I'm looking for COLD weather hydraulic fluid recommendatoins

[k0ua]

This behavior is NOT normal at all. My DK35se is not like this at all even when very cold. I ran in on Monday, in the low teens. Sure that is not 3 deg, but still by 15 to 20 minutes it is all warmed up and working smooth, Even just started in the low teens the bucket might be a little sluggish, maybe adding 1 second to the cycle times , but nothing like you are experiencing. Now I will say, I never went thru a winter with the stock fluid, I bought my tractor in the spring, and the fluid was all changed out before cold weather. But I know of others on here that have never changed their fluid through several winters, and they don't report anything like this. I am using Mobilfluid 424. But perhaps you could try the Kubota SUDT2 which has a well known reputation for working well in low temps.

The squeal in reverse thing puzzles me. Most manifestations of this are at high fluid temperatures not low temps. Mine would only do it mildly at around 90-100 degrees ambient, after using the tractor for about 2 hours. It is easy to fix with the little kit. My dealer provided mine at not cost.

I would get this checked out ASAP

 

[Retired guy]

Mine is a CK30HST,I run Rotella T6 5W-40 year round in the engine and put TSC Premium Universal in the hydraulics when I changed the oil at 400 hours. I now have over 110 hours on that fluid which is 10W-30 according to the specs. So far I am very happy. On a cold morning, -5 here in western ME, the RPM's drop about 200 when I let out the clutch after starting but there is no whine. After about a minute or two, I set the tach at 1200 and go do some hand shoveling. When I return she is turning around 1400 and off I go. The first or second move with the FEL is slow but gets quicker by the third or fourth movement. I usually raise the bucket and cycle it through its range of motion a couple times. As for working it at 1400, I think that is a little low. I work mine at 1800 -2000 depending on the task and about 2300 with the 3 pt snowblower on the back. I suggest you try a little more RPM.

 

[RockyNY]

I've been reading a bunch on here and it seems the Amsoil 5w30 has a pretty good reputation as a good low temp hydraulic oil.

 

[IXLR8]

Lets see if I can update everybody who has had some suggestions. Finally have had some meaningful communications with dealer, he says this is not normal behavior, he is stumped and is calling Kioti. The remote hydraulic controls are off, not dead headed. I have T-N-T for my rear blade and neither cylinder is at it's limit. I can hear the pump when I do run a cylinder to it's limit and dead head the pump. The 3pt hitch moves up and down fine, no issues there. When trying to lift a load with the FEL and it won't lift, sometimes I hear the relief valve go into bypass and sometimes I don't, which I find odd. I had the CK30 for 5 years and ran it at 1400-1500 rpm for everything unless I was in a hurry moving the machine to a different location. I have been running the DK40 at the same rpm's and I assumed it would perform the same or better... not worse. Dealer wanted me to check the quick connectors for the FEL to ensure they were properly seated. I have never had them apart, I will check them when I am home again on Thursday.. if it gets above 10dF. Presently it looks like I am going to have to live with it the way it is until the snow stops, 3-4 weeks hopefully, then dealer is going to come get it.

 

[IXLR8]

Update- Just got off the phone with the dealer, his lead mechanic has been working with Kioti on this issue. He said Kioti has agreed to replace the entire HST unit rather than hoping the fix the mechanic was proposing was going to work. The HST unit is due at the dealer next Thursday, they are picking tractor up next Friday. Hopefully this will be the end of the drive issues. While they have it, they are also going to try and sort out the lack of lifting power on the loader and I can have a properly functioning DK40 when it gets returned.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

To be honest, I don't remember. Normally I run the tractor at about 1400 rpm and it would be fairly obvious. I was running it about 2000 rpm to try and get things done in a semi reasonable time frame and I don't think I could hear if it was in bypass or not. I won't be home again to verify until Friday.

Pop off and reconnect all loader connections. If one is not seated all the way you can have the symptom you're talking about. Moreover, the owner's manual has a trouble flow chart to work through slow problems. for example: your cable actuated joysticks may be coming loose on the valve itself.

Oh and call the owner of the dealer and ask him or her why the people you spoke to have been unresponsive?

 

[IXLR8]

Pop off and reconnect all loader connections. If one is not seated all the way you can have the symptom you're talking about. Moreover, the owner's manual has a trouble flow chart to work through slow problems. for example: your cable actuated joysticks may be coming loose on the valve itself.

Oh and call the owner of the dealer and ask him or her why the people you spoke to have been unresponsive?

Loader connections have been removed/replaced several times.. no change. The person I have been dealing with at the dealership has been the owner. He started off unresponsive and has since become very responsive and has gone to bat for me with Kioti and has pushed for the entire HST to be replaced rather than just cleaning the HST control body. I don't have a heated/enclosed area to work on the tractor and since dealer is going to have the tractor for the HST issues I figured he could fix the FEL issues, that is what the warranty is for. Rather than me crawling around in the mud in 35dF temps to fix it myself. I suspect that initial setup was not done correctly as the mechanic that did the initial setup was fired for not doing his job properly on my tractor and several others.