Oil change interval on low use tracto

[Guv]

As the title says, those of you with low use (hrs) tractors; how many months/years would you feel comfortable with going between oil changes.
I had an illness last year that cut into my quality time with my B2601resulting in, 4 hrs use!
I have always gone with a year no matter the hrs (mine are always under recommended limits) but am seriously rethinking this.
I'm retired so my tractors are my recreational, hunting vehicles and are very babied.
Thanks
Steve

 

[GeoHorn]

Most vehicle mfr’s recommend 5K-10K miles and/or 12 months.

It May Seem appropriate to disregard the calendar recommendation….. unless one considers that low-vehicle-useage is also detrimental because it introduces shorter periods of operation (in most cases)k which, of itself is harmful to oil longevity.

Hence, I believe that 100 hours or 12 months, whichever comes first.

(Then I realized I last changed the oil on my Kubota M4700 35 hrs ago in May ‘23 and today is Jan ‘26….
and my Ferguson Compactor only has 45 hours on it’s last oil change also performed in May ‘23…) .

Guess I know what I’ll be doing next warm day….

 

[lmichael]

I been kinda wrestling with the same thing here.

 

[Guv]

I retired form doing technician work in a large engine test lab and have always worked on my own stuff since a young man.
One engineer I worked with said the time interval is based on acids that can develop over time. Now my B2601 and BX2380 were both bought new and as such were significant investments for me so cost (oil change) vs benefit leads me to almost ignore the low hrs and just stay with my previous schedule.
I guess some would love to have my problems.

 

[Rcflyer330]

I went over 3 years and ~150hrs before I changed the oil in my b2650. This last oil change I went 2 years and almost 100hrs. The only reason I changed it was because last year I put almost 50hrs of blowing snow and figured that was pretty heavy use. I also had Blackstone Labs do a used oil analysis on the 3 year old oil and the total base (that's what neutralizes the acids) number was at 9 and 2 is where it should be changed.

So if you use a quality oil you should have no issues running it but maybe not for the full recommended oil change interval hours.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I went over 3 years and ~150hrs before I changed the oil in my b2650. This last oil change I went 2 years and almost 100hrs. The only reason I changed it was because last year I put almost 50hrs of blowing snow and figured that was pretty heavy use. I also had Blackstone Labs do a used oil analysis on the 3 year old oil and the total base (that's what neutralizes the acids) number was at 9 and 2 is where it should be changed.

So if you use a quality oil you should have no issues running it but maybe not for the full recommended oil change interval hours.

I do ~100 hours per year and stick with the Kubota 400 hour schedule.

Dan

 

[lmichael]

I do ~100 hours per year and stick with the Kubota 400 hour schedule.

Dan

Really? You don't worry about it "over wintering"? Understand I'm not criticizing I'm curious. That's been more what I am concerned about. Even though I only have about 30 hours on the oil since changing it in May last year I'd been concerned about it. Then winter crawled up our butts here harder and faster than I cared to deal with it. So it's parked out in the back garage with the NOCO maintainer on it

 

[TheOldHokie]

Really? You don't worry about it "over wintering"? Understand I'm not criticizing I'm curious. That's been more what I am concerned about. Even though I only have about 30 hours on the oil since changing it in May last year I'd been concerned about it. Then winter crawled up our butts here harder and faster than I cared to deal with it. So it's parked out in the back garage with the NOCO maintainer on it

Not concerned at all. Just did the 400 hr a month ago. Maybe I should have sent a sample to Blackstone

Dan

 

[lmichael]

Well I appreciate that. I've kinda been fretting leaving it back there.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Well I appreciate that. I've kinda been fretting leaving it back there.

I have never worried sbout calendar times on any car, truck, of tractor I have owned.

YMMV,

Dan

 

[Russell King]

I have an older tractor that gets little hours per year use. I just change the oil on a yearly basis and the filter every other year.

And the reason is “just because” I have no better plan that is easy to follow. I use normal oil and Kubota filter.

What I am lacking in keeping up with is the antifreeze. I know it needs to be changed but no idea how long ago I did it.

 

[Trustable]

For the tractor I am doing two years after the first oil change. Now that I’m at my new place and I am using it a lot more with snow removal I doubt I’ll still hit the hours recommended for oil change but I’ll probably swap to yearly. If I was using conventional and not synthetic I’d do yearly as well no matter what. I believe I’m using rotella t6 10w30. I have a black stone kit from a couple years ago that I may use this coming march when I change it. I’ve had the tractor since June 2022 so almost 4 years. My auxiliary hour meter reads 77 hours so by time I’ll change it I’ll probably be around 90-100. (The l2501 hour meter is only accurate at time keeping at 2k rpm as I understand it, so I put on an additional analog one that is powered when the key is switched to on. It only reads 58)

 

[kcs 61]

I’ve got 279 hrs on my B2650. I bought it new in 2019. I change mine yearly and use OEM filters

 

[lmichael]

On our hybrid car I try to follow calendar pretty tightly because it gets a lot of short trips with wife driving it 98% of the time and hybrids are really hard on engine oil . I know at least on the tractor once it's running I definitely get the oil to a good operating temp.
My other car doesn't have an engine

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Try to find the Mechanix Illustrated magazine month/year that Tom McCahill did a REAL test(think it was coast to coast ) of car engine oil/filter tests in the last 50s. From my aging memory 3 identical cars, one just top the oil, 2nd, change the oil only, 3rd change oil and filter.I believe the 'bottom line' was that changing the filter was the BEST action to take. Now recall that engines and oil weren't as 'sofisticated' as today's are but the test was a real eye opener !
For several years I owned 4 D-14s, only one got yearly oil/filter changes. the others sat as 'backups' ,if needed. Never were, so sold them. I included 12 CDN quarts of oil and filters when sold.Heck who knows WHAT oil was put into them over the past 5 DECADES or how often. Also never worried about the 'build up of acids and such', it's there 24/7 whether the engine's running or not.
Friend has a walk behind snow blower and he's done 2 oil changes in 40 years, starts first pull, works very well. Old skool 8HP splash sump,no sir filter engine.

 

[number two]

I went over 3 years and ~150hrs before I changed the oil in my b2650. This last oil change I went 2 years and almost 100hrs. The only reason I changed it was because last year I put almost 50hrs of blowing snow and figured that was pretty heavy use. I also had Blackstone Labs do a used oil analysis on the 3 year old oil and the total base (that's what neutralizes the acids) number was at 9 and 2 is where it should be changed.

So if you use a quality oil you should have no issues running it but maybe not for the full recommended oil change interval hours.

Have been 100 hour change after the 50 hour service on the B3030-recomended interval.
Using WIX oil sample kits.
2-3 years between changes.
Always come back like 9!
And I'm the guy that does my cars at 3K with dino!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I pretty much stick with the “hours”……….but mostly cause I have a severe case of CRS (Can’t Remember Shit), and I would forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on, so the “calendar method” is out………….

So the “hours” thing is nice.

 

[GeoHorn]

A subject that sometimes comes up is “Shelf Life” of Oil/Greae/Etc …. and, while “in-Service” is not the same as “shelf life”…. it MAY be helpful to know what the military has researched.

This Link refers to Testing and Re-testing Lubricants/Greases/Hyd.Fluids “in Storage”.
It appears to me that the intent was to determine how often these stored products should be ”Re-Tested”…. to determine if they have CHANGED from their freshly-refined/packaged condition…But (my own observation) not necessarily for use.
But it’s an interesting read on a cold winters night:

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA294452.pdf

MY CONCLUSION: Ordinary engine oils have a long storage life.…up to 12 years, approximately. Synthetic engine oils may have slightly longer storage life…perhaps 15 years.
SURPRISINGLY, Ordinary Gear Oils do NOT have a stabile shelf life….. less than 3 years. Note: This was for gear oils made in the 1990’s. I hope that no longer applies since I have a 5-gal pail of GL5 I’ve stored for several years now.)
And certain Greases do not…. Not for the separation which I expected…. but for crystallization of certain anti-oxidation components which did not remain soluble in the base-oil/greases.

PERSONAL OBSERVATION: I have vehicles with ordinary gear oils and bearing-greases that was installed many years, perhaps decades, ago and those vehicles do not demonstrate any failure of gears or bearings. This creates a question in my small mind: Did this report address only the military re-testing practices…? And does that mean the product should not be appropriate for Actual Use…?
And what about storage conditions of the tested products? Were they in plastic bottles? Metal drums? Were they vacuum-packed…? …or did the product-container have an air-pocket (ullage) within the package…?

Anyway, disregarding those unknowns, it appears that ordinary and synthetic engine oils enjoy a long storage life …. at least a decade… while gear oils and greases do not, with no distinction between ordinary and synthetic.

Still, it’s an interesting-read in the evening with hot-chocolate in your mug, a fire in the fireplace, and a dog at your feet.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Eh, I do it annually. All major oil brands say no more than 1 year. It’s not like it’s expensive to do.
The hydraulic oil, on the other hand, I’m wrestling with. No mention of years. I’m at 4ish years but only half the hours.

 

[GeoHorn]

Eh, I do it annually. All major oil brands say no more than 1 year. It’s not like it’s expensive to do.
The hydraulic oil, on the other hand, I’m wrestling with. No mention of years. I’m at 4ish years but only half the hours.

The link I posted in my previous post also discusses Hyd Fluids in storage.