Rotary Cutter Easier way to change gear box oil
- Thread starter two4spooky
- Start date
- Views: 4427
hey how often do you change the gear box oil. I run my brush cutter around 7-15 hours a year. I have been changing at the end of the season but was wondering if this may be to much. Oil always looks good when it comes out, and I know this is cheap insurance, any way looking for some input. thanks
boggen
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
- 3,789
- Location
- Trivoli, IL
- Tractor
- SSTT (Sideways Snake Tain Tractor) and STB (sideways train box) tractor, dirt harvester
perfect timing!
put the #90 transmission oil. what the "new idea" 425 rotatory cutter manual noted, on the todo buy list earlier today.
i am not going to like cleaning this gear box. unscrewed the cap to check. and all i could see was old nasty clumps of grease inside. and no oil level what so ever. ((recently bought this at an auction))
to be honest the manual i found at AGCO Parts Books doesn't list oil level? i am assuming just fill it up to point it about to overflow out of the cap hole?
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as far as diesel, you hooked it up to tractor. and left diesel in it. while it ran for? how long?
same Q for motor oil?
put the #90 transmission oil. what the "new idea" 425 rotatory cutter manual noted, on the todo buy list earlier today.
i am not going to like cleaning this gear box. unscrewed the cap to check. and all i could see was old nasty clumps of grease inside. and no oil level what so ever. ((recently bought this at an auction))
to be honest the manual i found at AGCO Parts Books doesn't list oil level? i am assuming just fill it up to point it about to overflow out of the cap hole?
===============
as far as diesel, you hooked it up to tractor. and left diesel in it. while it ran for? how long?
same Q for motor oil?
OP
two4spooky
Bronze Member
Combustix- I am not an expert but your schedule(end of year) sounds good to me. Like you say "cheap insurance", equipment is too expensive to not maintain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- boggen- I would not put a load on the cutter with deisel in it. Just let it spin at idle for a minute or two. With the motor oil in I cut for about 15 or 20 minutes each time between refilling, this seemed to really help. My tractor/rotary cutter combination cuts lite stuff well at lower RPM @1500-1700. This is how I ran it with motor oil in, I did not want load the cutter too bad. ****Carefull checking the level first time. The breather had failed on my gear box and the box had pressure on it. Gear oil sprayed everywhere, including on me. Nothing smells (or taste) like gear oil. 
clemsonfor
Super Member
90 degrees i think would be easy, just hook to the 3pt and lift. I would have sprayed deisel out of a spray bottle in it or just let flat filled with deisel and then verticle again.
Your gonna get water again unless you can figure out how it got there.
clemsonfor
Super Member
That greese is prolly just that greese. It was prolly a leaky gear box that someone filled with greese to permanantly lube it.
OP
two4spooky
Bronze Member
Did you read the thread? 90 degrees is vertical. You are saying the three point would raise 1100lbs. cutter 8' (front to back) straight up to stand the cutter on the tail wheel after undoing the top link? Amazing, I have never seen a 3 point with quite that much lift. Still would not work though. Look at the pic, the check level plug(lowest drain point) is on the right hand side. Or your saying you can lift 6' (width) straight up buy grabbing the side of the cutter with the three point? Color me curious- take a pic and show how you do this. :thumbsup: Also the "...water again.." comment. The gear box on this cutter is VENTED. So, let's see. As the gear box heats up with use the air in the gear box heats and expands, venting through the breather. After use the gear box cools, the air contracts and sucks in outside air (read: moist or humid air, this is the South!!). After enough cycles(uses) the oil becomes fouled with water. I would guess many gear boxes are vented like this to prevent the seals from leaking prematurely. But then again the post I made above mentions the breather having failed. Both breathers, the old one that failed and the newer one with dipstick, are in the first pic also. Wheww, Man, that was a mouth full! Anyhow, off to the races!
clemsonfor
Super Member
Yea i know what you mean and realize that i left a few words out. I meant hook the chain to the 3pt structure and lift with the FEL to verticle. I did not say that though. And as i typed it i also thought of the condensation issue of an open vented case. Get hot in the fall put up and as it cools in the 40 degree night you get condensation.