Leaky tractor 'o the week...

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/Deere/DEERE_2950_1_zps851c6329.jpg">

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/Deere/DEERE_2950_2_zps82e33256.jpg">

DEERE 2950 with leaky inner axle seal. Owner let a wrapped up mess of twine tangled there 'til the seal was destroyed.

I recall it happening at least once, and maybe more, that someone had a small, or odd leak in their tractor. We would go check it out, and the consensus was they would continue to operate, while keeping an eye on things,(like- oil level!) until the tractor could be laid up. Then after a couple of days we would get a call that the leak had slowed, or stopped- guess it healed itself. Then several days later the tractor would come to screeching halt.

Rule of thumb here with older gear is that

If you have a leak and it keeps leaking OK.

If it stops you have a problem

Hi
Well that ruined my day clicking your post, I figured somebody had got a picture of my dads Belarus L.O.L!. yeah i fix here to for the string and no oil guys. had one guy with a 7320. Started leaking out a hub, said i bet it's got string in. He said no string on my equipment. I said B/S your a cattle guy. true enough string in the seal, guess he went pretty quiet after that!
Had a customer I did one seal for on a landini , 2 weeks later the other started dripping. Those are expensive if the nut messes the threads getting the hub off. He didn't want to spend the money. so told him to check and top the oil. I guess 5 months later the leak went away, then 6 months I get a call tractor won't back up the hill on snow and Ice, and is making funny noises. I asked about topping oil up and he went rather vague and kinda quiet. That is now a $6000 repair he started out whining n crying about the cost. My reply was I told you to check oil and top up, I have absolutely no sympathy for you and that $15 of oil was the best investment you should of ever made.

With my own farm work to do I am getting to the point if a guys not going to do any preventative maintenance, or service to his equipment, Don't phone me and expect me to rush out in 5 mins to fix stuff when the motor blew due to no oil or the wheel fell off because he could n't be bothered to check stuff over.
Some of these guys need to realize parts and shop time are getting expensive, and they can help themselves cut those big equipment bills down!.
Regards Robert