Oil & Fuel Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets?

   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #1  

bitternut

Silver Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2002
Messages
141
Location
Western NY
Tractor
2000 John Deere 5210 mfwd, John Deere 350C Crawler
My 5210 is needing its 1200 hour hydraulic oil change. Since this will require two 5 gal pails of HY-GARD plus another gallon or so is there an easy way to do this. I don't relish the thought of trying to pour it in from a 5 gallon bucket. Would a siphon hose work pretty easy? I have one of those cheap siphon tubes with a small bellows on it for transferring kerosene and thought that might work OK. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #2  
Lay the 5 gallon bucket on its side with the spigot at the top. Open the spigot and as you slowly roll the bucket to one side, have a one gallon container under the spigot. I use an old antifreeze jug that's been rinsed out. You can easily control the outflow by rolling the bucket. Not the fastest way to pour, but one of the easiest.
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #3  
A siphon will work, but will be pretty darn slow, I would think.

Do you know about rolling a 5 gallon pail on its side and pouring from the high side into a smaller, clean container? A lot of people do not know this trick. I posted a link to a video about it earlier this year and got a lot of WOW comments, as many folks don't know this. I didn't until someone showed me, so here goes... hope it helps you out. Works with any liquid in a 5 gallon bucket with spout.

 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #4  
Lay the 5 gallon bucket on its side with the spigot at the top. Open the spigot and as you slowly roll the bucket to one side, have a one gallon container under the spigot. I use an old antifreeze jug that's been rinsed out. You can easily control the outflow by rolling the bucket. Not the fastest way to pour, but one of the easiest.

Beat me by 1 minute! :laughing:
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #5  
I really like these pumps for transferring heavy fluids. Kind of pricey but they pump 8 oz per stroke and make fast work of moving a lot of oil. They are advertised for tire sealant but also do well with oil.

Pump.jpg
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #6  
I just did my hydraulic oil a few weeks ago, 17 gallons, I have a hand pump that goes into the spout on five gallon buckets, works really nice. This one is from harbor freight and looks just like the one I bought from a local farm store.

5 Gallon Oil Pump
IMG_0208.JPG
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #7  
COme on ....surely this is not a serious question. We've had tractors in the past that you added 5 gallon every morning. The bucket doesn't weigh 150# . a funnel and start with the spout on top.
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #8  
COme on ....surely this is not a serious question. We've had tractors in the past that you added 5 gallon every morning. The bucket doesn't weigh 150# . a funnel and start with the spout on top.

Tell that to someone with arthritis, back problems, etc.... Lifting a 36# bucket of oil up high enough to pour into a funnel and keep it there while it empties isn't easy for a lot of people. ;)
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #9  
COme on ....surely this is not a serious question. We've had tractors in the past that you added 5 gallon every morning. The bucket doesn't weigh 150# . a funnel and start with the spout on top.

It was easy when I was 25. Now that I'm in my 60's....
 
   / Easy way to transfer hydraulic fluid from 5 gal buckets? #10  
It was easy when I was 25. Now that I'm in my 60's....

Work smarter, not harder..... :laughing:

At my last job, I had to fill chemical film processors from 5 gallon buckets at about 4.5' off the ground. Two buckets twice a week. I was able to lift them, but several of my vertically challenged coworkers (I had a few that were under 5' tall) couldn't get them up that high and hold them while they poured. They physically didn't have the body mass to counterweight that pail out a couple feet in front of them.
 
 
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