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wekracer 
Orange Level
Joined: 13 Oct 2009
Location: Tebbetts, MO
Points: 1587
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 Topic: Washing combines
Posted: 25 Sep 2016 at 8:40pm |
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Years ago dad used to power wash the combine every year but it seemed like that moisture was causing issues so we stopped using water and started using compressed air. The problem is now they are starting to look like crap. Dad said to wash it and run the last 10 acres but I hate to wash it only to get it dirty and put it away. I also understand running it to get the water out of the bearings.
Just wondering what you guys do. Do you wash them every year or just blow them off.
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CrestonM
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Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: 25 Sep 2016 at 8:45pm |
We blow ours off. It still looks almost new, and still has the chalk delivery numbers written on the header! It's a 1984 L3.
On the other hand, I power wash my 60As, but I grease them very well before I do, and don't hold it on the bearings for very long. Then run it a little bit. Then grease again. Seems to work well.
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wayneIA
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Joined: 17 Oct 2009
Location: Waverly, IA
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Posted: 25 Sep 2016 at 8:45pm |
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I usually just use a 125 cfm compressor and large blow gun to clean mine. It will take all the caked up stuff and dust off and leave just cosmetic dust stuck to the machine (if it got wet to make things stick). The following fall before I use it, I'll use water to get the rest off if it looks too bad. I have a friend that will wash his sometimes before storing it, but he'll let the combine separator run (like normal in the field) empty in the yard to dry everything out before storage.
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Auntwayne
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Joined: 23 Apr 2011
Location: Edwardsville Il
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Posted: 25 Sep 2016 at 8:52pm |
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Just think about the angle of the wand.....do NOT spray directly into a bearing.
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Dad always said," If you have one boy, you have a man. If you have two boys, you have two boys". "ALLIS EXPRESS"
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Carl(NWWI)
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: NW WI
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Posted: 25 Sep 2016 at 8:58pm |
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Between my own combine, and the ones I clean and service at work I've learned to not waste the time with a air gun. Found out a leave blower works really well! Tons of volume to blow the chaff off and away. And you don't have to drag a hose around. Best blower I've found is a echo PB250. $160 I think. Works great on balers and choppers too. After that I power wash them and run them for 10-20mins to dry em out. Never had an issue.
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shameless (ne)
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Joined: 08 Jul 2016
Location: nebraska
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Posted: 26 Sep 2016 at 12:53am |
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I too have used a leaf blower on my combines, and compressed air on the tractors.
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randy
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Location: Illinois
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Posted: 26 Sep 2016 at 5:54am |
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Carl is right, a leaf blower. I try to use at the end of the day to clean the engine compartment out on my 1666, and then the rest of the combine. I might use a garden hose and a brush before i start in the fall and stay away from the bearings.
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CA WD WD45 D17 D17 Diesel 7060 8050 8070
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Ted in NE-OH
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Joined: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Austinburg OH
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Posted: 26 Sep 2016 at 11:40am |
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I have a friend that washes and waxes his combine every year, says it costs as much as his house.
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CA, WD, C, 3 Bs, 2 Gs, WC, I-400, 914
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Steve Bright
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Location: Martinsville, I
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Posted: 26 Sep 2016 at 12:40pm |
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Blow off with air, then wash, then wax before putting away for the winter
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CrestonM
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Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: 26 Sep 2016 at 12:46pm |
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I've heard of people putting K-Mart "Blue Max" metal polish on Gleaners, instead of wax, since they're galvanized.
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Greg (Hillsboro, OH)
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Posted: 26 Sep 2016 at 1:04pm |
I like the idea of leaf blowers, not just for cleaning before storage, but after 30+ years in the fire service and seeing many combine fires, carrying a leaf blower and keeping it clean periodically while using in the field might go a long way towards keeping all that crud from getting into places that would cause it to catch on fire. A hundred $ investment and a few minutes a couple times a day, is much cheaper than a new combine.
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Dakota Dave
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Location: ND
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Posted: 26 Sep 2016 at 1:30pm |
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we blow them off at the beginning of harvest and between each crop change. before putting away in the fall we blow them off and pressure wash and grease everything. put bar and chain lube on all the chains run it empty take off the headers and paint the wear surfaces park and remove the batteries bait and set mouse traps in the cabs and in the engine compartment. during the winter one of the guys checks mouse traps in all the combines tractors and trucks that are parked for winter. the pay loader blower tractor and loader tractor sit in the heated shop all winter with about 20 cats so we never have a problem with them and one Grain truck is parked next to the shop so we can pulg it in when we need it.
For a Blower we have a 3 stage 200 scfm compressor with a 3/4" line and bent pipe wand attached that is run by a IH 1086.
Edited by Dakota Dave - 26 Sep 2016 at 1:32pm
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combinechris
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Joined: 20 Jul 2015
Location: wittenberg,Wi.
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Posted: 27 Sep 2016 at 11:38am |
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I never wash mine I just use compressed air to clean them and vacuum them out of any remaining grain. I take the chaffer and sieve out. Open all doors. If it's the 60 or 66 I take the canvases out pick the straw stuck in the slats out and out them in a drum so mice can't get to them ( moth balls). After the combine is completely blown off and vacuumed, I fog the whole inside of it with ATF fluid spray the sieve and chaffer put them in, put two packets of mouse pellets on chaffer. Spray the header down with ATF, inside the bin, remove the screen from the scour kleen and vacuum out spray the screen down and leave it out, also leave the end off the scour kleen. Place any clean out doors on top of the cylinder area or I put them on the chaffer.
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35 combines and 15 forage harvesters. mostly allis combines and equipment.WTB 2 row cornhead for a 90
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IBWD MIke
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Posted: 27 Sep 2016 at 1:46pm |
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I'm going to try the leaf blower this year, think it will be a lot faster than the air compressor.
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shameless (ne)
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Location: nebraska
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Posted: 27 Sep 2016 at 1:53pm |
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yeah....don't hafta wait for it to rebuild up air!
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7060
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Location: Missouri
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Posted: 27 Sep 2016 at 7:14pm |
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Wash wax and grease ours every year
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CrestonM
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Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: 27 Sep 2016 at 7:39pm |
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shameless (ne) wrote:
