Diesel oil change interval?

pburchett · Jul 25, 2017

My old ford 640 got an oil change every 100 hours and was black when I changed it. I didn't use it a lot so it I sometimes went 2-3 years on an oil change.

I now also have a tier 4 Kubota (MX5200HST) with a diesel particulate filter. The engine is a 2.4L with turbo. The initial factory fill was changed at the recommended 50 hours. With 180 hours on it now (15 months use) I am trying to determine an oil change interval. The manual calls for 400 hour oil changes. Is this too many hours? The previous model MX5100 calls for 200 hour oil changes but did not have the particulate filter.

I was leaning towards an amended severe service oil change schedule similar to autos. In the auto world the severe service is approximately 2/3's of the recommended oil change interval. This would put my tractor oil change at every 250 hours.

Any suggestions?

guido · Jul 25, 2017

Hello pburchett,

Severe service is usually 1/2 the length of regular service. In your case I think changing it ones a
year, if your equipment is doing fine, you got your money's worth,

Guido.

jm. · Jul 25, 2017

phurchett There was a LOT of discussion between the company and dealers on making this change to longer intervals. Of course it is taking money out of dealers pockets to go to the extended service period. KUBOTA s thinking is oil is a LOT better and no problem going to the longer period. I think in your case I would just change it once a year ant that be it. Hope you like your tractor and thanks for choosing KUBOTA.

504 · Jul 25, 2017

Just because of condensation, I believe once a year is a good idea.

JD Seller · Jul 25, 2017

I change the oil in tractors that are used at least once per year. There are some of the additives that go bad with age not usage.

I look at the cost to benefit ratio on changing engine and hydraulic oil. If it is a $1000 beater then spending $100 on oil and filters is not a good return unless your using it regularly. IF it is a $20K tractor then the money spent changing fluids is a much better investment against future failures.

charlie n · Jul 25, 2017

I did the first change on mine yesterday(MX5800HST).About 25 past time but been using it to square bale with.

Book says at 50 hrs. change engine oil and filter, hydraulic filter, and hst filter. Okay I'll agree with that. But you don't change the fuel filter till 400 hours.Seems a little extreme to me.

Dean · Jul 25, 2017

I change the oil and filter in my 4 Kubotas every fall after last usage regardless of hours. Two usually have 25 hours or so.

Remove all of the old oil and circulate the new oil onto the engine surfaces before winter storage.

Dean

RodinNS · Jul 25, 2017

I'd probably change it every spring in your situation... It's not so much about hours of use, or severe service; just condensation catches up
to you... and if it sees much winter use... it probably spends half it's time running cold and slobbering... so a spring change will dump the
diluted oil.

Rod

Ultradog MN · Jul 26, 2017

Several replies here mention condensation.
But what about an engine that rarely gets
started unless it gets an hour or so of
moderate use? It seems like condensation
wouldn't be much of an issue there would
it?
I can see condensation on a tractor that
gets used to feed a couple/few round bales
and run for say, 15 minute intervals
through the winter but not on a tractor
that does some work if/when it gets
started.

NoNewParts · Jul 26, 2017

On an occasional use high dollar tractor, once a year at least, regardless of hours.
On my newer Kubota, I change it twice a year, as I use it year round.
With the weather here ranging from -10 degrees F to 90 plus degrees......takes different weights to keep it happy, according to the manual.
Oil is a thing I never think about cost....just the way it is.
(I do strain the lightly used oil out of the Kubota to use in whatever other junk I'm working on....tired engine smoker, flushing oil, spray down a trailer deck, etc)

buickanddeere · Jul 26, 2017

The old ford had low pressure mechanical injection, did not burn all the fuel cleanly and used high sulphur fuel.
The Tier 4 has common rail injection, burns almost all the fuel clean and complete and uses ULSD.
Which engine contaminates the oil with raw fuel, carbon, soot, moisture and sulphur ?

buickanddeere · Jul 26, 2017

If anyone really wants to know if the oil needs changing and the engine's true condition . Instead of speculation and guessing, do an oil sample . They are not expensive .
Too much fussing anyways about oil, fuel and additives .

showcrop · Jul 26, 2017

As others have said the main concern is moisture from condensation. Frequent short no load run times that don't heat the oil up are considered severe service. Your hours indicate an average of around three hours per week, which would easily drive the condensation off. You can go the full interval without concern.

To Ultradog: I am with you I have a few here that get run very rarely. I try to keep them running long enough with a little load when I do, that the moisture will be driven out. I look at the once a month start through the winter as severe service, while no start is no service and no wear. I just insure that it gets a good going over in the spring.

dhermesc · Jul 26, 2017

Agreed on the oil samples. You learn a lot about what is going on inside an engine too - Blackstone Labs only charges $25.

Personally I would never leave oil in an engine over year - especially if almost all the hours are in a few months time and the engine sits several months at a time without starting.

jm. · Jul 26, 2017

Dean we actually recommend folks that do the once a year thing do it in the spring rather than fall. Thinking is that as it sits over the winter warm days cool night there is some condensation and maybe water formed . Changing in the spring after you run it once will insure that the water is gone . Just a thought but if what you are doing works for you maybe just keep doing like you are.

brutus49DC · Jul 26, 2017

oh yeah those oil samples are great,(a great way to waste money that is) we sent one in for a 9170 Case 4-wheel drive when I worked at a Case dealer, the results said it was good to go, the engine spun a bearing a week later, you can't tell me there wasn't excessive metal in the sample, a total waste of money in my opinion

sotxbill · Jul 26, 2017

Moisture and condensation? Really?? Modern oils have additives that fight the effects of the acid build up from moisture and condensation. The hd diesel oil comes fortified with alkali or base additives. As some if the well informed have said... If your worried, do an oil sample for testing.. after a bit you will get a feel for when the oil REALLY NEEDS to be changed... AND.. you will find its always longer than the manufactures recommendation.

AND... if your worried about moisture,, work the tractor for an hour or more... as the oil runs between 212 and 235 degrees, any moisture will be boiled off and all is good. Modern crankcases are fairly well sealed, internal engine parts are coated with oil, and newer high thermostat temperatures remove any moisture problem.

Oil in the 50s, 60s had NO additives, and were full of sulfur, wax and paraffin. The thin part boiled of and the oil got thicker and thicker... Changing this bad oil often was the only solution.

New hd oils dont have these problems. Unless you operate with no air filter, in a dust storm, at wide open throttle all the time, in an over heated condition, changing oil early makes no more sense than changing your the air in you tires every month.

You can keep listen to old wives tales or go to Bobs oil site, or any other modern oil site and find out the truth. Modern oil change intervals are actually designed that if one is missed, the oil will still have enough service life left to make it to the next interval and not damage the engine.

buickanddeere · Jul 26, 2017

Your opinion differs from experts in several industries where high reliability and lower operating costs are the goals.

Dean · Jul 26, 2017

I would agree if I used them in the winter but 2/3 of them are not used after November. The RTV-X1100C is used to plow snow. In years past, I used the B1750HST for snow plowing. The L6060 and M9960 are used only for mowing and the occasional spring/fall FEL project.

I prefer doing it in the fall to remove as much of the old oil including contamination as possible from the wearing surfaces and replacing it with new uncontaminated oil before long term storage.

Once I get them out in the spring, they are used hard enough to evaporate any condensation from the oil.

Dean

showcrop · Jul 26, 2017

(quoted from post at 06:41:59 07/26/17)
Moisture and condensation? Really?? Modern oils have additives that fight the effects of the acid build up from moisture and condensation. The hd diesel oil comes fortified with alkali or base additives. As some if the well informed have said... If your worried, do an oil sample for testing.. after a bit you will get a feel for when the oil REALLY NEEDS to be changed... AND.. you will find its always longer than the manufactures recommendation.

AND... if your worried about moisture,, work the tractor for an hour or more... as the oil runs between 212 and 235 degrees, any moisture will be boiled off and all is good. Modern crankcases are fairly well sealed, internal engine parts are coated with oil, and newer high thermostat temperatures remove any moisture problem.

Oil in the 50s, 60s had NO additives, and were full of sulfur, wax and paraffin. The thin part boiled of and the oil got thicker and thicker... Changing this bad oil often was the only solution.

New hd oils dont have these problems. Unless you operate with no air filter, in a dust storm, at wide open throttle all the time, in an over heated condition, changing oil early makes no more sense than changing your the air in you tires every month.

You can keep listen to old wives tales or go to Bobs oil site, or any other modern oil site and find out the truth. Modern oil change intervals are actually designed that if one is missed, the oil will still have enough service life left to make it to the next interval and not damage the engine.

Sotxbil. I have gone to Bobs oil site and have signed up. You can look back on threads here if you want and you will see that I have advised others many times here to just run it for awhile and the water in the oil that they are so worried about will be driven off. Whether it be in the crankcase, hyd res. or axle. You refer to the acids in oils. I am not worried about acids. Perhaps I should be, but I have seen so many old wives tales about acids in my 45 years in the chemical industry that It is difficult for me to take references to acids seriously. It seems that anything liquid has to have dangerous acid in it. What I would be worried about with water in oil, and this is going back to the OP, would be too much water accumulating over many months of short run times, where the oil never gets hot enough to drive the moisture out. This brings me back to Bob's. Could you please direct me to the authoritative information on Bob's where someone explains how if an engine builds up water from condensation over a period of say five years of running just 20 minutes at a time, once a week, to the point where a the oil becomes water laden and frothy, which I have seen personally, that there will be no damage to the engine?

pburchett · Jul 26, 2017

Well.......I didn't intend to start a fight.....I should have ask which oil, tractor or wife's hair color was the best.

I think I will just change it often. Got to protect the orange beast as best as I can. I mean it does have to last at least 70+ years like the Ford 640 has.

Diesel oil change interval?

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