B3200 TLB 50 hour service question..

[Chris86314]

Hi Guys,

I just did my 50 hour service (oil change only) on my B3200 TLB. The manual says that at 50 hours the hydraulic and transmission filters are to be changed but the fluid does not have to be changed until 400 hours.

I'm very easy on my tractor, mainly cleaning ditches and box scraper work, nothing at high RPM's or abuse.

I have two questions..

1. I know the thought of "$200.00 of hyd. oil is cheaper than major repairs) but it seems awful wasteful to use 4.5 gallons of hyd oil if it isn't needed. The oil is so clear you can't read it on the dipstick. I have the oil and filters but am thinking of waiting until maybe 100 hours and then 400 hours after the 100 change before changing the oil. Especially since the filters supposedly have magnets in them to catch any shavings.

2. This brings up my second question. I have the filters and want to change the hyd and tranny filters (as the manual states at 50 hours) but they seem so low on the bottom of the tranny it would seem like it would dump the oil out if you just pulled the filters. The manual says to just change the filters but I don't want almost 5 gallons of hyd. oil on the floor if I pull the filters without draining the oil first.

Has anyone just changed the filters (knowing I will loose the oil in the filter) and can this even be done because of their location so low on the units.

Any thoughts on waiting on the full oil change on the hyd and tranny and just changing the filters.

ps.. I've emailed Kubota Tech Support to see if the manual was correct or a misprint on the hyd oil / filter schedule but I haven't heard back from them and they said it might take 7 days or more to get a reply. The dealers I've talked to have mixed opinions on this so I thought I'd ask the guys that use the equipment in the field.

Thanks !!!

 

[ChuckinNH]

The main purpose for changing the hydraulic oil at 50 hours seems to be to get metal particles out of the system that were part of the manufacturing process. I expect that changing the filters, and cleaning the screens will do the same thing basically. My dealer holds off the 50 hour service until around 100 hours, and he sells mostly pretty big, and expensive pieces of equipment, large dozers, excavators, Ag tractors, etc. If anything I would be tempted to change the filters a bit more often, and keep an eye on the screen. I've read here that JD is now extending the time to that first fluid change also, and that just confirms my thoughts. I've also read here that if you have the replacement filter ready you really don't lose much oil just changing the filters. I haven't done that yet myself....... soon though.

 

[Carl_NH]

You can change the filters alone - but beware the factory units could be very tight, if you can get them loose easily you can change out the filters and maybe lose a few pints. Another good suggestion I used was mortar mix containers at big box stores are 8" high and about $6-10 and will catch all the fluids you may lose as they span the different drain points on either side and the filters too.

At the end of the day I would do everything in the 50-80 hr range with kubota fluids then again at the 300-350 range. I was surprised when I did my B21 300 hr service (did the 50-60 too) of 7.5 gal and there was nothing in the filter or strainer, but the oil was much darker - i ran the unit before changing to heat up to get all the crap out of the system. To this point when you check the oil "at rest" the suspended solids are at the bottom thus the oil is "clear" and when in motion (working) the oil may be dirty. I would bite the bullet do the whole change now.

 

[Chris86314]

Heads Up..

As I mentioned, I emailed Kubota Tech Support yesterday and asked the same questions I asked here. I didn't think I would hear from them via email as they stated normal turn around is minimum of 7 days. I was surprised today when the phone rang and it was Kubota Corp calling to let me know (and to thank me) as I had found a very big mistake in the Owners Manual and the hydraulic/tranny oil should be changed at 50 hours along with the filters.. then at 400 hours.

They stated that as low as the filters are on the B3200 all the oil would flow out of the units (on the floor if you aren't ready) if you pull either filter before draining. What a mess that would make if you weren't ready.

They will be changing the owners manual to correct the interval to 50 then 400 hours.

 

[nh_bota]

I emailed the same question to Kubota about the 50 hour service for my B2620 and received a response today stating that the manual is incorrect and that I should indeed change the trans/hyd fluid.

I talked to my dealer about it as well. He said Kubota changed the recommendation because the cost of the 50 hour service is one of the biggest customer dissatisfiers. I was thinking that they changed something about their product that eliminated the need to change the fluid at 50 hours... evidently not.

For the sake of about $80, I think I'll change the fluid.

 

[timswi]

I emailed the same question to Kubota about the 50 hour service for my B2620 and received a response today stating that the manual is incorrect and that I should indeed change the trans/hyd fluid.

I talked to my dealer about it as well. He said Kubota changed the recommendation because the cost of the 50 hour service is one of the biggest customer dissatisfiers. I was thinking that they changed something about their product that eliminated the need to change the fluid at 50 hours... evidently not.

For the sake of about $80, I think I'll change the fluid.

Change it..You will see the shavings in the screens and fluid. I did mine at 50 and 100hrs. 50 was messy, 100 was clean. Peace of mind that's all...I'd do it.

 

[nh_bota]

I'm definitely going to... that's the way I was leaning anyway. I was having a hard understanding how Kubota could have made such a change in procedure when it's something that has been considered so critical for so long. I obviously changed the fluid at 50 hrs on my BX and noticed the shavings, so I have no reason to believe it will be different on my new B.

$80 for fluid is cheap insurance for an $18000 machine.

 

[bandit67]

That's a very interesting (and possibly costly) batch of typos in the owners manuals.

I was wondering why they would suddenly modify that initial change interval when all the other machines called for a 50 hour initial change. I guess we now know they really didn't intend to.

 

[LBrown59]

Change it..You will see the shavings in the screens and fluid. I did mine at 50 and 100hrs. 50 was messy, 100 was clean. Peace of mind that's all...I'd do it.

Change the fluid along with the filters.
Why risk a $20000 tractor to save $ 80 worth of fluid?
Besides It's only a one time event over the life time of the tractor.

Come on now is one more fluid change during your ownership of the tractor really going to break the bank???

 

[timswi]

Filter change goes without saying...I hope. I'm going to change mine every 100-150 from here on out. The cost is worth it..125 dinars every so often isn't bad, I don't think.