Hello Everyone,
My name is Mike and I own a new BX25D that I just hit the 55 hour mark with. I am 22 and spend most of my time working on properties for my parents (to rent and flip) and let me tell you what a change this little machine has made for me! I have done a wide range of anything a homeowner/landscaper or HIC license holder might find themselves doing. The way this machine has enabled me to 1. undertake bigger jobs such as trenches, moving anything with a bucket vis-a-vis hand cart, as well as the thumb! I have moved logs that I could not get to budge by hand...set up my Kubota thumb (wish it was hydraulic...) and I have dragged some surprisingly large trunks. Don't forget rocks, as well as material handling/loading onto my tandem trailer for transport..such as crushed rock, sand, pea stone, concrete bags, mulch, you name it! I could imagine a pair of pallet forks coming in the future. I want to use it for plowing/clearing snow in my small driveway this winter. The bottom line is, my dad and I have been kicking ourselves every time I take it out. Why didn't we get one sooner?
Anyways, as a 22 year old with an appreciation of doing all of the above by hand, I want to take good care of my machine. I have been in touch with my dealer who quoted me 400 for the 50 hour. I have maintained a gasoline riding mower for awhile, so being familiar, and handy I knew there was no way I would take it to the dealership unless performing it myself would void the warranty. The Service director agreed that if everything is done by the book and I have receipts/hour markings I should be all set. Now I have never serviced a diesel machine, nor hydraulics. However I have spent a solid 12+ hours scouring my manual, various forums/instructional sites as well as discussing various questions I had with the Service director whom had to relay questions to some technicians.
Now what I want is to spew my plan for the 50 hour service(my first "service" on my biggest tool yet) and hopefully have someone confirm that I am all set and shouldn't run into anything unexpected!
Firstly, I visited my closest dealer and bought new Kubota brand engine and transmission oil filters. I also sprang for the UDT-2. I bought a 65 mm cap style oil filter wrench because I heard this will help. I also got myself a torque wrench. For engine oil I went with Rotella T based on what I read online as well as running it by my dealer.
1. I will grease all fittings... needless to say, nothing new to see here except the one by the speed pedal under the floor mat. As well as greasing the battery terminals? Then I will remove the FEL for the first time...
2. I will run the kubota a bit to warm up the oil, wait a little for it to cool. drain, change the filter, plug, fill and check?
3. I am debating whether I try to creatively keep the majority of the UDT-2 currently in since I was reading that it is not required to change it this early, rather just cleaning the strainer by the BH. Obviously I will do this and I read that this can lead to a big loss of fluid, hence why I bought UDT-2. I did read about creative use of Tapered rubber corks/plugs to keep fluid in... Any advice here? Should I use the $50 of fluid by completely draining, and refilling with the new UDT-2 after cleaning the strainer? or should I try to fashion or find a plug (no luck yet) to keep the opening for the strainer from spilling my still good oil?
Aside from that... I will check the torque on the wheels and frame (per book/dealer instruction)
And viola I should be done correct?
I was also thinking about getting the Bro Tek front plate, and possibly the BXpanded rear/mid plate. I was also thinking piranha teeth for my FEL bucket. And possibly chains for the R4 tires in the winter for snow removal use.
Any concerns/comments are welcome! I know there are a few handy threads floating around but I just want someone more experienced than I to reassure me I am not losing my mind!
Looking forward to many happy hours from this machine.
My name is Mike and I own a new BX25D that I just hit the 55 hour mark with. I am 22 and spend most of my time working on properties for my parents (to rent and flip) and let me tell you what a change this little machine has made for me! I have done a wide range of anything a homeowner/landscaper or HIC license holder might find themselves doing. The way this machine has enabled me to 1. undertake bigger jobs such as trenches, moving anything with a bucket vis-a-vis hand cart, as well as the thumb! I have moved logs that I could not get to budge by hand...set up my Kubota thumb (wish it was hydraulic...) and I have dragged some surprisingly large trunks. Don't forget rocks, as well as material handling/loading onto my tandem trailer for transport..such as crushed rock, sand, pea stone, concrete bags, mulch, you name it! I could imagine a pair of pallet forks coming in the future. I want to use it for plowing/clearing snow in my small driveway this winter. The bottom line is, my dad and I have been kicking ourselves every time I take it out. Why didn't we get one sooner?
Anyways, as a 22 year old with an appreciation of doing all of the above by hand, I want to take good care of my machine. I have been in touch with my dealer who quoted me 400 for the 50 hour. I have maintained a gasoline riding mower for awhile, so being familiar, and handy I knew there was no way I would take it to the dealership unless performing it myself would void the warranty. The Service director agreed that if everything is done by the book and I have receipts/hour markings I should be all set. Now I have never serviced a diesel machine, nor hydraulics. However I have spent a solid 12+ hours scouring my manual, various forums/instructional sites as well as discussing various questions I had with the Service director whom had to relay questions to some technicians.
Now what I want is to spew my plan for the 50 hour service(my first "service" on my biggest tool yet) and hopefully have someone confirm that I am all set and shouldn't run into anything unexpected!
Firstly, I visited my closest dealer and bought new Kubota brand engine and transmission oil filters. I also sprang for the UDT-2. I bought a 65 mm cap style oil filter wrench because I heard this will help. I also got myself a torque wrench. For engine oil I went with Rotella T based on what I read online as well as running it by my dealer.
1. I will grease all fittings... needless to say, nothing new to see here except the one by the speed pedal under the floor mat. As well as greasing the battery terminals? Then I will remove the FEL for the first time...
2. I will run the kubota a bit to warm up the oil, wait a little for it to cool. drain, change the filter, plug, fill and check?
3. I am debating whether I try to creatively keep the majority of the UDT-2 currently in since I was reading that it is not required to change it this early, rather just cleaning the strainer by the BH. Obviously I will do this and I read that this can lead to a big loss of fluid, hence why I bought UDT-2. I did read about creative use of Tapered rubber corks/plugs to keep fluid in... Any advice here? Should I use the $50 of fluid by completely draining, and refilling with the new UDT-2 after cleaning the strainer? or should I try to fashion or find a plug (no luck yet) to keep the opening for the strainer from spilling my still good oil?
Aside from that... I will check the torque on the wheels and frame (per book/dealer instruction)
And viola I should be done correct?
I was also thinking about getting the Bro Tek front plate, and possibly the BXpanded rear/mid plate. I was also thinking piranha teeth for my FEL bucket. And possibly chains for the R4 tires in the winter for snow removal use.
Any concerns/comments are welcome! I know there are a few handy threads floating around but I just want someone more experienced than I to reassure me I am not losing my mind!
Looking forward to many happy hours from this machine.