Field work

   / Field work #21  
The problem with not changing the oil in a tractor that's only run 25 hours a year, is that the oil is contaminated by water from condensation inside the engine block--assuming the tractor isn't kept in heated, humidity controlled storage anyway. That water gets mixed into the oil upon start-up and gets pumped around the engine, which probably then gets shutoff before the oil gets hot enough to "burn off" the water in the oil as vapor. You can figure out what happens when you mix water, time, and internal engine components.
 
   / Field work #22  
My neighbor has a smaller and very old--tires worn to nothing, all decals weathered off--Kubota, that he keeps outside, mows his tree farm twice each year--maybe 20 hours each time. By his own admission, he abuses it and I suspect he nver changes the oil. It's still running.
 
   / Field work #23  
I had an old B5100 I'd picked up from a guy that had led a similar life. It sounded like it was ready to throw a rod at any moment (normal for the B5100), but still started right up and made good power. It also produced almost as much blow-by out of the breather as it did exhaust out of the stack. The early Kubotas are some of the best built workhorses you can buy. Made to work muddy rice fields all day, in a region where changing the oil wasn't going to happen. The quality of the metallurgy, castings, and machining is as good or better than anything else I've inspected, from the U.S., England, Sweden or Germany.
 
   / Field work
  • Thread Starter
#24  
The problem with not changing the oil in a tractor that's only run 25 hours a year, is that the oil is contaminated by water from condensation inside the engine block--assuming the tractor isn't kept in heated, humidity controlled storage anyway. That water gets mixed into the oil upon start-up and gets pumped around the engine, which probably then gets shutoff before the oil gets hot enough to "burn off" the water in the oil as vapor. You can figure out what happens when you mix water, time, and internal engine components.
This was my thought on the changing every 100 hours. In the winter it runs for about 20 minutes, just long enough to warm up a bit, then is parked in a covered shed in SW Washington awaiting the next use. Winters in the fog and rain are a perfect way to build moisture in the oil.
Being as it is about 38 years old, that means it gets less than around 175 hours a year or slightly less than two oil changes per year.
 
   / Field work #25  
Those old tractors that have been neglected, ill maintained, and otherwise abused- they'll run forever as long as you keep abusing them. It's almost as though changing the oil at this point effects the integrity of the machine itself, and it'll start falling apart. 🤣
 
   / Field work #26  
I do the same as repete does, change my oil and filter once every 100 hours which equals out to once a year. I figure it's much cheaper to buy some oil and a filter than replace/rebuild an engine! However this year I used 5-40W synthetic so I may just change out the filter next year. I haven't decided yet. The oil is only $22.00 a gallon and the filter $12.00 so $34.00 is still much cheaper than thousands for an engine! Many do otherwise and that's fine but I have neither the time nor money to fart around replacing an engine! That's my mileage and yours may vary.
 
   / Field work #27  
Oil does not wear out. It loses additives and gets dirty. Change the filter more often and add new oil. Maybe put in additives
 
   / Field work #28  
Those old tractors that have been neglected, ill maintained, and otherwise abused- they'll run forever as long as you keep abusing them. It's almost as though changing the oil at this point effects the integrity of the machine itself, and it'll start falling apart. 🤣
There's a lot of truth to that. Often there are sludge buildups which are the only thing keeping the oil in. OTOH I've bought a few "well used" pickups in my life, which sounded like sewing machines going down the road. Dump a quart of ATF in the crankcase, run it hard for about 50-100 miles, and change the oil. It's amazing how you can rejuvenate an old engine sometimes.

Or blow it up... but at that point you haven't lost anything anyways.

My father had one of those 2550s. His only complaint was the noise, but he got a lot of use out of it.
 
 
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