Thanks for sharing your experience.
Good tips on parking in shade or covering hydraulic lines so they don't dry out in the sun over time.
I wonder if there are any very common rodent problems people face to be on the lookout for too.
Based on your comment about "automotive diesel" brings up another question. Is the automobile grade better for fuel longevity than the red dyed farm grade that may have higher sulfur content? From what I just read, the higher sulfur content in dyed kind helps in lowering microbial activity but I'm not sure if that's true or not. Maybe an additive will be just as good.
For the fan drive belt, that does sound like a nifty time saving design you have there. I have been researching mine and while some people do drain the system and remove the entire hydraulic pump it looks like it's possible to just take out 4 bolts on the hydraulic pump coupler that is attached to the pully. Then if you are lucky you can slide the pully forward on the pump splines to get enough space for the belt to come through. May also be able to just detach the pump without disconnecting any hydraulic lines to give a bit more room. The downside is not being able to inspect the condition of the pump splines and coupler and also repositioning it for faster wear.
I'm new to tractors but I enjoy doing this stuff. The problem is always living in a condo and not having anywhere to store/work on my equipement that is close. I had to drop the transmission and replace the clutch to my truck this summer in the dirt yard of a friends house. Something I had never done before but came out great. This is why I bought the tractor to build a place to move to my property so I can actually do stuff.
Thanks again.
As to rodents, we have pack rats in the mountains. They like to build nests anywhere and eat anything. For some reason, they particularly like to build nests on top of batteries. I've heard that the smell of a ferret, skunk, or weasel dung will drive them away. So far I've just put up with rodents, but someday I may show up at the pet store with a 5 gallon bucket and an odd request.....
As for diesel, it varies because the standard defining what is diesel is itself so vague. Diesel fuel is just a mixture of organic hydrocarbons with a carbon number in roughly the 12 to 20 carbons per molecule range. That's a huge spread.
Although the mix varies a lot place by place and manufacturer, it all works surprisingly the same. Some % of the diesel molecules in the mix will have a different structure so that have aromatics and sulphurs riding along on the basic carbon chain. Those "rider"percentages are controlled more than the actual fuel itself. You can smell the difference. BTW, the more carbons the heavier the substance. Lighter diesel are the more evaporative liquids like acetone or gasoline (another mixture) and heavier are bunker fuel, oils, and tars all the way up to road tar. Some states will die the diesel to identiy it for tax purposes - that doesn't change how it works. Others don't, and there are some areas that still divide the 12 to 20 carbon molecule structure into #1 vs #2 (light vs heavy) diesel, and some divide it farther.
I buy automotive diesel from a station that I think has new tanks just because it is likely to be from cleaner and less water. It's a gamble. I buy in 5 gallon containers and after they sit a few days I scrutinize them for water and crud in the bottom.
I don't use the last of the fuel in the bottom of any container or tank.
Once in the tractor, I add a winterizer and some extra lube. Our climate here is very dry, little condensation, and so bacterial growth in the diesel isn't the problem it is a lot of places. So I don't have experience with the whole problem of bacterial growth. YMMV. Since diesel varies so much place to place, the best you can do is ask around your own area for what local people do for the local challenges.
I'm surprised that Case580 hasn't followed the JD310 on the clever way to do a fanbelt change. It sure is easy on the JD; doesn't even require removing a single bolt. Crank the idler in with a wrench to un-tension, remove that big old belt, replace with a new belt, and then let go the tensioner so that it retensions itself perfectly and automatically. Really, ten minutes is stretching it. But then no other car, truck, or tractor manufacturer that I know of has done it that way either - although I hope to hear otherwise.
Yeah, mechanical things make a great hobby. And all it takes is some dirt and someplace to store a few tools. Here in North America weare real lucky to be able to buy property, and then use it without much interference. I'm just beginning to realize how unusual that is.
rScotty
