OIL FILTER LOCATION ACCESSIBILITY

[slice38]

Ready for my first M5-111 oil change and a little disappointed at the difficulty of removing and replacing the filter

!

I would think something that has to be accessed so frequently could have unencumbered access.

Oh well.......

Big Mike

 

[85Hokie]

Can that one bolt be removed and harness lifted up to gain access?

 

[slice38]

Can that one bolt be removed and harness lifted up to gain access?

View attachment 149806

Yes sir. It can. I see that is what most do. And I actually sympathize with the engineers. They have to put all this stuff somewhere! This picture also reminds me that I need to pull my pressure washer out!

 

[RCW]

Oh my, see what you mean….that’s tucked away in there pretty good.

Hopefully loosening up that bracket gives some access.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: And I actually sympathize with the engineers

I don't. THEY should USE and WORK on what THEY designed ! IF they did, it'd SHOW them that what's on paper or screen is NOT reality !!! There is NO excuse for idiotic placement of critical items like the filter......
BTW it's not just Kubota engineers, there's a lot of this out there....

 

[lugbolt]

look at the positive side of it. Very little chance of debris knocking a hole in it, unlike some other Kubota equipment.

....here's another angle to look at. Sometimes people will say, "you want how much to change the oil and filter on my tractor??...that's highway robbery, I'll take it home and do it myself for $20".

Sure they will. Then a few days later they're calling back or posting on FB or a forum "how in the $&*^# to I get access to this oil filter? Suddenly, that $125 (dealer quoted) oil change looked a little bit more attractive...

 

[McMXi]

Ready for my first M5-111 oil change and a little disappointed at the difficulty of removing and replacing the filter View attachment 149805 !

I would think something that has to be accessed so frequently could have unencumbered access.

Oh well.......

Big Mike

Oh yeah, that's a little buried. Try changing the oil filter on a Toyota Prius (ex girlfriend's car) and you'll think the one on the M5 is easy.

On the bright side, it'll be a fair while longer before your next oil change.

 

[ehenry]

PREACH ON, Brother GreensvilleJay ! ! ! !!

I agree 100% !!!!

 

[whitetiger]

The filter is accessible, right up to the point where someone put a loader bracket on the tractor.

 

[slice38]

look at the positive side of it. Very little chance of debris knocking a hole in it, unlike some other Kubota equipment.

....here's another angle to look at. Sometimes people will say, "you want how much to change the oil and filter on my tractor??...that's highway robbery, I'll take it home and do it myself for $20".

Sure they will. Then a few days later they're calling back or posting on FB or a forum "how in the $&*^# to I get access to this oil filter? Suddenly, that $125 (dealer quoted) oil change looked a little bit more attractive...

Good point! Moving this tractor to the dealer would be an effort plus I have another reason for doing it myself. I’ll know it is done properly.

 

[McMXi]

Good point! Moving this tractor to the dealer would be an effort plus I have another reason for doing it myself. I’ll know it is done properly.

Just for comparison's sake, here are the oil filters on the MX (top) and M6060. They're easy to access, but I'd happily struggle with an oil change on an M5 if I owned such a tractor.

 

[slice38]

Just for comparison's sake, here are the oil filters on the MX (top) and M6060. They're easy to access, but I'd happily struggle with an oil change on an M5 if I owned such a tractor.

View attachment 149839

View attachment 149840

Wow! One of these days, I'm going to try and calculate the amount of loom on a tractor engine

 

[McMXi]

Wow! One of these days, I'm going to try and calculate the amount of loom on a tractor engine

I like the functionality and aesthetics of loom, whether it's the spilt, spiral or mesh type. I like the canvas hose wrap too, with stainless steel crimp rings on either end .... but I'm weird when it comes to that sort of thing.

 

[D2Cat]

re: And I actually sympathize with the engineers

I don't. THEY should USE and WORK on what THEY designed ! IF they did, it'd SHOW them that what's on paper or screen is NOT reality !!! There is NO excuse for idiotic placement of critical items like the filter......
BTW it's not just Kubota engineers, there's a lot of this out there....

Remember, everyone wants a small version of a huge powerful tractor with as many bells and whistles as possible. All those things take space so they get jammed in somewhere. Sometimes it just required.

 

[Batsford]

re: And I actually sympathize with the engineers

I don't. THEY should USE and WORK on what THEY designed ! IF they did, it'd SHOW them that what's on paper or screen is NOT reality !!! There is NO excuse for idiotic placement of critical items like the filter......
BTW it's not just Kubota engineers, there's a lot of this out there....

Looks almost like Kubota hired some German engineers!

 

[RCW]

Remember, everyone wants a small version of a huge powerful tractor with as many bells and whistles as possible. All those things take space so they get jammed in somewhere. Sometimes it just required.

I recall one of our more expert mechanics/techs here saying something like that for a small BX or B series.......pack a lot of stuff in a small space....

Couple years ago, I saw an M5 at a local farmer's place parked near some other '70's and '80's tractors he has. Only saw it there once.

The Kubota looked small in comparison. Probably had more PTO HP, but it was tiny.

Pack a lot of HP in a small space.....

 

[lugbolt]

Just for comparison's sake, here are the oil filters on the MX (top) and M6060. They're easy to access, but I'd happily struggle with an oil change on an M5 if I owned such a tractor.

View attachment 149839

View attachment 149840

yessir...look at how those filters are kinda out on their own. I lost count how many of them I've seen knocked off, holed, or loosened, by sticks, logs, whatever--and accompanied by fried engines.

Only time I ever put an engine in a bigger M was a 7040, guy ran a bunch of poor fuel through it, overheated it (somehow, the whole story was real questionable) but KTAC paid it. That entire deal was a nightmare!

on the loom, just call kubota and ask for an enginerd. They can tell exactly how many meters of loom, what material it's made out of, what the melting point is, what the cracking point is, and what size are used on, whatever tractor. And they'll also have the cost of it figured and how much potential cost savings there is for the consumer who buys the tractor, and the cost savings as far as potential warranty claims.

Then we get into packing all the features of an M into a lawn mower. AKA BX and B series. That's exactly why I hated working on them.

They smart but sometimes I wonder who wins. The engineers or the bean counters....

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Ready for my first M5-111 oil change and a little disappointed at the difficulty of removing and replacing the filter View attachment 149805 !

I would think something that has to be accessed so frequently could have unencumbered access.

Oh well.......

Big Mike

I feel your pain. But you have it easier than some.

I have a couple vehicles that require much more work to get to the oil filter. At least you can see the oil filter.

 

[sitric]

It is getting the same with tractors, as has been the norm for cars/trucks. Accessibility doesn't seem to be the priority. A previous post mentioned Prius being difficult, which on the gen 3 at least, is quite easy with a $10 proprietary wrench. A F150 with 3.5 Ecoboost however, is the true nightmare. With their timing chain, phazer problems, oil changes are critical, and with these, not a 20 minute diy. Sign of the times I fear.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Ease of maintenance, including oil changes, has fallen into a source of income for vehicle and equipment manufacturers. They want and need you to come back and pay for service. They design it THAT WAY.

The John Deere large farm equipment software issue comes to mind. Lawsuits are still pending, I think.

Going away are the days when they designed vehicles and equipment for ease of owner's doing basic maintenance. Oil changes, etc.

The manufacturers are set up to sell you the machine and then, keep you coming back for service. Because just maintaining the machine is difficult if not impossible without a trained tech and his computer's diagnostics for many modern machines. The latest Kub tech has me worried.

As long as the EPA and CARB and others have the world convinced that we can "save the planet" thru technology. ( A cult, by no stretch). Vehicle tech will get worse for the consumer. And very very expensive.

When I bought it new, I lifted the hood on my 2014 F250 6.7 diesel and it looked like a Star Wars repulse drive discombobulated mess. it worked great for a few years.

With all this tech, they could design a tractor that would NOT require splitting it to change a clutch, etc, etc.