Log splitter hydraulic oil change?

[dodge man]

I looked in the manual of my Yardmax splitter they don’t say how often to change the hydraulic fluid. I Googled it and came up with 100 to 150 hours. No hour meter but I’d guess I’m under but maybe coming up on a 100 hours. The splitter I bought used but the original owner hardly used it. It’s about 8 years old. Time to change the fluid?

 

[Racer4]

I would think that 100-150 hours would be for the engine oil. There’s probably no set time interval for the hydraulic oil. Maybe because of the age of it, might be a good time to change it. Look at the oil after it’s drained. Any glitter or water? Is there a filter for the hydraulics? Might be good to change that too.

 

[oldnslo]

If oil is clean and no water intrusion it should be good for a few hundred hours since splitter normally isn’t run hard enough to get oil super hot.

 

[dodge man]

Google definitely gave the 100 to 150 hours for the hydraulic fluid, the manual doesn’t give a number. A filter? Not really, a screen in the return line. I’d estimate I have somewhere between 50 and a 100 hours on it, I’ve owned it 4 years, the previous put less than 10 hours on it I’d guess.

 

[Highlandr]

The hydraulic oil in my splitter evaporates. Other than the normal hydraulic oil seep I don't see it leaking - either when in use or when sitting. Almost every time I fire it up I have to add some. I don't know where it goes.

 

[mrmikey]

If you've got a filter and there's no water in it, I wouldn't worry about it. Mines 10+ years old and I change the filer once a year or when I use it if there's a skipped year in there, top it up if necessary and it's still as clear now as it was when I built it.

 

[oldtimer 66]

I modified my splitter to use a PTO pump in 2015. With that I installed a 15 gallon reservoir. Since then I have probably split 200 cord of wood. That,s doing my own, helping my neighbor and doing my sister-in-laws wood. I not planning on changing the oil any time soon although I do have a slight weep near the filter. I may have lost a .5 cup of oil over this time.

As a reference I put about 50 hours on my tractor this year splitting about 9 cords of wood, but this included loading up the hay wagon using my grapple, pulling the wagon down to my building and splitting the wood.

And here in this picture is my latest addition. Its an umbrella to keep me from getting wet when it rains. If you notice I split my wood right next to my building. My gutters have been long gone due to the snow. My neighbor likes to split his wood in the late fall and some time it get really hot. This umbrella will help then to.

 

[DarkBlack]

My splitter is 20 years old. Still has the original ATF that I filled it with. Changed the filter once after the first year. I keep mine in the heated garage when not in use. I figure ATF in a vehicle transmission is good up to 100k miles. That’s over 2,500 run hours on average, so 100 hours on a splitter seems kinda wasteful.
My last company ran hundreds of gear and hydraulic machines 24/7, with the earliest oil changes being 6 months.. over 4,300 hours running on oils before replacing ……

 

[ptsg]

As long as the oil looks clean and doesn’t have water mixed in, I wouldn't bother at all. Mine still has the same oil from when I built it some 18 years ago.

It's as basic as an hydraulic system gets. As long as it has clean oil, it will be happy.

 

[WranglerX]

Got a used DUERR splitter that was made in about 1990.... Has Dexron II auto trans fluid in it, cant ever get it now.... As far as I know its the origional fluid, seems to work just fine no telling how many hundred hours on it....

 

[caver]

A modern manual online for my Swisher splitter says 150 hours or so. I've never changed it.

 

[dodge man]

I’ll probably leave it alone and maybe change it in another year.

 

[vanskills]

I don’t ever change mine

 

[dougtrr2]

I have only "changed" mine once when the casting the filter screws on snapped. I changed the filter every two or three years. I am splitting at least 6 cords per year.

Doug in SW IA

 

[big bubba]

when it's cold, loosen the hyd drain plug (on mine it's the filter itself) to purge any moisture (& change the filter if you're quick). but you should be good w/existing fluid.
of course, top off with that model's recommended hyd fluid.

 

[BlueKnife]

I’ll probably leave it alone and maybe change it in another year.

If you're splitting less than 10 or so cords a year, it doesn't get water in it somehow and you're over the age of 25, you shouldn't ever need to change it in your lifetime.

 

[ultrarunner]

Got a used DUERR splitter that was made in about 1990.... Has Dexron II auto trans fluid in it, cant ever get it now.... As far as I know its the origional fluid, seems to work just fine no telling how many hundred hours on it....

I’ve got the same and loaned to my sister in law and she topped off the hydraulic reservoir with John Deere Anti Freeze

Then she mentioned it to my brother and he drained and refilled it twice with Dexron-II and that was about 10 years ago…

Dexron-III is supposed to be backwards compatible and last checked about $150 per 5 gallon pail.

 

[DarkBlack]

Walmart has a couple of different brands of Dexron -III ATF for $20/gallon