Need stuff for MT 373D

Equipoize · Mar 16, 2005

Well, we bought the little tractor!!! It was a pretty amazing process, we managed to drive it up the ramp of my two horse trailer and fit it right in there (we pulled the center divider!) We also managed to use chains and load all the implements into the back of my pick up truck.

Future Hubby is a happy man! He does want more stuff! (what a typical guy thing! hehehe) He is quite pleased with how the front end loader managed loading the equipment into the truck! Now he wants a new seat - this one is lacking any fabric and is just straight metal, not enough cush for this lasertronics engineer turned farmer!!! We also need to replace the head light bulbs, get a glow plug indicator light and of course he wants to know the best finishing mower that will fit on the 3 point hitch.

The previous owners confess that they probably haven't changed the fluids at all during the 8 - 10 years they owned it, so we are looking at an immediate oil change and probabaly gear case as well. Any recommendations on brands of fluids?

Really appreciate all the advice you folks offered - it helped us make the decision to go ahead and buy. It also gave us the knowledge to look for a 6 point clockwise PTO (which it fortunately did have!) I know we are going to get lots of good use from this little machine - I still get a kick out of the fact that it fits in my horse trailer! We had to hang the bucket out the back over the ramp - and there was only about 2 inches to spare, but what the heck - we didn't have to rent a car trailer!!!

Hope you guys can steer us to the right parts to get this little Beaver up to par and ready to get to work! I am almost sorry I have a horse show this weekend - so I can't join Jack in all the fun playing with our new power tool! I am sure I will get in a few hours soon enough! Thanks agian, Monica

lens12 · Mar 16, 2005

I have new & used parts & manuals for your tractor. Use a diesel grade oil in the engine. 15w-40 works over a wide temperature range. 80w-90 in the fwd. Universal hydraulic/ transmission fluid in the rear end.

Normmm · Mar 17, 2005

I have owned a beaver III for about 12 years. A 48 inch mower is about all the 16.5 3cyl can handel. on 3pt hitch mower get one that has 4 wheels and height of cut adjustment. Also mulching kit is nice. Brand is not as important as quality construction. If the seat pan is solid a new cover is less expensive, new seat is around $90. use air hose to clean out radiator from engine side of radiator. Dust and other thinge clog it up. Grease everyting That moves. Look on all moving parts an search for grease fittings. inspect feul line from tank to injuctor pump if it is old replace it. Small bits of rubber can mess up your pump. (i assume this is a desel). Make sure the batery is tied down, If not it can short out on the hood and cause a fire(that was exciting). The little tractor will alot just take your time and remember the best dafty feature on a tractor is a carefull operator.

oliver28472 · Mar 21, 2005

Make sure you grease the pivot pin for the front end. With the loader, it is taking a lot of stress. When you change the rear end/transmission oil there are two drain plugs in the bottom. There is a filter for the rear end that is on the right side bottom in front of the rear axle. Three small bolts are removed to get it out. It has an o-ring on it. The filter is a fine metal screen that may need to be cleaned. This should be checked because when I did one of mine it had a hole in it which really cuts back on how much it will filter. When you refill the oil there is a check plug on the side that you can remove. Pour the oil in the top of the transmission where the round rubber plug is behind the shifter. When oil starts running out of the check plug, she's full. Buy a 5 gallon bucket full. If you bust a hose on the loader or have leaks you will need the extra oil. Make sure you get oil suitable for tractors with common reservoirs of transmission/rear end/hydraulics. It will say this on the bucket and list brands it is compatible with such as JD 303 (for John Deere). If you follow that, the brand is not important for rear case oil. For engine oil most recommend Shell Rotella 15w40. That is widely available and is rated for diesel engines. I use Chevron in mine. Rotella is fine.The engine oil filter is available at NAPA and I use part #1334. This will be in stock at any NAPA store cause it is used in other compacts as well as several Honda cars. The air filter is #6270. Will give you the fuel filter later-it slips my mind. Manuals are handy and it helps to get the whole set- parts, operators, and service. I put a new seat on my Buck several years ago. It was an aftermarket generic seat made for compacts. The seat is not as wide as other tractor seats, and I made the brackets to put it on the tractor. The new seat cost me about $26.00 but that was 8-10 years ago. Take a headlight bulb to a motorcycle dealer. They can match it up. My Buck (S-470) is identical to yours except a slightly larger engine. I also have a D1450FD, which is the grey version of your tractor. That means it was imported used. These tractors are tough and will surprise you with their abilities. Parts are available but sometimes pricey so take good care of it. Don't leave the front axle engaged all the time!! It's only there for assist. Leaving it in all the time will wear out pricey gears. There is a flip latch near the clutch pedal. That is to hold the pedal down when you don't use the tractor for a long time. It will prevent the clutch from sticking to the pressure plate. I don't use it and never have had a problem but some folks do, usually when the tractor has been driven through water or stored in a damp space. Sorry for rambling so long, what else?

BillRodgers · Mar 21, 2005

I can supply you with the correct seat and brackets as well as manuals and parts. Call toll free 1-800-609-5110. Visit our web site for additional info.Bill - satohparts.com

oliver28472 · Mar 22, 2005

Forgot to warn you about something. If the engine oil has not been changed in a long time, your oil drain plug may be hard to remove. When I did my 1450 the first time it was so tight that after applying lots of pressure with a ratchet and socket I noticed seepage around where the threads were brazed into the pan. Rather than twisting the whole thing out I had to take the oil pan off and take it to a welder to have it removed. He heated it with a torch, removed the plug and re-brazed the threads back in. Made a new gasket for the pan. Be careful with this. If for some reason you need a new plug, I just took one to Autozone and matched it.