My First Tractor will be a Ventrac 4500Y.

[murphy1244]

This time, I used Shell Rotella T6 5W-40. Which oil do you use?

I am a big fan of Mobil products so I use 5W-40 Turbo Diesel.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

I am a big fan of Mobil products so I use 5W-40 Turbo Diesel.

The next time, I may try the Amsoil Premium API CJ-4 Synthetic 5W-40 Diesel Oil.

How about oil filters? I have installed a Kubota HH150-32430, Ventrac Part No. 13 0267, supplied by my Ventrac dealer. Looking on the Internets, I am seeing prices vary as much as 250% for the very same filter.

I see that the Wix 51365 and 51365XP cross-reference, but I intend to use Kubota filters, at least for the duration of the warranty, if not forever.

Best,

John

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Baby, It's Cold Outside!






Blown snow at the base of a large oak that stands near the S-Curved Hill...




At rest, awaiting the next call to duty...




This weather is for the birds...

 

[murphy1244]

The next time, I may try the Amsoil Premium API CJ-4 Synthetic 5W-40 Diesel Oil.

How about oil filters? I have installed a Kubota HH150-32430, Ventrac Part No. 13 0267, supplied by my Ventrac dealer. Looking on the Internets, I am seeing prices vary as much as 250% for the very same filter.

I see that the Wix 51365 and 51365XP cross-reference, but I intend to use Kubota filters, at least for the duration of the warranty, if not forever.

Best,

John

I bought NAPA gold filters.Make sure you write the date and hours on your filter when you change it.

 

[DoubleDeere]

The next time, I may try the Amsoil Premium API CJ-4 Synthetic 5W-40 Diesel Oil.

How about oil filters? I have installed a Kubota HH150-32430, Ventrac Part No. 13 0267, supplied by my Ventrac dealer. Looking on the Internets, I am seeing prices vary as much as 250% for the very same filter.

I see that the Wix 51365 and 51365XP cross-reference, but I intend to use Kubota filters, at least for the duration of the warranty, if not forever.

Best,

John

Just a heads up. "CJ-4 classification oil is intended for use in engines equipped with DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and is not recommended for use in Kubota E3 specification engines." Not sure if your Kubota engine manual says that, but that is what is in mine. The Amsoil premium may still be ok but might want to verify it first.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Just a heads up. "CJ-4 classification oil is intended for use in engines equipped with DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and is not recommended for use in Kubota E3 specification engines." Not sure if your Kubota engine manual says that, but that is what is in mine. The Amsoil premium may still be ok but might want to verify it first.

Thanks for the heads up, DD!

 

[DoubleDeere]

You are welcome John. I have to admit that choosing oils for all the newer diesel engines has become nothing but confusion for me. I run Amsoil in just about all of my stuff and I do like it. Although it is quite pricey.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Another Day, Another Session with Broomhilde...

 

[murphy1244]

John, Can you PM me the cost of the Broom? Thanks much.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

John, Can you PM me the cost of the Broom? Thanks much.

Sure, I could do that, Murph, but you (and others) might find this of greater interest. See page 6 of 7.

Note that, for the broom, there is an optional linear actuator (Ventrac Catalog Item No. 70.8025) that controls the valving on the broom's hydraulic motor. This allows the user to adjust the rotational velocity of the broom's rotor, as well as the direction of rotation, by means of pushbuttons on the Primary SDLA Joystick. Use of the linear actuator also requires the installation of the 12 Volt Switch and Front Kit (Ventrac Catalog Item No. 70.4104). The linear actuator is like the one that one can install to remotely control the angle (in the vertical plane) of the snow blower's discharge chute.

I have gotten a lot of use out of the broom these past two months! I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to using it also to clean up pine needles and leaves that accumulate on the long driveway (though I will probably also get the KA160 Blower for leaf- and pine-needle moving).

Best,

JJM

 

[murphy1244]

I have that kit as I have the snow blower with electric shoot control. I actually got better prices than your showing.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

I have that kit as I have the snow blower with electric shoot control.

I will have to check to see if the linear actuators are the same. I ordered separate actuators for the snow blower and for the broom so that I could switch between the two attachments as quickly as possible. The actuators appear to be quite robust. When I was considering a Massey Ferguson SCUT, I had read reviews of people who had problems with the actuator that Massey uses for the snow blower. So far, the Ventrac actuators have been rock-solid, even when there was a considerable build-up of wet snow that subsequently froze because the air temperature was so low.

Best,

John

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Another Session with Broomhilde.

We had to deal with a Wintry Mix that fell today. Broomhilde made it a piece of cake.

 

[murphy1244]

Where's the snow??? We got 5" today plus drifts what a mess.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Where's the snow??? We got 5" today plus drifts what a mess.

Some people have all the luck!

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

It looks like it is time to detach Broomhilde and attach John Z. ...

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

I will have to check to see if the linear actuators are the same.

I checked: they are in fact the same linear actuators (on the broom and on the snow blower).

Best,

JJM

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

There's No Business Like Snow Business!

Approximately 8 inches, when all was said and done.

Phase One:












Phase Two:

 

[murphy1244]

How did you like it???? How far did you get it to blow and at what RPM?

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

How did you like it???? How far did you get it to blow and at what RPM?

John Z. is awesome.

I did not measure the throw distance, but it was certainly more than enough. For some periods, I was deliberately aiming rather low, to avoid clobbering ornamental plants, or to minimize the amount of snow that I would have to eat, due to wind-caused backwash.

I would estimate the maximum throw distance as having been approximately 40 feet. I'll try to take some measurements before it all melts away. There were definite trails of blown snow... elongated mounds formed by the launched snow.

I twice had to clear ice plugs out of the chute. The first time was immediately after entering my elderly neighbors' driveway from the road. There was a thick berm of compacted snow and ice, courtesy of the State Highway Administration, through which I had to punch. The result was a chute clogged with frozen stuff. I pulled out a block a foot long, and it stayed intact. Then I pulled out another one almost as long. Each one had to weigh ~ 10 pounds. The second time was when I attacked another berm of refrozen slush.