First year trapper. Is there a way to lubricate leg hold traps without using the wax method? I got two weeks left and have some rusty traps (I have dye for them for next year) but they are moving hurky jurky. Thoughts? I got my eyes on a bobcat and i don’t know enough a scent or anything.

Wax is all I would use. You could just wire brush heavy rust, boil to clean the trap then wax. I have no experience with cats but oil is a definite no go for canines.

OR... using a JC Conner tip....clean traps the best you can, wire brush if necessary rinse off in water and then fire them a few times. Then take a piece of paraffin wax and rub along areas where trap springs on long springs and trap jaws and levers on coil springs make contact. The wax acts as a lubricant and speeds firing.

I don't know if it will work where you are at, but down here in south Louisiana I don't wax any of my traps. The reason is wax holds scents. If a wax trap gets contaminated in my side by side or pirogue, I have to bring it home and remove the wax and start over. Now I just use a dip of 50/50 acetone and rusty metal primer. Two coats will last several seasons. I trap everything from brackish water to high acid soil of piney woods. My traps hold up really good and clean up fast. But I don't deal with frozen ground and everything you guys up north have.

How effective is this coating for keeping them fast? I was given a rusty MB 750 that when it fired it was like it in slow motion. I didn't have time to do my normal routine, so I just used a rattle can of rusty metal primer. Now it fires like a champ and is going on the line this week.

This...

Just soak in vinegar…pull it and you have a brand new looking trap that should function.

Just dye um wax um. And use um. Tune um first.

if we are talking land sets for bobcat, take your traps dip them in floor wax if you feel that they need some type of treatment then put the traps to work