Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service

   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #1  

canoetrpr

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
2,382
Location
Ontario, Canada
Tractor
Kubota M7040 cab/hyd shuttle - current, Kubota L3400 - traded
I wander over to a local dealer to pick up all the fluids / filters I need for the 50 hr change on my L3400. I have a copy of the page from the manual that tells me how much of what I need.

I ask for Super UDT, he says "you mean UDT". Apparently they don't even carry SUDT and never have he says. He claims nobody uses it around here even in construction equipment.

Its not like I have a choice unless I want to wander the neighbourhood looking for someone that may carry SUDT so I pick up the 5 gallon jug.

Then comes engine oil. Figure that one is easy. Manual calls for 10W-30.. he says "no 15W-40".. I point him to the manual he still says I want 15W-40 as that is what they would put i if I was servicing it there. In his opinion, if I was running the tractor every day in the winter he would suggest 10W-30 but since it will be used only occasionally in the winter 15W-40 is the way to go. I'm guessing this is a heavier oil and so long as I warm the tractor up before using - I will be fine.

I'm going to go to a local store for front axle gear oil. I figure I'll use 80W-90.

Anyone care to comment on the above? I figured it was clear cut, easy, you put in the best fluids that the manual recommends.
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #2  
I wouldn't recommend less then super udt here in NY! Price is less so maybe they look at keeping the customer by price. Is yours a hydro or gear, hydro's would need the Super more then a gear and I'd use it in the front axle as well until you might get a weep.

The thinner base oil will give you better cold weather starting performance.
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #3  
This from the same *** that wanted to charge you $300 for a shop manual?! All things considered, maybe you'd want to RUN, not walk, to another dealer...

I absolutely WOULD NOT run heavier oil in a new engine than what the manufacturer recommends... clearances in a new engine are tight, and you want to make sure oil is getting into all the nooks & crannies, especially during those all-too-critical first moments after a cold start.

What's even more dumbfounding about all of this is you live in CANADA! Probably SUDT's biggest advantage over UDT is its cold-weather performance. The choices your dealer is pushing might be suitable for a hot climate, but considering where you live, it defies all logic and conventional wisdom.

I'm running gear oil in my front axle, but again considering your climate, you might be better off with UDT or SUDT. Maybe some fellow TBN'ers from your latitude would have a better opinion on that one...
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #4  
Your dealer sounds like an "airhead", time for a new one.
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Boy I feel like an idiot. I called them yesterday to ensure that they had all the filters and fluids in stock and they said yes. I never thought I would have to ask specifically if they had SUDT in stock etc.

I trusted what they said. When you are standing in a Kubota dealership in front of the parts guy it's kinda hard not to take him at his word.

I'm sitting here with a big ol 5 gallon jug of UDT right now. I imagine my tractor won't self destruct with it so I will probably use it this time around and will likely just do another hydraulic fluid/filter change at the 100 hr mark even though not necessary as per manual.

I'm putting may be 50 to 55 hrs on my tractor per year so I can well afford to change all the fluids and filters once a year - regardless of whether it is truly necessary or not. Figure the UDT will do me fine for the next 50 hrs ? T

he other option is to hang on to this UDT and use it for the front axle and try to locate SUDT for the hydro from somewhere else. Thats an awful lot of UDT that I'll have sitting around after I've filled up the front axle. Not sure if I can just hang on to the excess and expect to use it a year later. I'll probably just have to waste it.

The oil... not sure what to do about that. I've got about 2 gallons of Kubota 15W-40 which I might have to to use for general purpose lubrication of hay elevators and such.

Their restocking fee is 25%.

Boy this is irritiating.
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #6  
Do you garage the unit? If so maybe the tractor is warm enough for you to use these fluids until the next change.
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #7  
My dealer had the super UDT, but tried to sell me the regular and said there was no difference. He also told me 15W-40 (I went with 10W-30) the owners manual give a temperature range for the different viscosity oils 10W-30 and 5W-40 is good in all the listed temperatures. The dealer said they always use 85W-90 in the front end (so I did).
At the 100 hour oil change I used to 5W-40 synthetic engine oil.
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service
  • Thread Starter
#8  
The plot gets thicker..

So I call another rather big Kubota dealer in the area.

All they carry is UDT. He too did not know that "Super UDT" even existed and said they have always used UDT and once the warranty expires use another aftermarket generic hydraulic oil.

He also said they sell 15W-40 as engine oil and run it year around and that is what he recommends.

What is this - a plot to confuse Canadians????
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #9  
I went with some bad advice and changed to a NON Kubota fluid, and tractor ran like doo doo, then i quickly switched to SUPER and it would climb hills in high it never would before. Then i had it at the dealer for other work, and said, while it’s there, change all the fluids - I forgot to mention the super, when I got it ran like doo doo again. I asked him if he put in super, and his answer was “we never put in super” - I explained how mine rune much better with super, then purchased 10 Gallons from the parts guy and left to redo the job.
Grrrrrrrr

I’ve only run high end 15/40 in mine. My latest flavor of the month is REDLINE.
 
   / Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service #10  
canoetrpr said:
The plot gets thicker..

So I call another rather big Kubota dealer in the area.

All they carry is UDT. He too did not know that "Super UDT" even existed and said they have always used UDT and once the warranty expires use another aftermarket generic hydraulic oil.

He also said they sell 15W-40 as engine oil and run it year around and that is what he recommends.

What is this - a plot to confuse Canadians????

just my 2 cents, but considering you're temps in Canada, and posts I've read and one person i talk too that switched to UDT. I'd take the UDT back, pay the restocking, buy the Super UDT over the internet. Put in the oil you have 15/40 and next time go with the 10w/30w before winter. Granted you may not see much difference with UDT, but from what few have said less likely you will lose performace with SUDT. And if you have the hydrostatic and it already could have SUDT in it, why put UDT in. Keep it all SUDT. you'll have to wait a week to get SUDT over internet to do the 50hr. I know you wanted wanted to do this weekend but in long run it will be less work for you and waiting a week is not going to hurt anything. i did my transmistion fuild at 50hr and good till 300hrs according to my manual, so if the same on L3400 you be good for long time.
 
 
Top