[AT] tractor oils maintenance?

Dean Vinson dean at vinsonfarm.net
Fri Jun 10 20:06:32 PDT 2016


Thanks, Mike.  That seems like a good sustainable strategy, and yes, our usage patterns sound pretty similar.

On the subject of record keeping like Ralph and others have discussed, I'm a complete data geek with respect to certain things of interest or importance to me, which are usually either (a) some new process that I want to understand or (b) some financial decision that I'm going to need to make, and I keep and periodically analyze meticulous records for those thing.   But the oil-change frequency on my old and lightly-used tractors just isn't on that list.

Dean Vinson
Saint Paris, Ohio


-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Mike M
Sent: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 9:50 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] tractor oils maintenance?

Dean, I wouldn't worry too much about hours, even with using your tractor around the farm like you do, I doubt you'll actually run it enough hours to change it in a years time. That being said, I suspect the way you are using is similar to how I use mine. Sometimes when I'm mowing it will run for hours and get nice and hot, other (many) times it gets started, runs for 10-20 minutes and gets shut off. That is actually harder on the oil than running for long periods of time under heavy load. If the oil doesn't get good and hot, it doesn't burn off the impurities like fuel and moisture. I would go with an annual change, and not worry about the hours. I like to do mine in the fall after a good heavy run, that way all the contaminants come out with the oil, and don't settle over the winter.

Mike M


On 6/8/2016 7:35 PM, Dean Vinson wrote:
> How do folks keep track of engine hours on old tractors?
>
> Dean Vinson
> Saint Paris, Ohio
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com 
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Spencer 
> Yost
> Sent: Monday, June 6, 2016 12:18 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Subject: Re: [AT] tractor oils maintenance?
>
> Every hundred hours for me.   The recent hay making put me at 95 hours.  The tranny and diff were due within 50 hours so I just changed all the fluids.   I change hydraulic fluid more frequently than recommended since I use the county's rented grain drill and and other borrowed/rented equipment that have hydraulic cylinders.  Since there is no telling the condition of the fluid in that equipment, I feel like I am giving my hydraulics a dirty fluid transfusion every time I am use them.
>
> Spencer Yost
>
>> On Jun 5, 2016, at 7:25 AM, Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> 100 hours is a good oil change interval.  That is the specified 
>> interval for my modern-ish diesel tractor as well as my very modern 
>> zero turn mower.  If this were an automobile, 100 hours translates 
>> into roughly
>> 3000-3500 miles.  Old tractor engines have rings that just don't seal 
>> as well as modern equipment, so the oil contaminates quicker.
>>
>> SO
>>
>>
>>> On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 6:48 AM, Dean Vinson <dean at vinsonfarm.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Herb, interesting question.  I just bought two oil filters for my 
>>> Super M and two for my 620, with the intention of changing oil in both of them now
>>> and then having a filter on the shelf for next year also.   But as I think
>>> about it they are each unlikely to see more than a hundred hours in 
>>> that year, maybe not even that much.
>>>
>>> "Once per year" appeals to me because it seems like it would flush 
>>> out any accumulated condensation water, and because it's easy to 
>>> remember, and because it's what my dad does.  But I don't know that 
>>> it's strictly necessary, probably very conservative given the tractors' actual usage.
>>>
>>> Dean Vinson
>>> Saint Paris, Ohio
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:
>>> at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Herb Metz
>>> Sent: Sunday, June 5, 2016 6:14 AM
>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group 
>>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>> Subject: [AT] tractor oils maintenance?
>>>
>>> Cecil & Others with seldom used antique tractors, What 
>>> rules-of-thumb do you follow for oils changes on old tractors still 
>>> in good condition but only get used less than one hundred hours per 
>>> year? I have a couple Allis G’s in this limited use situation; none 
>>> are heavily loaded. Also an Allis
>>> D-14 gets less than two hundred hours per year. Herb(GA)






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