L3400 HST 50 hour service, what should it cost?

[LD1]

I just did my 200 hr which is about the same as the 50.

Hyd oil: 10 gals traveller universal @ tsc for $50
Engine oil: 2 gals delvac at walmart $21
Oil filter: fram XG8A @ walmart $9
Hyd filter: Kubota genuine $30

Total $110 + a couple of hrs in the shop with cold beer in hand

Satisfaction of saving money by doing own service: Priceless

As mentioned a HST has an extra filter wich would add maybe $30 to the parts. I cant see Paying someone almosy $250 for a few hrs of work

 

[daBear]

Wish I had done it myself. $400 at the shop. Nevermore.

 

[J35]

So do all of your operators manual's say to change the trans and hydraulic oil at 50 hrs?

Mine L3400HST just says to change the filters at 50 hrs so thats what I did.

Have fun

 

[oldcarkook]

I think $400 is a reasonable cost.

This is not something that is done like Speedy Oil change, and to properly service an HST or GST at 50 hours you are dumping 100% of the hydraulic oil being careful to hit all the sump drains and recharging the entire system; plus replacing the hydraulic filter; the engine oil and filter, etc.

The Kubota oils are pricey but if you put non-Kubota oil in at 50 hrs, you void your warranty. Speaking of which, wouldn't you be ticked if you had a problem at 60 hrs and they denied the warranty claim because you didn't have a receipt that it was serviced? My L3600GST uses the Super UDT and that stuff is obscenely expensive at the local dealer here. I am now approaching my 1200 hour service point and this will be the 4th full hydraulic oil change; 50; 400; 800; and now @ 1200 hrs. It runs like a top.

Since the first 50 hr dealer service, I have done all the rest of these myself, but by the time I back the tractor out of the shop, I've lost an entire afternoon as it's not just oils and filters changes that I do. I go through the whole machine and carefully inspect everything and attend to any issues - check hoses, belts, tighten fittings, adjust linkages, change the fuel filter, hit EVERY lube point properly, and, I follow the instructions in that thing called the service manual.

The cost of putting up a service center and staffing it is all in that price. You are paying for a professional and the overhead around him. I don't agree with the views that $400 is too much. How much did you spend on the tractor and what's it worth to you?

The 50 hour service interval is far and away the most important service point an HST/GST tractor will ever see. You can come in late on by a lot in the ensuing 400 hr interval service points and not have as much wear and tear done to the tractor as you will by ignoring or cutting the corner on that first one.

When the tractor is new, all the bearings and spinning parts break-in; that means they grind away metal surfaces into a powder that is circulating in the oil until you change it...all of it. I'm sorry but I think this is just a smart insurance policy and most non-professional users only use the tractor less than 100 hours a year. So the next one might be YEARS away.

My two cents...

 

[LD1]

The Kubota oils are pricey but if you put non-Kubota oil in at 50 hrs, you void your warranty. Speaking of which, wouldn't you be ticked if you had a problem at 60 hrs and they denied the warranty claim because you didn't have a receipt that it was serviced?

It has been mentioned on this forum before but I will say it again.

A manufacture cannot void your warrenty for not using their product, unless they provide it free of charge to you. This includes oils, filters, and everything else. Provided you use a product that meets the specified requirements of the mfg. Like the traveller brand hydro fluid I use from TSC says it meets or exceeds kubota udt specs. If I have problems, kubota cannot deny my warrenty based on the fact I didn't buy their over-priced oil that they are buying and re-labeling from someone else.

If you think there is something special about the kubota oil, you are crazy. As for the $400 being a little steep, I guess it depends on just how much they are charging for labor. I don't know how much their oil and filters cost, but the service should only take about 2 hrs and most shops are 75-85 per hr. So if more than 150-170 is labor, then I think it is a little too much.