Coolant

[mhart]

Hey guys

I have a B2920 with 110 hours. I need to top off the coolant, any specific type I need to get.

Thanks in advance

 

[number two]

Your Kubota uses the regular green ethylene gylcol coolant-hasn't been used in automobiles for some time now.Can be a little hard to find now with all those all/makes all/models products out there.
You don't need any of the long-life diesel coolant since your tractor doesn't have cynilder liners.
Your dealer or any auto parts store will have green coolant for your unit.
The usual practice is to drain and refill every two years,mix 50/50 coolant and distilled water.
Hope this helps.Good Luck!

 

[xerman]

Absolutely agree with numbertwo. I use Peak premixed 50/50 ethylene gylcol coolant. Can be brought at Valu hardware (frequently on sale) TSC and most auto parts stores.
You pay a few bucks more for the premixed but it saves you from buying distilled water and the mess of mixing it yourself.

 

[RaydaKub]

How do you guys dispose of your old coolant? My dad used to dump it out in the grove, but that just doesn't seem kosher anymore.

 

[MIKE R]

I put it into 5 gallon pails and bring it to the hazardous waste recycling facility in town. Same place used oil goes.

 

[mhart]

Thanks so sounds like I need to drain this instead of just adding more. Is this pretty easy to do. I am pretty new to tractors. I did manage to do the oil change out this spring.

 

[JRL305]

Most coolants are safe to dump in the city sewer system. I'm not so sure about septic tanks though and I'm not gonna chance it. I just add a bunch of water to dilute it and dump it in the ground away from the well and garden.

 

[Buppies]

Disposal of antifreeze into the environment is unsafe for all of our furry friends. Places like Advance Auto will take your old used antifreeze for free just like they take old oil

 

[ritschner]

Around here the quick change oil places will take it off your hands for you. The only ones that are safe in sewer systems are the propylene glycol based anti-freezes that are used for RV winterization. Sierra makes a PG anti-freeze for automotive use but you can probably say goodby to the warranty and the freeze point for a 50/50 mix is about 7 degrees higher(-27 vrs. -34).

 

[madmax12]

Most coolants are safe to dump in the city sewer system. I'm not so sure about septic tanks though and I'm not gonna chance it. I just add a bunch of water to dilute it and dump it in the ground away from the well and garden.

Around here the quick change oil places will take it off your hands for you. The only ones that are safe in sewer systems are the propylene glycol based anti-freezes that are used for RV winterization. Sierra makes a PG anti-freeze for automotive use but you can probably say goodby to the warranty and the freeze point for a 50/50 mix is about 7 degrees higher(-27 vrs. -34).

I am confused by this.

Where can you find a list of which anti-freeze is dangerous and which is safe for environment dumping? Do you guys have a source for your information?

Is propylene glycol based anti-freeze the ONLY unsafe anti-freeze for the environment?

 

[mikehaugen]

Propylene glycol is the supposed non-toxic antifreeze. It is used for rv winterization.

I too have heard that antifreeze is okay to put into most CITY sanitary sewers because most city's treatment procedures will clean/neutralize it. This is not the same as storm water drains though because they don't get treated usually. To be sure, contact your city sewer dept.

 

[sandyc]

All ethylene glycol based antifreeze is poisonous to animals. Never dump it on the ground as it will kill because they like the taste. Also, dumping on the ground will get into the groundwater and into the drinking water supply. Find someone who recycles it or dispose of at a hazmat day. I retired from a company that made millions of gallons of eg based antifreeze and we used to deal with spills and "dumps" all the time.

 

[madmax12]

Propylene glycol is the supposed non-toxic antifreeze. It is used for rv winterization.

I too have heard that antifreeze is okay to put into most CITY sanitary sewers because most city's treatment procedures will clean/neutralize it. This is not the same as storm water drains though because they don't get treated usually. To be sure, contact your city sewer dept.

All ethylene glycol based antifreeze is poisonous to animals. Never dump it on the ground as it will kill because they like the taste. Also, dumping on the ground will get into the groundwater and into the drinking water supply. Find someone who recycles it or dispose of at a hazmat day. I retired from a company that made millions of gallons of eg based antifreeze and we used to deal with spills and "dumps" all the time.

OK, thanks.

I've been taking to recycling plant that handles Haz Mat, but was confused by some of the posts.

 

[Dan W]

Gents
If you have a need for added weight, you might consider filling your tires with the used antifreeze.
I put 10 gallons in each rear tire of my cub 982 (along with tire chains) 20years ago. Interestingly, I never lost a pound of air in 20 years and when I finally installed new tires this year, the insides looked like new.... Just a thought...

Dan

 

[ritschner]

Propylene glycol is much safer than ethylene glycol, but like other chemicals needs to be used with care. Ethylene glycol is the type found in common automotive antifreeze, is toxic, and has a sweet taste making it attractive to animals and even children. Most states now require a bittering agent to be added to ethylene glycol. The issue is that engine manufacturers require EG type antifreeze to be used and can void the warranty if there is a issue caused by the cooling system.

From Wikipedea
Propylene glycol is considered generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is used as an humectant (E1520), solvent, and preservative in food and for tobacco products, as well as being the major ingredient in the liquid used in electronic cigarettes. It is also used in pharmaceutical and personal care products.[4] Propylene glycol is a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable and topical formulations, such as for diazepam and lorazepam that are insoluble in water, use propylene glycol as a solvent in their clinical, injectable forms.[7]

Like ethylene glycol, propylene glycol is able to lower the freezing point of water, and so it is used as aircraft de-icing fluid.[4][8] It is similarly used as automotive antifreeze.[9] Water-propylene glycol mixtures dyed pink to indicate the mixture is relatively nontoxic are sold under the name of RV or marine antifreeze. It is also used to winterize a vacant structure.

Ethylene glycol is moderately toxic with an oral LDLO = 786 mg/kg for humans.[8] The major danger is due to its sweet taste. Because of that, children and animals are more inclined to consume large quantities of it than of other poisons. Upon ingestion, ethylene glycol is oxidized to glycolic acid which is, in turn, oxidized to oxalic acid, which is toxic. It and its toxic byproducts first affect the central nervous system, then the heart, and finally the kidneys. Ingestion of sufficient amounts can be fatal if untreated.

Antifreeze products for automotive use containing propylene glycol in place of ethylene glycol are available, and are generally considered safer to use, as it possesses an unpleasant taste in contrast to the perceived "sweet" taste of toxic ethylene glycol-based coolants, and only produces lactic acid in an animal's body, as their muscles do when exercised.

Now here is the EPA's stand on disposal

Antifreeze Common Wastes & Materials | US EPA

 

[oldballs]

Okay, so the operator manual says the Kubota if filled with ethylene glycol. What's wrong with switching to the everyday Prestone (proplyene glycol) that I use in the car and truck? ....just wondering?

 

[mikehaugen]

As far as I know, "everyday prestone" is ethylene glycol, unless something has changed that I don't know about.

 

[ritschner]

Prestone, Peak, and all most common anti-freezes are ethylene glycol. You will need to read the labels to find ethylene glycol anti freeze. Most should be labeled safe. The automotive anti freezes that I am aware of is Sierra brand(made by Peak),. Starbrite, Amsoil, and Prestone Low-Tox to name a few. There are a few differences that need to be reviewed and there is also the warranty issue. Kubota recommends ethylene glycol and could deny warranty claims that involve the cooling system. It also requires a different tester to check coolant concentrations with propylene glycol. Here is a link that gives some pros and cons on the two different types and also a link to a tester.

Comparing Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol

THEXTON/Propylene glycol Cold-Chek antifreeze tester (THX107) | Antifreeze Coolant Tester | AutoZone.com

 

[mhart]

Appreciate all the info. If I want to just top off for now, do I just put this directly into the reserve tank?

 

[oldballs]

As far as I know, "everyday prestone" is ethylene glycol, unless something has changed that I don't know about.

Ah yes, it does help to read the label. My " Extended -Life " Prestone is "EG" as Kubota calls it. So I'm good to go . Thanks.

mhart.......add it to the reservoir between the fill lines if it is cold.