400 hour Service Advice

[Rhino35]

Hey All,

I have a 2013 Kioti DK40 four wheel drive, hydrostatic tranny, I bought new. I had the full recommended 50 hour service done by my dealership, which changes out all fluids and associated filters. Since then I've averaged 50 hours of use every year - some moving of dirt and gravel with the FEL, mostly bush hogging every fall, and just turned 400 hours. I have done my own oil and oil filter changes every 50 hours, lubricated the zerks frequently, and both engine and hydraulic fluid levels have remained constant.

I have been planning on having the dealership do another full service at 400 hours, the recommended hourly interval. These are expensive - be close to $1,000 - and I'm not even totally sure I trust the dealership to actually do the fluid change. It is a terrible thing to have become skeptical of most things at 64 years of age!

What I guess I forgot about reading in the manual in 2013 was there is a 200 hour service too. What caught my eye now is a "replace the fuel line every 200 hours or 2 years" note by that service, saying these fuel lines can degrade over time. Ooops!

The tractor is always cleaned up after use and is kept inside an insulated, heated detached garage, and in winter, when I haven't used the tractor, I set the heat at 40 F so it never gets colder than that. Part of me wants to blow off this 400 hour service because I've really been good about the engine oil - and the tractor is running great (other than some overheating during bush hogging up hills I mentioned in another thread) - and the ol' "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" advice keeps bubbling up in my thinking.

On the other hand I know preventive maintenance is important. And, hey, at any minute that fuel line, now six years old, might spontaneously burst engulfing me and my tractor in flames! I might go out to the garage and find a huge pool of diesel fuel under the tractor. What I don't know is how critical it is to do the biggest item on these 50 and 400 hour services - changing out the hydraulic fluid and filter - and changing out the front axle fluid.

And has anyone ever had a problem with a fuel line degrading simply over time?

Standing by for incoming!

 

[WranglerX]

What can dealer provide for $1000 that you can not do for maybe $200.....

Dale

 

[Roadworthy]

I had my Mitsubishi (diesel) for over fifteen years. I sold it with the same fuel line it came with. I have no idea whether it degraded as it never dumped fuel in its parking place. I did have to replace some fuel lines in my 1969 F100 pickup a couple of years ago. I think the alcohol in the gasoline got to them. If you elect to change your own fluids, in this state (Washington) about any dealer who sells oil will accept oil at no charge with a five gallon per day limit per person.

 

[ericm979]

You definitely need to change the filters and fluids on schedule or reasonably close to it. The oil does break down even though it does not get as hot as engine oil. The gears and HST shear the oil and break the long chain molecules. Crud accumulates in the filters. The fuel line can be inspected and changed if it needs it. It's under low pressure. Diesel is not that volatile. If it bursts it'll make a mess and be inconvenient but you're not likely to end up in a fireball.

Changing the fluids and filters is not hard to do yourself. I just changed the trans fluid and filters for the second time on my Branson. I might be imagining things but the hydraulics seem to move a bit smoother and the HST seems to work a little better.

 

[Rhino35]

What can dealer provide for $1000 that you can not do for maybe $200.....

Dale

A good question, Dale. You picked up on the context of my post, which is the tractor isn't something that has been neglected and needs a lot of work.

Two things I can think of the dealership should provide, both surmountable by me with some effort at home. One is expertise, but that is increasingly available on YouTube by, IMHO, wonderful people who take the time to do instructional videos. And here.

The other thing is containers to catch many gallons of draining hydraulic fluid. There is a thread where someone said it got out of hand and made a pretty good mess.

 

[joeyd]

If you can change oil you can do the 400 hour service. Just make sure you have a container to hold the waste fluid, your tractor probably holds 7-8 gals of hydraulic fluid.

 

[Rhino35]

Roadworthy,

The manual 2 year caution did get me wondering, "what do they make their fuel lines out of?" Like, cardboard? Maybe they are concerned both UV rays and temperature swings will screw up the rubber, or whatever it is made out of.

We've got an Advanced Auto Parts nearby and they have a big tank for waste petroleum products. I use it regularly - good service for the environment and I think, when oil is a big more expensive, they make a little change for collecting it.

 

[fried1765]

Hey All,

I have a 2013 Kioti DK40 four wheel drive, hydrostatic tranny, I bought new. I had the full recommended 50 hour service done by my dealership, which changes out all fluids and associated filters. Since then I've averaged 50 hours of use every year - some moving of dirt and gravel with the FEL, mostly bush hogging every fall, and just turned 400 hours. I have done my own oil and oil filter changes every 50 hours, lubricated the zerks frequently, and both engine and hydraulic fluid levels have remained constant.

I have been planning on having the dealership do another full service at 400 hours, the recommended hourly interval. These are expensive - be close to $1,000 - and I'm not even totally sure I trust the dealership to actually do the fluid change. It is a terrible thing to have become skeptical of most things at 64 years of age!

What I guess I forgot about reading in the manual in 2013 was there is a 200 hour service too. What caught my eye now is a "replace the fuel line every 200 hours or 2 years" note by that service, saying these fuel lines can degrade over time. Ooops!

The tractor is always cleaned up after use and is kept inside an insulated, heated detached garage, and in winter, when I haven't used the tractor, I set the heat at 40 F so it never gets colder than that. Part of me wants to blow off this 400 hour service because I've really been good about the engine oil - and the tractor is running great (other than some overheating during bush hogging up hills I mentioned in another thread) - and the ol' "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" advice keeps bubbling up in my thinking.

On the other hand I know preventive maintenance is important. And, hey, at any minute that fuel line, now six years old, might spontaneously burst engulfing me and my tractor in flames! I might go out to the garage and find a huge pool of diesel fuel under the tractor. What I don't know is how critical it is to do the biggest item on these 50 and 400 hour services - changing out the hydraulic fluid and filter - and changing out the front axle fluid.

And has anyone ever had a problem with a fuel line degrading simply over time?

Standing by for incoming!

My 2006 Kubota L48TLB has an oil cooler (?) hose change time recommendation.
As I recall, it is recommended that it be replaced every two years.
My tractor is now 14 years old (I only bought it last year), and has 250 actual hours.
The hose is soft and flexible, and though it is 14 years old, I have absolutely no intention of replacing it.

 

[Rhino35]

Eric,

Good to hear, thanks for the feedback (and to others).

A thing I omitted stressing is that the tractor has been run hotter than the place on the temperature gauge where it usually sits than I'd have liked. So your point about fluid breakdown due to heat...yeah, that is a consideration.

Okay, I'll do it myself!

Ummmm, as soon as I'm done binge-watching Game of Thrones, and reruns of Andy of Mayberry, and, let's see here...finding some Doritos there in the back of the kitchen cabinet.

Well, I do have some projects to do, but it is going to be a long enough winter for me to handle this.

One final thought that might give you guys pause...this is what happened when I changed the fluid in my car's differential.

 

[Rhino35]

Eric,

Good to hear, thanks for the feedback (and to others).

A thing I omitted stressing is that the tractor has been run hotter than the place on the temperature gauge where it usually sits than I'd have liked. So your point about fluid breakdown due to heat...yeah, that is a consideration.

Okay, I'll do it myself!

Ummmm, as soon as I'm done binge-watching Game of Thrones, and reruns of Andy of Mayberry, and, let's see here...finding some Doritos there in the back of the kitchen cabinet.

Well, I do have some projects to do, but it is going to be a long enough winter for me to handle this.

One final thought that might give you guys pause...this is what happened when I changed the fluid in my car's differential.

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