I would just ignore it till the next service interval. To remove the strainer, you will need to drain the entire system again, and if you reuse the fluid, you are taking a greater chance of introducing contaminants to the system. The chips that are on the strainer aren't going any where and I doubt that there are enough of them to cause a blockage. I had a discussion with the service manage of a local heavy equipment dealership and was telling him about the 50 hour service recommended by Kubota. His was response was that he felt that it was more of a gimmick to get another service invoice for the dealer than an actual need. His thought was that changing the spin on filter at 50 or 100 hours would be all that was necessary for normal use maintenance. His comment about the hour frequency was that if heavy equipment owners had to adhere to a schedule like Kubota has, they would be in for service every couple of weeks, since many of the machines work 8 hour days 5 days a week. He also said that there should be no contamination of the hydraulic system since it is a closed system, and unlike an engine, has no pollutants introduced into it. His opinion was that the hydraulic fluid could be changed at 1 year or 300 hours for the first time. I am not saying that he is correct or wrong, just showing that there are other opinions out there. Deciding to follow the manufacturers suggest drain and refill recommendations is a personal matter. Everyone should do what they feel is best for themselves and not be mislead by others opinions to the contrary. Personally, I believe that how a tractor is used in those 50, 100, or 300 hours is more important that an arbitrary schedule. It is like a car used for stop and go city driving vs. a car that is driven long distances on the highway. This is more important in determining oil drain intervals. Think about the transmission fluid in your car.... do you change that based on hours of operation, or by mileage? How many miles do you drive in 50 hours, or for that matter, 300 hours???? I don't believe in abusing a machine, but I also believe that it is important to know the difference between a manufacturers suggest intervals and what is reasonable and practical based on your use.
