Swapping & Borrowing Attachments - Hydraulic Fluid Issues...

[Shmudda]

I am somewhat new to the tractor scene and have a question around swapping, lending, borrowing and using some other person's attachments.

I firmly believe in maintaining my equipment to the fullest, and complete all regular scheduled maintenance "by the book" so to speak, but I know others out there are sometimes not as concerned about this.

My question here is, if you do borrow, or even purchase a used attachment that is hydraulically driven or actuated, how can you be sure you are not going to contaminate your whole system with potentially tainted, old, incompatible or burnt oil from that borrowed attachment?

I have thought about this before and reading a thread on 3 point log splitters brought this to mind.

Thanks,

Craig

 

[jgrreed]

I heard there was an outbreak of tractor HIV going around the west coast.....



I'm just kidding. I'd guess that any cross contamination from a borrowed implement would be like peeing in the ocean once it's mixed with your own reservoir of hydraulic fluid. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

-J.

 

[Wheatland KB]

I would sure hate to pick up a bunch of metal particles frome someones pump that is about to pile up.

 

[CCWKen]

Good point and a valid concern. I loaned one of my lawn tractors out once. I filled the tank and asked that it be brought back the same way. A few days after getting it back, I couldn't get it started. Ended up being old gas and water in the tank. I'm sure it wasn't intentional but that was the last time I loaned out any equipment. I NEVER loan tools.

If you're "circle" frequently exchanges equipment, you might look into installing an auxiliary filter on the return line. Either on your tractor or the equipment you loan out. There's still the problem with different fluids though. Don't know how you'd get around that.

 

[jgrreed]

Is there really that much of a difference between hydro fluids that the small amount left in a single cylinder (or 2 or 3) would significantly change the makeup of what's in your entire reservoir???

Metal shavings... point taken. Would they not be swallowed up by the hydraulic filter on the machine that is about to pack-it-in??

-Jer.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

If you are that concerned, you could remove the hose ends and use air to push out the existing fluid. I myself don't borrow or loan out my equiptment. If some one wants to use somthing, I will say no, but will usually offer to do it for them. This applys to my own family. If I need somthing I don't have I rent it. This can prevent hard feelings and save freindships.
Bill

 

[DGS]

If you are that concerned, you could remove the hose ends and use air to push out the existing fluid. I myself don't borrow or loan out my equiptment. If some one wants to use somthing, I will say no, but will usually offer to do it for them. This applys to my own family. If I need somthing I don't have I rent it. This can prevent hard feelings and save freindships.
Bill

Have you looked at some of the rental hydrualic eqiupment that is out there ?
Not well maintained in most cases
I would not want any of whatever was in most of them in my machine
DGS

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

DGS
Most rental places arround here take better care of their equiptment than most people do. If it breaks down they are not getting there hourly rate and have to bring out another if they have one and and repair the broken one. Plus it is bad advertisement.

 

[SnowRidge]

DGS
Most rental places arround here take better care of their equiptment than most people do. If it breaks down they are not getting there hourly rate and have to bring out another if they have one and and repair the broken one. Plus it is bad advertisement.

But they don't flush the hydraulics after every rental, so you get some of whatever the last renter had in his hydraulics.

 

[wedge40]

I heard there was an outbreak of tractor HIV going around the west coast.....



I'm just kidding. I'd guess that any cross contamination from a borrowed implement would be like peeing in the ocean once it's mixed with your own reservoir of hydraulic fluid. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

-J.

Great one more thing to worry about. I'm never going to swim in an ocean again.

Wedge

 

[john_bud]

I heard there was an outbreak of tractor HIV going around the west coast.....



I'm just kidding. I'd guess that any cross contamination from a borrowed implement would be like peeing in the ocean once it's mixed with your own reservoir of hydraulic fluid. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

-J.

Depending on the equipment, you could have nearly as much in the attachment as in the tractor. If the equipment's fluid is water contaminated, then the tractor fluid will be too. That's one issue with swapping tractor spit....

jb

Note to self - don't swim behind jgrreed....

 

[some zilch]

The last thing i would want on my tractor is a peice of hydraulic driven rental equipment. We probably have 200+ bobcat attachments where i work, and they are part of our rental fleet. I cant even imagine the garbage that is inside some of these things. We run around our yard with a beat-up toolcat that we use to carry attachments around and test them out before rental.....we change the hydraulic filters in that every other week

 

[DGS]

DGS
Most rental places arround here take better care of their equiptment than most people do. If it breaks down they are not getting there hourly rate and have to bring out another if they have one and and repair the broken one. Plus it is bad advertisement.

Sorry HP
It is not the rental people it is the renters equipment that concerns me
No offence but I have seen a lot of crap in rental yards
And I have seen the renters equipment picking it up or using it
I do not expect brand new condition just good working shape
DGS

 

[Bill Barrett]

I have the same nightmare. I'm like someone else said, I don't let anyone use my stuff, but will use my equipment and run it myself to help people out.
The only thing I use is Pheasants Forever's drill.
I hook it up, disconnect the hose as far away on the drill as I can get, pull my control lever till clean fluid runs.
Then do same thing the other way.
If it looks questionable I do it couple of times till clean.

 

[Bob_Young]

Great one more thing to worry about. I'm never going to swim in an ocean again.

Wedge

Wedge, I heard those Somali pirates were caught peeing in the ocean in addition to their other ill-begotten deeds. Guess I'll forget about that Myrtle Beach vacation. Wonder if the west coast is still safe?

Can't the environmentalists do something about those guys?
Bob

 

[Wheatland KB]

Is there really that much of a difference between hydro fluids that the small amount left in a single cylinder (or 2 or 3) would significantly change the makeup of what's in your entire reservoir???

Metal shavings... point taken. Would they not be swallowed up by the hydraulic filter on the machine that is about to pack-it-in??

-Jer.

The filter would likely catch most particles but why chance it if you don't have to. Just one more unknown that could be avoided.

 

[jake98]

I think if you're going to go the rental route, you ought to rent the tractor too. If you need an attachment maybe you ought to buy it... I'm trying to imagine something that I'd rent rather than buy the unit. But that's why I'm going to die poor... with all my toys.
Jake

 

[flusher]

I am somewhat new to the tractor scene and have a question around swapping, lending, borrowing and using some other person's attachments.

I firmly believe in maintaining my equipment to the fullest, and complete all regular scheduled maintenance "by the book" so to speak, but I know others out there are sometimes not as concerned about this.

My question here is, if you do borrow, or even purchase a used attachment that is hydraulically driven or actuated, how can you be sure you are not going to contaminate your whole system with potentially tainted, old, incompatible or burnt oil from that borrowed attachment?

I have thought about this before and reading a thread on 3 point log splitters brought this to mind.

Thanks,

Craig

The ram on my vintage Allis Chalmers 80T sicklebar mower that I bought last year ($150) was completely flushed before I hooked it up to my Mahindra 5525.

Got replacement hoses from my tractor dealer and flushed those also before hooking to the tractor. You can't be too careful when it comes to protecting the hydraulics.

 

[pat32rf]

I normally change my TDH fluid spring and fall. When I borrowed equipment it was always a long term borrow and always manage to "spill" most of the old fluid out of the unit while changing the QDs to match my unit. I know the owner so I know what he's like for maintenance. If in doubt dump it out.....
My BIL has owned his Massey for over 20 years. This summer he got his clutch replaced and found that he has been using the wrong fluid (straight hydraulic) all along.

 

[N80]

I only rarely use other hydraulic equipment with my tractor but I do sort of co-own a beat up (now defunct) pull type mower with a ram for raising and lowering it. Frankly, I just don't worry about trading fluid. That's what filters are for. I got more things to worry about than a little water or dust.