How often do you change gear oil in PTO mowers?

[California]

Why limit to mowers? Guess I should read up on what my Tiller manual (OK, pamphlet) says on the subject.

For the used Yanmar tillers that came over with gray-market Yanmars, it's a given that it was run half submerged in a rice paddy and will have water inside. I've flushed mine twice now, over several years. Milky fluid came out the first time, when I bought it. The second time when I drained it, before it had been run in that season, a little water came out first. I wonder if the cast iron housing causes condensation.

 

[RjCorazza]

I change the gear oil in my rear finish mower every 2 years with light to moderate use (maybe 50h per year). The gear boxes on my Kubota ZD mowers get changed every 150h.
Price a replacement gear box if you are on the fence about changing the oil on some schedule.

 

[RalphVa]

When you get the urge. Easy to do with an oil extractor when hot after some use.

Ralph

 

[Rock Crawler]

I change the gear oil in my rear finish mower every 2 years with light to moderate use (maybe 50h per year). The gear boxes on my Kubota ZD mowers get changed every 150h.
Price a replacement gear box if you are on the fence about changing the oil on some schedule.

I bought a used Land Pride FDR2572 last year and tried to use it as a brush hog. After I destroyed the gear box in the finish mower that I paid $1,200 for used and paid $650 for a new gear box from my Kubota dealer.... I quick sold it for $1,000. So considering that I restored it with new wheels, axles, bushings, belt, blades and painted it Kubota orange and ordered/replaced all factory stickers.... I lost money on it.

 

[Alan W.]

Bush hog used to be self changing until I replaced the seal.
You would think that they never intended the oil to be changed in most gear boxes due to lack of drain plugs.
When I do change mine I run them first to warm up the oil for easier extraction and to incorporate any condensation so it is removed.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Mine has become self-changing as well...though it is better now that I put "corn head" grease in it.

 

[ehcrain]

Got a woods m5 cutter that sees 80 hours per year that has only seen new oil once in 20 years.... no issues so far

 

[YanmarFever]

It all depends if you store the mower or equipment indoors or outside in the elements.

Indoors is ideal as the oil will go a few years with normal use.
Outdoors I would change it every year no matter what. Condensation is the enemy of that gear box.

I run synthetic gear oil in ours and no problems yet.

 

[Redbug]

I check the level on my bush hog a couple times a year. If it looks dirty-ish I drain it and replace. It has only needed clean oil once, though.

 

[silvertramp]

My Howse 5' brush hog has lived outside for 25 years and still has the original oil. Works fine