task specific uptime to downtime ratio

[firemanpat2910]

check oil, check power steering fuild( I have a small leak somewhere) SIT ON SEAT, crank tractor, pull out of shed, let tractor idle while looking over tires,engine and overall tractor. make sure BFH is in fender box, climb back on and get to play,I mean work.

 

[RalphVa]

My manual says to lube every 200 hours. On the brush hog wheel and swivel, I do those perhaps every 50 hours; same for FEL points. Check oil on engine when I open the hood to blow trash off (usually after brush hog work). Don't bother with front gear box or hydro unless I see something leaking (same as with my cars/pickup; don't check these unless I see consistent oil on garage floor; never happened with all 3 nor tractor yet).

Ralph

 

[Volfandt]

My "task specific uptime to downtime ratio" must be pretty good, I think
Pre-use inspection generally takes about 5 minutes. (exception is every 10 hrs I grease the MMM which takes an additional 15 minutes with the air powered grease gun).
I park the BX23 inside with the hood up so the visual inspection is quick and easy. Coolant resevoir is clear and easy to see the fluid level, check oil, check HST level then crank it up. Check for unsual sounds and for anything loose takes a minute or so then the hood is closed.
I climb on and travel to the front yard is approx 30', where I then start mowing.
If I'm only mowing 2 acres then I'm done in a little over an hr, add another 1.5 hrs when I do 4 acres every two weeks.
Post use I pull up to the shop door, idle down, pop the hood then blow off the entire machine with the elec leaf blower. This includes the radiator and screen. Takes about 5 minutes. While it's still idleing I then give it a quick visual and sound inspection, similar to the pre-use then I pull it to the shop and shut it down.

I just got done with the 200hr maintenance this past weekend and I didn't have to add any fluids since the 100 hr maintenance.

So far the BX23 has provided a pretty good return.

Volfandt

 

[john_bud]

My manual says to lube every 200 hours. On the brush hog wheel and swivel, I do those perhaps every 50 hours; same for FEL points. Check oil on engine when I open the hood to blow trash off (usually after brush hog work). Don't bother with front gear box or hydro unless I see something leaking (same as with my cars/pickup; don't check these unless I see consistent oil on garage floor; never happened with all 3 nor tractor yet).

Ralph

Ralph,

Are you sure it's 200 hours for lube (greasing?)?? That just seems way way way too infrequent to my old school ears.

jb

 

[Soundguy]

I get an occasional mouse problem. i cooked one a few weeks ago. I usually keep one of them 'blue' bait bars setting on the tractor to feed them.

Wow.. I wish my mower only had 2-3 zerks.. it has 23 of them!! That's not counting the 11 on the tractor!!

Soundguy

I lube the FEL and other stuff about every 10 hours as per manual. I do the same for the 2 or 3 zerks on the mower. Otherwise I don't have a set procedure but when thinking about your list, I do most of them in a roundabout way.

My tractor lives out doors under a tarp. So each time I pull the tarp off I look for mice and rats nests. (Had a dead and rotting mouse cooking on the engine a few weeks ago, took me a while to find the source of the awful odor.) I look at the lines and wires to make sure they aren't chewed up. I look at the site window for the hydro fluid every time before I crank it. Just a habit when pulling the tarp off. I do not check engine oil very often. Probably should, but its new and there's no evidence of leaks.

However, at the end of any given job or weekend I rinse the tractor off with the hose and occasionally wash it with some soap. As I do this I look over everything very well and this typically serves as a post work inspection. I think, for me, this is a very important part of maintainence. I get all the dust and mud off that can hold moisture against metal. I wash off the radiator screen, etc. My mower sits out in the elements so I always get the dirt, dust and grass off of it because even the dew can make it damp and lead to rust.

I need to check engine oil more often as well as checking the mower gear box.

In any case, it is hard to give a ratio of uptime vs downtime but I'd say at the end of a weekend of work, say 5-10 hours (I don't work the whole weekend!) I'll put in a good 45 minutes making sure everything is clean and in good shape. Not too bad, but is a new tractor.

 

[N80]

Well, my mower is a pretty simple affair. A zerk on the axle of the tail wheel and a zerk on the tail wheel spindle. There is one at each end of the pto shaft also.

The FEL has 12 or so. The tractor has only a couple of zerks and a few lube 'point's.

 

[IslandTractor]

I do the same basic tasks as Soundguy and the rest of you but I tend to do my greasing and general inspection after starting the engine and backing the tractor out of the barn. I check only oil before starting the engine. I figure that way the motor is coming up to operating temperature while I am doing my inspection/greasing tour. At the end of the day I just park it in the barn and do no maintenance.

By the way, has anyone figured out a good way to check hydraulic fluid level quickly? My fluid is so clear that I have to hold the dipstick up to the light and cannot always see the level clearly. I end up checking a few times to be sure and often use a paper towel to touch where the fluid level is before being sure. Are there any dyes that can be safely added to HF?

 

[goaliedad]

maybe we shouldn't call it "seat time"!

 

[Volfandt]

"By the way, has anyone figured out a good way to check hydraulic fluid level quickly?"

The SUDT in my front axle is impossible to see on the dipstick so what I do is to lay it on a towel when I pull it out then roll it around once, being careful not to slide it up or down. It leaves a nice accurate stain that is easily seen next to the dipstick.
Oddly I have no problem reading the SUDT level on the HST dipstick.

Volfandt

 

[Soundguy]

My UTF is virtually clear too. I make a habbit out of it to pull the stick, and wipe on my ( shirt or pants.. don't tell the wife.. ) then restick it, and as soon as I pull it out, flip it over and look at the back side of the stick with no crosshatching.. and the line of the oil is easy to see..

Soundguy

I do the same basic tasks as Soundguy and the rest of you but I tend to do my greasing and general inspection after starting the engine and backing the tractor out of the barn. I check only oil before starting the engine. I figure that way the motor is coming up to operating temperature while I am doing my inspection/greasing tour. At the end of the day I just park it in the barn and do no maintenance.

By the way, has anyone figured out a good way to check hydraulic fluid level quickly? My fluid is so clear that I have to hold the dipstick up to the light and cannot always see the level clearly. I end up checking a few times to be sure and often use a paper towel to touch where the fluid level is before being sure. Are there any dyes that can be safely added to HF?