What type of grease should I use for my ball head?

[AdamLM]

Just wondering what type of grease I should use for my Manfrotto 488. Wouldn't want to use the wrong one and end up having the grease eat the ball or something crazy. Thanks for your help.

Adam

[cosworth]

A very small dab of powdered graphite. (http://www.drillspot.com/products/346351/Tube-O-Lube_31644G_Dry_Powder_Graphite_Lubricant)

[zacker]

lol,lol,lol... i thought it said "what kind of grease should I use for my BALD head?" lol

[Styria]

How necessary is it to lubricate a ballhead?

[cosworth]

Only neccessary if you clean it with solvent or it gets submerged.

[SkipD]

Just wondering what type of grease I should use for my Manfrotto 488. Wouldn't want to use the wrong one and end up having the grease eat the ball or something crazy. Thanks for your help.Read the instruction brochure that came with the ball head, Adam. It says to NOT lubricate it.

This is quoted from the Manfrotto ball head brochure: The heads are maintenance-free. Do not lubricate with any oil or silicone.

Note: The plural "heads" is written that way because the brochure is for various models of the 488 ball head.

All you need to do is occasionally clean the ball with a cloth.

[PacAce]

Just wondering what type of grease I should use for my Manfrotto 488. Wouldn't want to use the wrong one and end up having the grease eat the ball or something crazy. Thanks for your help.

Adam

The name of the game when it comes to a tripod ball head is friction. That's what keeps the head positioned where you want it. The pupose of grease is to lubricate a surface to reduce friction. That's definitely not what you want happening to your ball head.

[Wilt]

Not much official information from manufacturers on topic of Ballhead maintenance, apart from commentary about
'maintence free',
a sparse bit of informaion about 'cleaning, when sticky, with WD-40 and then wipe off', and
'no grease'

Sailors mostly hate WD-40 and I am a sailor as well as photographer, so 'nuff said!

[PacAce]

Not much official information from manufacturers on topic of Ballhead maintenance, apart from commentary about
'maintence free',
a sparse bit of informaion about 'cleaning, when sticky, with WD-40 and then wipe off', and
'no grease'

Sailors mostly hate WD-40 and I am a sailor as well as photographer, so 'nuff said!

Now you've peaked my curiosity. Why do sailors hate WD-40 (other than the fact that its smell reminds them of work :mrgreen: )?

[bieber]

Now you've peaked my curiosity. Why do sailors hate WD-40 (other than the fact that its smell reminds them of work :mrgreen: )?

I'd like to know this too. I sailed competitively some odd years ago, but never a boat big enough to have to worry about that kind of thing...

[cosworth]

Now you've piqued my curiosity.

fixed ;)

[Wilt]

Now you've peaked my curiosity. Why do sailors hate WD-40 (other than the fact that its smell reminds them of work :mrgreen: )?


WD-40 is a degreaser and removes lubrication. If salt spray gets on something, it merely dries there and leaves the salt behind to make things worse! WD40 can get gummy, then harden to a mess after time. Bad results in interaction with seawater. For example, spinnaker pole ends seized due to use of WD40. Winches seized.


Boeshield T-9 is a product developed by Boeing to prevent corrosion on aircraft components. It leaves a thin waxy film, so salt spray does not accumulate and dry in place.

I'm not necessarily saying to use T-9 on ballheads. I am staying DON'T use WD-40 for anything except cleaning the ballhead of other sticky accumulations.

[galahad]

WD-40 is a degreaser and removes lubrication. If salt spray gets on something, it merely dries there and leaves the salt behind to make things worse! WD40 can get gummy, then harden to a mess after time. Bad results in interaction with seawater. For example, spinnaker pole ends seized due to use of WD40. Winches seized.


Boeshield T-9 is a product developed by Boeing to prevent corrosion on aircraft components. It leaves a thin waxy film, so salt spray does not accumulate and dry in place.

I'm not necessarily saying to use T-9 on ballheads. I am staying DON'T use WD-40 for anything except cleaning the ballhead of other sticky accumulations.


learned something new again... :)

[tkoutdoor]

How necessary is it to lubricate a ballhead?Not necessary at all on some ballheads. Depends what you have. I have an Acratech ballhead that doesn't ever use lubrication. I bought it with that in mind. Besides it holding 25 lbs. in a horizontal pull test without moving, etc.

[tjrenegade]

Read the instruction brochure that came with the ball head, Adam. It says to NOT lubricate it.

This is quoted from the Manfrotto ball head brochure: The heads are maintenance-free. Do not lubricate with any oil or silicone.

Note: The plural "heads" is written that way because the brochure is for various models of the 488 ball head.

All you need to do is occasionally clean the ball with a cloth.

I know is says this but there is some kind of light oil on both my 486 and 488 heads and it came from the factory that way. I wouldn't go out of my way to lube it but if I had to wash it down with a detergent I might put a tiny amount of silicone grease on it.

[tjrenegade]

Read the instruction brochure that came with the ball head, Adam. It says to NOT lubricate it.

This is quoted from the Manfrotto ball head brochure: The heads are maintenance-free. Do not lubricate with any oil or silicone.

Note: The plural "heads" is written that way because the brochure is for various models of the 488 ball head.

All you need to do is occasionally clean the ball with a cloth.

I know is says this but there is some kind of light oil on both my 486 and 488 heads and it came from the factory that way. I wouldn't go out of my way to lube it but if I had to wash it down with a detergent I might put a tiny amount of silicone grease on it.

[PacAce]

fixed ;)

Ha-ha. Thanks for that. But I still like my usage of peaked better. ;)

[tkoutdoor]

Now you've peaked my curiosity. Why do sailors hate WD-40 (other than the fact that its smell reminds them of work :mrgreen: )?
There are different kinds of oils for different things. WD-40 is in the "penetrating" oil class. It's purpose is to work its way into rusted things or things that are corroded shut and loosen them up. It's no good as a "lubricating" oil. It will actually swell and break down o-rings and seals. It destroys them. Nasty stuff when not used for its intended use. Good stuff when used correctly. There is also something called "cutting oil" that is used to help with drilling or threading of something while it's being actively shaped/machined/drilled. What most people want when they think of oil is a "lubricating" oil. I used to use something with teflon in it that I liked quite a bit, but I can't remember its name. Things with graphite in them work well too, but are a little on the messy side. If properly used, they can be a great option. There's a commonly found oil called 3 in 1 oil that can do all of those functions, but none well. It's a little on the gummy side (leaves a residue that gathers dust etc.), there are better things out there, but I don't use them that often so I can't think of any ATM. Oil used for sewing machines is very thin and works well for a lot of stuff, but can break down faster than others. It's great when the thing you are using it on expects routine maintenance as it gets replenished routinely.

[AdamLM]

Thanks everyone. What is on the ball head when it comes from the factory? It looks like grease to me.

[Wilt]

I used to use something with teflon in it that I liked quite a bit, but I can't remember its name. .

TriFlow ?

[Jon]

Ha-ha. Thanks for that. But I still like my usage of peaked better. ;)
C'mon Leo - surely there are other things you're even more curious about than that!

[the_incubus]

this works well (http://ky.com/index_us.jsp)



its a joke dont really use it

[PacAce]

C'mon Leo - surely there are other things you're even more curious about than that!

Hey, Jon, I was just trying to save face. And you aren't helping, you know. :|

:lol: ;) :D

[tmonatr]

If you use the graphite powder, as Cosworth suggested, there are no issues of gumming or freezing. I've used it in a car lock that kept freezing, and it worked great.

[tkoutdoor]

TriFlow ?

TriFlow might be it. I used to buy it from a bike shop 20 years ago and couldn't find it after I moved to a different state so I gave up on it. It had sort of a pleasant smell to it for a lubricant I remember that distinguished it from the rest (plus it performed very well). It poured out the top and you attached a clear plastic tube to the top and dispensed it a drop at a time. Does that sound like that same thing? I just looked it up on their website (the web wasn't a viable product 20 years ago, it was all BBS back then) and that might be it, but the logo and the shape of the bottle I remember is different. But it's been 20 years, those things change in 20 years normally. Does it have that unique pleasant smell that you remember?

[Wilt]

. Does it have that unique pleasant smell that you remember?

Vague recollection about a not-objectionable smell, but I couldn't validate that because I don't have any more, myself. Mine was in an aerosol can.

[bbarron]

Thanks for this info everyone - I was having a problem with my Manfrotto 488RC2 - ball head sticking, lots of problems - cleaned it with silicone spray, took it apart and wiped it down and all is well - glad the forums had this info or I would have been sunk - Manfrotto didn't return my call....



WD-40 is a degreaser and removes lubrication. If salt spray gets on something, it merely dries there and leaves the salt behind to make things worse! WD40 can get gummy, then harden to a mess after time. Bad results in interaction with seawater. For example, spinnaker pole ends seized due to use of WD40. Winches seized.


Boeshield T-9 is a product developed by Boeing to prevent corrosion on aircraft components. It leaves a thin waxy film, so salt spray does not accumulate and dry in place.

I'm not necessarily saying to use T-9 on ballheads. I am staying DON'T use WD-40 for anything except cleaning the ballhead of other sticky accumulations.

[Lowner]

Manfrotto smothered my 486 in a clear silicon grease during assembly, then they write daft things like "do not lubricate". I took mine apart so I know how much of the stuff they used.

I renewed all the grease when I rebuit the head and it does not prevent the ball locking.