2019 L6060 Regens

[Fallon]

In current machines regens happen automagically. You can push a button to prevent them (like when you are about to park the machine). In rare cases such as suspending them repeatedly the machine may force you to do a parked regen. But that's uncommon & I havent seen one.

I think some of the first machines might have been push button to start regen when alerted, but I'm not certain. At at any rate if I'm remembering that correctly Kubota or whoever it was quickly dropped it for the automatically initiated method.

 

[Hilbilly]

For the last few days I've been plowing snow on the driveway and around the buildings. The driveway is long and steep, so the tractor doesn't work much on the way down but sure makes up for it on the way back up and I've noticed the soot level drops significantly on the way up. Yesterday the soot level read 94% when I started and when I was done it was at 72%. This confirms what others have said. Work the machine and it cleans itself.

Just thought I would pass this on for anyone interested.

 

[jk96]

For the last few days I've been plowing snow on the driveway and around the buildings. The driveway is long and steep, so the tractor doesn't work much on the way down but sure makes up for it on the way back up and I've noticed the soot level drops significantly on the way up. Yesterday the soot level read 94% when I started and when I was done it was at 72%. This confirms what others have said. Work the machine and it cleans itself.

Just thought I would pass this on for anyone interested.

Are you sure you didn't have a partial regen that was interupted? I've never seen my levels drop on my 6060 even at full rpm without a regen.

 

[Hilbilly]

Positive.

When the soot levels get high I leave the display screen showing the soot level, so I can make sure I don't shut the tractor off when it's about to go into a regen. The reason the soot level drops is because the tractor was working hard. Not because the revs were high. Whenever I use the tractor at PTO speed for light work, like running the wood chipper the soot levels don't drop either. But when it's worked hard they drop. I've seen it happen quite a few times when I push it hard coming up our long steep driveway. Plowing snow uphill works it very hard.

 

[Fallon]

Positive.

When the soot levels get high I leave the display screen showing the soot level, so I can make sure I don't shut the tractor off when it's about to go into a regen. The reason the soot level drops is because the tractor was working hard. Not because the revs were high. Whenever I use the tractor at PTO speed for light work, like running the wood chipper the soot levels don't drop either. But when it's worked hard they drop. I've seen it happen quite a few times when I push it hard coming up our long steep driveway. Plowing snow uphill works it very hard.

Yup. A regen is just dumping fuel into the DPF to burn the soot out. Running at high RPMs with no load will just push lots of warm but not hot air through. Scalding hot regen temp exhaust only comes when its dumping in max fuel because it's being worked really hard.

I see it a lot mowing. Have to constantly fiddle with the go pedal to stop the RPMs from falling (I have a really big mower for my machine). It gets hot when pushed to the max. Rarely increases the DPF % much & often decreases.

 

[Hilbilly]

Likewise. When I was plowing uphill I had the throttle set to max and was fiddling with the go pedal to keep the rims up. Running in high range, turtle.

Man this tractor has power. My 50 hp Massey struggled to make it up parts of the driveway, in mid range and Not working.

 

[5030]

Yup. A regen is just dumping fuel into the DPF to burn the soot out. Running at high RPMs with no load will just push lots of warm but not hot air through. Scalding hot regen temp exhaust only comes when its dumping in max fuel because it's being worked really hard.

I see it a lot mowing. Have to constantly fiddle with the go pedal to stop the RPMs from falling (I have a really big mower for my machine). It gets hot when pushed to the max. Rarely increases the DPF % much & often decreases.

Not exactly. It burns the visible particulates and converts them to ash and the ash accumulates in the DPF cannister until it's full which is around 2500 cycles and then it must either be cleaned (renewed) or replaced. Both procedures are not inexpensive.

Having said that, 2500 cycles works out to around 3000 hours, give or take and most owners will never see those hours anyway. Only time those hours accumulate is if the unit is either used commercially or in an ag setting, which don't apply to a residential owner. Myself, I have over 3000 hours on both mine but I farm with them.

 

[ovrszd]

Myself, I have over 3000 hours on both mine but I farm with them.

And they don't have DPFs.

 

[5030]

And they don't have DPFs.

You can net your sweet bippy I'm glad of that. In fact, neither have any EPA mandated emissions garbage on them. My biggest worry is about blowing soot on a clean hood.

 

[jk96]

Not exactly. It burns the visible particulates and converts them to ash and the ash accumulates in the DPF cannister until it's full which is around 2500 cycles and then it must either be cleaned (renewed) or replaced. Both procedures are not inexpensive.

Having said that, 2500 cycles works out to around 3000 hours, give or take and most owners will never see those hours anyway. Only time those hours accumulate is if the unit is either used commercially or in an ag setting, which don't apply to a residential owner. Myself, I have over 3000 hours on both mine but I farm with them.

I think your numbers are a bit off. 2500 cycles in 3000 hours would be a regen every 1.2 hours. My first regen was at 40 hours.

 

[Hilbilly]

I've had 2 more occasions where the soot levels dropped dramatically and both were while I was plowing snow uphill and working the tractor hard. The drops were in the 20% range. For the last 2 days I've been trying to plow snow but it was way to heavy and I ended up using the snowblower. The blower would not engage the snow properly and ended up just pushing the snow in front of the blower most of the time. So it wasn't really working, even going up hill. Today I watched the soot level climb as I was running at 2400 RPM the whole time and trying to blow snow. In the end, the tractor went into a Regen while I was blowing snow.

My take on this, is that the tractor needs to work hard to limit the regen cycles. It is not high RPM's that do it.

 

[Grumpycat]

Not exactly. It burns the visible particulates and converts them to ash and the ash accumulates in the DPF cannister until it's full which is around 2500 cycles and then it must either be cleaned (renewed) or replaced. Both procedures are not inexpensive.

The DPF accumulates soot in its fine ceramic honeycomb mesh. When enough accumulates to block flow the regeneration cycle burns the large C2 soot into small C2 which blows out the exhaust. Is not stored as ash in the DPF. 86% of the mass of diesel is carbon, so if what 5030 claims the DPF would increase in weight by 7/8ths of the mass of fuel consumed, by about 6.1 pounds per gallon.

No process is perfectly reversible. Impurities stick to the DPF eventually preventing carbon from sticking and requiring the DPF to be replaced. You might have noticed changes to modern motor oils for diesel, to reduce the quantity of materials hazardous to DOC, DPF, and SCR systems.

 

[sandyc]

I agree with hillbilly in that plowing with my 3350 I seem to regen every 15 hrs or so. The temp doing plowing is three bars . Blowing snow, on the other hand regens less frequently and the temp is running 4 bars.
The 3350 does not have a dpf percentage gauge so I have no proof just my estimation.

 

[5030]

The DPF accumulates soot in its fine ceramic honeycomb mesh. When enough accumulates to block flow the regeneration cycle burns the large C2 soot into small C2 which blows out the exhaust. Is not stored as ash in the DPF. 86% of the mass of diesel is carbon, so if what 5030 claims the DPF would increase in weight by 7/8ths of the mass of fuel consumed, by about 6.1 pounds per gallon.

No process is perfectly reversible. Impurities stick to the DPF eventually preventing carbon from sticking and requiring the DPF to be replaced. You might have noticed changes to modern motor oils for diesel, to reduce the quantity of materials hazardous to DOC, DPF, and SCR systems.

Whatever you say but I call that BS. The burned soot certainly collects in the DPF unit. Just like a diesel truck with DPF. No difference. Why it has to be changed or cleaned at around 2500 regens. The accumulation of burned soot causes the DPF to have a restricted flow. That, by they way, came right from my dealer's head tech. Of course all of that is moot for me. I only operate pre tier 4 engines.

I guess owners will find out when the DPF restriction light comes on and the motor derates. Until then, whatever you say is good with me. Don't apply in my situation.

 

[5030]

DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER.... Pretty self explainatory......:thumbsup:

 

[Grumpycat]

Whatever you say but I call that BS. The burned soot certainly collects in the DPF unit. Just like a diesel truck with DPF. No difference. Why it has to be changed or cleaned at around 2500 regens. The accumulation of burned soot causes the DPF to have a restricted flow. That, by they way, came right from my dealer's head tech. Of course all of that is moot for me. I only operate pre tier 4 engines.

I guess owners will find out when the DPF restriction light comes on and the motor derates. Until then, whatever you say is good with me. Don't apply in my situation.

Deliberate ignorance?

There is 6.1 pounds of carbon per gallon of diesel fuel. Where do you think that goes? Answer: out the exhaust. There is far too much for a DPF to retain for a couple tanks of fuel, much less for 2500 regeneration cycles.

Soot does accumulate in the DPF until there is sufficient restriction that a regeneration cycle is required. Regeneration burns the soot out. The whole point is to reduce the size of particulates. No process is perfectly reversible so after 2500 or so cycles the DPF requires service or replacement. The life of your DPF is highly dependent upon your choice of fuel and motor oil.

 

[5030]

Deliberate ignorance?

There is 6.1 pounds of carbon per gallon of diesel fuel. Where do you think that goes? Answer: out the exhaust. There is far too much for a DPF to retain for a couple tanks of fuel, much less for 2500 regeneration cycles.

Soot does accumulate in the DPF until there is sufficient restriction that a regeneration cycle is required. Regeneration burns the soot out. The whole point is to reduce the size of particulates. No process is perfectly reversible so after 2500 or so cycles the DPF requires service or replacement. The life of your DPF is highly dependent upon your choice of fuel and motor oil.

While I cannot link it, I suggest you go read the Kubota Diesel Particulate Filter Handling Manual, September, 2013, Part Number 9Y111-07332 and digest that. Your statements are baseless and ignorant. Get the correct knowledge before making blanket statements about things you assume are correct but, in fact, aren't.

 

[Grumpycat]

While I cannot link it, I suggest you go read the Kubota Diesel Particulate Filter Handling Manual, September, 2013, Part Number 9Y111-07332 and digest that. Your statements are baseless and ignorant. Get the correct knowledge before making blanket statements about things you assume are correct but, in fact, aren't.

My statements are factual and from first hand experience. Not from one such as yourself afraid to touch a Tier 4 engine.

Inaccessible citations are not citations. I suggest you read one of the thousands of other references online. For instance: Diesel particulate filter - Wikipedia says, "Others are designed to burn off the accumulated particulate either passively through the use of a catalyst or by active means such as a fuel burner which heats the filter to soot combustion temperatures. This is accomplished by engine programming to run (when the filter is full) in a manner that elevates exhaust temperature, in conjunction with an extra fuel injector in the exhaust stream that injects fuel to react with a catalyst element to burn off accumulated soot in the DPF filter, or through other methods. This is known as filter regeneration."

The DPF gets plugged with soot. Pressure and temperature sensors monitor the DPF. Regeneration is often implemented by dumping raw diesel into the exhaust. Early systems placed an injector in the exhaust manifold. Modern systems with direct injection fire fuel during exhaust cycle when the exhaust valve is open. Hot fuel hitting the DPF burns, raising the temperature, further combustion and reduction of the large C2 soot which was trapped. The DFP is a particulate filter. Its purpose is not to prevent soot from reaching the atmosphere but to reduce the size of the soot particle. Large soot particles are a lung hazard. Apparently smaller particles are not.

The DPF must be replaced or undergo a more intensive cleansing or refurbishment when the time comes that regeneration doesn't sufficiently clear the blockage.

Regeneration cleans the DPF. No cleaning is perfect. If you think the Kubota manual says otherwise then probably you are wrong. But it might be that one such as yourself wrote the Kubota manual, which is more common than one would like. An instance documented here on tractorbynet the Kubota owner's manual fails to mention the initial 50 hour replacement of transmission/hydraulic fluid in its service schedule. An owner was upset to be charged for 18 gallons or so for something not itemized in his manual.

 

[MHarryE]

My DPF percentage rate has always been load dependent but never as much as in the past week. My L6060 was at 72% before Friday’s storm, this accumulated over a lot of plowing. Starting Saturday, our county snow plow crew went on strike and I cleared 1.5 miles of county road because the fill in people the managers said would get the job done failed. Also my niece living 2 miles away no longer had room for her dad to plow with his truck so I pushed all her banks back. So after about 12 hours I’ve dropped from 72% to 46%. I’ve only had this large drop when the tractor had spent hours at low load usage like running a grain auger. I’ve totaled it up and have about 1500 hours now on DPF equipped tractors. Today took delivery of another - SVL75-2 CTL. Got it equipped with snow tracks - great winter toy. Could spend winters in the south golfing but after 3 rotator cuff surgeries, I’d rather spend my winters playing in the snow. Neighbors and relatives appreciate it too.