1538 50 hour question.

dickfoster · Jun 9, 2016

I have a 1538 gear that's rolling up on it's 50 hour. The book says to change the hydraulic filter but it seems to me that if I remove the filter to change it, 8 gallons of oil will drain out:confused3:. Oddly enough at 100 hours they call for changing the oil but not the filter

. If the oil stays in I'll swap out the filter at 50 but if not I'm thinking of letting it go to the 100 hour when I change out the oil too. I wonder, did anyone sit down and think about this schedule to see if it made any sense before they put it in print? It also says to change both fuel filters and the front axle oil too, I've barely used 4WD. Both seem a bit premature to me with only 50 hours on the clock. However changing engine oil and filter at the 50 mark does make sense to me. If I remove the hydraulic filter, will the oil drain out?
Oh yeah it looks like I'll likely have to remove the backhoe to access the hydraulic filter. If there is enough room it's gonna be a tight squeeze. It would be nice to know.

oldpilgrim · Jun 9, 2016

i changed the engine oil and filter at 50. Then at 100 i changed everything.

My 3016 has 2 hydro filters filtering the same fluid. I don't see any reason to change them at 50hrs.

GrumpyJoe · Jun 9, 2016

I have a 1533 HST with about 90 hrs. I changed the oil and filter at 50 but nothing else. I think they say to do that encase something breaks they can get out of it by saying you were supposed to change it like the manual says. I have talked to some guys who have never changed the hydo fluid and have close to 500 hrs. I think I will change mine around the 150 mark.

BlackOps · Jun 9, 2016

I just had everything done at 52 hrs. Everything. yes i thought the book/manual was nuts for saying the filter and not the oil and then at 100 do the oil. i wanted everything serviced. esp when i have to have it trailerd around 60 miles each way. that is a serious cost. no truck and no access to a trailer anymore so ....

dickfoster · Jun 9, 2016

BlackOps said:
I just had everything done at 52 hrs. Everything. yes i thought the book/manual was nuts for saying the filter and not the oil and then at 100 do the oil. i wanted everything serviced. esp when i have to have it trailerd around 60 miles each way. that is a serious cost. no truck and no access to a trailer anymore so ....

I just need to know if you can remove the filter without the oil draining out on a 1538 gear. Does anyone really know, Jambo, Dave?
Silly books don't say squat. I think this is probably the sorriest excuse for a service manual that I've ever seen.

Rdr202 · Jun 10, 2016

I changed the filter and oil on both engine and hydraulics at my 50 hour service. Why cheap out to me it's worth changing I found some metal chips on the hydro plug magnet so I'm happy I flushed them out.

Navasot · Jun 10, 2016

swap filters other than air at 50.. change engine oil.. leave hyd oil. plan a full service from that time each year unless your putting more than 200hours a year on the tractor.

I do at the first of the spring since that's right before I start using it heavy... kind of pointless servicing one before you put it up for the winter and just let it sit and gather moisture. Unless your main focus is the winter time

Navasot · Jun 10, 2016

dickfoster said:
I just need to know if you can remove the filter without the oil draining out on a 1538 gear. Does anyone really know, Jambo, Dave?
Silly books don't say squat. I think this is probably the sorriest excuse for a service manual that I've ever seen.

Unless you bought the service manual you got the operators manual..

just drop all your hyd equipment with loader on the ground and swap it fast either way... no reason you cant do it without loosing all the oil

dickfoster · Jun 10, 2016

Navasot said:
Unless you bought the service manual you got the operators manual..

just drop all your hyd equipment with loader on the ground and swap it fast either way... no reason you cant do it without loosing all the oil

I negotiated the so called service manual in my deal. It sure isn't much and I'm glad I didn't pay actual money for it. I have the factory service manuals for the truck I drive too. The service manual for the truck is actually useful. I think they should have to include this kind of info on a CD or something so everyone could have it instead of charging some ridiculous price for what you should have been given with whatever you had to pay so much for. If everyone asked for it when buying a new vehicle it would become standard practice soon enough. There isn't really much in the way of actual cost to the manufacturer. They need to have the info anyway and it's nothing to hit the print button and produce a PDF file. Actual cost of a service CD or thumb drive would run something less than a dollar given economies of scale.