son of man
Bronze Member
What's good TBN?
I been reading posts and scouring craigslist for months trying to find a tractor to bush hog approx. 4 acres of pasture land. Well I recently contacted my local TYM dealer to get some recommendations. The owner told me one of his long time customers just purchased a bigger tractor and was selling his '85 MF 1030 with Big Bee Agri-five bush hog for $2750. The seller accepted $2500 cash and the next day I drove to her new home. It was less than 2.5 miles but felt like FOREVER - probably since this was my first time driving a tractor and I used medium gear most of the trip. Ever seen a black man hold up traffic going 1.7 mph on a tractor? My wife kept passing by and making fun of me, telling me hurry up. :laughing: We eventually made it home where she's been parked ever since, which brings me to my question... what do I do now?
She has a little over 1500 hours and starts quickly with a little puff of smoke. According to the seller, he purchased her new almost 30 years ago and the only problems are the fuel gauge is inaccurate, some of the lights don't work and the right brake sticks a little. He told me the bush hog was sharpened last year and suggested I change the oil (the date on the filter says 2010). However, I decided to change all the fluids and filters.
The transmission oil is barely visible at the bottom of the dipstick. I'm not sure what's in there now but the manual recommends Permatran III or SAE 80 GL-3 GL-4. The closest dealer is 78 miles so I'm trying to find an equivalent locally. I'm leaning towards Traveller's brand UTF at TSC? Can anyone vouch for it or suggest something better? They also carry Traveller's RENEW for older tractors. However, I'm not sure if '84 is considered an old tractor? As for engine oil, the manual recommends Multiguard or equivalent meeting or exceeding MIL-L-46152 requirements, API Service "CC/SE" in appropriate viscosity: 40 deg. F and above - SAE 30W, 10W-30. Below 40 deg. F - SAE 10W-30. However, it also mentions 15W-40 may be used in ambient temperatures above 14 deg. F. I'm leaning towards Rotella but unsure whether I should get 10W-30 synthetic or 15W-40?
My wife bought a tube of Lucas X-tra Heavy Duty Grease. However, the manual recommends M-1105 or equivalent lithium based grease No. 2. Therefore, I think I should get Lucas Red 'N Tacky #2 or some other kind? However, since I already loaded up the tube, perhaps I can still use it for my ztr? I bought a gallon of Peak 50/50 antifreeze/coolant. Do I need to figure out how to drain out the old or just pour in the new? Other than checking the tire pressure, is there anything else I need to do? I appreciate any and all input. Thanks and God bless!
I been reading posts and scouring craigslist for months trying to find a tractor to bush hog approx. 4 acres of pasture land. Well I recently contacted my local TYM dealer to get some recommendations. The owner told me one of his long time customers just purchased a bigger tractor and was selling his '85 MF 1030 with Big Bee Agri-five bush hog for $2750. The seller accepted $2500 cash and the next day I drove to her new home. It was less than 2.5 miles but felt like FOREVER - probably since this was my first time driving a tractor and I used medium gear most of the trip. Ever seen a black man hold up traffic going 1.7 mph on a tractor? My wife kept passing by and making fun of me, telling me hurry up. :laughing: We eventually made it home where she's been parked ever since, which brings me to my question... what do I do now?
She has a little over 1500 hours and starts quickly with a little puff of smoke. According to the seller, he purchased her new almost 30 years ago and the only problems are the fuel gauge is inaccurate, some of the lights don't work and the right brake sticks a little. He told me the bush hog was sharpened last year and suggested I change the oil (the date on the filter says 2010). However, I decided to change all the fluids and filters.
The transmission oil is barely visible at the bottom of the dipstick. I'm not sure what's in there now but the manual recommends Permatran III or SAE 80 GL-3 GL-4. The closest dealer is 78 miles so I'm trying to find an equivalent locally. I'm leaning towards Traveller's brand UTF at TSC? Can anyone vouch for it or suggest something better? They also carry Traveller's RENEW for older tractors. However, I'm not sure if '84 is considered an old tractor? As for engine oil, the manual recommends Multiguard or equivalent meeting or exceeding MIL-L-46152 requirements, API Service "CC/SE" in appropriate viscosity: 40 deg. F and above - SAE 30W, 10W-30. Below 40 deg. F - SAE 10W-30. However, it also mentions 15W-40 may be used in ambient temperatures above 14 deg. F. I'm leaning towards Rotella but unsure whether I should get 10W-30 synthetic or 15W-40?
My wife bought a tube of Lucas X-tra Heavy Duty Grease. However, the manual recommends M-1105 or equivalent lithium based grease No. 2. Therefore, I think I should get Lucas Red 'N Tacky #2 or some other kind? However, since I already loaded up the tube, perhaps I can still use it for my ztr? I bought a gallon of Peak 50/50 antifreeze/coolant. Do I need to figure out how to drain out the old or just pour in the new? Other than checking the tire pressure, is there anything else I need to do? I appreciate any and all input. Thanks and God bless!
Furthermore, the new fuel filter would not fit into the sediment bowl. I read somewhere they have a tendency to shrink over time which would explain why I had to pry out the bottom of the old filter with a pair of needle nose pliers. 