UDT2 Maintenance interval, time vs. hours

NEPA guy · Sep 4, 2020

I'm at 350 hours, and the manual states to change the hydro fluid at 400. I barely used the tractor this year and can most likely get through the winter with using it just 50 hours for snow removal.

Last time I changed the hydro fluid was 3 years ago.

There is no, 4 years or 400 hour interval recommendation.

Change now or wait? Is there any data to support the time vs hour interval? I couldn't find much of anything online except that hydro fluid does degrade over time. Not sure about the UDT2.

Any comments would be appreciated

Thanks

RickB · Sep 4, 2020

Run it through the winter, change in the spring.

RjCorazza · Sep 4, 2020

I do mine by the hours. Changed the hydraulic oil in my L4060 last month at 400 hours and 4 years.

diesel85 · Sep 4, 2020

My BX2200 stays inside. I use hours. I do that with all my equipment - including cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I have hour meters on them.

3000 miles is roughly 100 Hours. That includes idling, stop and go, etc. Basically average driving.

^I get this calculation from what I read off my vehicles hour meters and comparing them to mileage over the years.

Otherwise it's just a waste of resources.

repete · Sep 4, 2020

I have always erred on the side of caution. Oil is cheap. Do you store your tractor indoors or outdoors. When you use it do you get it hot to remove condensation that forms in gearcases and the chankcase? If you just warm it up a bit it expands the air in the cases and then when it cools it draws in either moist air or dry air depending on the atmosphere it cools in. I have never felt little use means little need for maintenance. On the contrary, it often means more per hour used.

A full fuel tank will not develop moisture as rapidly as a 1/4 full tank that breathes as the day warms and cools.

I have removed covers from front differentials with axle locks and found rust lines on the gears where they were never turned and as a consequence not immersed in lube. Exposed gears were rusty from lack of lubrication coating. You have got to exercise everything.

I suspect some will call my maintenance procedures overkill but I am now in excess of 6000 hours on my little L2550DT and it still runs strong even though the body is falling apart.

. It did not last because I needed it to last, it lasted because I took exceptional care of it. Just my 2 cents.

ovrszd · Sep 4, 2020

I pay more attention to use than hours/dates.

For example I frequently couple/uncouple attachments on my rear remotes. That concerns me. Every time this is done there is contamination.

So I change on a time schedule.

NEPA guy · Sep 5, 2020

I store the tractor in a heated garage and try to start it up once a week and warm it up for at about 20 minutes including driving it around my yard to get the fluids moving around. (On my toyota manual it says to engage the 4wd occasionally on my truck and drive it a few miles to keep the gears lubed.) So what you're saying makes perfect sense.

I always keep the diesel tank full to minimize the air as well (as per the kubota manual) but don't get the sense of it as now my 5 gallon tank of fuel sits half full with air in it and I will use that to refill later...

I read in a sno-dogg plow manual that it wants you to drain the fluid once a year due to the moisture. So I guess that's where I'm getting my idea from to change it sooner than later. I never take my backhoe off, and the front loader only comes on and off when I swap it out for the snowplow/snowblower. I may end up changing it back and forth several times a winter season for the snowblower/snowplow (although I do find the snowplow to more effective overall and last winter I didn't use the snowblower once)

I do try to keep the valve area clean to minimize contamination. Funny, the "dust covers" that come with the tractor seems like the dumbest thing in the world. If anything, it adds dirt/grime to the valves by using them. I cut them off and always wipe the valve stems down with a lint free cloth and wrap them in tin foil when I put attachments away/swap them out.

The fluids are cheap by comparison to the cost of the tractor and don't mind changing them more frequently than not, but I find the drain bolts to be somewhat of a challenge. I torqued them to the specified foot/pound but they keep turning. It holds the fluid, but just doesn't get tight. I brought it up with the mechanic and he said just leave it and recommends getting them re-tapped if it becomes an issue. He said the metal where the bolt goes in was aluminum, softer than steel so its not uncommon. Retapping needs the pan to be dropped to clean out the metal bits so its a bit of a task. ($$)

I'm still on the fence on what to do, but I agree to err on the side of caution. If it wasn't for those pesky drain bolts I wouldn't be so hesitant.

Thanks for the replies

s219 · Sep 5, 2020

Almost all of the concern I see posted here on the forum about hydraulic fluid is probably due to people overthinking or maybe extrapolating experience from other types of fluids. In the heavy equipment world (ie, construction equipment) they are a lot harder on their equipment and push the hydraulic fluid far harder than any of us do with our tractors. And that equipment may be outside for all kinds of weather compared to a lot of tractors here that are stored inside or babied.

I think some of the concerns are expected, but ultimately not valid. These concerns would not scale up or be feasible for large equipment. Can't change out the hydraulic fluid on a large excavator that uses hundreds of gallons, on a whim. The world would run out of hydraulic fluid if everyone in that world was as sensitive about hydraulic fluid as some tractor owners. Which is why maintenance in that heavy equipment world goes by the book and you don't hear anybody worrying about the quality of their hydraulic fluid like it's a fine wine.

I say look at the maintenance schedule posted in your owner's manual and stick to that. Don't overthink it. Tractors have been around for 100+ years and the manufacturers have a good idea how to specify fluid maintenance/replacement schedules to meet warranty requirements.

I am about to do the 200 hour service on my L3200. It calls for new filters but the fluid is good until 400 hours. I can see the fluid in the sight glass and it looks as clean as when the tractor was new.

RickB · Sep 5, 2020

s219 said:
Almost all of the concern I see posted here on the forum about hydraulic fluid is probably due to people overthinking or maybe extrapolating experience from other types of fluids. In the heavy equipment world (ie, construction equipment) they are a lot harder on their equipment and push the hydraulic fluid far harder than any of us do with our tractors. And that equipment may be outside for all kinds of weather compared to a lot of tractors here that are stored inside or babied.

I think some of the concerns are expected, but ultimately not valid. These concerns would not scale up or be feasible for large equipment. Can't change out the hydraulic fluid on a large excavator that uses hundreds of gallons, on a whim. The world would run out of hydraulic fluid if everyone in that world was as sensitive about hydraulic fluid as some tractor owners. Which is why maintenance in that heavy equipment world goes by the book and you don't hear anybody worrying about the quality of their hydraulic fluid like it's a fine wine.

I say look at the maintenance schedule posted in your owner's manual and stick to that. Don't overthink it. Tractors have been around for 100+ years and the manufacturers have a good idea how to specify fluid maintenance/replacement schedules to meet warranty requirements.

I am about to do the 200 hour service on my L3200. It calls for new filters but the fluid is good until 400 hours. I can see the fluid in the sight glass and it looks as clean as when the tractor was new.

Apples and oranges. Hyd oil that is consistently run at or over 175-180 F will retain far less water than a CUT that runs 50-100 hours per year. Water from condensation is the primary contaminant in the machines typically discussed here. Seasonal temperature and humidity changes coupled with short run times and low oil temps accelerate hydraulic oil contamination in this group of machines.

Construction and excavation equipment design takes into consideration the expected operating conditions and recommended service intervals for those machines reflect that. You don’t see wheel loaders, excavators and skid loaders with 400 hour hydraulic oil drain intervals.

mikester · Sep 5, 2020

NEPA guy said:
I'm at 350 hours, and the manual states to change the hydro fluid at 400. I barely used the tractor this year and can most likely get through the winter with using it just 50 hours for snow removal.

Last time I changed the hydro fluid was 3 years ago.

There is no, 4 years or 400 hour interval recommendation.

Change now or wait? Is there any data to support the time vs hour interval? I couldn't find much of anything online except that hydro fluid does degrade over time. Not sure about the UDT2.

Any comments would be appreciated

Thanks