TRACTOR OIL CHANGE

[thiggy]

Last week I borrowed an elderly cousin's small 4 cyl. Ford diesel tractor for a few days. Before returning it to him I asked how did he know when to change the oil since it didn't have an odometer. He replied that you could use the hour meter, but he generally just waited till the oil felt gritty between his fingers. He said he had not changed it in about five years!! Needless to say, I changed the oil and filter before returning the little beast.

 

[Strjock81]

It is amazing what some of these old tractors will take...with my luck the poor thing would have finally croaked on my watch, and I would have been responsible! I have switched to Rotella 5w-40 Syn in our tractors, talk about starting easier this time of year!

 

[widman]

These things are built for at least 15,000 hours of use with reasonable maintenance. So for people who put very little hours on them, poor maintenance still gives years of service.
I monitor hundreds of tractor oils for several customers who put 4,000 hours a year on them, looking to see how to minimize down time and extend the life. With a good group II oil and good maintenance of filters and combustion, 500 hours with less than 25 ppm of iron are possible.
But if you can feel it, it's bad.
In UOA we messure particles under about 8 microns. A human hair is about 70 microns.

 

[EmbarkChief]

We usually just change ours once a year. We run two, a Ford 6600 and a 1958 (I think) Ford Jubilee which is a 4cyl gas model. For the most part they see less than 200 hours a year combined.

 

[RJCorazza]

Ahh... the oil between the fingers method of UOA! My diesel tractor is now close to its 200h UOA with synthetic oil & a bypass filter. If this UOA (2nd) comes back good, I will probably change the oil every 2 years (400 hrs total).

 

[2004 F150 4x4]

I work at a Case Construction Equipment dealer. Case says change the diesel engines oil and filter at 250hrs . We have seen some of the wheel loaders go 15000+ hours with no engine work.

 

[snoboy]

RJ are you still on the AMO test run?

 

[thiggy]

My cousin said he bought the tractor when he retired in 1979. It has just over 3000 hours on the clock. It still runs great. I indicated that I would like to purchase it when he decides that he doesn't need it any longer.

 

[doubleclutch]

I change my Kubota DT4300 engine oil and filter every 50 hrs. I use the Kubota brand filter and Amsoil AME 15W40 oil.

 

[RJCorazza]

snoboy;
I am not really testing the 10w40 AMO now, as I decided to switch to 5w30 HDD a little at a time. When I change the bypass filter I add about 1 qt oil, and I have added 3 qts of HDD over the summer. My 200 hour numbers are going to be skewed (50% 10w40 & 50% 5w30). I am mostly interested in the TBN, Soot, & wear metals. Anyway, fall is a slow time for me putting hours on the tractor - it seems like it's been forever to get to the 200 hour mark on the oil.