Oil & Fuel Oil change duration

[RobertCramer]

I truly love my Kubota 2350, but, I do not used it very much. My question is how long in time between oil and filter changes can or should I wait. This goes for the hydro oil and filter also. I use it only about 30 hours a year.

Bob Cramer

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I don't know about the hydro but on the motor oil you could go a couple of years but if it were me I would change it once a year, say every spring. I have a diesel truck that I never put the needed mileage on for the recommended oil change (drive a company car) always lack a couple of thousand miles. But I change it every year at inspection time.

 

[bp fick]

It is hard to know if too much is too much, or too little is too little.

I only use my roto tiller walk behind a dozen hours a year and for 9 months it just sits. Same for my push lawn mower, pretty much.

I decided many years ago that since these small engines only take a quart or two, and a little Kubota BX isn't much either (3 quarts) it would be something I'd just do during my spring prep. I just line 'em all up and have at it. It isn't hard, and isn't hard on my pocket book. Done.

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

I don't know the technical answer, but IMNSHO, the cost of worrying about it is more than the cost of doing it

I'm with BP: just line up the machinery in the spring and get 'er done.

Z.

 

[rjkobbeman]

It is hard to know if too much is too much, or too little is too little.

I only use my roto tiller walk behind a dozen hours a year and for 9 months it just sits. Same for my push lawn mower, pretty much.

I decided many years ago that since these small engines only take a quart or two, and a little Kubota BX isn't much either (3 quarts) it would be something I'd just do during my spring prep. I just line 'em all up and have at it. It isn't hard, and isn't hard on my pocket book. Done.

Good advice and plan.

Too much can only affect the wallet. Too little could cause equipment problems.

When in doubt, error on the too much side.

 

[kuboman]

Just my 2 bits here but if it is going to sit all winter it is better to sit with clean oil. Change it in the fall (end of season) and then run it the next season. All the acids from combustion sitting over winter causes corrosion inside the engine.

 

[bp fick]

Just my 2 bits here but if it is going to sit all winter it is better to sit with clean oil. Change it in the fall (end of season) and then run it the next season. All the acids from combustion sitting over winter causes corrosion inside the engine.

Agree. But why is it that I don't get as motivated in fall with this stuff? I don't know. Fall is for my vehicles. Spring is for my small engines. No explanations.

 

[Ken45101]

Just my 2 bits here but if it is going to sit all winter it is better to sit with clean oil. Change it in the fall (end of season) and then run it the next season. All the acids from combustion sitting over winter causes corrosion inside the engine.

That's what I was thinking too. Better as an early winter project. If not, make sure you run then hard and hot before you put them away for the winter to try to boil off any moisture or acid.

That's in theory, at least. I'm getting way too many engines around here

Ken

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

Fall is for my vehicles. Spring is for my small engines. No explanations.

A couple seconds' worth of ruminating, and I thought of an explanation: If my lawnmower doesn't start on a cold winter night, that may be the least-severe engine failure I ever had.

 

[Cherokee180]

Not sure that I am qualified to speak on this, as I only just got my tractor, but I do a lot of my own maintenance on my Airplane and motorcycles. If something is going into winter storage (motorcycles) it get's fresh oil. Same with mowers and such. The reason is (as mentioned before) the combustion process produces water and acids that the oil suspends, but well used oil gets to a saturation point with these things and through the condensation process (changes in metal temps during winter) they can be deposited on metal engine components. This is more critical in Aluminum parts as they tend to change temps faster than steel (aircraft engines are mostly aluminum).

I would agree with at least annual changes and do it in the fall. That said, there are a lot of engines that see oil changes once every 5 years doing okay so not sure what the right answer is.