Boot care ?

[tncattle]

For Father's day my wife got me some nice Steel toe Wolverine boots. I've been cutting hay the past week helping a friend with his new farm. The tractor I'm using has been dripping hydraulic fluid and I just noticed today that a lot of it has dripped on my NEW boots. I guess they are broken in but my question is will this fluid ruin the boots and what should or can I do to clean them?

Thanks!

 

[mtncows]

Don't think it will hurt them but I doubt yiu can clean them.I like to put a good coating of some typeof dressing on them pretty sonn after i get them.Bear brand is what I use but bee waxis good ,too.Get boots warm to touch and the grease will melt into the leather.Allow to soak in then put on asecond or maybe a third coat.A sunny window works right well as does sitting near a wood stove.

 

[1982vett]

Used to use neatsfoot oil to help keep the leather from drying out and becoming brittle, helps shed water also unless you treat your boots like rubber boots, then nothing is going to help much. :cry2: As far as they hydraulic oil ruining them, no it won't hurt them :help: , but you will probably have a spot that will always be their till you use them like rubber boots. :mrgreen: Hey they are steel toe (ouch, wouldn't own another pair unless my job required them and it don't) work boots. Don't sweat it, if you use them right, hydraulic oil is a piece of cake. :???: Just oil em up. :banana:

 

[3waycross]

Go to the place where ya bought the boots. Bye you some spray on boot cleaner, spray em real good. Then take dawn dishwashing detergent and water and wipe em off as best as you can. At the boot place also get some of the water proofing stuff that makes water and stains roll off the boots instead of sticking to em. Lastly, keep em oiled with mink oil and keep em polished. Should last you along time.

DO NOT USE MINK OIL ON YOUR NEW BOOTS UNLESS YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEM STRETCH. iT BREAKS DOWN THE LEATHER AND WILL MAKE THEM LOOSE THEIR SHAPE FAR SOONER THAN THEY SHOULD.

 

[SRBeef]

Used to use neatsfoot oil to help keep the leather from drying out and becoming brittle, helps shed water also unless you treat your boots like rubber boots, then nothing is going to help much. :cry2: As far as they hydraulic oil ruining them, no it won't hurt them :help: , but you will probably have a spot that will always be their till you use them like rubber boots. :mrgreen: Hey they are steel toe (ouch, wouldn't own another pair unless my job required them and it don't) work boots. Don't sweat it, if you use them right, hydraulic oil is a piece of cake. :???: Just oil em up. :banana:

Personally I will not own a pair of work boots unless they are steel toe. They take a while to break in but I get a couple three years out of the same model Red Wing steel toe boots and I even forget they are steel toe.

Working with a chain saw or any of the numerous heavy things handled around the farm I would not think of wearing anything but steel toe. This past week I was fixing an older fence end and gate and dropped an 8" dia meter by 8 ft round fence post on my foot while trying to get in in the post hole. Also used the chain saw for clearing old brush from under the fence and noticed at a couple points in the heavy undergrowth I came close to my foot with the chain. (Also wear chaps when clearing like this or limbing a down tree).

If they are uncomfortable you need a better pair broken in more or heavier socks. Our toes are worth the $$ & effort. I would never wear my rubber boots doing these jobs. jmho.

 

[1982vett]

Used to use neatsfoot oil to help keep the leather from drying out and becoming brittle, helps shed water also unless you treat your boots like rubber boots, then nothing is going to help much. :cry2: As far as they hydraulic oil ruining them, no it won't hurt them :help: , but you will probably have a spot that will always be their till you use them like rubber boots. :mrgreen: Hey they are steel toe (ouch, wouldn't own another pair unless my job required them and it don't) work boots. Don't sweat it, if you use them right, hydraulic oil is a piece of cake. :???: Just oil em up. :banana:

Personally I will not own a pair of work boots unless they are steel toe. They take a while to break in but I get a couple three years out of the same model Red Wing steel toe boots and I even forget they are steel toe.

Working with a chain saw or any of the numerous heavy things handled around the farm I would not think of wearing anything but steel toe. This past week I was fixing an older fence end and gate and dropped an 8" dia meter by 8 ft round fence post on my foot while trying to get in in the post hole. Also used the chain saw for clearing old brush from under the fence and noticed at a couple points in the heavy undergrowth I came close to my foot with the chain. (Also wear chaps when clearing like this or limbing a down tree).

If they are uncomfortable you need a better pair broken in more or heavier socks. Our toes are worth the $$ & effort. I would never wear my rubber boots doing these jobs. jmho.

Nothing new feet wouldn't take care of. I've got terrible feet, they don't hurt or give me problems but gave up looking for a brand of boots that would fit properly. I can walk the best fitting pair of redwings to death in 3 months. Double H used to make one I could get 5 - 6 months out of. Only time steel toed boots might have come in handy was while kikking sows in the butt trying to get them to jump up in a trailor. Probably part of the reason for my bad feet. Wear rockport walking shoes now. Get about a year out of a pair of them.

Be carefull what you drop on those steel toes. Crush them and you are probably going to lose them toes anyway. ;-)

 

[grannysoo]

I have never had any pair of boots last more than 6 - 8 months. When you wear them 16 hours a day, they just wear out. May still look halfway decent, but all the "cush" is gone out of them.

 

[3waycross]

DO NOT USE MINK OIL ON YOUR NEW BOOTS UNLESS YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEM STRETCH. iT BREAKS DOWN THE LEATHER AND WILL MAKE THEM LOOSE THEIR SHAPE FAR SOONER THAN THEY SHOULD.[/quote]


Never had this problem in 50 plus years of wearing boots. That sounds like a wives tail as mink oil is a leather conditioner.[/quote]

Well you're wrong and I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue about it other than to say it's not the first time and sure as heck won't be the last. I have owned a leather shop and managed a shoe store when I was very young. The first thing they taught us was that mink oil would make shoes stretch out. But you go on disseminating misinformation you're very good at it.

I'll also assume your next move will be another pm to management to say you're being picked on again.

 

[Jogeephus]

Red Wing has a very good boot oil you can get at most stores. It keeps them supple and keeps them from cracking if you can remember to apply it to the boots. I rarely can remember to do this though but briars normally take mine out just as they are really getting comfortable.

 

[kerley]

I have a pair of Redwing boots that I bought in Elko, Nevada in 1979. I oiled them with Mink Oil and as of today they are in fine shape. I only wear them when hunting or in winter snows. They are 29 years old. Tom :cboy:

 

[TexasRancher]

DO NOT USE MINK OIL ON YOUR NEW BOOTS UNLESS YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEM STRETCH. iT BREAKS DOWN THE LEATHER AND WILL MAKE THEM LOOSE THEIR SHAPE FAR SOONER THAN THEY SHOULD.

Never had this problem in 50 plus years of wearing boots. That sounds like a wives tail as mink oil is a leather conditioner.[/quote]

Well you're wrong and I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue about it other than to say it's not the first time and sure as heck won't be the last. I have owned a leather shop and managed a shoe store when I was very young. The first thing they taught us was that mink oil would make shoes stretch out. But you go on disseminating misinformation you're very good at it.

I'll also assume your next move will be another pm to management to say you're being picked on again. [/quote]

Well, I use mink oil on both sofas and my leather boots...works wonderful. Boots that are cared for with mink oil last me 2.5 years versus the standard/usual 1 year for dry-rot in the leather to appear. Experience is better than those old wives tails taught in education. Always willing to help out.

 

[hillsdown]

I do know that mink oil is wonderful for human skin ,descented of course.

My father always used saddle soap on his boots to clean and/polish them ,it seemed to work. However I don't have personal experience with it as far as that is concerned, when boots get dirty here they stay dirty. :cowboy:

 

[iowafarmer]

DO NOT USE MINK OIL ON YOUR NEW BOOTS UNLESS YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEM STRETCH. iT BREAKS DOWN THE LEATHER AND WILL MAKE THEM LOOSE THEIR SHAPE FAR SOONER THAN THEY SHOULD.

Never had this problem in 50 plus years of wearing boots. That sounds like a wives tail as mink oil is a leather conditioner.[/quote]

Well you're wrong and I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue about it other than to say it's not the first time and sure as heck won't be the last. I have owned a leather shop and managed a shoe store when I was very young. The first thing they taught us was that mink oil would make shoes stretch out. But you go on disseminating misinformation you're very good at it.

I'll also assume your next move will be another pm to management to say you're being picked on again. [/quote]

I have never had this problem either. I have a pair of Georgia boots that i put mink oil on the forst day i got them and that was over a year and a half ago cause it helps to water proof the leather. MY boots have held up fine seing as i dont take care of them or really oil them besides spilling oil on them. I wear them in mud, snow, cattle manure, water that isnt over 3 inches deep casue then it leaks in. Have done the same with boots before this pair and all of them have held up for 2 years or longer.

 

[Nowland Farms]

I also use mink oil on my boots.

As far as comfort, I have been wearing the same brand and type of boot since 1985. I wear boots made by Vasque, the model is Sundowner II. They are a leather medium duty hiking boot and once broken in are worth their weight in gold. I usually have 2 pairs on hand. The 1st pair is the one I wear every day while doing chores, or anytime I am outside. The 2nd pair is a newer pair that I wear when I head to town or not doing chores. This helps get the new pair of boots almost broke in before they are needed if the old ones wear out. I normally get 3-4 years out of these boots. I always keep my boots geased up with mink oil.

 

[Calman]

I usally buy redwing boots,and can get about 3yrs out of each pair.

And after proven to myself for a number of years that the best thing to use on your boots is mink oil,it will be awfull hard for someone to convince me it is not good for your boots.

Cal

 

[Txwalt]

Minks can bite right through your hand. Its hard to keep ahold of one and rub it on your boot at the same time. I just buy new boots every couple of years.

Walt

 

[Calman]

Minks can bite right through your hand. Its hard to keep ahold of one and rub it on your boot at the same time. I just buy new boots every couple of years.

Walt

Walt, sounds like ya aint herd of the Mink Muzzle.

Cal

 

[tncattle]

Well, I'm definitely getting my right foot boot all oiled up with hydraulic fluid, maybe I'm accidentally conducting an experiment with hydraulic oil/boot care. I was on that same tractor yesterday for another 4 hours moving round bales. Maybe if I bought some Mink skin boots I could avoid the Mink oil step? But I guess it would be fun trying to rub that oil on the boots with a live Mink.