Kioti maintenance intervals

[idscarecrow]

I just bought a 2006 DK35 w/ 250 hours. I have been reading through the manual, and there are a LOT of things the manual recommends be replaced "every two years." This includes various hoses etc. Does anyone actually do this every two years? Is it necessary? Even if the tractor doesn't see heavy use?

Thanks.

 

[IslandTractor]

I change fluids and filters, grease and tighten bolts as recommended but I haven't seen any reason to change hoses etc. I do the same with my cars. My tractor is almost four years old but has only moderate use with just under 300 hours. 300 hours is roughly like 15,000 miles on a car. I sure don't change hoses on my cars unless inspection shows a problem brewing and am comfortable doing the same with the tractor.

 

[VictorW]

I do the same as Island. Fluids, filters, and grease per maintenance schedule. Tighten bolts at each service. I changed antifreeze at 4 years due to possible ph change and loss of rust inhibitor. Hoses, belts, and other possible wear items are checked each service and replaced if needed. So far, I haven't had to with @375 hours after 5 years.

 

[Highbeam]

Me three. After 1000 hours, I have the same hoses and belts from the factory. I did flush the coolant. I did not do the valve adjustment either.

 

[grsthegreat]

re-check the manual, mine says to CHECK and re-tighten the hoses every 200 hours. maybe they botched the manual and put the check marks in the wrong box.

Ive found quite a few blatant errors in my manual also

 

[idscarecrow]

Hmm - I just reviewed the manual, and I think maybe I did misinterpret it. The service intervals are in columns. The first column is the item, the second notes change/check/replace, the following columns are the hour intervals, up to 800 hours. On the far right it indicates, for some items, "every year" or "every two years" - but that column is labeled "Since then." I guess that means to only replace after two years if you put 800 hours on in those two years. Oops.

BTW, it says to check the oil every day (of use), which I agree is a good idea - so why did Kioti design the dang tractor to require me to remove the side cowling just to check the oil?! Would it have been that hard to route the dipstick to someplace NOT under the cowl?! What a PITA, especially w/ the FEL on. ARgh.

 

[grsthegreat]

Hmm - I just reviewed the manual, and I think maybe I did misinterpret it. The service intervals are in columns. The first column is the item, the second notes change/check/replace, the following columns are the hour intervals, up to 800 hours. On the far right it indicates, for some items, "every year" or "every two years" - but that column is labeled "Since then." I guess that means to only replace after two years if you put 800 hours on in those two years. Oops.

BTW, it says to check the oil every day (of use), which I agree is a good idea - so why did Kioti design the dang tractor to require me to remove the side cowling just to check the oil?! Would it have been that hard to route the dipstick to someplace NOT under the cowl?! What a PITA, especially w/ the FEL on. ARgh.

my old jd was that way also...pissed me off to no end.

My new Kioti has the stick BELOW the side panel, so i dont have to remove the panel to check it.

 

[IslandTractor]

First, it is ridiculous to require daily oil checks on modern engines. Do any of you check your car's oil and other fluids each morning? Modern gaskets and engines don't suddenly fail often and if they do it is just as likely to have a catastrophic failure ten minutes after checking the oil as before. I've never had to add even a drop of oil between 50 hr changes.

Second, unless one suffers from OCD or enjoys checking the manual every day, it probably makes more sense to spend time greasing zerks and doing a visual walk around than to worry about what some corporate lawyer insisted on for a maintenance schedule. I do the 50 hr multiple fluid and filter changes as prescribed but even those seem scheduled more as a corporate CYA than based on science. It hurts to dispose of ten or more gallons of clean HST fluid in an era where automobile transmission fluid is considered good for lifetime and usually not changed unless discolored or burnt.

My car computer tells me I average about 25mph in average driving over a few months. The manufacturer's recommended oil change interval is 5000 miles. That is about 200 hours of engine time. Why do we change tractor motor oil four times more often? Seems a waste. Where is the science behind 50 hour changes? Modern oils are presumably better so why do we hold on to maintenance schedules worked out in the 1930's?

 

[grsthegreat]

First, it is ridiculous to require daily oil checks on modern engines. Do any of you check your car's oil and other fluids each morning? Modern gaskets and engines don't suddenly fail often and if they do it is just as likely to have a catastrophic failure ten minutes after checking the oil as before. I've never had to add even a drop of oil between 50 hr changes.

Second, unless one suffers from OCD or enjoys checking the manual every day, it probably makes more sense to spend time greasing zerks and doing a visual walk around than to worry about what some corporate lawyer insisted on for a maintenance schedule. I do the 50 hr multiple fluid and filter changes as prescribed but even those seem scheduled more as a corporate CYA than based on science. It hurts to dispose of ten or more gallons of clean HST fluid in an era where automobile transmission fluid is considered good for lifetime and usually not changed unless discolored or burnt.

My car computer tells me I average about 25mph in average driving over a few months. The manufacturer's recommended oil change interval is 5000 miles. That is about 200 hours of engine time. Why do we change tractor motor oil four times more often? Seems a waste. Where is the science behind 50 hour changes? Modern oils are presumably better so why do we hold on to maintenance schedules worked out in the 1930's?

good points...and Ive often thought the same thing.

I do grease the Zerk's about once a week or so....i mean i don't use the loader enough to do it daily. and i usually check the oil during that time.

A force of habit more than anything else. In all the years i owned my other tractor, i never noticed a loss in oil.

Now my riding lawn mower and golf cart engines are always needing oil. tractor...never. I will dutifully change the tractor oil as required though....i kept the old JD running strong for 14 years don't that. seams like cheap insurance.

 

[kco]

Hmm - I just reviewed the manual, and I think maybe I did misinterpret it. The service intervals are in columns. The first column is the item, the second notes change/check/replace, the following columns are the hour intervals, up to 800 hours. On the far right it indicates, for some items, "every year" or "every two years" - but that column is labeled "Since then." I guess that means to only replace after two years if you put 800 hours on in those two years. Oops.

BTW, it says to check the oil every day (of use), which I agree is a good idea - so why did Kioti design the dang tractor to require me to remove the side cowling just to check the oil?! Would it have been that hard to route the dipstick to someplace NOT under the cowl?! What a PITA, especially w/ the FEL on. ARgh.

Oil can be checked on the new DK35 without moving anything. So I guess they must have redesigned the dipstick location.

 

[Highbeam]

50 hours? I have been doing 100 hour changes on my CK30. Uh-oh, is it really supposed to be 50? That's awfully short.

I just rolled over 1000 hours yesterday. Dang thing has the most consistent oil level of anything I've ever owned. It stays exactly the same, right at the notch, over the 100 hours but does get black.

 

[dfkrug]

50 hours? I have been doing 100 hour changes on my CK30. Uh-oh, is it really supposed to be 50? That's awfully short.

My OM says 100 hours, and the sticker on the side panel says 75 hours for
engine oil change. I stick to the "standard" interval of 100 hr for oil and
filter.

Congrats on hitting 1000 hrs!. My 05 CK30 is only at 306 hrs, and has
been flawless (including the FEL).

 

[grsthegreat]

50 hours? I have been doing 100 hour changes on my CK30. Uh-oh, is it really supposed to be 50? That's awfully short.

I just rolled over 1000 hours yesterday. Dang thing has the most consistent oil level of anything I've ever owned. It stays exactly the same, right at the notch, over the 100 hours but does get black.

theres only an initial 50 hour change....when the tractor is new. after that it follows the schedule

 

[IslandTractor]

theres only an initial 50 hour change....when the tractor is new. after that it follows the schedule

I was remembering the 50hr service but you guys are right about subsequent changes being at 100. Still, that equates roughly to changing car motor oil at about 2500-3000 miles which was recommended in the past but few modern cars carry those recommendations. Mercedes and BMW are 10,000 miles with synthetic. Mazda is 5000 miles with dino. Why have the tractor manufacturers not kept pace as oils have improved? And, what's with changing the hydraulic fluid every 400hrs (approx 10,000 miles on a car) when cars these days routinely go three to ten times that long before changing transmission fluid? :confused2:

I wish the tractor companies would man up and publish more realistic and evidence based recommendations rather than CYA based standards. In this day and age it is a crime to be dumping gallons of partially used oil products. Diesel truckers certainly do not change oil every 100 hours (2500 miles) or transmission fluid every month or two. Why not use the standards of the trucking industry for diesel/transmission maintenance?

 

[Highbeam]

Well IT, the benz and BMW automakers aren't using prechambers, mechanical injection pumps, and pushrod diesel engines. I think you would find that when they were using that ancient tech that the fluid change intervals were much shorter.

Maybe the better question is why don't tractors use the modern technology which would allow for extended intervals? I would rather change oil than have to diagnose and replace a zillion sensors and computers. Quite happy with this old school tech.

Even my old 1998 chevy pickup required 3000 mile oil change intervals with its gasoline OBD2 (clean) engine. Current diesel truck requires 5000 mile intervals. Hard to compare a working engine with a light duty car.

 

[IslandTractor]

Highbeam, if the oil change intervals are guided by the level of technology and are based on oil analyses then I don't have trouble with the recommendations. I'd bet the intervals are not so scientific or rational however with our tractors. Certainly older diesel long haul trucks had much longer change intervals with what must have been older technology engines.

 

[ERE]

My diesel VW, the 50 state legal, common-rail diesel engine, has a 10K oil change interval. That said, I'm happy with my tractor. The VW is uber technical. I've lived with and worked on diesels most of my life in cars, tractors, boats and ships, but I'm afraid to touch the VW. For my tractor I want something I can trouble shoot and fix without having to trailer-up and head for a dealer. I'll gladly put up with the oil change interval if that is the price. That said I'm all for the tractor community getting scientific about their intervals. I suspect that part of their problem is that our machines are used in so many different ways. They probably assume a worst case dirty air heavy load environment for their recommendations.

 

[Highbeam]

Highbeam, if the oil change intervals are guided by the level of technology and are based on oil analyses then I don't have trouble with the recommendations. I'd bet the intervals are not so scientific or rational however with our tractors. Certainly older diesel long haul trucks had much longer change intervals with what must have been older technology engines.

Can't compare to a long haul truck engine. Those engines are in trucks that seldom stop moving so the engine oil stays hot and doesn't have a chance to accumulate water, which creates acids which are bad. The oil has to work a lot harder per mile in a short trip type vehicle.

Maybe BMW and for sure benz made 4 and 5 cylinder non-turbo diesels with similar tech as our tractors in the late 70s. What was the recommended interval for those cars?

I doubt that much analysis was done to determine that 100 hour interval. I also believe that Kioti would take a conservative approach and look at the most abusive 100 hours possible which is likely much different than most users' 100 hours. You've got to admit that these tractors are subjected to a huge range of expected operating styles from Yukon cold to equator hot and from PTO all day to short 10 minute strolls to the mailbox.

I am more "upset" with the 400 hour dumping of the whole hydro fluid reservoir. That seems wasteful.

My CK is due for engine oil and hydro oil change right now, well actually about 6 hours ago.

 

[IslandTractor]

Good points ERE and Highbeam. I suppose that as my warranty expires at the end of the summer that I can then put my money where my mouth/keyboard is and choose a different change interval. I may send off an oil analysis next time just to get some data specific to my tractor and use pattern. I wonder if there is a similar type of hydraulic fluid analysis available?

 

[grsthegreat]

Good points ERE and Highbeam. I suppose that as my warranty expires at the end of the summer that I can then put my money where my mouth/keyboard is and choose a different change interval. I may send off an oil analysis next time just to get some data specific to my tractor and use pattern. I wonder if there is a similar type of hydraulic fluid analysis available?

good question...id like to know that also.