Do you have any Oil/Fluid changing time saving efficiency tips?

[sportscarclinic]

My DR oil pump type extractor is rather slow for that. I'd use the Northern Tool 12v one. Think it does 0.5 gpm.

Make sure the oil is warmed nearly to operating temp.

 

[CoyPatton]

A few things that while not saving time per say, makes things smoother. Is get your tools together and if possible keep together. Get a good drain pan. One that has a contained cavity to hold oil, reduces spills most of these have a place to pit the oil filter as it drains so again reduces the mess. Find a bottle that fits each piece of equipment for oil filter removal, it may be a detergent bottle, soda bottle with side cut out to reduce the mess from the oil filter. Put it under/around the filter and let it drain into this bottle then drain both into above oil drain pan. Have rags/paper towels handy to wipe up spills on frame and engine before it makes a mess on other things.
Consider doing multi oil changes at the same time, reduces after the fact clean up (2 changes for 1 clean up) as well as getting tools out from storage and cleaning and putting away.
Mark on each unit the correct level of oil required if you always do a filter change use that amount only if it holds x.xx qts to full no need to do x qts and play with .xx qts.

 

[Chris616]

For me the most time consuming parts are getting the oil measurement exactly right, because that usually involves starting a machine, waiting a bit, measuring, etc.

The first time that I do an engine oil change in any of my equipment I precisely measure how much is needed for the refill. After that I just refer to my notes and put that amount in. The conditions are the same every time (warm engine, level floor, etc.) so the amount required never changes. In addition to the oil volume, I include other things in my notes like the socket size needed for the drain pan nut and any other tricks that I discovered that made the process easier and that I don't want to have to rediscover.

 

[bartjoebob]

I had my first 50hr service done on site to observe the technician go through oil and hydro fluid changes. For oil filter he stuffed some paper towels between the engine block and frame and was just fast and efficient spinning off the filer before too much spilled. He wiped what he could and then with the pan underneath he sprayed down the block, frame, and axel with some carb cleaner. Simple, effective.

For hydraulic fluid he backed the tractor onto 6x6 blocks instead of using a jack. With wheels chocked and brake set, fluid was drained from the plug. For the filter he put a cutaway 1gal milk jug into the filer guard (instead of removing it) and that caught and funneled 95% of any fluid removing the filter. He was also able to get the suction screen out without removing the rear tire. Again more simple wipe and spray with carb cleaner letting it drip into the pan. All this was done in about an hour and a half and he was by no means working at any frantic pace. Though it probably helped that he was able to add exactly the right about of hydraulic fluid to halfway up the sight glass with his eyes closed. No he didn't measure, I watched... It was pure art.

 

[Alan W.]

I use the black mortar tubs from Lowes to drain the tractor oil into.
On the mower I got rid of the factory quick drain, it came apart too easy, and replaced it with this.

 

[lpakiz]

I almost always punch a hole in the filter to drain out most of the oil.
I made my own hole punch out of a piece of 1/2” rod and ground down one end to a sharp point. It’s about 14-16” long, so I can get the point onto the filter and still be able to hit it with a hammer. Then hold the punch tight to the hole while I make sure the catch pan is in position.
I also keep several used bread bags on hand. Slip your hand inside one and use it as a disposable glove. Works well on the drain plug as well as removing the almost-empty filter. When you get the filter unscrewed, pull the bag up, off your arm and up around the filter.

 

[zzvyb6]

For my front deck lawn mowers, midimount lawn tractors and vehicles, I invested in a used 10,000 lb capacity 2 post lift. I use 2, 7' car ramps (inverted to contain the tire profiles) mounted on the 2 sets of lift arms to raise up the mowers to a comfortable working height. The wheels sit nicely in the tracks with chocks clipped in after driving them on. Because the arms have adjustable length sections, I can easily lift all my different axle width machines. At the same time I can easily pull off the deck blades and sharpen them while the oil is draining. I also store my F-935 front mower on the lift when not in use to get it out of the way. Now I tend to inspect blades and undercarriages just about after every use rather than when I feel like it (which was getting less often). I had to slice out a section of my machine shed to put in a patch of thick 8 bag reinforced concrete tied into the other floor concrete, for safety precaution, but it's so well worth it. Besides, maintenance, the lifting capability has other uses too. as in mounting loaded tractor tires, straightening and bending steel pieces, and changing tires. When not in use, I leave it up in the air and completely out of the way.

No more crawling under these machines, jacks, jack stands, sore shoulders, or maintenance or repair procrastination. AND, it was my GF who suggested it ! How could I say NO ???

 

[RalphVa]

Another way is to go all battery power. No longer have any oil or gas to handle for the Ryobi ZT nor the Ryobi self propelled crosscut mowers.

 

[newbury]

Lots of good points here -
Oil analysis will often pay for itself.
Fumoto makes oil analysis very easy to get a sample.
My F350 has a 3,000 to 5,000 mile recommended interval. But most of my miles are interstate towing ~ 8,000 lbs one way and 2,000 lbs (empty trailer) back. Oil analysis at 5 k intervals showed I was still good at about 20,000.

Be sure to have a variety of tools to get oil filters off. Some equipment has oil filters in almost inaccessible locations.

For cleanup one of the things I've found is that no matter how hard I try to not drip there's always a drip. I do most of my messy work over cardboard. We have an almost endless supply from online ordering, it lays flat, burns easily.

Now that inexpensive nitrile gloves are back in stock use them to protect your hands.

 

[rScotty]

I'm wondering who people are using for oil analysis & what to consider.