BX HST/Hydraulics Not Noisy At All Now!

[RCW]

Was trying to figure out best title and place for this thread.

BX2360 - 5 + years old, 320 hours.

With normal Fall engine oil, etc. service, added hydraulic fluid/filter change too. Last done at 50 hours in year 1. Filter changed couple years ago due to damaged/dented filter.

HST whine was MUCH better at 50 hour change.

Didn't recall if next HST change should be 200 or 400 hours, but did it at 320... Fluid looked and smelled good. No big changes in noise. It was time in my head...hell, for $90, why not? Did it 5 years ago... $18 per year, or $0.30/hour.

Worked it for the first time tonight...after second hydraulic fluid change in 320 hours, the HST whine is less still, and the hydraulic noise of the 3PH lift with 300 lb box blade/QH is almost indiscernible....

I know we fret and bitch about 50 hour service and other service intervals, especially with the BX....dump/don't dump hydraulic fluid, filters only, etc.

After my hour tonight, I'll be happy to change the fluid whenever I please!

When you guys pay for my fluids, feel free to criticize.

I was just surprised and very pleased with how much quieter it was. While it was a BIG improvement, thought the first 50 hour change was as good as it would be. Was better still this trip.

 

[BAP]

It’s nice when you agonize over wether or not to spend money on your tractor and turns out to be a good move and worth it. Sounds like it was a wise choice for you.

 

[Cfrazer]

Interesting, I did not change mine at 50 hours last February because it didn't call for it and I wanted to see if i could meet the challenge of actually pulling the HST screen without spilling a bunch of fluid. Went to dealer a month ago at 126 hours planning on a fall oil change and the dealer talked me out of it - said it was better to wait until spring and besides i would be near the 200 hour mark by then as well (maybe Spring / Fall oil change can be another debate) anyway I think I may go ahead and change the HST Fluid at 200 hrs and see if i can get some of the whine out of my 2670. Thanks for the observation.

 

[Redlands]

Always nice to have such good results on taking care of equipment.

 

[RCW]

Sounds like it was a wise choice for you.

I think I may go ahead and change the HST Fluid at 200 hrs and see if i can get some of the whine out of my 2670. Thanks for the observation.

Always nice to have such good results on taking care of equipment.

Thanks guys.

HST service, especially 50 hour, is highly debated here. I'm in the "cheap insurance" camp, but am in the minority. HST is a very expensive item to replace.

Some folks will say "you're throwing your money away" My money, my tractor...'nuf said.

Not objective at all, but seemed like 50 hour decreased HST whine by "half".... certainly not in dB, just perception. This last change seems decreased by half again...

Running box blade in snow yesterday and this morning, bumping the quarter-inching 3PH valve didn't have hardly any noise at all.... real quiet.

Tractor has been great since day 1. Haven't fixed anything, just reduced it's noise. I take that as a good thing for hydraulics.

I'm not lobbying one way or another. Just my observations.

Almost like driving a different tractor...and I'm okay with that!

 

[Fordtech86]

I noticed same thing with mine. Changed the hydraulic fluid at 150 hrs, mine is a gear tractor so I don’t know about the hst whine but it does have normal gear noise which has been diminished and the pto was very loud when engaged almost to the point I thought I had something wrong. After the fluid change with sudt 2 pto noise is almost non existent. Loader and 3pt is much quicker to respond as well, actually had to get used to not moving the joystick as far and as fast afterwords. But I agree the little bit of money to change it was worth the peace of mind.

 

[Daren Todd]

Thanks guys.

HST service, especially 50 hour, is highly debated here. I'm in the "cheap insurance" camp, but am in the minority. HST is a very expensive item to replace.

Some folks will say "you're throwing your money away" My money, my tractor...'nuf said.

Not objective at all, but seemed like 50 hour decreased HST whine by "half".... certainly not in dB, just perception. This last change seems decreased by half again...

Running box blade in snow yesterday and this morning, bumping the quarter-inching 3PH valve didn't have hardly any noise at all.... real quiet.

Tractor has been great since day 1. Haven't fixed anything, just reduced it's noise. I take that as a good thing for hydraulics.

I'm not lobbying one way or another. Just my observations.

Almost like driving a different tractor...and I'm okay with that!

I changed the filters and oil in the transaxles when I serviced my zero turn. Think it was at 30 hours Read on those transaxles that the biggest cause of failures was not changing the oil enough in those. Figure I'll do it each time I service it. Other then the cost of the filters, it's only 5 quarts of 5w50. I change the oil once a season on both Kubotas. Way under the actual service interval based on the hours I put on them. But figure it's good insurance

 

[William1]

My little BX25D was not too loud for me from day one but, I have pretty severe tinnitus, so...
I did a HST filter change at 50 hours. A full HST fluid change at 150 hours. No discernible change in sound. Perhaps mine was relatively quiet to begin with?

Now for the simple facts. Any fluid that gets heated and cooled 'breathes'. It will collect humidity. It will degrade over time. If you never ran your tractor, stored it in a temperature and humidity controlled building, the fluid would probably be fine after 15 years. Daily use or intermittent, the tractor getting hot and cold, the fluids do go bad a bit sooner. I've never, ever heard of anyone changing the fluids too often and that causing a problem. I have heard of people neglecting the fluids and suffering premature failure directly attributable to a lack of proper servicing.

 

[RCW]

But figure it's good insurance

Exactly!

Have a buddy with a Mahindra TLB. About a year newer than my Kubota, and about same 300 hours.

Admits he's WAY behind on services..."they build some leeway in that stuff.."

He will be the first to complain when something goes wrong.....

 

[RCW]

I've never, ever heard of anyone changing the fluids too often and that causing a problem. I have heard of people neglecting the fluids and suffering premature failure directly attributable to a lack of proper servicing.

William - Thanks. Said the same thing many times here. Maybe I'm not an idiot after all!

My wife says the jury is still out.....

 

[Daren Todd]

Exactly!

Have a buddy with a Mahindra TLB. About a year newer than my Kubota, and about same 300 hours.

Admits he's WAY behind on services..."they build some leeway in that stuff.."

He will be the first to complain when something goes wrong.....

On my rental equipment, the oil gets changed every 250 hrs. Sometimes it's just under, sometimes it doesn't get done till 500 or so. Occasionally it's 800hours and up to 1500 hours Kinda of depends on the circumstances, type of job it's on, or accessibility. Granted some of the equipment will get started, and not get shut off till the end of the job.

It's pretty much a numbers game. We've actually sent samples of oil out and have had them tested. Test came back saying the oil was good for 750 hours. With the newer technologies in oil manufacturing, and filtering technology, you can go longer between intervals.

Remember the days when oil needed to be changed every 3000 miles. It then went to 5000 miles. The company that handles our vehicle maintenance sent a coupon book in for our new service truck. The new interval is 7500 miles between changes. For giggles I pulled out the coupons in my service truck. I don't actually use them. I just tell the company doing the oil change it needs to be billed through (company). The coupons for my service truck showed 7500 miles between services as well. I still can't bring myself to go 7500 miles between changes

 

[RCW]

I noticed same thing with mine. But I agree the little bit of money to change it was worth the peace of mind.

You deal with these new-fangled cars/trucks all the time.....appreciate the support.

 

[Fordtech86]

You deal with these new-fangled cars/trucks all the time.....appreciate the support.

From your first post I thought we were fixing to start a go fund me page for your fluid changes lol, just playing

 

[RCW]

From your first post I thought we were fixing to start a go fund me page for your fluid changes lol, just playing

HA!

It does cut into my beer money for a short while....

 

[William1]

William - Thanks. Said the same thing many times here. Maybe I'm not an idiot after all!

My wife says the jury is still out.....

Your wife and mine would agree on way too much....

 

[jajiu]

I never quibble about changing the fluids. I can always use a good drink after working hard and sweating up a storm and I feel the tractor feels the same after a season of hard work and like to give it a freshen up. I change the oil and all the filters every year, usually before winter. It works hard in the snow and cold and all spring and summer working around the house. I put about 100 hrs. a year on it and I just dropped it off to have a full service (400 hrs.) done. I never feel like I'm wasting my money changing the fluids and filters early like RCW said, good insurance. Take good care of your tractor and it will take good care of you.

 

[Jrrando]

I am on board with changing fluids using good quality stuff...I have a 06 bx2350 and am getting ready to change hydro fluid. Only thing I didn’t see is what fluid you have been using and did you change anything ie; prob came with udt, then used sudt, last change was with sudt2 and it’s much quieter, etc.

Good post, thanks

 

[ThisIsNotaStep]

It is better to change the fluid with no-name stuff than not at all. You only noticed a big difference in performance because you missed 5 oil/filter changes. Hydraulic oil is EVERY YEAR, or every maintenance interval.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I changed the filters and oil in the transaxles when I serviced my zero turn. Think it was at 30 hours Read on those transaxles that the biggest cause of failures was not changing the oil enough in those. Figure I'll do it each time I service it. Other then the cost of the filters, it's only 5 quarts of 5w50. I change the oil once a season on both Kubotas. Way under the actual service interval based on the hours I put on them. But figure it's good insurance

Curious about something.... What or who makes the transaxles in your zero turn, Hydrogear maybe? Reason I ask is, I change my oil every other year in my Cub (filters too) and it's a PITA to refill. I use 5-40 Rotella T6 in my boxes, same as I use in my engines. Always been curious as to why they want motor oil in them versus hydraulic fluid. They are hyrdostatic drives after all.

 

[Daren Todd]

Curious about something.... What or who makes the transaxles in your zero turn, Hydrogear maybe? Reason I ask is, I change my oil every other year in my Cub (filters too) and it's a PITA to refill. I use 5-40 Rotella T6 in my boxes, same as I use in my engines. Always been curious as to why they want motor oil in them versus hydraulic fluid. They are hyrdostatic drives after all.

I'll have to pull the manual back out tonight and see what it says. But if I remember right, the same system/ brand Transaxle minus the over flow jug is in my neighbors Bad Boy. Even takes the same size filters.

Hydrogear does sound familiar.

Mines not bad to fill up with the over flow jug. Just time consuming. I learned really fast with it. Take the oil jugs and place them next to a heat source and warm the oil up so it flows better. I did mine on a cool day and it took forever to top up the Transaxle.

As far as the oil goes. The only thing I can figure is there's something in the hydraulic oil that they don't want in the Transaxle that can cause premature failure of the clutches.


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