How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter?

   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #1  

kco

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2004
Messages
1,191
Location
Armstrong, BC
Tractor
Kioti DK35 SE HST (2011)
My Kioti DK35SE service manual calls for changing the air filter after 6 times of cleaning or every year.

For my conditions that seems much too often. My work is in virtually dust-free conditions. I finally did change my filter after 18 months with the tractor at 400 hours. But I'm quite sure it wasn't necessary since the filter did not look very dirty and I could see light through it. My dealer knows my area and conditions and agreed strictly following the manual wastes money, and my not changing it would have no effect on my warranty.

I'll purchase another filter($60) and keep it on hand, but I imagine it will be another year or two before it needs changing.

So I'm wondering--how do people determine when their air filters need changing.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #2  
check with a light for holes but when the dirt no longer comes out when I tap it against the tire then its time for a change.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #3  
check with a light for holes but when the dirt no longer comes out when I tap it against the tire then its time for a change.

As long as it is cleanable and has no holes in it, keep using it. My tractor has a double filter and I changed the outside one at 500 HRS and the inside one rarely is dirty. I blow the outside filter every time I change the oil. usually once a year in the fall.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #4  
I have put over a thousand hours on a 120 HP tractor and never put on a new air filter. Just blow out the dust daily. As long as the inner filter is clean, there is no leaks and no need to change it. Just tapped it on the tire to remove the loose dirt when no air compressor was available.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #5  
My Kioti DK35SE service manual calls for changing the air filter after 6 times of cleaning or every year.

For my conditions that seems much too often. My work is in virtually dust-free conditions. I finally did change my filter after 18 months with the tractor at 400 hours. But I'm quite sure it wasn't necessary since the filter did not look very dirty and I could see light through it. My dealer knows my area and conditions and agreed strictly following the manual wastes money, and my not changing it would have no effect on my warranty.

I'll purchase another filter($60) and keep it on hand, but I imagine it will be another year or two before it needs changing.

So I'm wondering--how do people determine when their air filters need changing.



I take it the Kioti does not have a secondary safety filter?

If it had an oil bath oil filter as precleaner I would change it
per the recommended hours of service but as it is a paper element
I would change it more often as one little hole can cause a lot of damage.

That was the nice thing about Ford Jubilee's Duetz air cooled tractors and
their oil bath air filters as you are able to check them quickly and add oil
as needed and change the oil and clean the bowl when needed quickly.

The other thing is that washing and blowing out air filters is real no no and
the filter paper does degrade over time.

An oli bath precleaner for a paper cartridge removes 95 percent of any dirt or more
before it enter the cartridge air filter as well.


You can buy paper air filter inexpensively also as they have to meet minimum standards
of filtration per square meter of treated filter paper.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #6  
I hate to be crude...but the best way I know when to check the air filter (clean or replace) is by my nose (open station)... if I'm inhaling particles so is the tractor...
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #7  
Doesn't your tractor have an air restriction indicator? Most modern tractors come with a primary and safety (secondary) element. They also usually have an air restriction indicator intended to keep a person from screwing with the filter too much, damaging it, and dusting the engine.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #8  
My old Farmall C had the oil bath type filter and every year in the fall when I changed the engine oil I would change the filter oil as well.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #9  
No, the Kioti does not have the inner saftey element, but bobcat had it installed as part of their desing changes. If you want one see a Bobcat dealer.
$60 for the air filter? Bobcat sells the outer filter for less than $25. It is same one used on most of their excavators and smaller loaders.
Please, do not blow out an air filter with compressed air. The force of the air can easily blow a pin hole in the element allowing dirt to go through and destroy and engine. If you need blow one out, ues a low pressure blower such as a leave blower or shop vac with hose on the discharge side. Tapping them on the wheel or ground can cause the glue at the end of the element to break loose and provide a passage for dirt around the filter, so is just as risky as using compressed air.
When do you know when to change it? Watch for tell tell signs of exhaust smoke or engine seems to be slightly under powered than normal.
 
   / How Do You Determine When to Change Your Air Filter? #10  
My little 2120 NH tells me it's time to tend to the air filter when I begin to lose a bit of power
 
 
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