Can Tractors Get Wet? 8 Helpful Storage Tips (For Beginners)

Leaving any piece of machinery, including a tractor, out in the rain is a sure way of shortening its life span. This includes even a three-year-old automobile.

If you can’t keep your tractor or any other vehicle in the barn or garage, we recommend that you at least cover it.

Rain and snow are hard on metal parts, and if you allow the tractor gets wet, its efficiency is likely to decrease.

However, you need to various factors when storing your tractor to prevent it from getting wet.

Here, we look at things you need to do to prevent your tractor from getting wet.

Effects of Wetness on A Tractor

If you allow your tractor to get wet either from rain or snow, there are challenges that you might experience:

1. Damage To Tractors Paint

Rainwater is known for collecting pollutants. Water usually evaporates as vapor into the atmosphere.

The water vapor will then will condense into raindrops. When the raindrops fall, they’ll collect contaminants and pollutants from the air, thus creating acid rain.

Once the acid rain dries up, it causes damage to your tractor paint. This will reduce the tractor’s shiny or lustrous exterior finish since acid rain leads to watermarks or rain marks.

2. Damage To Tractor Components

Heavy rain and wet weather are known for destroying parts and components of your tractor. This includes water getting into the engine and causing serious damage.

If your tractor engine gets damaged due to wetness or rain, don’t attempt to turn the engine on. Instead, call an insurance company as soon as possible to make a claim.

A tractor can also get wet to the extent that the tires get damaged. This will translate into extra expenses to replace your tires.

If the wetness is too much, the engine cylinder may end up being filled with water and force the engine to stop suddenly. The solution here is to call a professional mechanic.

3. Corrosion, Damp, and Mildew

Corrosion usually thrives well where there is wetness. This will reduce the lifespan of your tractor. It also affects its physical appeal.

After it has rained, mildew and damp get into the tractor easily, thus affecting the health of those who drive it. Inhaling spores and mold fragments cause chest tightness, coughing, and nasal congestion.

Immediately after the rain stops, remove the accumulated moisture from your tractor surface unless you want mildew to occur.

Avoid Packing Near Sloped Roofs

When you decide to store your tractor after work, ensure that it’s far from a sloped roof. When the rains are heavy, the roof can pummel your tractor with hundreds of gallons of water.

This can cause damage to your tractor, thus translating into costly repairs.

The roof can also throw off an avalanche of snow after a severe snowstorm, dump a large amount of ice on your tractor, and cause extensive damage.

The same thing applies to areas that are prone to flooding. Severe flooding can cause your tractor to get wet and damage some critical components. You’ll therefore be forced to incur a lot in repair costs.

Therefore, it’s critical that you secure your tractor if there is any chance of unpredictable rainfall or flash floods.

Prepare the tractor for human-made or natural scenarios that can lead to physical damage.

Regular Checks

Apart from packing your tractor near sloped roofs, it’s also important that you do regular checks. You should closely monitor your tractor even if things appear okay from the outside.

Sometimes, your tractor’s internal components might be wet even when it’s externally okay. We recommend that you check the tractor after heavy snow or rain.

Always ensure that there is no snow accumulation over six inches on the tractor’s cover for long periods.

Remember to inspect the tractor cover for tears or anything that can allow moisture in.

If the tractor is wet, dry it properly to avoid damaging critical components. You can also call a professional mechanic to help you do proper checks.

Cover The Tractor With Either A Tarp or Shrink Wrap

The best approach to protect your tractor from elements is to cover it fully with a tarp or polyvinyl cover.

Whether you settle on using a tarp or shrink wrap, apply a cover designed to fit your tractor.

This will guarantee a snug fit that keeps dust and moisture out of the tractor’s interior. A saggy tractor cover might have pockets that collect water, weighing down the material.

You should even secure the tractor wrap using lines to prevent harsh weather from blowing it off.

After covering the tractor, you need to check it after harsh weather. This is helpful since the weight of snow can collapse the shrink wrap or tarp, causing serious damage in the process.

If there is heavy snow on top of the cover, use a soft broom to wipe it off. This helps to keep the cover’s integrity.

Ensure your tractor wrap is water-tight to avoid moisture buildup and condensation since they can lead to mold and rust.

Block Every Entry Point

If there are parts that keep moisture, it’s the entry points on a tractor. Before leaving your tractor outside, it’s critical that you clean all the drainage pathways to avoid debris and moisture from ponding.

You need to tape or plug the exhaust outlets to prevent insects from nesting there. Doing this will also prevent water from getting inside.

After blocking the moisture entry points, we recommend that you apply absorbents to your tractor to keep it dry.

Greasing and Oiling

Many people take oiling and greasing for granted even though the manufacturer recommends it. Oiling and greasing offer a sealing property that prevents the safe involved from getting wet.

This prevents the surfaces from experiencing corrosion.

However, we recommend that you go for greasing rather than oiling since grease doesn’t leak easily and thus offers better protection.

Final Words

As we have seen, your tractor can easily get wet when you leave it exposed to rain or snow. This exposes the tractor to harsh elements that might cause corrosion, mildew, and damage to paint.

Therefore, it’s critical to consider the above-highlighted factors to keep your tractor safe even in the presence of rain. We hope this article will help you keep your tractor safe for many years.