BX22 Hydrostat Temp

[ehenry]

I'll be running a bush hog on my BX22 in the next few days cutting some pretty tall grass. I've been running the clipper on a B7300 but the pto clutch started slipping last year and I dont think it will make it through this year.

My clipper is a Bush Hog brand 42" Squealer. My question is, since the early model U.S. BX tractors did not have a hydrostat temp sensor and the function of everything in the transmission, PTO's etc is dependent on the hydrostat how the heck are we suppose to know when its getting over heated? By Smell???

Ive searched and read posts about this very thing and there is no real answer to the question.

 

[BigG]

Harbor Freight and others sell a very inexpensive infrared thermometers that are hand held with a laser pointer built in. Point it at the tranny, pull the trigger and it will give you a pretty good temp.

Do you have the skid plate to protect the fan blade under the tractor?

 

[troverman]

I wasn't aware any Kubota tractor with HST came with a sensor / warning system. If I pushed my B2920 really hard (repeatedly, for an extended period of time, up and down a steep slope while mowing) once in a while during hot whether some HST fluid (Super UDT) would "vent" out the rear. You could smell hot hydraulic oil as well.

 

[ehenry]

One of the first things I had to do with the BX when I took possession of it was change hydro oil, filter, clean the suction screen, replace the hydro fan THEN install Bexpanded skid plate. The most use of the PTO on this tractor has been running a 48" bushog brand tiller making backyard garden spots for folks. The hydrostat has never been challenged with an extended run with a bush hog. I'm probably over thinking this but really wondering what others with BX's have seen. The BX has 1400+ hrs and the B7300 has 2400+.

BTW, one of the threads I read on another forum stated that European Kubotas had hydrostat transmission temp sensors.

 

[RCW]

I remember a long while ago someone saying that HST operating temps can reach ambient temp + 100 degrees F, so they do get pretty hot.

 

[bx tractorjoe]

After about 45 min of run time moving my trailer and some pallets of firewood my hydraulic oil filters got to 111 to 121 degrees. The rear differential was 116 degrees at the hottest spot and the metal hydraulic line by the exhaust manifold and starter was 141 degrees.

It's a cool 92 degrees and 80 % humidity today in West Palm Beach Florida..

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Hmm. Good info. Makes me wonder what the fluid temp is. Probably not a lot more than what you measured.

If one were to add a temp sensor to a BX, where would he put the sensor?

 

[SidecarFlip]

My temperature sensor on my M's is the back of my hand. If I can hole the back of my hand on the case for 15 seconds, it's all good.

 

[ehenry]

I'm going to try to run by Harbor Freight and get a cheap laser thermometer between now and the weekend.

Flip, I respect your wisdom, remedies and suggestions any time, but a big whoppin a$$ M aint the quite same apple as a first generation BX.... at least not in my feeble mind.

 

[BigG]

I'm going to try to run by Harbor Freight and get a cheap laser thermometer between now and the weekend.

Flip, I respect your wisdom, remedies and suggestions any time, but a big whoppin a$$ M aint the quite same apple as a first generation BX.... at least not in my feeble mind.

I tried to look up mine on Harbor Freight but it does not come up anymore. I googled infrared thermometer and they show up at Home Depot and Walmart but you might want to call to make sure they have one as people are buying up thermometers for the virus. Advance Auto parts had them also but they were $$$.

 

[troverman]

I tried to look up mine on Harbor Freight but it does not come up anymore. I googled infrared thermometer and they show up at Home Depot and Walmart but you might want to call to make sure they have one as people are buying up thermometers for the virus. Advance Auto parts had them also but they were $$$.

I find it humorous how many people are buying these cheap infrared thermometers for the virus in an effort to diagnose if someone is running a temperature or not. We do this routine every day in order to be admitted into work...yet if I ride my motorcycle in, or run the A/C in the car on the way to work, the thermometer reads very low. Likewise, in the colder weather, running the heat in the car will have the same effect to distort the reading.

That said, if you are concerned with fluid temp on your tractor, an actual inline sensor / gauge would be much more accurate and be able to be seen "on the fly" while working.

 

[ehenry]

Thanks for the insight, Tman

 

[GreensvilleJay]

If you can find a section of pipe,just use a couple gear clamps to secure a sensor with remote display. I did this 3 decades ago to control boiler systems used for heating large areas. Yes the sensor will read a bit lower than the actual fluid temperature and it is possible to 'do the math' to get an accurate liquid temperature. You might be able to slide the sensor down the 'fill plug tube' though I don't KNOW what's 'down at the bottom'.