keeping water out of gears

What do you all think?

I don't know if it will help or not, but ours stand outside every day of the year and have since at least 1980 and we have yet to get water in our M or W6 rear ends.

at issue with mine is the fact that the heads of the bolts are somewhat rusted - look like they've never been touched. I think I could get them out if I have to. Would like to replace them with new so as to keep the water out. How hard do you figure it is to get them out?

The best thing you can do is do whatever it takes to keep your tractor from sitting out in the rain. No shed? Get a tarp. A nice canvas tarp is a lot less expensive than tens of gallons of gear oil every few months.

That's hard to argue with, but this being the internet...

Look at it this way; if you had a shed available, would you still keep your otherwise carefully maintained tractor outside? Why not?

That's what I thought.

You can get one of those little carports for under a grand and add some kind of siding to it. It's not that big a deal and it's the right thing to do; and on some level almost everyone would acknowledge that.