Cornhead grease/oil

300jk · Oct 13, 2016

I have heard about cornhead grease/and oil here but not sure what
it is. I have been a heavy equipment operator for over 20 years
and my dad was an operator for almost 50 years and we have never
heard of it. Have used lithium based grease, heavy moly based
grease,synthetic based, and also a copper/ zinc grease that is
used on our big busters(hydraulic hammers on excavators). So
what is cornhead grease and am I missing out on something ?

rusty6 · Oct 13, 2016

Get it in tubes from John Deere. This link will tell you quite a bit about "thixotropic grease" which is what corn head grease is. I use it in gearboxes that won't hold oil anymore due to leaky seals.
corn head grease

Russ from MN · Oct 13, 2016

My dad used to buy 5 gallon cans of pour grease, it sounds similar. It would pour into a grease gun in warmer weather, in the winter it needed to be kept inside, but then we didn't do much greasing in the winter.

Janicholson · Oct 13, 2016

A tiny bit of research.
John Deere Corn Head spec, Followed by a consistancy chart. Jim
NLGI grade 0
JDMJ13A5, J13E6, and J25A
Physical properties:
Green color
Contains extreme-pressure additives
Excellent at high and low temperatures
Resists moisture and water washout
Polyurea thickened
Contains anti-rust properties
14-oz. tube compatible with most grease guns
Also available in 35-lb pail

NLGI consistency numbers
NLGI number ASTM worked (60 strokes)
penetration at 25 ?C
tenths of a millimetre Appearance Consistency food analog
000 445-475 fluid cooking oil
00 400-430 semi-fluid apple sauce
0 355-385 very soft brown mustard
1 310-340 soft tomato paste
2 265-295 "normal" grease peanut butter
3 220-250 firm vegetable shortening
4 175-205 very firm frozen yogurt
5 130-160 hard smooth pate
6 85-115 very hard cheddar cheese

centash · Oct 13, 2016

As rusty says, it is more suitable for gear boxes rather than a grease able joint. Gels somewhat at lower Temps, but as the gearbox warms up, it becomes more fluid, and then as it cools, has less tendency to leak out like gear oil may do. Ben

504 · Oct 13, 2016

On the JD corn heads, there was a hand pump with small lines coming out of it, and you greased most of the head with the mounted hand pump. I thing the reservoirs held about a coffee can full of grease.

Russ from MN · Oct 13, 2016

Where did all the grease go? It seems like some of it might end up in the corn!

NEKS · Oct 13, 2016

Phillips Petroleum made a grease called Philube F grease.
NLGI Grade 00
Semifluid grease for pressure gun use in farm equipment.
Semi-fluid, stringy, tacky, water resistant and can be poured from the can to the grease gun.
Recommended for corn pickers, rough bearings and other farm equipment where a fluid grease is required. Also used to lubricate track rollers and idlers.

They also have a grease called Cotton Picker Grease. It is a 00 grade to lubricate spindle bearings in cotton picker machines.

DoubleR · Oct 13, 2016

CIH also makes their version of the same thing. It appears to be close to the same thing JD has. I've used it in a couple of gearboxes with success.

Janicholson · Oct 13, 2016

Keeps down the mold don'cha know. Jim

kruser · Oct 13, 2016

Jim,
Chuckled on that range of "viscosity"!
Could you send it to me?
Jim2

300jk · Oct 13, 2016

Ok guys thanks I was just curious. Guessing if I had a leaky seal say on my corn picker or flail chopper that would work cause of the leakage. Would you also use it on chains or other things ? We always just used old oil on chains on the square and round balers and other equipment ! Would it be better or should I just keep on doing what I have done it the past ?

Janicholson · Oct 13, 2016

Corn Head grease is splattery on chains and doesn't get to the pins/rollers as well as oil. The early corn head gear boxes had poor or no seals and used a grease that would soften enough to run out slowly over a few hours or a day. It or other 0 rated greases are used in gear boxes with seals. Modern 0 greade is compatible with high pressure gear drives. Jim

RBoots · Oct 13, 2016

Sort of like the flowable heavy trailer hub grease. Can almost pour it in there. That is what I'm going to use in the rear final drives of my Silver King since the axle seals are a formed leather seal.

JD Seller · Oct 13, 2016

504 The system your talking about is called a "Multi lube" system. It does NOT use the corn head grease. It uses a thinner grease that JD calls multi lube grease. The corn head grease would be too thick to work in the multi lube system.

bcdave · Oct 13, 2016

I picked up a box of tubes from John Deere. I used it in the gear box and chain drive of a Howard Rotavator and the gear box of a Woods mower both with the seals leaking. They are not leaking. Sure simpler than a tear down. Thanks to the guys on this site for making the recommendation.
Dave

tomNE · Oct 13, 2016

I've used it and loved it for over 10yrs

M-MAN · Oct 13, 2016

OO grease. If you've ever had a Snapper with chain drive rear wheel's you had it in there. In the 50's and 60's service stations pumped it in your steering gear boxes on your car when they serviced it.

caterpillar guy · Oct 14, 2016

300jk
Just do as you have been. Like Jim said the cornhead grease will not work into the pins and rollers as well.

FBH44 · Oct 14, 2016

I make my own pourable red grease by blending up a 50-50 mix of red wheel bearing grease [ must be RED for Farmalls ]and 90 wt. oil, in a coffee can with a coat hanger and my electric drill. I blend it thick or as thin as you like. I pour it into steering chambers instead of oil, and it stays right there, year after year. Works great.

RBoots · Oct 14, 2016

I forgot to mention that where I used to work we rebuilt hammers, mostly NPK, but a lot of different ones. On a hydraulic hammer, I would advise you to stick with greasing it with whatever good grease you are using on your machine. Something like corn head grease would probably flow right out, not doing what you need it to do, and the damage caused to a hammer by lack of greasing is very apparent when it is torn apart. That always caused a big bill on large hammers out for long term rent, or ones that broke due to lack of maintenance.

TomA in CA · Oct 14, 2016

00 grease is used in Alemite volume pump for lubricating track rollers on older crawlers with button head fittings. I remember buying 5 gallon pail for about $35 years ago. Now no distributors seem to carry it and it is special order. They seem to want $150 for 5 gallons now. I have found it at Tractor Supply in quarts for about $5. They sell it for leaky gear boxes. I always pick up a few quarts it is only $100 for 5 gallons that way. I like to keep some in an oil can for lubing gate hinges and swamp cooler bearings.

BarnyardEngineering · Oct 14, 2016

(quoted from post at 18:45:06 10/13/16) Where did all the grease go? It seems like some of it might end up in the corn!

Probably some microscopic amount does end up in the corn. It's not like the corn's slathered in grease like Exxon Valdez seagulls.

Anything going directly for human consumption is washed. Heck the stuff they wash the corn in is probably worse for you than the grease is...

The alternative is to wear the equipment out and have to buy new every year. People won't pay enough for food to support that so the farmers either have to lubricate their equipment to make it last as long as possible, or go broke.

Cornhead grease/oil

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