Anyone DIY dye their hydro oil?

[hube2]

JD sells it, it's expensive per ml, you might get 2 fills out of it but they suggest it's for 5 gallons (if it's pasty or dried up, add hydraulic fluid and stir!) ... I bought mine from https://www.zoro.com/kingscote-dye-...red-4-oz-506250-r4/i/G5130815/#specifications (I bought some gloves also to bump total up to get "free shipping!")

Wear gloves, I recommend pouring/dripping it into the jug, then pouring into tractor ...

View attachment 4265377

2 drops per gallon ...

View attachment 4265378

same stuff I use

 

[airbiscuit]

I use the JD dye. It works, turns the oil red. Does not take much. My L3600 has a sight glass, could not see the oil without the dye. Easy, just pour it in. Might mix with some of the oil to pour easier.

I use the JD dye in my 25 year old Kubota. It works great

 

[Shawn T. W.]

the fluid on the dipstick still looks clear!

Did it ever turn red?

 

[Equatorial Malaise]

I need to do this during my next fluid changes, especially on the Kioti.

 

[Wagtail]

Following.

But I've never had to dye my Hy fluid.

 

[WinterDeere]

Did it ever turn red?

I haven't been out in daylight this week to check, and the tractor has only run a few short stints for loading pallets on trucks. This weekend will be spent working on the trailer (gotta paint!) and blowing leaves, so no tractor time, but I'll at least try to check the fluid on the tractor... I'll have to move the tractor to get the mower out, anyway.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Just my guess, but even if you have 10 gallons capacity, not only should you see it, but your pump should totally circulate it in less than 2 minutes ... As that would be 5 gallon a minute ...

 

[TMGT]

I've never had to dye my hyd fluid, but maybe that's because all my equipment have dipsticks instead of sure glasses.

Sent from my SM-S921U using TractorByNet mobile app

 

[hube2]

I can see my fluid in the glass fine in the daylight, but in my shed at 5am it is like a cave and I only have.... the equivalent of a 60W bulb that does not give me light enough to see the fluid in the glass and my flashlight and drop light both cause too much glare on the glass to see un-dyed fluid. With the red dye I have none of these issues.

 

[joea99]

I’ve never had an issue with a sight glass if it was properly filled. If the level isn’t within glass it can be hard to know if it’s low or high. The tube glasses are better in that aspect but some sight glasses are only about the size of a quarter. My skid steer sight glass has a ball that floats in the tube that fixes that issue. I also carry a pocket flashlight that I probably use 50 times daily.

Forgot about too low or too high. But there might be other indications that caused one to look. Maybe.