 Most Important Tractor Maintenance Practice
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2021
- If I had to pick the top tractor and equipment maintenance practice that would prevent a lot of breakdowns, it would be regular greasing. Folks who are new to tractors and attachments may not realize that there are multiple zerks on a tractor that need to get a shot of grease on a regular basis. Today we talk about the basics of greasing a tractor.
First, what is grease? Basically, it's an oil with a thickener, and it's designed to slowly weep out of wear areas under pressure, providing lubrication for critical components. Our cars don't have many bearings that need regular grease, tractors, bush hogs, and any implements or attachments with moving parts, do. Failure to grease any equipment can lead to rapid wear and premature failures that won't be covered under warranty. Nobody wants that.
How does a grease gun work? It applies grease through what is called a "zerk" (I've heard them called "zurts" and seen it spelled multiple ways) which is a fitting with a ball in the end of it. When the coupler, at the end of the grease gun, is pushed on the zerk, it pushed that ball back and allows grease to flow around it. When it is removed, the pressure of the grease pushes it back. The grease stays in the cavity until that part of the tractor gets used and then it does the job of lubricating everything inside.
Once the coupler is on the zerk, start applying grease by pushing the handle of the gun. On some tractors with cheap zerks, you need to keep the coupler exactly lined up or grease will flow out everywhere outside of the zerk and not go where it's supposed to. That's why I use the safeLOCK locking coupler, available here: asktractormike.com/product/lu.... With one of these, once locked on, the grease has to go where it's supposed to.
If you've purchased a new tractor, assume that none of the grease zerks have been serviced. That's because, in the dealership world, tractor prep is not generally done by the top technician, in fact, it could have been done by a poorly-trained high school kid in the busy season. So, double check your dealer's work.
The owner's manual is invaluable to help locate all of the grease zerks, and it will tell the number of hours you can go between greasing. Follow it, and your equipment will last longer.
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Come on now Mike, we all know it's not THAT hard to change out grease in a standard grease gun.... that one might get you an Emmy! :-)
Mike is full of S hi . Pushing on hose coupler doesn’t release grease fitting when you operate the grease opens the ball. This guy reminds me of a sales man lol
It's hard for me!!! I have a step-by-step list on my phone now; however, before, I have ruined clothes and wasted a lot of grease.....
Great job Mike, when I mowed for a state DOT, when greasing batwing mowers our favorite motto was, “the bigger the blob, the better the job”. And with grease guns it seems like everyone you pick up is 2 pumps from empty. Have a great day!
Lol, 2 pumps from empty, ain’t that the truth!!! 😂🤣😂
agree; I want to have two so when one runs out in the middle of the job, I have a backup!
As a lad back in the 60's one of my first chores was greasing the baler. Pop showed me the fittings and I went at it. Once you master a baler and a combine you pretty much have it down. I still to this day will not own a lawn mower without grease fittings. It's instilled in me to keep those fittings greased. Glad I was raised on a farm. Thanks for the videos Mike. I appreciate them.
I spent a lot of my youth on my Grandfathers/uncles farm. One of the first things I was taught was to clean the grease fitting of dirt before greasing and then to properly grease it.
Milwaukee makes a great battery operated grease gun. It’s so simple, takes the pain out of greasing.
DeWalt and Rigid also make great battery powered grease guns. I have mostly Rigid tools so I bought that brand when Home Depot had a deal with a free battery. Works great and all the other Rigid tool batteries are interchangeable. I think any of these brands would be well worth the price, especially if you have lots of implements and/or arthritic hands!
@@profdave2861 true but milwaukee is a man's tool.
I just bought the Milwaukee M12 grease gun and it changed my life. I added a lock-n-lube to it.
I bought the Milwaukee m18. Best money I’ve ever spent.
It is probably worth mentioning, front loaders require the bucket to be rotated, and the lift arms raised, in order to access all the fittings. Backhoes are the same way. Addition safety measures should be observed while greasing the fitting, when a component is not supported.
Very basic but VERY important! Thank you Mike.
The biggest benefit to greasing equipment is pushing the dirt, dust, etc out. Items like a disc, or a hay rake for example will get dust and dirt no matter how clean you keep them and how well-sealed the bearings are. As for the mowers you speak of, I recall some mowers switching to a much cheaper oil impregnated plastic bushing. That bushing would get sloppy and was not giving thrilling results.
I've watched a few of your videos couple years back..... I've started watching them again in the last few days like the one about how to keep your tractor from being stolen great tips..... and I like the ones urging people to make sure to grease equipment... I've been a heavy equipment operator for years and that is a must enjoy your videos Mike
Great information, just bought my first tractor and unloaded it yesterday!
Great video and great advise about maintenance and warranties.
Another great video Mike. Been watching you for years and you provide tremendous information. I laughed out loud when you described the power washer spraying grease all over, it happened to me once and that was the last time I ever tried to clean it. I am now a devoted BlOBBER!
Everybody has to do that at least once :).
Mike, at 6:50, I wholeheartedly agree! My 2018 LS 4140 has the poorest quality zerks on it, especially, the loader. I have snapped off four of them just taking my LocknLube tip off and on. I started with a conventional grease gun tip, the push-on kind, and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get it to release. When it did, there was half the zerk stuck in the jaws. But that happened with the LocknLube tip as well. I had to replace every zerk, even if not broken yet, because I have no patience for a broken item in the field. Thank you for this great advice!
Great advise! Thank you Tractor Mike! I don’t think my dad owned a grease gun. If he did, I never saw it. Got a Milwaukee cordless. Love that thing.
Appreciate all your videos Mike. I’m a rookie rancher and your channel has been a real life saver. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Chris, and thanks for watching!
I bought a new tractor this year and most of the locations had grease, but one was bone dry. Something I checked right away. I use a Milwaukee power grease-gun, love it!
The timing on this was great. My tractor was due for greasing. The loader actually. I'd been procrastinating because some of the zerk fittings give me fits. Watching this, I remembered I'd bought a LockNLube tip for my LubeShuttle and hadn't put it on yet! I put it on, and man what a difference! Every zerk was easier and the hard ones weren't anymore. Thanks, Mike.
Great educational video Mike!!!
If you do hit it with a pressure washer, grease it afterwards. The high pressure will blow the gunk off, but it will also blow water into the grease nipples and pivot points as there are no seals to keep it out.
It gives you a chance to start a brand new layer of clean gunk too.
I have noticed that I will need to reposition the loader arms sometimes to get the grease to flow into some of the zerks. It's so important to notice that grease is actually flowing into those joins. As you have said if you don't see it then its not flowing in. Great job and love the channel!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Thanks again, Mike! Great video...
I feel called out ;) Just bought my first tractor, a used Kubota L3010. I have so much to learn, including how much prior owners didn't know ;)
Dropped one of those cheap grease guns last week. Went to use it today. Will buy another one tomorrow.
Wipe the zerk before greasing to keep from forcing dirt into what needs clean grease. I remember the loader operator at a gravel pit that greased the pins on his machine three times a day, he had 9000 plus hours on the original pins and bushings. Gravel pit is a rough environment which makes that more than more impressive. New pins and bushings on a compact tractor may not be as expensive as a job compared to a big wheel loader and down time may not be as much of a problem but it’s avoidable. When in doubt grease the machine
Good video Mike. As a 60 year old farm kid with his own equipment today, everything you said is right on. Keep the content coming...
Thanks 👍
I can't agree more. I probably over grease as it is covered in grease. I grease every 10 hours needed or not. Keep up the great work!
Good one, Mike. Almost all my grease fittings have caps on them. I wipe off excess grease. Just my opinion here, people seem to forget about the slip clutch on their implements. Untill it's too late.
Thank you for the great information
I worked for 20 years at a dealer that sold logging cranes. We had one customer in particular that I'm sure never heard of a grease gun. Every time that thing came in for any work to be done the pins and bushings were shot. If he came in to have a pump seal replaced or vales prepacked, I'd grease the whole machine because that would be the only time it would get greased until the next time it came in. On more than one occasion he wore 2" diameter pins right clean through. That was a chore getting those things out because they would bend just before they broke so they were particularly difficult to get out. As long as there were guys like that around, I looked at it as job security. We did Josh him a little about learning how to grease things. He was a good sport. Keep the videos coming Mike. Sometimes when you talk about things like greasing equipment or whatever, it reminds me about things from my past.
One thing I learned is to keep plenty of extra zerks around. Assortments aren't worth the money, you'll wind up with a pile of zerks you can't use. When I buy a piece of equipment I find the size of zerks it uses and buy some. Then change them the minute they give you trouble.
+1 on the Lube Shuttle. I hate the old style grease guns and bought a LS before my new tractor was even delivered.
I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you sir!
You are very welcome!
Great job Mike Bill from Georgia
Mike, glad you continue to stress the importance of greasing. Greasing is so easy to do versus having an issue in the field. Lube Shuttle makes this process much faster and easier. Conversely, I’ve witnessed the damage and premature failure of heavy equipment where fluids levels weren’t checked and where the operator was “allergic to grease”, as I like to say. Remember, grease is cheap…your tractor isn’t!!
Grease is cheap...definitely...I just have a sub-compact Kubota, the loader itself is $3700...yeah, I can buy a lot of grease for that kind of money...doesn't take long to grease either, just a couple of pumps.
Mike, while I appreciate your knowledge of tractors and equipment in general, we differ in opinion as far as the grease. I'm a bit OCD as far as keeping my equipment clean and maintained. I'm sure I over grease, if there is such a thing, and always wipe off the excess grease, I prefer a good coat of wax to protect my paint job and it can become a fire hazard if neglected long enough. I think a warrantee claim because of lack of grease would be a rare occasion, a u-joint or slip spline would come to mind, but most grease points are pins and bushings and would usually take way longer than your one to three year warrantee to cause failure, sure your bucket will flop around and clang and bang but it'll hold in there for a good long time before you figure out how cheep that grease was compared to a line bore, bushings and pins. Bottom line, keep your equipment greased and well serviced and they will out last you. And for people that just hate the grease gun, do yourself a big favor and get a Milwaukee battery operated grease gun and a Lock-N-Lube tip, game changer and time saver. Keep up the great Vids Mike!
Excellent advice Mike, I grease every 10 hrs like religion. On my new tractor I found all the zerks had been greased but one, on the backhoe. It was just lying in the hole, never threaded in. Needless to say I was not happy. As it had been operated for 10 hrs it was full of mud and other debris, so I blasted the hole with brake parts cleaner a dozen times to flush out the garbage, sucked it out each time with a shop vac, then pumped a half tube of grease thru the joint to clean out any residual grit & grime. No problems since. I guess that high school kid you mentioned installed my backhoe. 😡 I went thru a lot of grease on that first grease job as I switched from whatever the dealer used to polyurea grease, so I flushed each joint out really good. I may have problems with the machine one day, but it won’t be due to a lack of greasing. Thanks for the excellent content, you’re the best resource for quality information on the entire net, and you are much appreciated. 👍👍👍
That grease gun is the best I've ever had mike got mine for me over a year ago and I will never go back to the old spring style!
Thanks, Chuck! Glad you like it.
Same here. Lube Shuttle all the way!
Love my Lube Shuttle. And, yes, I bought mine from Mike. I have the lever action one.
Thanks, Mike. Apart from mini tractor, and a couple of ride-on mowers, I have a mini-digger TB016 on which a few of the nipples (zerks) wouldn't take grease. Research showed that better than forcing them clean is to replace them. Bought two packs before I realised they all had different threads. Finally got a pack of genuine (?) ones. Yeah, the threads were ok but they zerks bottomed out! They were too long! Then I realised the ones I'd taken out had been too long too, and we're sticking out. So had to back the new ones out which meant they weren't tight! So now am looking for two superslim nuts (one as locknut) to be able to saw a tad off the threads then back off the nuts to clean the thread!!
For riding mowers some spindles have zerks that 'go nowhere' -- the bearings inside are sealed both sides! Look up the yawning title: 'The truth about mower spindles' (Dennis Coffey), a sad revelation.
I gave a nasty habit of popping the seals on sealed bearings and cleaning them out and regreasing them. I'm cheap.
I owned and operated the shop at my kubota/ massey dealership ! Not one time in 20 years !! Not one tractor or piece of equipment came in broken down because it had been over greased !! But I made a tremendous amount of money repairing their equipment because it never saw a grease gun
"Ranch-o Notso Grande" kid here, just making sure I learn it all. Operating Case 35a Farmall 2016 model. I have pros and cons, I miss my ole blue Ford with her oil leaks and all. BUT I will say, the power steering definitely makes a difference on this Case😆😅
Thank you for your time💜
Thank you MIKE
I will check out the ( Grease Gun) you promo.
I like the pistol grip, just like you say, your hand stays on the hose, to keep it straight. One big thing is, get a small screw Driver pike end. Clean out the area around grease fitting. You don't know how many small, small ROCKS have pulled out of that tiny area. I do wipe off the build up of old grease on the outside of the fitting. I will spray ( Aerokroil) made by ( Kano)
On the outside of the area before I wipe off. This is a great creep oil. Also sense you are talking about greasing. I use a product called ( Fluid Film) on my front bucket ( inside) it just makes the Dirt not stick to the inside of the bucket, when your spoil is very sticky. It worked great on the back spreader for ( salt Brine sprayer) for snow & Ice applying to roads. It totally cuts down on corrosion build up, to the metal parts on the back part of the truck. I have seen leaf springs on Dump trucks that cracked because the metal was not covered with ( even WD-40) the Drivers never treated to the back of Dumps to any protection.
Mike proper maintenance is the best practice you can do for any piece of equipment!
And that's the one thing that has puzzled me for years!?
A person pays hard earned money for a piece of equipment and then cuts corners by buying CHEAP oils and grease! I'm a retired diesel mechanic ( marine ) and I have always used marine grade grease when greasing any equipment. ( even wheel bearings on my personal vehicles ) Marine grease has special additives to stop salt corrosion.
thank you mike
Dirt seems to find its way into those tight places even if sealed. By greasing it allows you to flush that dirt out while providing the protection you described.
Great advice
I really like the DeWalt electric grease gun it makes greasing tractor and excavator and other equipment super fast and easy
Up till July of this year the only "Tractor" I've ever used is a lawn/garden tractor. I bought a new tractor this year, one of the main points in the service section of the owner's manual for the loader is greasing the loader every 10 hours...it gets greased more often than that but it really doesn't take very long. I also went through the lug nuts, loader bolts, etc. right after delivery. most of the lug nuts were not torqued, let alone not even tightened. Had a hydraulic leak from a line on the back of the machine, a couple wrenches quickly fixed that...low fluid levels upon delivery as well. These dealers are way too quick to take your money, but the service/prep work they do isn't very good...check, and double check their work ALWAYS...never trust your dealer or your salesman....my dealer/salesman got off with $3700 of my money because they never bothered to do the proper paperwork for the purchase of the tractor and implements, so I'm out a mower deck and pallet forks. The pallet forks I had to purchase from another dealer on the other side of the country because my dealer failed to do anything. I'll have to find a mower here between now and next spring...but at $2500 OUCH!!!...err rather $5000 because I paid for one already and never received it.
I have the same style of grease gun, although I need to pickup one of those longer nosed couplers, the standard one I have is just about not long enough to get to a couple of the zerks on my loader.
Would highly recommend greasing every joint after using a pressure washer too because they force water into the joints if you don’t avoid them!
Great video. "Dealer prep" is everything in this business and like drivers in the trucking business "creates massive turnover called employment" which the Government people love. Anyhow I worked with indeed was in charge of guys who all cut their teeth working for Sears as mechanics...and straight up all save the one guy who was not a Sears mechanic were amazing mechanics.
This was working for the United States Postal Service so we were in charge of a literal Fleet all day, every day. Great pay, great benefits and those guys earned every penny.
200 vehicles!
5 guys!
6 days a week to include my brand new Freightliner cab over which was driven all day 6 days a week.
I like greasing. It’s easy, it’s proactive and it’s necessary. When I received my new Kubota couple years back half the zerk fittings still had paint over them 😡
Great advice Mike on maintenance/extremely important!!!
Do you know of a source for good quality grease fittings? My tractor has some of those defective ones too. Terrible!
I bought a new canam this year, 4 of the grease fittings are straight fittings and you can't get a grease gun on them. I replaced with 90deg fittings so I can grease it. Obviously some engineer never thought about maintenance.
Wow, if there was a two thumbs up button, I would have pushed it twice. I’m a capable operator but a mechanically challenged yuppie. This was helpful to me in learning what to prioritize and pay attention to as I put on the hours in the saddle. Thank you! Do you have a video on prepping my tractor for winter snow blowing? ie cold weather diesel treatment (use of Seafoam?), block heaters etc. My tractor is garaged in an unheated equipment shed. My selling dealer tells me NOT TO plug in the block heater until two hours before a planned operation in freezing temps. Your thoughts/videos? Thank you!
glad for the reminder as i approach my 50 hour service and need to make sure i hit all the zeros
Oils, grease, filters.
Don't forget the zerks near center of the front axle, often near the bottom.
Some like to lift the front, letting the axle hang when doing these, so the grease goes to the lower part of the bearing.
If the axle is “hanging” wouldn’t the grease go to the upper part of the bearing?
Got a new kobota, I realized after a little use it was not greased, I never would have thought a reputable dealer would deliver a new tractor ungreased
Good Video I missed you at last weekend at the Empire Fair. Precision Guy told me you were around Just couldn't find you. Try again next year.
Shoot me an e-mail year at mike@asktractormike.com and I'll try to meet you somewhere. I always enjoy meeting viewers. My daughter was home from college that weekend so we weren't out there very long. That was a busy weekend.
Good video. Thanks! Now I need to get out to my pole barn :-)
Grease and oil, I don't know which is the #1 most important thing for any piece of equipment because both are very important.
I own a battery operated grease gun and would probably never go back to a manual pump type. I also buy grease by the case rather than by the tube. However, I own a few tractors, a skid steer and several implements that require greasing so it saves me time and "effort".
A couple of things that I'll point out as far as "how I do it".
1. Prior to starting up or using any of my machines I'll do a "pre-op checklist" that I was taught many years ago. I check oil/hydraulic levels, fuel level and tire pressures. It only takes a few minutes and can keep from having a major problem.
2. When I am done and prior to putting my machines away I'll grease them and fuel them. I do this because (right or wrong) I have always been told that fittings will take grease better if they are warm, and having the fuel tank full means less area for condensation to build up, especially since I live in a very humid area (North Florida). Also many times I have to shut down equipment and leave it where it is out in the elements because the shelter is sometimes too far away.
Best reason for end of day greasing is to push contaminates out from use.
No need to let that crud stay in there between uses.
Mike, have you used the lock and lube grease nozzles?
Absolutely great advice!
Thanks.
Great info...just hit my LX2610 with my Lube Shuttle last weekend. Gotta' say, the thought that it might not have been greased at the dealer is pretty disturbing! Fortunately there WAS evidence of grease on the zerks, so....👍😎👍
There is lots of loop holes that dealers can use to avoid warranty. Being a educated buying is needed these days. Have a great day
Greeeeezing.
Wow, I know some people will hate to hear this but I can't believe anybody would not want sealed bearings. It's just good insurance. I have a 10 year old JDZturn mower. They have sealed bearings in the spindles and also a grease zerc. Now I know why. After 10 years and no added grease i have no problems with the sealed bearings. I'd rather have maintenance free and worry free than to have another responsibility that will bite me if I forget, skip over, use the wrong type of lubricant etc. Wish my 30 year old tractor had sealed bearings everywhere. On my tractor I put yellow snap on covers on each grease zerc to help from missing one while I'm crawling underneath at night with a grease gun trying to find them all. These caps are cheap and easy to spot. Cheers!
Far and away the best grease gun I've used is made by CAT. Extremely reasonably priced as well. $45 price range.
You want entertainment? Watch a group of aircraft mechanics try to reload a grease gun out of a bulk container. Fun fact, the plunger on a good grease gun can launch a blob of grease almost 30 feet straight up.
Thanks Mike
pc
what are your thoughts on Farm Pro tractors. I found a 2425 with some implements for a pretty reasonable price... just don't know anything about them
I'd never been on a tractor until I bought my Workmaster 35 to clear drifts out of my driveway. I grew up working on cars so when I saw the zircs my question was "What kind of grease do I need?".
Just bought an after market pto shaft for my shredder and when I went to grease it, the zerk fitting broke in two pieces. Apparently, it is a threaded two piece fitting that easily came apart without much effort. I returned to dealer and got new better zerks to install.
If the Harbor Freight zerk is better than the OEM...
I bought a Kubota with a handful of hours on it new. When it was delivered there wasn’t grease in any of the grease fittings. All pivot points were dry. I was a little pissed about it.
Yup. When my B2601 was delivered a few months ago, everything was greased…except the loader. 🤦♂️
@@flszen Your joke is really that there are hardly any zerks except pm the loader. After I had used my new B2601's loader for about 10 hours, I greased it. Since I had seen grease when it was delivered, I thought all was well. But the two zerks harder to get to, on the bottom of the arms, appeared dry. There was another setup issue, a loose hydraulic line, similar harder to get to place.
@@RichardGilbert2727 some of my lines were loose as well.
I wouldn’t have been as frustrated with the dry bushings on the loader except the tractor sat on the lot for over a month while waiting on a belly mower. I eventually canceled the belly mower and went with a 3 point finish mower.
I’m not impressed with the dealer I chose, I discovered that one of the tires had water in it, the other didn’t, most bolts were finger tight only. They have told me 3 times they would come out and pick it up, to fix the issues, however they never scheduled.
It was also 1 gallon low on hydraulic fluid. Probably going to goto a different kubota dealer for any other parts and repairs. Online the dealer I bought from is shown as a top tier dealer, but they aren’t any of the guys that have a social media presence.
Do you have that part that you showed on your lube shuttle on your website 🤔? I think I would like to get one. I believe I ordered my Pat's easy change on an old Kubota tractor and it has been great! 👍
Jim, do you mean the safeLOCK: asktractormike.com/product/safelock-grease-gun-quick-attach-2/? We offer them but they're currently out of stock. I'll reach out to see if they have them. If that's not what you're looking at, please e-mail me at mike@asktractormike.com. Thanks!
Hey Mike was just checking out your website and the Lube Shuttle options you have on there. How about a follow up video discussing the (4) types of grease that you are offering with the Lube Shuttle and which one(s) should be used for which applications?
good idea...i have bought two different greases but wonder if I am doing it right
If I’m not mistaken, he already did a video on different grease applications
Here ya go: ua-cam.com/video/yqyzW2gC_Pg/v-deo.html.
To follow up on the greasing process, should you clean the zerk before greasing the fitting? I have heard greasing a dirty fitting can introduce dirt into the bearings along with the grease as it goes in.
Great point!
funniest thing i ever saw was a group of aviation mechanics trying to fill a grease gun with bulk grease. got the gun filled and somehow knocked the charge rod loose. Launched a tube full of aircraft & cannon grease almost 20 feet straight up.
Hey Mike, what are your thoughts on weld on grab hooks for your bucket? I've got a used tractor that had 2 welded in the center (one facing towards the operator the other facing forward) and have thought about getting to more for the sides of the bucket. I use the one's that came with it, but I feel that having more on the sides might give me more utility.
My bucket "pockets" for the quick attach have room to hook a chain while the bucket is on the loader.
So no need to drill and bolt or weld on hooks.
Just try the hook on the chain and see if yours works the same.
I've got a welded-on grab hook in the center and one shackle on either side of center in-line with the loader arms. IMO, the shackles are much more versatile than grab-hooks in those locations. FWIW, I've been told by several people that it is NOT good practice to have either hooks or shackles further outboard than the loader arms as that would increase the possibility of damaging the arms in the case of asymmetric loads.
Great video. I bought a used tractor that rarely got greased. I have several that are plugged and will not allow grease into the fitting. Any suggestions on how to clean the zerk out?
It really depends on if it is just the zerk that is plugged or the passage behind it. If just the zerk, replacing them is inexpensive and almost not worth trying to clean. If you do want to try cleaning, I would remove the zerk and clean with a brake cleaner or similar solvent. Dry off the solvent before reinstalling once it is cleaned. If the passage is plugged also, I would try one of the hammer type devices that uses a solvent and pressure of the hammer blow to drive the solvent into the hardened grease to soften it. I don't have one, but understand they work well when needed. Hope that helps.
You might try this product: www.zerkzapper.com/. I've not personally used the product but have seen them at several farm shows.
Hi Mike, This doesn't have a lot to do with grease but it does have to do with oil changes. In your opinion is it wise to leave the old oil in tractors through out the winter hibernation? I change mine in the spring. I grease everything in the fall but I figure sitting in the unheated barn during repeated cold snaps and warm ups in the winter the oil might pick up condensation. so rather than have good oil contaminated during the winter, I run the tractor in the spring long enough to warm the oil then change it so it has fresh, moisture free oil for the summer. Does that make any sense or am I full of beans? On the topic of manufacturers putting cheap crease zerks on equipment, I'm reminded what a former car dealership owner said one time. I was crabbing about the factory putting plugs in ball joints instead of grease fittings because plugs were cheaper. He said "well, a half a cent is a half a cent" talking about the price difference between the two. A half a cent times how many tens of thousands in the course of a year turns into quite a bit of money. Made "cents" I guess.
I agree with you on the Spring oil change. That's what I always do. I don't know if it really makes all that much difference but in my mind, your reasoning is sound.
COULDN'T AGREE MORE ON GREASING EQUIPMENT. BEING A RETIRED ENGR EQUIPMENT MECH CAN'T EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF LUBRICATION ENOUGH. ON A PIECE OF EQUIP WITH 50-75 GREASE ZERKS A BATTERY POWERED GREASE GUN IS YOUR BEST FRIEND AND KEEPS YOUR ASS OUT OF SLING. SOME OF THE BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT.
If for what ever reason you don't want to spend too much on a cordless grease gun but have an air compressor go for a pneumatic grease gun not too expensive and make the job quick
Mike I worked as a Mech for a Major Airline and I was taught to never remove the grease. It let everyone know that the aircraft was greased.
I bet he was a former Marine. There was a saying that AF pilots would not take off if there was any hydraulic leak. Marine pilots wouldn't take off unless it was leaking (AF afraid there would not be any fluid, Marines knew there was fluid if it was leaking.)
Keep the videos coming…
If you can help I sure would appreciate it. I’m looking for a titan part #120005 bushing. Can you tell me where or any info.
Do all replacement zerks have the same thread (metric vs SAE).
I recently bought a zero turn mower and pulled out 3 of the 7 zerks when trying to remove the grease gun. I’m more careful now, but I couldn’t believe how easily they came out. Any suggestions for a brand of zerk that is more substantial? I will probably need to retap one of the zerk holes.
I think there is an aftermarket grease end that the poster sells at his online shop. It is like a quick release for a grease gun.
I’ve been using red and tacky grease. Is that a good thing?
Love your show, you’re my favorite tractor guy, the others are just copycats. Myself included. 😊
Thank you! I've just been around a lot longer than anyone else, sometimes I'm pretty sure I'm the oldest person on UA-cam :). Took me forever to learn how to upload a video when I first started and I'm still not sure how to read the analytics.
@@TractorMike you remind me of my neighbor across the street. He used to be a Bobcat dealer before he retired. He doesn’t UA-cam, but I’d swear he says about the same things you do. Thank You
Tell him that he could have a second career making free videos for a living :).
@@TractorMike he gives me great information for my channel, but man, it’s like you and he are twins
Have you tried the Lock N Lube ?
Got my sub a while back
Question Mike - When greasing a joint like where the hydo cylinder attaches, I usually only have grease come out one side or the other but not both. This is because of the back and forth play needed to prevent binding. But how should I handle that? Is it ok???
It's going to come out of the path of least resistance when you're putting it in there, hopefully it "weeps" out everywhere when in use because that's how it's supposed to work. Here's a video that explains that and other things you should know about grease: ua-cam.com/video/yqyzW2gC_Pg/v-deo.html.
@@TractorMike OK, thanks Mike I do like to grease my FEL in different positions every 19 hours hoping that helps as well.
Can't agree with you, Mike. All the extra blobs are doing are attracting dirt and other contamination. Blobs and gobs aren't necessary, just a little ooze is all that's needed. If you are really trying to push a LOT of new grease in to remove the old, then blob and gob but clean up when finished. A little ooze coming out is enough to indicate you got the job done and grease is flowing. It is not that hard to keep your tractor maintained by keeping it clean from the blob gobs. If that is some type of "right of passage" to show blobs of grease everywhere, I would wonder how lazy that person was in maintaining other things if they didn't take the time to clean off the mess.
Agree!
Jd 5065. Rear axle has zerks ,no way to tell how much grease is in axle?
I have a newer style 1025R.
My owner's manual (OMLVU31626) states to change the engine oil and filter every 200 hours. The new manual online (omtr117450) states every 400 hours. I am a residential owner and do not put a lot of hours on the tractor every year. I will take me many years to reach the 200 or 400 hours maintenance intervals for the oil change. Is For the oil, coolant, transmission oil, is there a year interval that these should be replaced (i.e every 1 or 2 years)? I was not sure if you have any insider information from John Deere if there is a yearly maintenance guide for these fluid changes. Can the tractor really go many years without fluid changes if I put a low amount of hours on the tractor every year and only do my fluid changes based on the tractor hour meter as stated in the manual. The manual does not state fluid should be change every x years if the hours are not meet. Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Scott, I did a video on that recently, here's a link: ua-cam.com/video/k9yMzosCbko/v-deo.html. You might look at some of the comments, there are lots of opinions on the subject.
I do grease my tractor on a regular basis what do you recommend to get the grease off with
A dry rag or paper towel works great. 👍
I have a ford 535 tractor skiploader can I put a electric fuel pump on it because I can't get a reman injector pump mechanical?
Steven, I have no idea, but maybe someone else will see your question and have an answer. Good luck!
Brings back a saying that goes all the way back to steam power grease and oil are cheaper than parts and labor.