Farm grease

[Montanasam]

Just wondering what everyone else is running on the farm. I typically use Lucas Red N Tacky on just about everything, from the disk bearings, combine, pay loader and skidsteer bushings, etc. I’ve found it to be at a decent price point, available everywhere and it tends to stay put and doesn’t wash out easy. On truck wheel bearings I tend to use valvoline cerulean, still a lithium complex grease but I’ve found it does better on high-speed stuff.

 

[facility1]

on farm / heavy equipment you may want to consider a grease with moly especially on bushings, Schaeffer's #274 nlgi 2 would serve you well its a aluminum complex ( its great all-around grease), also Mystik JT-6 family of greases are good too and are lithium complex and easily found at many retail farm type stores. Cenex has very decent greases, engine oils etc also that maybe of interest.

 

[walterjay]

I use Mystic grease on my equipment. Has worked well over the years.

 

[Chris142]

You really want a moly grease for pins and bushings.

 

[wwillson]

We find that any bearing with a zerk needs to be greased often and that they need to be greased a few more pumps after the grease starts coming out of the seals. This helps to flush the dirt out that gets past the seals. Most Ag bearings operate in an incredibly harsh environment and dirt intrusion is almost always the cause of bearing failure. Frankly, we pay no attention to the type of grease, the important part is that they get greased often, some every day during operation.

 

[Passport1]

When I lived on the farm in SD we got our grease cartridges from the farm co-op in town. Same place our hay bailing twine came from. Might have been made from the hog rendering plant nearby. Never occured to me to ask.

 

[facility1]

best to be careful when using a power grease gun properly on especially bearings, you can pop or damage the seals if injecting grease too fast, a hand operated manual pistol grease gun works better, you can feel the grease slowly going in and if resistance is felt ,using the proper amount is necessary and not over greasing as it can result in problems as electric motor bearings, the application dictates what kind / type of grease and amount and,,,,, clean your zerks.

 

[cmarshall78]

We use Countrymark red and tacky on everything. Buy our fuel from Keystone Coop here in indiana, get the grease from them also.

 

[Creekside]

Schaeffer 219 in everything here.

 

[Hohn]

https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/31367/using-polyurea-grease

https://www.lucasoil.com/product/x-tra-heavy-duty-grease/

 

[Stumpalump]

The red for general use is great in the mud. Green for high temp. The green is the best grease available in my opinion for hard working bearings. We run it in the class 10 desert car CV joints and the desert is extremely hard on CV joints. I know they sell all sorts of specialty CV grease but the Lucas green leaves no wear, galling or signs of heat on the CV’s. If you have a bearing that is just plain overworked and fails you can buy Bel-Ray antiseize in a caulking gun tube and add 10% to the green grease. I actually do that if the CV’s are being initially packed by hand but after that I just keep them pumped full of Green Lucas. Keep your red for general farm use but use the green on things that get hot or take a major beating. Stir in the 10% Bel-ray in a tupperware and keep the tub around for problem the problem child bearings plus that caulk gun tube of antiseize is cheap and handy when you need a dab.

 

[Kestas]

Frankly, we pay no attention to the type of grease, the important part is that they get greased often, some every day during operation.

I've heard that from other farmers. Anytime we needed to get rid of grease from our lab, someone knew a farmer who would use any and all.

 

[Elkins45]

I’ve standardized on Mystic #2 because I can get it at Rural King.

 

[siriusc1024]

Mobil EM grease for high speed bearings such as deck spindles. Red n tacky types heat up quick.

Falk Long Term Grease for places you won't be able to get to in a long time, such as a pilot bearing. Good on leaf springs and other things that slide, too. Not for high speed bearings.

Yeah Red n tacky for the rest.

 

[97prizm]

Just wondering what everyone else is running on the farm. I typically use Lucas Red N Tacky on just about everything, from the disk bearings, combine, pay loader and skidsteer bushings, etc. I’ve found it to be at a decent price point, available everywhere and it tends to stay put and doesn’t wash out easy. On truck wheel bearings I tend to use valvoline cerulean, still a lithium complex grease but I’ve found it does better on high-speed stuff.

What about green grease. Is that still good or more for marine applications?

 

[Hohn]

I’ve standardized on Mystic #2 because I can get it at Rural King.

RK is 3 min from my house and it's like they invented a store just for me. I love that place, and I live in town!

 

[Silverado12]

We find that any bearing with a zerk needs to be greased often and that they need to be greased a few more pumps after the grease starts coming out of the seals. This helps to flush the dirt out that gets past the seals. Most Ag bearings operate in an incredibly harsh environment and dirt intrusion is almost always the cause of bearing failure. Frankly, we pay no attention to the type of grease, the important part is that they get greased often, some every day during operation.

I was taught in school (USCG aircraft mechanic) to grease the zerk until you see fresh grease. I would make an exception for tie rod ends, ball joints, etc. on your truck so you won't pump in so much grease you blow out the boot.

 

[siriusc1024]

I was taught in school (USCG aircraft mechanic) to grease the zerk until you see fresh grease. I would make an exception for tie rod ends, ball joints, etc. on your truck so you won't pump in so much grease you blow out the boot.

Not on bearings. There's an SKF formula. Too much grease will overheat the bearing and cause early failure.
https://www.skf.com/my/products/rol...ess/lubrication/determining-grease-quantities

Super important for electric motors. There's usually a purge port opposite the zerk, and the thinking is grease until stuff starts coming out the vent. Well, you're only seeing 1/3 coming out the vent (if it even does). The rest is going into the motor and on the windings to cause early failure.

I only purge when specified, and that's normally on bearings in a dirty environment. In this case grease slowly with the equipment running the bearing. This will help with overheating. If you purge then startup there's going to be too much.

 

[Silverado12]

Not on bearings. There's an SKF formula. Too much grease will overheat the bearing and cause early failure.
https://www.skf.com/my/products/rol...ess/lubrication/determining-grease-quantities

Super important for electric motors. There's usually a purge port opposite the zerk, and the thinking is grease until stuff starts coming out the vent. Well, you're only seeing 1/3 coming out the vent (if it even does). The rest is going into the motor and on the windings to cause early failure.

I only purge when specified, and that's normally on bearings in a dirty environment. In this case grease slowly with the equipment running the bearing. This will help with overheating. If you purge then startup there's going to be too much.

I can see for an application like this you wouldn't want to overgrease. Another example would be a gimbal bearing on a Mercruiser outdrive, etc. We would grease rotor head bushings until fresh grease came out then remove excess with an acid brush. It was a tedious process.

 

[thejudges69]

I was told recently that red and tacky was fantastic til about 3-5 years ago when they made a change to the formula. Any input??