7 Grease and Oil Hacks for Your Farm Shop and Equipment

These hacks and tips will help control grease and oil in your shop and when you’re working on your equipment. These ideas are shared from farmers in Successful Farming’s All Around the Farm.

1. Less-Mess Oil Changes

When I drain the oil from my tractors, I put a 5-gallon bucket in a small plastic kiddie pool and place it under the oil pan. If any oil spills or splatters, the pool prevents the mess from getting onto the shop floor. -Mark Schnell, New Lothrop, Michigan

2. Oil Caddy

To build a useful oil caddy for the shop, I removed the fuel tank from a John Deere 8820 combine and cut it down in size. I welded expanded metal filling to about one-third of the top inside edge of the tank in which to place the oil plug and used oil filters needing drained. Next, I welded wheels on the bottom and attached an old hydraulic reel pump on one end. I took the pulley off and now I use an electric drill to run the pump. Using a hose, I attached the suction end of the pump to the bottom of the tank and used a longer hose, on the pressure side, to fill my used oil storage container. -David Unruh, Grand View, Idaho

3. Oil Change Clean Hand Trick

When pulling oil filters and oil pan plugs, avoid getting oil all over your hand with this simple trick. Slip a plastic bread bag over your hand and arm before filter removal. Once the filter is off, hold on to it and pull the bag off your arm and around the filter. If the oil is hot, put on a glove before slipping the bag over your arm. -Karl Gaul, Worthington, Iowa

4. Quick-Flow Funnel 

When using a funnel, I get frustrated with air-locking, bubbling, and slow-flowing fluids. My solution was to attach a 1/4-inch tube, zip-tied to the top of the funnel, and extended down through the outlet of the funnel. -Gerald Smith, Holstein, Iowa

5. Quick Access Can Holder

I wanted to make my lubricant cans easily accessible when working on equipment. To store them, I cut short sections of exhaust tubing that I welded to a piece of 1/8x2x2-inch angle iron. This assembly can be mounted to the top front edge or toolbox on a pickup. I have used this since 1973 with no problems. No more loose cans on the floorboards, and no mess from spray tips accidentally getting depressed. -Jerry Soukup, Morse Bluff, Nebraska

6. Useful Grease Gun Extension

My John Deere S670 combine has two grease fittings on the back of the rotor. Normally, I have to reach down from on top, by the engine, to grease them. It is a long way down and almost impossible to reach the fittings. I attached a grease fitting on one end of a 4-foot piece of 3/8-inch pipe and a grease gun coupler on the other end. Now I move the rotor so I can grease these fittings from the side with the help of my new extension, which makes the job much easier. -Eric Dezeeuw, Falmouth, Michigan

7. 90° Locking Grease Tip

I like locking grease gun fittings, but they can be long and rather difficult to get into tight places. I screwed a 90° grease zerk fitting into a shorter, selflocking four-claw grease gun tip. Just attach one onto your grease gun and you have a 90° locking tip to get into that tight space. -David Carson, Nashville, Illinois

Share Your Ideas

Successful Farming magazine invites you to share ideas with our readers. Enter idea(s) click here, with a daytime phone number, email address, and complete mailing address or mail to: Successful Farming Magazine, All Around The Farm, 1716 Locust Street/LS257, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023

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