TC18 Maintenance

[JimBinMI]

Hey all,

I've read about you guys doing the 50 hour service, which I did at 50 hours and the 100 hour service, which I almost did last weekend.

I had my dad pick up my stuff for me since my dealer is in my old home town where most of my family lives, 35 miles from me. I got out the manual and started reading to just double check that I was doing things correctly. As I read, it stated that I was to change the engine oil and filter at 50 hours, which I did, then every 100 hours thereafter! NOT at 100 hours...at 150 hours! I know that I can't hurt it by doing it early but I'm just not THAT ****! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I have zero oil loss with 50 hours since the 50 hour service, haven't added anything and still at full mark.

I trust in the people that built the thing that they know how long I can go between. Are your tractors EVERY 50 hours or like mine?

Just Being Curious, JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Rich D]

JimBinMI,

My TC29D says the same thing. I changed the Oil & Filter, HST Filter, HYD Filter, Fuel Filter - all at 50 Hrs. All Fluids looked great. The fuel filter looked brand new, with no sediment in the bowl. I changed it all anyway, just like all us good boys with toys should. I'm at 80 hrs. now, and like you, the fluids are at the top with no signs of use.

I like to make schedules for maintenance, that way I can easily keep track of what the heck I'm doing. I set my TC29D up on the even 100 hr. schedule for oil to match major fluid filter schedules. I also log all maintenance, no matter how small, onto a computer spread sheet. This sheet also shows all details of what parts were used, what they cost, etc.

 

[Bird]

JimBinMI, you're right. I changed mine at 50 hours and then at 150 hours.

Bird

 

[Thomas]

Yes my book says 50 hours the first change of oil and filters,than every 150 hours,but I change my oil and filter every 50 hours.
Also change my deisel filter in of April and the first of November.

Yep my dearler says I'm over doing it and throwing money out the window,but like the old saying "pay me now or pay me later" /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

How long did it take you Jim to do a complete service on your NH?

Takes me about two and a half hours,of coarse thats inclued couple cups of coffee./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Hope all going well for you and you can get some warm tractor time in before the furries start to dance./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Take care and stay /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Thomas..NH

 

[Rowski]

JimBinMI,

On my NH 2120 I'm with the others. Did the break in service and the next services at 150 hrs and so on. The only thing I do more often is greasing. The bucket and backhoe get greased almost daily when in use. (if I use it over a few hrs that day) the the steering and other linkages (greaseable) every other time and then the only get a pump or two. The hoe and loader get greased till I see the grease coming out in good shape. The only thing is a need a battery operated grease gun. The hand gets a little tired. I used a pistol grip type grease gun. I may be over doining it with the greasing but like Thomas said pay them now or pay them later. I just pay the grease manufaturer now and the NH part later /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Who knows? I'll let everyone know in a few thousand hours.

Derek

 

[Bigfinn]

Did any of you experince a lot of fluid loss when changing the hydraulic filter? I don't know if I did anything wrong, but when I did the 5o hour service on my TC29, I lost about a gallon of fluid before I could get the new filter on. It was almost as if the hydraulics where under pressure, but the 3 pt as well as the bucket where down. Or is this normal?

 

[Bird]

Re: <font color=blue>a battery operated grease gun</font color=blue>. I assume you know then that such are available, Derek, but the price is pretty steep./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Do you have an air compressor? Air powered ones are much cheaper. I've never used the battery powered ones, so I can't say for sure, but I would expect an air powered one to last a lot longer, too.

Bird

 

[Rowski]

BigFinn,

Not sure. Is your tractor a hydro? Mine is a gear /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif 2120, different style than the TCs. When I did my service I unscrewed the filter and had little loss maybe a 1/4 qt at most. Then I filled the new filter 3/4 full with fresh hyd. fluid and screwed it back on. I forgot to mention my hydraulic filter is mounted up and down with the fitting end up.

Derek

 

[Rowski]

I've been eye balling the battery powered one for some time. Like you said pretty pricey. But being portable is nice. The compressor at "the home" shop is never left on so I have to fire it up and let it build pressure, it's a large one and noisy too. I will probably end up getting a air powered grease gun (cheaper, simplier, possibly easier to fix).

Derek

 

[Bird]

Yeah, Derek, being easily portable is an advantage. I was surprised to learn recently that my brother sells quite a few of the battery powered ones, and since he's selling to mechanics in garages that I know all have air compressors, I asked him why, and he said most of them go to tractor and farm equipment mechanics who make service calls in the field.

Bird

 

[Rowski]

You made me think of an option. I'll ask my Snap-on tool rep if he has a battery operated loner or demo. We maybe purchaing a new alignment machine so I have some leverage (maybe). I'll ask him next week and if he does I let you know if I like it.

Derek

 

[Bird]

That's a good idea, Derek. The Snap-on truck is bound to have them. If he doesn't, tell him to call his Matco competitor and buy one for you./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I know in some areas, the Snap-on and Matco distributors don't get along with each other very well (kind of like some tractor dealers I guess), but fortunately our local Snap-on distributor and my Matco distributor brother actually help each other, and the Snap-on distributor even sends air tools to me to repair.

Bird

 

[Rowski]

Where I am located the Snap-on is the only one tool truck that comes around. Half an hour drive away you will see Snap-on and Mac. If you drive an hour away you will see Snap-on, Mac, and Matco. From what I have heard they don't get along maybe due to the slow/poor ecomony here. Do you still repair air tools? I was wondering if you might know were to get a resealing (rebuilt) kit for an old water seperator (with a pressure regulator). I don't know the name off hand but they are pretty old. Thanks.


Derek

 

[JimBinMI]

Thomas,

When I did my 50 hour service which included: oil and oil filter, fuel filter, two hydro filters, cleaning air filter, checking wheel lugs, and just sitting there admiring the awesome TC18...I think it took a couple of hours. I was moving slowly, checking my manual often to make sure I was doing everything correctly. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I will probably to my next service just before the weather starts getting really cold around here...like when it's regularly below 30 degrees. I don't know, it'll depend on my hours too, I'm at around 104 right now.

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Bird]

Derek, I couldn't help you with the water separator without knowing a make and model number. I've never had one to work on except my own and since I bought it new and kept the paperwork, I can get parts if I ever need them. I get a number of air tools of unknown make and model and can usually identify them when I see them, or can call and describe them to my parts supplier and he can identify them. Of course, I occasionally get one that we can't identify or one that's so old parts are no longer available.

Bird

 

[bpence]

I remember my Dad always changed the oil and filters on our farm diesels (big Ford & IH tractors) every 100 hours religiously. On my little B7100 I change the oil and filter every 50-60 hours. The hydraulic fluid I change per the Kubota recommendation. Maybe changing more often than the 100 hour schedule is overkill, but it sure seems like pretty good preventive maintenance for very little cost.

We work our little toys pretty hard and they don't ask much in return. Fresh oil and a filter seems like the least I could do.

Bob Pence

 

[Bird]

bpence, that's probably a little overkill all right, but it sure can't hurt anything. And of course, it might not even be overkill; depends on how the tractor is used. If you only run it for short periods of time when you start it (not long enough to thoroughly heat up and evaporate any condensation in the engine), or if it takes a year or more to put 100 hours on it, may not be overkill.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Jim

The m6800/M8200/M9000 recommend 200 hours between oil changes they say due to the design of the engine. Whatever that means. I could not bear to change the oil twice to a single oil filter change (every 100 hours), but that is the recommendation.

 

[W5FL]

Bigfinn

I always drained all the hydraulic fluid before changing the hydraulic filter. Never got any oil out when changing the filter this way. Mine actually has two cartridge hydraulic filters.

 

[JATO_RaT]

Jim, I could not agree with you more on this one. Do as the manual says, it is often times their warranty that must be upheld and I seriously doubt they will jeopardize that for something as simple as an oil change. I have read about the "Americans" conditioning to oil changes with regards to "Quick Lube" type places that recommend oil changes considerably earlier then that by the manufacturer (hard to imagine why). I certainly can see it from the folks I talk with thinking 3000 mile oil changes will prolong the life of their auto even though the manufactuers are stating as high as 7500 and often 5000 miles as the normal change dates. In Europe, oil changes are often done at the equivalent of 10,000 miles. (how many kilometers that is I'm not sure, but its less then 10,000 miles) I for one, base my oil changing on time and miles. I currently am doing a trial with Amsoil as McChalkley as touted as being good lubrication. I am particularly interested in the Synthetic Hydro as the warm up times for the hydro fluid indicated by the tractor manual for my tractor, are rarely observed. (min. of 10 minutes above 32 deg.).
I think my waste less mentality comes into play here and try to do what little I can do use less, especially when I feel that changing engine oils sooner then recommended has no benefit except to stroke ones own conciousness into believing it does. Rat...