Hey all. I've searched A bunch of threads, but haven't found an answer to my question; I need to check the Hydraulic Fluid Level on my 444. It has a loader, and coming out of the filler port, there is a setup (see photo) with a valve, which I have seen on other tractors before. However, it doesn't leave you with a very good way to check the fluid. Have any of you seen this before? Do I need to remove everything to check/refill the hydraulics? Also, the Ops Manual states to fill to the bottom of the filler hole, but I've also read that you arent supposed to fill it completely full. Rather, a certain measurement using a stick to measure it. Thanks for any help you can provide!

Ok. Thanks!

Its a 444 gassed. Just painted yellow from the factory. It has a single , side-mounted hydraulic pump. I removed the pipe plug and tried looking past the valve, but the passage is too narrow to see anything.

Hi, you will have to remove that top pipe T. This only a return line so there is no pressure on it with tractor off.
Correct lever will be the shelf covered about an inch or so below the filler hole.

JimB

Hi, I see your 444 is painted yellow which could indicate that it is an industrial model 2444. Does it have a hydraulic pump in front of the rad connected to the crankshaft? Or only the regular hydraulic pump on the right side of the Diesel engine?
If it has only one or two pumps on the right side of the engine then there is a shelf like structure that you can see looking through the filler hole and the correct fluid level is when the shelf is covered with the tractor sitting level.

Hopefully if you take that top pipe plug out and open the valve and with a light you can see the shelf in the reservoir otherwise you will have to remove more the return piping. We had a 434 and 384 (same tractor) with 1550 FEL and only one pipe T and plug and you could see the shelf by removing the plug.

JimB