Hi, everyone! I just bought a 2000 Kubota L2500. It has 600 hrs on it. I am wanting to change the fluid in the front axle, it’s low and doesn’t look like it’s ever been changed. Question is, is it ok to use an aftermarket brand of fluid, that says it meets udt and udt2 specifications?
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- Thread starter krsparks
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Rcflyer330
Active member
Equipment
Kubota B2650 Cab, B2779 Broom, B2782B Snowblower, RB1672 rear blade
you could and it probally won't cause any issues. or you can go by the owners manual and it states you can use sae 80- sae 90 gear oil. i would stick with either sudt/ sudt2 or the gear oil that the owners manual recommends.
Whatever you use come back and double check the fluid level a couple of days later. It often takes time for the fluid to reach the far side voids.
Thank you. I don’t have an owners manual yet, but have one ordered.
Personally, I would try and flush it with some used UTD, a couple of times! Are you planning to change the transmission oil? Do you know how it was maintained? If not, replace the transmission oil, and use the old oil (a couple of times) to clean out (fill, run, drain) the front axle and (again, personally) I would use new gear (80-90) weight oil (or the like) in the front axle...
Looking at your location I would only use the Super UDT2 because of its ability to flow freely in extremely cold climates. I believe that this is the reason that the original factory fill is with the Super UDT oil since Kubota doesn't know exactly where the tractor is going to see service. Think of it this way, if you use the Super UDT2 and it takes about a gallon to fill the front axle, it will cost you about $20-25. If you fill it with 80-90W gear lube it will cost you about $10. If the front axle doesn't get proper lubrication having it repaired is going to be a whole lot more than the $10 or $15 savings. Now, think about which lubricant would be the least expensive for Kubota to install at the factory. They could save a lot of money by using gear oil over the Super UDT2, but they don't. Now ask yourself why, and the answer is quite simple. They have to guarantee the tractor for x amount of years, and front axle failures would cost them a lot of money, way more than they would have saved by using the lesser expensive gear lube. If you lived in the South, the gear lube would be fine because it would flow more freely in the warmer climate. Your tractor, it's your choice, but keep in mind that you will ultimately be bearing the expense of repairs if you make the wrong choice.
Welcome to the asylum!
How cold will it be when you run it in winter? If you are talking negative numbers then I agree with those that say SUDT2. It gets single digits here but I'm not mounting up in those temps. I'll wait till it's closer to 30 to to whatever I need. I'll be swapping at 50 hours because it is already a dark gray. Not that color means it's bad.
If you are a fair weather operator then either would suffice. The drain n fill is pretty good advice if you don't think it's been touched. Either (clean) used SUDT2 or gear oil to flush so it's not crazy expensive.
How cold will it be when you run it in winter? If you are talking negative numbers then I agree with those that say SUDT2. It gets single digits here but I'm not mounting up in those temps. I'll wait till it's closer to 30 to to whatever I need. I'll be swapping at 50 hours because it is already a dark gray. Not that color means it's bad.
If you are a fair weather operator then either would suffice. The drain n fill is pretty good advice if you don't think it's been touched. Either (clean) used SUDT2 or gear oil to flush so it's not crazy expensive.
Great idea. The older guy I got it from took really good care of it. I checked the front axle and the fluid is low enough it won’t register on the dip stick. I think I’m gonna open the drain plug and see what the fluid looks like. Thanks for the advice!
All the filters look new, the oil is clean and the transmission fluid looks nice and clean in the sight glass. Thanks for the advice.
Thanks! I won’t be using the tractor when it’s really cold out. Mainly snow removal from my driveway.
Great advice! I won’t be using the tractor much in the winter, after all I’m retired! All the UDT fluid I have found cost $55 a gallon or $115 for 2 1/2 gallons that’s why I thought maybe I could get by with the RK brand fluid that cost $30 for 2 1/2 gallons and says it meets, Kubota specifications. I am just wanting to use it in the front axle. I checked the dipstick for the front axle and the fluid doesn’t register on it. I thought I would open the drain plug enough to see what the fluid looks and smells like. All the filters look new and transmission fluid looks full and clean in the sight glass. I think the older guy I got it from took pretty good care of it.
That’s all good logic….but I just wonder how all those automotive and truck rear axle differentials that lived up north survived decades of 80/90 gear oil….
The idea that Kubota worries about their front axles is pretty well disproven by the number of tractors that are discovered years later to have had little or NO OIL in them.
I believe Kubota puts SUDT2 in them at the factory because they simply don’t want to inventory more different fluids than necessary.
(I paid my way thru college as a Toyota tech and I was the only rear axle specialist at the dealership having gone thru Gulf Coast Toyotas technician school on differentials. My front axle has 80/90 in it. 8 qts per the manual. I bought a new $8 garden-sprayer from WalMart, poured 2 gals of gear oil in it, pumped up the tank and removed the spray nozzle …and that’s how I measured and delivered the gear oil thru that tiny little bolt-hole Kubota put on top of the axle housing.
The garden sprayer continues to serve as my gear-oil tool for other machines also.)
As much as I hate to say Geo has a point, he does regarding hypoid gears in cold climates. But they generate a lot of heat under load and at speed. I'd still stick to the SUDT2 in Northern Plains cold though.
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
SUDT-2 for $55/gallon?
Someone is raping his customers!
Caution: The "meets Kubota specifications" is aftermarket hydraulic oil supplier BS!
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Kubota's premium hydraulic fluid SUDT-2 is available in 5gal pails from Kubota dealer Messick's for $131.29 which is $26.26 per gallon.
Kubota dealer Coleman Equipment has gallons of SUDT-2 listed at $26.56
Messick's sells 2-1/2 gallons for $69.60
Kubota OEM items are usually sold by other Kubota dealers at competitive pricing.
SUDT-2 has an indefinite shelf life!
Why not just buy a 5 gal. pail?
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