- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
As for the cab, if empty beer bottles fall out when you open the door, it’s overdue for being cleaned out
How Do You Clean Your Tractor, Or Dont You?
- Thread starter bluebell
- Start date
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
When I was contract planting I used to try & wash or blow down between jobs ( believe it or not, not everyone has wash down facilities here ) but that was purely from a farm hygiene point of view, not wanting to transfer soil / weed seeds / disease etc from farm to farm, nothing to do with external appearance
My tractors stay reasonably "clean" on their own, but they're shed stored and don't really work in the rain, nor do they do any road work. Since I purchased a $7 spray squeegee to clean the windows, there's really no need to put a hose to the tractor at all.
Like @Tarw Coch said in post 5, driving sensibly makes a huge difference - I can spend a day playing in the mud and sh!t and all it'll have is dirty tyres.
SAMEs shed their paint (and panelwork) when they come of age anyway, no point speeding the process up by endlessly dousing them in chemicals and taking to them with a water blaster.
Like @Tarw Coch said in post 5, driving sensibly makes a huge difference - I can spend a day playing in the mud and sh!t and all it'll have is dirty tyres.
SAMEs shed their paint (and panelwork) when they come of age anyway, no point speeding the process up by endlessly dousing them in chemicals and taking to them with a water blaster.
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
I’d like to think most of the year we keep the tractors looking well. Power wash them regularly and keep the cab and windows clean. It’s a struggle in the winter to be able to keep stuff very clean. Cows take priority and we don’t have much concrete Everything is driven by multiple people and the issues that come along with that.
I have found that getting everyone to participate in tractor cleaning and maintenance (grease, oil, filters, radiator) helps keep everyone aware of what it takes to maintain something. If you can get people to care about it they are more likely to care for it. Like developing a culture for equipment maintenance.
I have also zip tied the side windows shut and threatened to make every tractor an open station if I see windows and doors open other than getting in or out.
Used to drive a combine a lot and I cut carpet to fit it and drove with no boots. It was immaculate the majority of the time in the cab no matter the conditions. Used to spend 1500 hours a season in it so it had to be clean. It really comes down to an individual’s temperament. Some will never care, others remember what it was like to have lesser equipment and appreciate what they have.
Watch how a child cares for their toys and you will likely know how they will care for their equipment later. Seems a strong correlation.
There is almost no advantage to how clean a tractor has been kept when trading, other than the day the sales person comes to look at it. Even then it doesn’t seem to matter. They just don’t have to pay someone to clean it when they get it.
I have found that getting everyone to participate in tractor cleaning and maintenance (grease, oil, filters, radiator) helps keep everyone aware of what it takes to maintain something. If you can get people to care about it they are more likely to care for it. Like developing a culture for equipment maintenance.
I have also zip tied the side windows shut and threatened to make every tractor an open station if I see windows and doors open other than getting in or out.
Used to drive a combine a lot and I cut carpet to fit it and drove with no boots. It was immaculate the majority of the time in the cab no matter the conditions. Used to spend 1500 hours a season in it so it had to be clean. It really comes down to an individual’s temperament. Some will never care, others remember what it was like to have lesser equipment and appreciate what they have.
Watch how a child cares for their toys and you will likely know how they will care for their equipment later. Seems a strong correlation.
There is almost no advantage to how clean a tractor has been kept when trading, other than the day the sales person comes to look at it. Even then it doesn’t seem to matter. They just don’t have to pay someone to clean it when they get it.
Finn farmer
Member
Didn't remember that farming isn't a job, but a race in which we'll compete on who'll get himself killed first with excessive work and has the dirtiest machines.
- Location
- West Somerset
When the dog can't get in its time to empty the cab of bale wrap
Rain does the washing here.
Rain does the washing here.
I've never heard this before, but it makes so much sense.
Am I the only one that used to polish and wax my Matchbox cars? Looking at this thread, I'd say I'm not alone.
- Location
- South wales
The lads I work with are religious in washing their tractor that’s fine takes next to no time if its kept on top of , I'm not so fussy by their standard like my windows clean and inside the cab when I do wash it it comes up as clean as theirs do so a bit of dirt can’t do any harm, my spends allot of time buckraking so it has to stay fairly clean don’t think a customer would be too happy me rocking up in a filthy tractor on the clamp.
As contractors I think it puts across a good impression that we take pride in our kit as we do in doing a good job,
Another point my old 7718 now used as the “everyone tractor” has over 8000 hours on it you’d never know to look at it when it’s clean
As contractors I think it puts across a good impression that we take pride in our kit as we do in doing a good job,
Another point my old 7718 now used as the “everyone tractor” has over 8000 hours on it you’d never know to look at it when it’s clean
- Location
- northumberland
I know of a mechanic locally that was sent out to fix a tractor on a bedding machine, the place and kit in such s mess they took cattle out of the shed and backed machine in as it was the cleanest place to work
I know it's hard to keep kit clean in winter but doesn't take long maybe once a week to run the power washer over something especially before mud/5hite gets a chance to dry on, be the same people complaining how much dealers charge to do a job, £70-80/hr to wash a tractor before a service when you could do it your self 
Front mudguards? That’s a bit fancy….
100% Bob I wouldn’t dream of sending my tractor or presenting it to be serviced without giving it a full steam clean. Some people amaze me!I know of a mechanic locally that was sent out to fix a tractor on a bedding machine, the place and kit in such s mess they took cattle out of the shed and backed machine in as it was the cleanest place to work
ColinV6
Member
When I was a kid I was fussy with my toys as well. If I was playing with my Britain’s tractors they were always kept nice and always parked neatly afterwards.
It used to wind me up if someone picked a tractor up and took it back to the yard, it HAD to be driven the whole way via the carpet for me lol.
I don't know if you would get on like a house on fire with my son or be mortal ememies. I have been told off for playing farm wrong many times.
I saw this in the shop yesterday and just had to see what all the fuss was about. @ColinV6 would be proud of me.....just don't let him see the state of the tractor in the background.
It smells very very similar (and seems to produce very similar results) to the Meguires Quick Detailer spray that I had years ago when "polymer technology" was the best thing since sliced bread and seemed to be stuck on every bottle of wash/wax/polish.
It smells very very similar (and seems to produce very similar results) to the Meguires Quick Detailer spray that I had years ago when "polymer technology" was the best thing since sliced bread and seemed to be stuck on every bottle of wash/wax/polish.
Ahh yes, we used to have an old china cabinet with short legs which was the perfect "shed" to park stuff under. Cars, tractors, trailers, implements - the lot, all cleaned up and neatly parked (backed in, ofcourse).......great until mother would do the rounds with the vaccuum and skittle the whole lot.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
I try not to use it, keeps it quite clean.
Dust the cab by parking it with the doors and windows open on a windy day, and then tidy up with a paintbrush.
Park it in the rain to soak, give it a pressure wash if it's had mud flicked on it when I shoot down the street to fuel her up, and Mr Muscle the windows when I hook the drill up
But yeah, not using them keeps them OK, we gave up topping a few years ago and that was a major source of mess.
We don't start it over winter anymore and we don't really encourage mud-making practices like supplement feeding so it's never a chore to clean her up, other than the cab roof grows moss and lichen for fun now
if anyone has a recipe for lichen and moss then I'd really appreciate it, pressure-washing it leaves the black "roots" in the plastic and it grows back immediately, I assume seagull-sh!t was the initial starter fertiliser, until then I just don't look up there
Dust the cab by parking it with the doors and windows open on a windy day, and then tidy up with a paintbrush.
Park it in the rain to soak, give it a pressure wash if it's had mud flicked on it when I shoot down the street to fuel her up, and Mr Muscle the windows when I hook the drill up
But yeah, not using them keeps them OK, we gave up topping a few years ago and that was a major source of mess.
We don't start it over winter anymore and we don't really encourage mud-making practices like supplement feeding so it's never a chore to clean her up, other than the cab roof grows moss and lichen for fun now
if anyone has a recipe for lichen and moss then I'd really appreciate it, pressure-washing it leaves the black "roots" in the plastic and it grows back immediately, I assume seagull-sh!t was the initial starter fertiliser, until then I just don't look up there
Call it a bit of rooftop regenerative farming or some other kind of biological eco friendly waffle, great for the farms environment plan.
If you're prepared to spend some $$, the Wet & Forget moss & mould remover does the job well and doesn't destroy anything else. I use the stuff in the pink bottle.
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- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
The essentials in a tractor cab
Flask of black tea
Beer bottles
Energy drink
Pack of zip ties
Flask of black tea
Beer bottles
Energy drink
Pack of zip ties