Washing Your Case IH® Farm Equipment
As a farm equipment owner, it’s important that you attend to regular maintenance needs to ensure that your equipment remains in good working order. One task that is often overlooked is cleaning. After all, your equipment will just get dirty again, right? True, but think about how much damage the build-up can cause over time. Dried mud and other substances can also impede the full functions of your farm equipment and make them less efficient. This is why regularly washing your Case IH machines is so essential.
High Plains Equipment, with locations in Devils Point and Harvey, is your North Dakota Case IH farm equipment dealer. As such, we’ve provided the following guide to help you wash your Case IH equipment and get it truly clean without damaging it.
Check Your Owner’s Manual
Before you do anything else, make sure to check the owner’s manual of your Case IH equipment. The owner’s manual should have some care and maintenance tips that are specific to your piece of farm equipment, which will help you clean it safely. If you don’t have access to your manual, try to locate it online.
When To Wash
You should wash your farm equipment at least once a year. Some circumstances may arise that require you to wash it more often, such as working in especially muddy or dirty conditions, when there’s a lot of build-up of mud, grass and oil or when you’re preparing to store your equipment for a long period of time, such as over the winter. You may simply need to hose your Case IH farm equipment down if it’s a little dirty, or you may need to clean it more thoroughly.
How To Wash
The most common and convenient way to wash a piece of farm equipment is via power washing. A good, sturdy power washer will reduce the amount of elbow grease that you need to apply and make washing go by faster. You may need to apply some soap and scrubbing to especially grimy parts of your machine and work a sponge into the nooks and crannies, but in general, a power washer will do the trick nicely.
Two-Step Washing
If you really want to get your Case IH farm equipment clean, you can use a method that truck-fleet owners use to clean their trucks. This method uses a chemical process that prevents soap residue and thoroughly cleans the machinery.
To do this, you’ll apply a low-pH acidic product to the body of your equipment. Hydrofluoric acid is commonly used. Next, you apply a high-pH detergent on top of the acid and rinse it completely.
If you apply the detergent so that it completely covers up the acid and then rinse your farm equipment thoroughly, you won’t have any paint peeling or damage incurred to your machinery. Try to avoid getting acid on glass surfaces such as cab windows, though. If you dislike the idea of using acid, you can always use the water-and-soap power-washing method instead and you’ll be able to get your farm equipment restored to its full shiny glory.
We hope our guide proves useful to you in cleaning your Case IH farm equipment. Visit our website or one of our locations in Harvey or Devils Lake, ND, to check out our vast selection of new and used Case IH farm equipment for sale. We can also help you with your budget using our financing and trade-in options. High Plains Equipment proudly serves our North Dakota customers in Grand Forks and Minot.