Preventing rust

[Urban Homestead]

I've always sprayed everything down with WD-40 to prevent rust, but a neighbor said I should use oil instead and that WD-40 could harm my equipment. Is that true? What do you use to prevent rust from forming on your machinery, tools, and other equipment?

 

[jjp8182]

Depends on what it is ...have used WD-40 for some places where a thin oil/fluid is better able to penetrate (e.g. balls/sockets on 3pt linkage),but for large surfaces I've started using more products with lanolin as either part or all of the product's composition.

Usually spray down the working parts of my moldboard plow with a lanolin based product when I'm done plowing for the year. Just due it to keep the plow from getting really rusty from the winter rains here in northern Alabama.

A couple good videos from youtube:
Do Penetrating Oils Block Rust? Let's find out!

Best Car Undercoating? Let's find out! Is Flex Seal the Best Rust & Salt Protection?

(always enjoy Project Farm's videos)

How to Stop Rust - What is the best? Rust prevention experiment

...the penetrating oil one was the one that caused me to start using fluid film and look more at lanolin-based products. My take away from watching all of these though was also that no matter how good the product rust will eventually form (to some degree).....

 

[greg]

You can apply oil, which inhibits moisture from reaching the iron in the metal, or use a dry coating. Galvanizing (coating iron or steel in zinc) will also slow down rust since zinc corrodes at a much slower rate than iron or steel.

 

[Locksmith]

I've always sprayed everything down with WD-40 to prevent rust, but a neighbor said I should use oil instead and that WD-40 could harm my equipment. Is that true?

No, I don't think that's true. Your neighbor is the only person I have heard tell say that. I use WD-40 to loosen stuck parts and oil to keep things lubricated. I don't know if that's why rust doesn't happen to me, but that's what I do.

What do you use to prevent rust from forming on your machinery, tools, and other equipment?

Dry air. LOL