Happiness is......

Running out of grease in the grease gun
just as your about to quit pumping on
the last of about 40 zerks on an
implement. I can think of only a
handful of times in my life that this
has happened and it makes you feel like
you've just won the lottery, yet I will
constantly run out of grease just after
I crawl under something or climb up on
top of something to get to a hard to
reach zerk, just to have the gun go
empty, then have to crawl out again to
reload then do it all over again. I
know the odds are not the same but
seems like it's a one in three chance.
The worst was when we ran the 1660,
2188 and 2388 CaseIH combines. Up the
ladder, over the engine, crawl down
inside the engine compartment, start
greasing pulleys and ....CRAP.... crawl
out again....The 4 zerks on the unload
auger up there was another good place
for a gun to go dry nearly every time.

Don't even get me started on how I'm
sure that grease is a live and living
organism. The second I look away, it
will literally jump from the tip of the
gun to my pant leg or sneak up on me
and hitch a ride on the back of my
elbow where I don't find it until it's
all over the seat of my pickup. Next
to moving snow during a bad winter, it
has to be the most annoying job on the
farm that just has to be done.

I just wish I knew where it goes out of my air powered grease gun. EVERY TIME I get that thing hooked up and ready to use,it's empty.

With my old hand pump grease guns (with long hoses) I check to see how much grease is in the gun by pulling out the spring loaded handle on the back. If it pulls way out I know it's about empty.

(quoted from post at 21:26:37 11/04/15) I just wish I knew where it goes out of my air powered grease gun. EVERY TIME I get that thing hooked up and ready to use,it's empty.

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I know how you feel. Someone should invent a grease gun that never goes empty, or a sure fire way to tell how much grease is in the darn thing.

I have done the same thing on our 1688 combine. To the point of always bringing along another tube of grease. That way you know for sure the gun won't run out.

My favorite grease attack is laying under the semi greasing U joints and not knowing for sure if you are fully attached to the zerk. That lost grease typically drops onto my hat, in my hair, or on my shoulder where I don't see it and proceeds to get smeared into the next cloth interior. And then the gun goes dry.

Not for sure how the grease gun knows, but it does. The other thing I can tell you is that the science of ergonomics was discovered long after my old Allis 60 combine was built. Some of those fittings require you to be the rubberman to reach.

My relationship with grease guns started out kind of shakey too. But now that I know all of their tricks, we get along much better.

I know the feeling, lot of zerks on this late model JD disc harrow I would grease for my farmer/friend when helping him during spring planting. Always happens when you had gotten to the inside of the gangs, making you climb back out. He had a nice Lincoln battery powered gun too, so I learned to stage tubes or keep an extra within reach. I sure liked how that battery gun worked, not perfect for all situations, but for most, it made this task easier. The other was the 6620 combine, and I think the 583 baler, they had lots of fittings.

I love my Milwaukee battery grease gun but always runs out when I am in the tightest spots! The old 8430 with a 496 disc and packer seem to have about 50 fittens and always runs out when I am in the middle of dics! Got to crawl out or hope the kids hear me!

I probably have only 10 or so zerks between the tractor and mower, My problem is finding a grease gun that works. I probably have around 10 that just don't work. A lot are left over from Dad's days. I have a favorite that works good now. I fill it by hand. It takes a little longer, but the grease is free. Someone gave me over 10 gal. of grease a while back. I am about 1/2 way through that. Looks like it will last to the end. Stan

I had a Lincoln air powered service station grease gun that ran on a 33 gallon drum of grease. Long hose, lot's of power to get the grease in stubborn zerks, and an unlimited supply of cheap grease if you could get the implement up to the shop. Got it cheap and when it was burned in a fire I couldn't afford to replace it

I LOVE greasing those 8430 joints at the hinge point. They are all 10 hour, too. I can never seem to shut it off so you can get to all three drive shafts without starting it back up.

If I am doing every zerk the combine takes about 2 2/2 tubes of grease. Thank heavens for air grease guns. That sucker used to give me a crick in my hand.

(quoted from post at 16:43:12 11/04/15) With my old hand pump grease guns (with long hoses) I check to see how much grease is in the gun by pulling out the spring loaded handle on the back. If it pulls way out I know it's about empty.

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id you by chance state the reverse of what you meant? On my grease guns the further out you can pull the follower handle the more grease is in the gun. When it is empty you cannot pull the handle out at all.

Like between the grain tank and the shaker arms? I bought a parts combine from a neighbor in the early 70s...he apparently never found those several zerks!

A grease gun is a funny thing. Always well greased and yet it is the first thing on the farm to ware out.

Every time I pick up a grease gun, and get nice and full of slimey, gooey grease and am standing on my head to get to that one zerk that is is an impossible place to get to, The SWMBO or my daughter calls me on my cell phone, which is usually in the same pocket as the hand holding the tip of the grease gun......

Every morning its grease it! Gets old real fast. I installed the long fittings on the u joints and makes it a lot better. Wish there was 2 zerks on them so no matter where it shuts off you can get them all!

(quoted from post at 04:06:45 11/05/15) Every morning its grease it! Gets old real fast. I installed the long fittings on the u joints and makes it a lot better. Wish there was 2 zerks on them so no matter where it shuts off you can get them all!

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They make'em. My international truck had two zerk u-joints, and they were on the outside so that they were easy to get at.

Wear out!

What a funny topic, I was a grease monkey for the sand mine I worked at, had an air operated grease gun to lube over 2 hundred pieces of equipment, man was I dirty when my 12 hour shift ended! LOL