M6-141 50 Hr Service....15 GALLONS of Hydraulic oil? Don't Think So!

[capngeo]

Did my 50 hr (at 84 hours) The WSM says to dump the ENTIRE hydraulic oil supply and put in fresh. $420 worth of the stuff! Well I figured that was a pile of Bull Manure. Oil doesn't really go bad; it just gets dirty. ESPECIALLY in only 50 hours.

Way back in my old feeble mind, I remembered having the same thoughts on my last new Kubota tractor (L6060). Back then I took a vacuum, connected it to the fill hole and didn't lose any beyond what was in the filter. It was crude; only a rag for a seal. So, fast forward a few years to today... I decided to do the same trick, but I wanted it to be more.... uh....elegant (as if there's any elegance in changing oil and filters).

Fired up the old lathe and built this:

One short piece of sch 40 1" PVC and a 2" cap. Cut the threads, and put a shoulder on the other end of the pipe. Cut a hole in the cap and pic glued it together.

 

[OntheRidge]

Hmmm, 125k tractor, not worth $420 worth of hydraulic fluid?

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

The mating surfaces of new gears wear in, shedding microscopic metal bits in the process, which cause significantly more wear than gears riding on oil film without metal bits, which is likely why Kubota says to change the oil as doing so would add significant life to the tractor.

 

[TheOldHokie]

What the Hedgehog said. The flush is to remove break in wear metals and any manufacturing debris that may have been missed at the factory. Spend the money

Dan

 

[ItBmine]

To each his own. I don't mind buying a couple hundred bucks of oil and filters for my large investments. Especially since I'm one of those people that keeps my stuff forever, I don't sell or trade up constantly.

 

[capngeo]

Well... the filter has a magnet to catch the bits of metal. Did the same with my L6060 when it was new (about 2900 hrs now), and it was a HST! If the metal shavings were a problem it would have reared its head by now.

 

[capngeo]

Hmmm, 125k tractor, not worth $420 worth of hydraulic fluid?

You know Kubota inflates the crap out of their parts and supply prices. When I can buy a WIX, Donaldson, Baldwin, or other name brand filter I do,,, same with seals, bearings, Motor and Hydro oil, and whatever other generic parts that are IDENTICAL or interchange.

When it comes right down to it; I am a rancher, my margins are just too thin to fall for some marketing campaign because the big orange god in the Pacific, says I need to buy their stuff.

Whilst I am putting on my flame suit for the "You'll void your warranty" crowd.... Read Magnusem-Moss

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Lake Speed Jr. (well-known tribologist) has pretty much said changing engine oil more frequently is more important than the oil brand because of wear, contaminates, and oil breakdown.

Hydraulic oil is not engine oil, but many of of the same principles apply, such as wear, contaminates, and oil breakdown. Another one exists with Kubota from what I read here regarding longevity: cooling ability. Apparently Kubota is trying to squeeze every ounce of power out of their tractors and the type of oil is important in this case.

After reading hundreds of member experiences here I went to the Kubota dealer and picked up all the 400-hour service stuff, and it was indeed reasonably priced as members had said. I'm not a Kubota zealot, but do work it hard and want it to last; grease and oils are affordable compared to buying a new tractor in my opinion.

 

[NCL4701]

Like your custom shop vac to hydraulic oil fill adapter. The shop vac trick is effective but if you don’t have a second person to hold the vac hose tight to the tractor, it isn’t easy to get a reliable competent seal.

 

[OntheRidge]

You know Kubota inflates the crap out of their parts and supply prices. When I can buy a WIX, Donaldson, Baldwin, or other name brand filter I do,,, same with seals, bearings, Motor and Hydro oil, and whatever other generic parts that are IDENTICAL or interchange.

When it comes right down to it; I am a rancher, my margins are just too thin to fall for some marketing campaign because the big orange god in the Pacific, says I need to buy their stuff.

Whilst I am putting on my flame suit for the "You'll void your warranty" crowd.... Read Magnusem-Moss

Hey, it's your tractor. Best of luck.

 

[BAP]

Another, “I am smarter than the engineers that designed my Tractor” thread. Eventually it will turn into a “I am extremely pissed off at Kubota thread” when my tractor dies due to lack of proper maintenance and use of snake oil parts.