50 Hour Service

[LittleBlueTractor]

I can kinda see changing oil and even oil filters due to poor machining and bearing wear in, but FUEL FILTERS. Come on that is ridiculous. That little tractor couldn't possibly burn more than 2 gallons per hour so 100 gallon for fuel. I wouldn't change them till they showed some sign of contamination / fuel problems or at least 200 hours of service. I filter all my fuel with5 micron filters from my storage tank and so far I haven't had to change any fuel filters on any of my vehicles. Kubota RTV over 2 years and over 200 hours and filter is still clear(well red) with no water or other contamination evident in the clear plastic housing.

As I remember there was a little bit of trash in the bottom of the bowl, but nothing I could see on the fuel filter itself. I'm pretty frugal so it was hard for me to do change it out like that. Did it anyway just to be following the maintenance schedule for warranty purposes. Had the same problem with the hydraulic oil -- that stuff was SO clean it seemed like such a waste.

[Gary Fowler]

That oil makes me wish I had some 5 micron filters like the fuel filters to pass it thru and just put it back in. All hydraulic Oil that I have changed has been clean as new oil and just a bit of black residue on the magnetic plugs.
When doing oil flushes on large turbines and pumps, we routinely use the same oil. It is heated and flushed thru the lines to clean them and each pass the oil is cleaned and polished via special filters that removes all the contaminates. The flushing companies that have these speciality filters, claim that the oil is cleaner than new oil as they filter it thru finer filters than the refinery.
I doubt that a 5 micron fuel filter would stand the pressure needed to push the oil thru it without exploding, but if it was heated up it may. Problem with filtering it is it cost more to do that than just buying new oil if you have to go to these companies to do it.

[Jhiphop72]

As I remember there was a little bit of trash in the bottom of the bowl, but nothing I could see on the fuel filter itself. I'm pretty frugal so it was hard for me to do change it out like that. Did it anyway just to be following the maintenance schedule for warranty purposes. Had the same problem with the hydraulic oil -- that stuff was SO clean it seemed like such a waste.

I once lived across the street from a chemist who was something of a curious gearhead with his cars. When the full synthetic motor oils came out he did his own testing and chemical analysis. What he found was that the oil after 3k miles was virtually the same as when it was new. By 6k miles, the oil had started to lose the shorter carbon chains, but looked clean. By 8k miles the oil looked dirty and had only long carbon chains left. For those that dont know, its the short and medium carbon chains that give oil its lubricating properties.. Tbe shorter the chain, the better it lubricates. Heat and pressure over time broke the chains until only the longest were left. The key is to change oil before it stops lubricating.

[LittleBlueTractor]

Heat and pressure over time broke the chains until only the longest were left. The key is to change oil before it stops lubricating.

My hydro oil only had 50 hrs on it, but it nearly 2 years old. Not a lot of heat and pressure to break it down, but quite a bit of time for it to gather moisture from our humid Southeast Texas climate. (You guys with tractors at home are lucky -- some of us have tractors at remote locations.) Only have about 80 hrs on it and now I have a competing distraction:



Poor little blue S3010, but football is almost over and soon the two shall meet....

[Gary Fowler]

I once lived across the street from a chemist who was something of a curious gearhead with his cars. When the full synthetic motor oils came out he did his own testing and chemical analysis. What he found was that the oil after 3k miles was virtually the same as when it was new. By 6k miles, the oil had started to lose the shorter carbon chains, but looked clean. By 8k miles the oil looked dirty and had only long carbon chains left. For those that dont know, its the short and medium carbon chains that give oil its lubricating properties.. Tbe shorter the chain, the better it lubricates. Heat and pressure over time broke the chains until only the longest were left. The key is to change oil before it stops lubricating.

That is good info for motor oil, but hydraulic oil is really not a lubricating oil even though it does lubricate the pump I suppose. It is just a non compressible fluid that moves cylinders. The only lubrication it does is with the slow sliding of the hydraulic ram and just about any slick'em will work for that. It isn't like motor oil that circulates around a hot piston and bearings. I have seen old farm tractors from the 60's and 70's that didn't even have a filter (not HST because they hadn't been invented yet) and went a life time without changing oil and never had a pump problem. Seen them so milky with water that they looked like creamed coffee and still worked well and the oils of those days weren't as good as they are today either, no synthetic just good ole mineral oil.

[mangus580]

Not true... Just one example, made starting mid-60's

TractorData.com Farmall 656 tractor transmission information

That is good info for motor oil, but hydraulic oil is really not a lubricating oil even though it does lubricate the pump I suppose. It is just a non compressible fluid that moves cylinders. The only lubrication it does is with the slow sliding of the hydraulic ram and just about any slick'em will work for that. It isn't like motor oil that circulates around a hot piston and bearings. I have seen old farm tractors from the 60's and 70's that didn't even have a filter (not HST because they hadn't been invented yet) and went a life time without changing oil and never had a pump problem. Seen them so milky with water that they looked like creamed coffee and still worked well and the oils of those days weren't as good as they are today either, no synthetic just good ole mineral oil.

[Gary Fowler]

My hydro oil only had 50 hrs on it, but it nearly 2 years old. Not a lot of heat and pressure to break it down, but quite a bit of time for it to gather moisture from our humid Southeast Texas climate. (You guys with tractors at home are lucky -- some of us have tractors at remote locations.) Only have about 80 hrs on it and now I have a competing distraction:



Poor little blue S3010, but football is almost over and soon the two shall meet....

Looks like you got the name right, although I wouldn't have thought a tractor guy would be on a crotch rocket. They tend to be more GoldWing guys or those with John deere's probably ride Harley's to keep with their status symbol position of paying more for less.

[LittleBlueTractor]

Looks like you got the name right, although I wouldn't have thought a tractor guy would be on a crotch rocket. They tend to be more GoldWing guys or those with John deere's probably ride Harley's to keep with their status symbol position of paying more for less.

Nah, it only LOOKS like a crotch rocket. It's actually a "value" (read cheap) high-mileage commuter bike. They call it an adventure/touring bike:

Honda NC700X Road Test Review- Specifications- Photos

It's just like a tractor in that as soon as you get it you want to start adding stuff to it.

[Gary Fowler]

Nah, it only LOOKS like a crotch rocket. It's actually a "value" (read cheap) high-mileage commuter bike. They call it an adventure/touring bike:

Honda NC700X Road Test Review- Specifications- Photos

It's just like a tractor in that as soon as you get it you want to start adding stuff to it.

How much of the $3400(if I added in my head right) in accessories did you get. I would want a tall windshield, saddle bags and some sort of back rest , maybe some highway front pegs. I didn't see any of the accessories pictured on the website you linked but it seems a cool bike. I hope those $200 each tires last more than 6K miles. The best mileage I got was with the Goldwing I had but they only got about 10K. My Yamaha Virago only got about 5K on the rear. Tires are the most expensive things about a motorcycle as long as it is running then repair cost are outrageous.

[LittleBlueTractor]

How much of the $3400(if I added in my head right) in accessories did you get. I would want a tall windshield, saddle bags and some sort of back rest , maybe some highway front pegs. I didn't see any of the accessories pictured on the website you linked but it seems a cool bike. I hope those $200 each tires last more than 6K miles. The best mileage I got was with the Goldwing I had but they only got about 10K. My Yamaha Virago only got about 5K on the rear. Tires are the most expensive things about a motorcycle as long as it is running then repair cost are outrageous.

Actually, I'm trying to go real slow with the accessories. Just like with the S3010, the first thing I got was the service manual. Added the center stand over the weekend. About the only things I see in the immediate future is a top case (trunk) to store stuff, rain gear, a cover, wheel lock, etc....