Rear Finish Mower Gear case oil removal

[Deere Dude]

I have had a RMD2584 for 11 years and it works fine and has maybe 500 hours on it right now. I am considering changing to gear case oil in it. I can't figure out how to empty the gear case as there is a dipstick hole on the top and a hole in the side for the level, but nothing on the bottom to drain the thing.

Two questions: Is changing the oil even necessary or do I just check the oil level?

If it is necessary how do I go about that? I really hate to take the plug out and stand the beast up on the side because of perceived safety issues.
Thanks for any tip.

 

[bigtiller]

Turkey baster.

 

[tomplum]

So there are gear oil pumps that range from the size that will fit on a quart container on up. Mainly for installing new oil. It would be a bit tedious , but for a few quarts certainly doable.

 

[arto98607]

I bought one of these from Harbor Freight Tools few years ago and it works great even on very cold 90W gear oil.
It's called 6.25 gallon Oil Extractor & utilizes compressed air to create a strong vacuum.

Many cheaper options, but usually you get what you pay for.




PS.
I use it also when doing brake fluid flush in car & truck, works great for that.

 

[oosik]

What does your owners manual say about changing gear case oil. Does it show a drain plug.

NO - then I would guess you will have to get a "tool" to suck it out. I have a rosebud that I use to suck up oil. Slow - but it does work.

 

[RjCorazza]

I change the gear box oil on my mowers on a regular basis. Plenty of ways to get it done, but I just use a large veterinary syringe and tubing to remove it. Works best when oil is warm after use.

 

[ruffdog]

To fully empty out the old oil/moisture/crud from the gear case, you will have to tip the box toward the fill/check hole. A baster or sucker will not get down past the bottom bearing to reach the crud. If the box has no vertical shaft (no lower bearing), then a sucker tube works fine.