Ouch!

   / Ouch! #31  
Axle's suggestions are spot-on. If you've done shade tree mechanic stuff to your cars, you can do routine maintenance on a tractor. Oil and filter change are easier than a car. Hydro filter changes are simple. Fuel filter is messy but not difficult. Front diff is simple - could be messy. A few five gallon buckets to catch the hydro fluid makes it simple. Lubing zerks is the same for all of us - find it, lube it. I'd bet 1100 Canadian dollars that the 'pro' mechanic will miss at least one zerk OR will find one that does not take grease and NOT lube it. Do it yourself. No one cares about that machine as much as you do.

YOU will torque everything to spec. YOU will make sure all drain plugs have a crush washer installed. YOU will check fluids after the change. YOU will make sure the funnels and areas around the fill ports are spotless before pouring fluids through them.
 
   / Ouch! #32  
Fastball,

I think my idea adapts something you may or may not be considering. Being a shade tree mechanic is fine qualifications for the things you've previously done. But the problem is, there is a bunch you've never done.

Why i suggested it was from my own experience, i dd the same things i suggested for you. I am a trained industrial arts instructor. I've built my own house and taught the subs what to do. I have a ton of tools and equipment and worked on motorcycles and boats and car and truck activities at times.

But i didn't do the hydro or corect my deck adjustment issues. And my unit was 80 hours old so i didn't need to worry about plugged zerk fittings from years of not using them.

My point is, there are some small sentences in manuals that you don't know to look for . . . Like a special filter for the hydro beyong the regular Filter and its nowhere near the normal one. You certainly can choose how ever you want to operate, I'm just saying that too often guys let their ego make their decisions instead of their common sense.

I changed my own mmm gearbox fluid which was tricky but i did it far better than a mechanic would have for some special reasons, but i let "a wrench" do my hydro and fuel filter and hydro filter and front axle. And this year I'll let the dealer do my dif lock and mmm adjustment knob andtorque all the bolts and nuts.

For me . . . Its about keeping costs in line but using excellent components and proper uses of skills.

I've also learned over the years that many farmers are sharper andbetter than others think. They learned mechanic activity on less complicated equipment first and now they are very good at it because they lived with the result if their 1st mistakes and got better and better over years.
 
   / Ouch! #33  
AxelHub....thanks for the suggestions. I have a decent assortment of tools and have done my share of shadetree mechanical stuff on a collection of machinery over the years...but this is my first go-round with a tractor. I知 getting the impression that a lot of this stuff is perfectly do-able by a fairly savvy guy. I just wanted him (at some cost, as it turns out) to do the work and I would watch him like a hawk for future reference. The filters, etc, look like no problem...the theory is the same universally. My concern was for the stuff I壇 never done before - hydro fluid, front transaxle, etc. Just finding a way to catch 40-odd liters of hydro fluid when all I have is a pail, for example. I figure once the hydro, etc is changed, I should be good for a couple years at least on that front.
Trust me, once I suss out oil changes, fuel filter replacements and the location of every zerk, I think I知 good to fly solo.
The greatest thing is, though...this site. Awesome and absolutely invaluable. Ever since he moved in last summer, my new neighbour has been looking enviously at the rest of us guys who own tractors of various sizes. He just pulled the trigger on a new Kioti Ck2510 and has been peppering us with questions. I致e recommended this site wholeheartedly.

Cheap plastic 'storage bins' are my solution to that.

They come in various sizes, are usually clear plastic (for spotting any debris) and cover a large ground area in case of spillage. "Dollar" stores & hardware stores have stacks of them.
 
   / Ouch! #34  
I can see some merit in what the OP is doing. If I just bought a used tractor that I am questioning the maintenance on I'd take to the dealer and let them service and run over everything to let me know if there are issues I might miss. I've done the same on cars. Sure I can do an oil change or whatever and do it cheaper than they charge but I figure let them have the gravy money if that means they get their hands dirtier.
 
   / Ouch! #35  
Fastball,

If I might suggest an alternative. Let me guess that you don't have alot of tools or drain pans or ????

While posters are well intended, they may have forgotten long ago what it felt like to approach the idea of a lengthy list of tasks you've never done before.

So my alternative is this. Start with finding out from your dad what things have been serviced in that 800 hours and at what point were they done.

Then, start with the easiest to do and work forward over time until you hit your limit.

Why this way? Because let's say the engine oil hasn't been changed in 700 of those 800 hours. If that was the case, you can change it once yourself and then put some engine flush in and change it again. Why this? Because if the oil is that old in years and in hours, one change isn't going to get it good. And you doing both changes keeps cost down but learning up and your engine oil is really clean.

Then you could do the air cleaner also and did your dad grease the unit regularly? If not you could grease the unit to find out if you have any Zerks that are jammed up.

My point is, I'm assuming you are limited in your equipment and in experience, so do a few things well and then see what else you might be capable of doing and learn slowly. THEN, there will be things to have the dealer service person do preferably on site. If you have him do everything, its too many things to remember in too fast a time. If you get the easy ones out of the way first. . . . you can cross them off the list and off the billing slip so the service guy doesn't do them.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not talking weeks of delay. I'm talking you maybe doing your items you want over a couple days after you've assembled the needed filters and oils that YOU WILL do.

The goal is not to stretch this out over weeks, but rather to reduce the list in length for the service guy to do that YOU CAN handle. For you to attempt to do everything on your 1st effort I believe is too daunting in size and lengthy in effort.

Let the service guy replace the belts and torque all the bolts etc.. Maybe if he does the hydro change, because once done you don't need to do it for 400 or 500 hours and hydro isn't as important as the engine oil getting thoroughly cleaned . . . Because the hydro fluid doesn't get contaminated like the engine oil does.

My point is, do some and have some done. That way you can use Tractorbynet as a source for suggestions on choice of engine oil or gearbox oil or grease or oil flyers etc. And let the service guy deal with the harder items and choices so you can SEE not just read and guess.

Again, I think it's important you get your hands dirty on a couple of things or a few things. And do them before the service guy comes so he can make sure you did them right before he starts doing other things.

With this idea, you're learning but not risking. . . . and you are also saving money.

One last thing. Find out from Tractorbynet posters what filters will work on your tractor for the items YOU WILL DO YOURSELF. You may find big savings on some compared to genuine dealer ones. Most of us are U. S. based so we don't know why products are available to you or at what prices.

Just my ideas for you to gravitate toward self reliance. But start with pumping your dad on anything he had done over the years (and when) . . . an important piece of your decision making starts with that.

just my thinking for some stress free learning.

P. S. Whatever you drain out, measure, so you know to put back at least that much. And save what you drain so you can show the service guy.. It does cost you for him to look at it but it could tell him alot (if you do my two times oil change I'm suggesting. . . . save each draining separately and preferably in clear plastic bottles (hint, he would look for shiny metal flaking in the oil).


Also the first time you service the machine do one thing at a time. Don't try to drain the oil, drain the transmission, drain the axles, etc. all at once. I guarantee you will either put the wrong fluid in the wrong place, or the wrong filter, or forget to put a plug in.

I'm not telling how I found this out!

RSKY
 
   / Ouch! #36  
Also the first time you service the machine do one thing at a time. Don't try to drain the oil, drain the transmission, drain the axles, etc. all at once. I guarantee you will either put the wrong fluid in the wrong place, or the wrong filter, or forget to put a plug in.

I'm not telling how I found this out!

RSKY

Exactly my point.
 
   / Ouch! #37  
I just bought a 500 hr TD80D new Holland and am going through it myself. I'm about 3 days into it and have lots more to do. Basically the only maintenance I've got done to date is an oil change. The hydraulic fluid looks really clean and it doesn't call for a change till 600 hrs. I'm thinking just a new filter and top off. Definitely new fuel and air filters. And grease every zerk on it. The book doesn't call for all the gear boxes oil till 1200 hrs. So, I'm just going to check all of them for level and cleanliness.
I'm not putting the tractor to work till hay cutting time so, I've been fixing everything I'm finding wrong. So far I've had to replace two leaking o-rings, a stuck throttle cable, new battery, and fix a loose connection on the alternator. The liftomatic cable needed adjustment as well as the parking brake cable. I've found several loose and missing bolts.
I have the owner and service manual so I'm learning as I go. It's like the other guy said. None of it is extremely complicated but, I've been working on cars, tractors, and farm machinery my whole life. I like to do maintenance in the winter so I don't have to rush. Sometimes I make mistakes when I rush. I'll be working on this and my other Tractors on and off for the next couple months. And, maintenance is so expensive by the time you buy everything it really pays to do it yourself.
 
   / Ouch! #38  
I just bought a 500 hr TD80D new Holland and am going through it myself. I'm about 3 days into it and have lots more to do. Basically the only maintenance I've got done to date is an oil change. The hydraulic fluid looks really clean and it doesn't call for a change till 600 hrs. I'm thinking just a new filter and top off. Definitely new fuel and air filters. And grease every zerk on it. The book doesn't call for all the gear boxes oil till 1200 hrs. So, I'm just going to check all of them for level and cleanliness.
I'm not putting the tractor to work till hay cutting time so, I've been fixing everything I'm finding wrong. So far I've had to replace two leaking o-rings, a stuck throttle cable, new battery, and fix a loose connection on the alternator. The liftomatic cable needed adjustment as well as the parking brake cable. I've found several loose and missing bolts.
I have the owner and service manual so I'm learning as I go. It's like the other guy said. None of it is extremely complicated but, I've been working on cars, tractors, and farm machinery my whole life. I like to do maintenance in the winter so I don't have to rush. Sometimes I make mistakes when I rush. I'll be working on this and my other Tractors on and off for the next couple months. And, maintenance is so expensive by the time you buy everything it really pays to do it yourself.

I approach my yearly maintenance routine the same way. No better way to learn your machine than spend a few evenings in the shop looking it over and slow-motion servicing it. The service tech will be there to do only what he is being paid to do. He won't have time to lay under the machine and look it over, and, frankly - he doesn't really care about doing that. He's there to do what he is assigned and that is that. Not meant to be an insult, but he's not being paid to go over things with a fine-tooth comb. Think he will clean your battery terminals and smear dielectric grease on them? Not a chance. Will he remove your mesh grille and straighten it out and re-install? Will he degrease your engine?

With your background, I urge you to spend a few evenings or a Saturday / Sunday with your new machine and 'bond' with it. It pays off.
 
   / Ouch! #39  
If it were me, I'd look over the entire tractor, gather filters and oil, antifreeze, etc. and prepare to get dirty.
I'd skip the transmission fluid change and check the fluid for color and level as it is now. If it's clear and not milky then delay it till later, if ever. So long as it stay clean, and is kept topped off I ONLY change the filter(s), but NOT the fluid. My selling dealer encouraged me to do this from the get go on my first Kioti, purchased in 2009, and traded for the next bigger model a year later. Between the two I've never changed the hydro fluid, but I have topped it off as necessary during 1500+ hours accumulated on both tractors since 2009. No problems whatsoever.
You can do all the other things that need to get done. It's not difficult, it is common sense, and taking your time to check everything over.

Put an average of 2-3 pumps of fresh high quality grease in every zerk you can find. Note how many are on the tractor, loader, and whatever implements may be attached for future reference. Go back and fix/replace any that won't take grease. Find out what grease or oil is required for your front differential and use it. After several hours of use recheck level. Do same a few days later. Check alternator belt for cracks and slick surface on bottom side. Replace if cracked or over-glazed on bottom side, or over # of hours for recommended change.
Ask questions here if needing answers.
Personally, I don't see the need to double up on oil changes. Just run engine to operating temp, then drain engine oil and remove oil filter. Add fresh oil - I recommend full synthetic Mobil 1 or Shell Rotella. Viscosity to suit your climate.
Coolant, change based on how it rates on an antifreeze gauge- available in any auto store, and how much time it's been in the cooling system. It will breakdown over time, so a change, if nothing else, can be based on hours on the clock.
Check tire pressures, and fill to recommended by your tractor owner's manual, or on sidewall of tire.
You don't need a journeyman mechanic to show you what/how to do things, all you need is the TBN members.

BTW, FWIW, I owned and operated a foreign auto repair shop for many years. When I got my first tractor in 2009, I had no experience owning or servicing a tractor. I had operated other's machines but had done absolutely no maintenance on one. I am completely self taught on tractors, and you can do it just like I did. Before I did auto work I had no prior experience in that field, I learned as I worked with a partner who had auto tech school training. Mechanical aptitude and studying what you need to know is mostly what it takes, like anything worth learning.
 
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   / Ouch! #40  
The only things I found different in service/maintenance between my tractor and all the various vehicles I have serviced through the years:

1) Hydraulics - LOTS of fluid (mine's HST), BIG, HEAVY filter that can be a bear to get off with regular oil filter wrenches (I use this one 2" to 4-1/4" Oil Filter Wrench works a treat!).

2) Much easier to get to most things like drain plugs, filters, fill ports.

3) You'll want to use oil and coolant intended for diesel engines. My faves are Shell Rotella T6 synthetic and NAPA Fleet Guard.

4) Bunches of grease zerks.
 

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