Tips For Keeping Your Tractor Clean

Just like agriculture is the backbone of any economy, your tractor is the backbone of your operation. These machines do every job from maintaining land to every stage of crop growing and beyond, and they get pretty dirty in the process. We here at Flieg’s Equipment want to help you keep a messy tractor from becoming a broken one, so we’ve put together some tips for keeping your tractor clean, below. To learn more, or to see the tractors we have for sale, contact our stores in Ste. Genevieve and Leadington, Missouri, today!

Check the Owner’s Manual

Like with any maintenance process, your first step should be to look through your owner’s manual for any manufacturer recommendations. Those can include anything and everything from best products to best practices, and the manual should show you which parts need cleaning the most and how often they need it. If you can’t find your owner’s manual, check the manufacturer’s website for one you can download or print for yourself.

Exterior Wash

Now on to the cleaning itself! Your first step here should be a good hosing-down. Rinse the entire tractor, preferably with a garden hose to protect the paint and finish. If you want to use a power washer, you can, but you’ll need to be careful never to hold the stream in one place for too long. 

Once you’ve soaked the tractor and knocked off any major buildup, use a mixture of water and a mild detergent and scrub the entire surface of the tractor from top to bottom. Do this in small sections and rinse each section as you go to prevent the soap scum from drying on and undoing all that work. Be careful to avoid getting any instrument panels or electronics wet, then allow the tractor to dry fully. Grease any moving parts you need to.

Interior Cleaning

Tractors can either have an enclosed cab or an open-air seat, but no matter what, the operator’s area still needs the same care. Use a damp rag to carefully wipe down all the controls and remove any traces of dirt or mud without soaking the instrument panel. Then wipe down the seat as well and vacuum up or sweep out any dirt around the flooring. 

Finishing Touches

An often-overlooked step is a good coating of wax. The wax can help protect the tractor’s paint from being scratched or chipped and can help repel dirt and dust for a little while. Use car wax and a rag and buff it in, but remember to avoid getting any wax on the seat, controls, or engine. 

We hope these tips help keep your tractor looking good and running better! For more information, or to see our selection of tractors, contact us at Flieg’s Equipment. We proudly serve the people of Farmington and Park Hills, Missouri—let us serve you today!