How do you keep your radiator clean?

[jwstewar]

I was mowing the grass on Sunday. It has been very dry here. Almost 4 weeks w/o rain. I had to stop 2 or 3 times to clean the radiator. This wasn't from grass or stuff getting on the screen on front - there was some but not much. This was to wash dust/dirt out of the hydrostat cooler and the radiator. I would spray it out with the water hose and it would look like mud running out of the fins. I could watch the temp gauge and feel my foot start getting warmer as it was time to stop.

Do you have the same issue and what do you do?

 

[OhioTC18]

Jim,
Yes I have the same problem here as well. If I let the "grass" out back get a little too high, it really happens quick. Mine is mainly chaff. I just pull the prescreen out and knock it off. But I would imagime it's about time to do a hose job in things.

 

[REDDOGTWO]

I have the same problem with my tractors, try tilling for thirty to forty hours and see how they fill up with fine dust and dirt when it has not rained for a couple of months. I have found that the Kubota will go a lot longer than the New Holland. It must be in the design, right or wrong, I use the air compressor to clean it out. By last fall, I was getting very little air movement through the air conditioning on the Kubota, this spring I took the top off the tractor and the air conditioning apart and all of the fins were packed solid with fine dust and dirt. It took hours to blow it all out.

 

[Doc]

Air conditioning on your Kubota. What a concept.

As for mowing, I've been using a zero turn for the past few years. Awesome machines, but at times I wish the engine was up front ..... not because it would work any better .... just so it would catch the dust and grass clippings before they hit me. Since the engine is in the rear as I turn to make another pass grass clippings, dust, pollen etc... all hit me in the face. It makes me wear a ball cap and sun glasses while I mow so I might keep most of it out of my eyes. At least the dandelions are gone for this season. Those things gag me when I have to breath in all the little particles that come off of them after mowing.