Tractor Mike's video: Winterizing Your Equipment

Winter is coming and there are some things you need to do to protect your equipment if you live in an area where it freezes hard. I got my sprayer, tractor and PTO implements taken care of last weekend and decided to record the process. The first thing you want to get ready is your sprayer. There's not another implement that is more critical to winterizing than a sprayer. First, drain all of the chemical out of it in your field, preferably while your driving so it's not all in one place. Then rinse out the inside of the tank with clean water and open all of the valves so it runs out. I like to rinse the outside of the sprayer tank at the same time in case kids should happen to get around it while it's stored in the barn. Next, close everything up and dump a couple of gallons of RV antifreeze in the tank. RV antifreeze, unlike regular automotive antifreeze, is safe to use around animals and won't hurt the environments. Run the tank a bit until you see the RV antifreeze come out the nozzles and the spray wand, and you're done. Next, check the tractor. You want to see if there's an adequate amount of antifreeze in the radiator to protect your engine down to however cold it gets in your area, and fill up your tank and put a treatment in the fuel to keep it from gelling or growing algae this winter. Now your tractor is ready. Finally, pull your PTO shafts off the implements that have to stay outside in the winter. Spray a healthy dose of WD-40 on the halves when slid apart, then slide them back together and store them in the garage this winter. If you don't, they could accumulate surface rust and be hard to separate next spring. Finally, I like to put a five gallon bucket over my gearbox. That keeps it dry, but lets a little air circulate around it to keep condensation at a minimum. If you'll do these practices before winter you'll avoid issues when you're ready to fire up the equipment and use it again next spring. The sooner you get it out of the way, the less chance you have of having to do it in sleet or freezing rain like I do most years because I put it off until the last minute. LINKS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... The Tractor Fun Store: https://asktractormike.com/products-for-sale/ Support the Tractor Mike Channel: https://www.patreon.com/TractorMike Visit the Tractor Mike website: http://asktractormike.com/ Visit Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ask-Tractor-Mike-312112962245304/ Copyright 2021 Tractor Mike LLC