Immortal Gear Oil

[ShenandoahJoe]

I don't know how many hours my rotary cutter (LandPride RCR-1548) has on it, but it's 'way more than 20. 20 hours is the recommended interval for topping up the gear oil, so I purchased a couple of quarts of 80-weight and began to do just that.

But the vent-plug/dipstick showed beautiful, honey-colored oil right up to the higher end of the "full" range. It looks like it just came from the factory, two and a half years after I bought it, and who knows how long the previous owner used it for. Things like this make me nervous.

By the way, the dealer didn't know how much oil that gear box holds. The owner's manual doesn't say, but does tell me not to over-fill it. How much oil is in there?

 

[MillWeld]

I bought a used Woods Dixie Cutter in mid to late 80s and the gear box is still full of oil. I check it every year but have never added to it or changed it. Don't even know if there is a drain plug but now I will look for it.

 

[sweep]

But the vent-plug/dipstick showed beautiful, honey-colored oil right up to the higher end of the "full" range. It looks like it just came from the factory, two and a half years after I bought it, and who knows how long the previous owner used it for. Things like this make me nervous.

The hydraulic oil on my tractors dipstick looked crystal clear also at 185 hours but came out looking like this.... it was filthy.

I really doubt if 99 of people ever change the gear oil in the gear box of their brushhogs though but I will probably change mine. I do not think mine has a drain plug but I will end up buying one of those reverse suction type grease guns.

If your BH sits outside all the time or operates in very dusty environments you might want to change it.

 

[sunnyside360]

I've had countless rotary cutters over the past 50 years and rarely ever had to add oil. Currently have a Bush Hog 3008-2 cutter with 3 gear boxes. The outer two gear boxes are always full of oil. However, the middle gear box occasionally needs oil because the oil gets so hot it boils out the vent plug on top of the gear box and only happens when working the unit very hard in hot weather. You know when it occurs because of the oil on the deck.

I also have two other rotary cutters currently which never need oil added but I do change oil every 2/3 years. All my equipment is stored inside from the weather. Some rotary cutters have drain plugs and some do not.

 

[Soundguy]

I see 2 kinds of gearboxes when i buy used equipment.

1, gearboxes that have the same oil in them when purchased.. or ones that are dry or have grease in them.

moisture is about the only contaminate to get into a gearbox as long as it has a good breather.. and that SHOULD flash off with regular use...

if the seals are good.. it should not 'use' oil.

wow.. 20 hr service interval? i could hit that every 2 weeks during mowing season..

soundguy

I don't know how many hours my rotary cutter (LandPride RCR-1548) has on it, but it's 'way more than 20. 20 hours is the recommended interval for topping up the gear oil, so I purchased a couple of quarts of 80-weight and began to do just that.

But the vent-plug/dipstick showed beautiful, honey-colored oil right up to the higher end of the "full" range. It looks like it just came from the factory, two and a half years after I bought it, and who knows how long the previous owner used it for. Things like this make me nervous.

By the way, the dealer didn't know how much oil that gear box holds. The owner's manual doesn't say, but does tell me not to over-fill it. How much oil is in there?

 

[psj12]

How many cars go to the scrap heap with worn out engines and transmissions but never had the Diff oil changed. My guess would be in the upper 90th percentile.

 

[Mean Jean]

I change the oil in all gear boxes (mower, snow blower, tiller) every year.
$10 in oil is far cheaper than a $1500 tiller.
Oil breaks down and loses its protective properties.

 

[lungdoc]

I change the oil in all gear boxes (mower, snow blower, tiller) every year.
$10 in oil is far cheaper than a $1500 tiller.
Oil breaks down and loses its protective properties.

I'm going to argue this one a bit -- not on principle but on hours of use. Compare it to motor oil or the hydraulic oil in your tractor. A car going 5000 miles at avg 30 mph is 167 hours of oil use at high temperatures, for most users that amount of time is many years on something like a brush hog, and I am sure the demands on the oil (i.e. how well it works when old versus new) is much lower in a gearbox than in an engine. Most vehicles suggest 30,000 miles for auto transmission fluid changes, which is 1000 hours at 30 mph - - and 1000 hours of use approaching lifetime for many implements I suspect.

 

[silvertramp]

I've got a 5' Howse that I bought brand new & flogged the tar out of it for 25+ years. Last year I checked the oil & put a bit in. That's my total maintainence aside from replacing blades & welding the poor thing where I put the blades thru the deck.

 

[Soundguy]

that's likely the same 'real' maintenance schedule on more than 80% of the hogs out there..

soundguy