Do your own Fluids and Filters on a BX

[JOHNTHOMAS]

My last purchase one year old BX18xx now has 25 hours so may need to read my old post to see how to service it when time comes. Spent last few days at Barlows trying to spend money and alas I did. Only $2600 for a tiller, paid for but not delivered and considered a z turn but right shoulder prevents lever steer. A year without a trade is scaring me....

 

[sixdogs]

Good sticky thread, JOHNTHOMAS. It's a great referral thread for guys that think they can't do it. Not all at once, you can't. No one can. You do it a little at a time. Then you can do it.

I do one thing at a time, especially if something I haven't done before. I read about it, look at what I have to do and then think about it.I might even do a mental dry run. By then, I'm pretty clued in. I may do fuel filter one day and air filters the next.

That way, no simple mistakes, and I take my time doing a perfect job and I know the job was done right. No high school kid doing my gear oil change and putting the plugs back in with an impact gun. I've seen that done--and much worse.

Over the years and decades, I bet I've saved many thousands of dollars doing my own work and doing it better than anyone else could do it for me. I have skin in the game and now know my equip in and out.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Still alive. Back to Barlows for purchase number 33, RTV900 for mountain driving since I still own the mountain.

 

[newbury]

John -
Do you have a record for major purchase from Barlows?

 

[Tractor Seabee]

In 2004, having spent all 58 of my previous years in cities, I moved to 5 acres in SW Washington. After 2 years I figured out I needed a Tractor, and got a 2230. With no dealer closer than an hour away, and not having a trailer or a hitch, I learned how to maintain it on the fly. Doing spring maintenance with my daughter became a ritual. It was one of the best times, and I was always glad to think she was getting a great education in common sense. We did this until she went to college, and then a job in the big city, 1000 miles away.

We drive the tractor up onto 2" concrete pavers (stacked 2/wheel), put the emergency brake on and leave it in gear, and always pull the mower deck. We change the fluids and filters, according to the manual schedule. Except I still don't have a good way to change the fuel filters without getting gas all over me. We did it every year since, except the years when I've been sick after she left.

She's coming home later this month, for her first visit in a couple of years, and JT, I just sent her your picture from page 1 of this thread, of your mower deck up on its back edge, so she knows what's in her future.

Great thread, guys. Keep it up.

Been doing my BX 25 since new (2011). Approx 1600 hrs on it now and due. Too cold and rainy as I do not have garage room for it, may wait till spring. I have never used Kubota fluids and filters. I get all my supplies at NAPA. Get a real close equivalent to K transmission fluid and use DELO LE 400 engine oil. Keep a set of replacements on hand.

My solution on the fuel filters is I installed a valve in the line from the tank and moved the filter from under the hood to underneath with the other one. Found the hoses reverse perfectly.

I have seen no problems in not using K fluids.

I have a 50 gl bulk diesel tank with hand pump and filter ahead of the hose. I use an extra heavy dose of Staybil 360 Marine each refill. Never have had a problem with moisture or algae.

There are two repairs, replacing the transmission fan and the radiator belt that will really challenged the shade tree mechanic like me. Found that the belt listed in the Parts manual is the wrong one. Even the dealer's parts system gave me the wrong one. Lost a whole day on that one. Standard set of metric wrenches does not get you too the bolts had to get offset long handle ones. And it was a two man job to make it easier to get it over both pulleys.

Replaced several interlock switches over time and the OPC Timer Relay. Trouble shooting those items was challenging.

My next repairs are:
1 Replacing the seat. the covering broke down at about 1000 hrs and got worse and worse. The dealer wants over $400 for a new seat. Found an adequate replacement on Amazon for a little over $100.

2. Replacing the Instrument panel, second time, the have propensity to get condensation in them and shorting out.

3. Replacing the combination light switch as it is broken.

4. Replacing the rear light blinker unit. It failed long ago.

5. Replace both rear lights, they are vulnerable to breakage.

If I can do these things, if you have basic tool skills, you can too.

Things I cold not do without are the Workshop Manual and the Parts Manual. Saved me many times over what they cost. Saves a lot of head scratching also. But there is still a lot you have to figure out on your own. Especially helpful on electrical and hydraulic problems.

Lots of fun wrenching, Ron