Mower maintenance

[Bearcatrp]

Have a 54 inch belly mower. How often do you change the oil in the gear box? Follow the manual? Every season?

 

[JimDeL]

Have a 54 inch belly mower. How often do you change the oil in the gear box? Follow the manual? Every season?

I change mine every Spring. It takes less than a pint, and takes about twenty minutes - most of which is waiting for it to drain.
FWIW, the mower itself only operates about 40 hours a season. The rest of the time it's just hanging there, waiting for the next mow. Way less than a quarter of the tractor's hours.
I change/sharpen the blades about twice a season, too.

 

[RCW]

I’ve gotten so I change mine every spring also.

Do the gearbox on the snowblower each fall also.

 

[lmichael]

Oh boy. I feel ashamed I think I am coming on 3rd season.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Oh boy. I feel ashamed I think I am coming on 3rd season.

Same hear. Will change mine before mowing starts. Do you folks get the oil from Kubota or off the shelf? Book calls for SAE 90 GL5 gear oil.

 

[JimDeL]

Same hear. Will change mine before mowing starts. Do you folks get the oil from Kubota or off the shelf? Book calls for SAE 90 GL5 gear oil.

Got my first quart from the dealer (over-priced). After that, from Advance Auto or NAPA.

 

[lmichael]

I buy it from Fleet Farm (WI) or Farm & Fleet (IL). I get synthetic. Oddly last time I bought it, (and I think I still have enough left to do another change out), I bought Lucas brand and it's an 80W-140. Haven't had any issues from it so I guess it's working fine.
Funny my buddy has an old Bolens machine. It uses a combination of grease and non detergent 30W engine oil, and they don't have any kind of change interval. His manual indicates "if a leak develops repair as needed and refill"
I've reached under the machine after mowing and laid my hand on the gear box. Never felt any heat coming off it. So, maybe it's not bothered as much, or maybe since I keep the lawn trimmed up nicely, the lack of "load" allows it not not need changing much?

 

[Bearcatrp]

If i am reading this right, remove both plugs to drain, then put lower one back in and squirt oil in top hole until it starts coming out/the amount it calls for. Will be my 1st time doing this so don't want to screw this up. Thanks.

 

[JimDeL]

If i am reading this right, remove both plugs to drain, then put lower one back in and squirt oil in top hole until it starts coming out/the amount it calls for. Will be my 1st time doing this so don't want to screw this up. Thanks.

Yeah, that'll do it. Make sure to put a tray or absorbent mat/rags under the deck because the oil will drain thru the hole in the deck housing onto the floor/ground.

There are several YouTube vids showing gimmicks to help prevent the mess, but the couple I've tried haven't helped much.

 

[Russell King]

Yeah, that'll do it. Make sure to put a tray or absorbent mat/rags under the deck because the oil will drain thru the hole in the deck housing onto the floor/ground.

There are several YouTube vids showing gimmicks to help prevent the mess, but the couple I've tried haven't helped much.

Have you tried a form a funnel to at least direct the drip to some containment apparatus?

Home - Form a Funnel

"The Original" Form-a-Funnel® Eliminate the use of cardboard, plastic jugs and other messy solutions to changing oil. Shop Now! "The Original" Form-a-Funnel® FORM-A-FUNNEL® bends and molds around anything to create a leak proof channel for draining or a funnel for filling Shop Now! "The...

formafunnel.com

 

[skeets]

Your suppose to put oil in it ?

 

[JimDeL]

Have you tried a form a funnel to at least direct the drip to some containment apparatus?

Home - Form a Funnel

"The Original" Form-a-Funnel® Eliminate the use of cardboard, plastic jugs and other messy solutions to changing oil. Shop Now! "The Original" Form-a-Funnel® FORM-A-FUNNEL® bends and molds around anything to create a leak proof channel for draining or a funnel for filling Shop Now! "The...

formafunnel.com

Haven't tried one, but from the pix it doesn't look like it'd work.
The drain plug on the deck is about ¾" above the deck itself, and there's no room for much of anything.
Kubota seems to have intended for the oil to just run down onto the deck and out thru the small hole in the deck onto the floor/ground - a real PITA. I just put some plastic sheeting ad a shallow pan under the hole and "let'er rip." A few paper towels to wipe the top of the deck and it's done.

 

[Russell King]

Your suppose to put oil in it ?

I am not sure you are asking me about the form a funnel or not but will answer as if you are…

You could use it to put oil into something that has a large opening in it but I don’t use it for that very often.

I use it in place of aluminum foil or plastic sheeting to keep the drainage from getting wherever it wants to go. These are an aluminum sheet that is covered in a flexible plastic material on all sides and edges (so a cleanable surface). They are rigid enough to hold any shape and flexible enough to get into some odd shapes. There are roughly 3/16 inch thick so can be shoved into a narrow area and then push the edges up to make a trough to channel the drainage out to a p to catch it.

 

[lmichael]

I've tried using a pie tin under the deck. Still messy. Now I just vacuum it out with my Mighty Vac. And refill.

 

[RCW]

I store mine stood up vertically in the winter. Front of the mower points up.

Turns out the fill port is on the bottom of gearbox and I drain it out the fill. Less messy and I think it drains pretty well.

 

[Sidekick]

I changed mine in the BX deck when the seal started leaking. Every 3 to 4 years and used synthetic. Dang new zero turn doesn't have grease fittings and no gearbox that I am loving.

 

[Bearcatrp]

BTW, getting the oil into the box since its on the side, little squirts from the side with a nippled bottle?

 

[JimDeL]

BTW, getting the oil into the box since its on the side, little squirts from the side with a nippled bottle?

The large (21mm?) bolt on the top of the gearbox is the fill port.