How important is the inner air filter on L3800

[kgw51gmc]

I load up about 46 tons of lime dust each year with my L3800, after I cut/rake/ round bale about 65 4x5 (590lb-610lb), brush hog the hills, dig tons of stuff with a Long 1199B with home made subframe, etc so on. Even loaded up 450 tons of asphalt millings in a few days last year, then hauled/dumped it with chevy dump, and used kubota to move it all again into the farm roads etc, box blade.
The lime dust is unreal and inescapable. I had no idea about the damn 2nd filter until now!
I wish I had known about it 300 tons of lime ago.
My question for you guys on this topic: Is there such a thing as TOO MUCH filtering? I once went over kill on our furnace filter and the central air kept freezing up, it was blocking enough air flow, so I have to use cheap furnace filters. Different animal, sure, but same concept. So will this restrict air flow to the intake with both filters?
During my 50 hours of heavy brush hogging the 50 acres of steep WV/PA farmland I need all the HP I can get, and when baling but not as bad as the brush hogging.

 

[BigG]

Damn what are you doing? Farming or something. I think I would want the second filter when doing the lime. I do not think you would want to remove it to do the hogging either. Maybe change the outer one more often then recommended to keep the machine breathing well. I read somewhere that your inner filter should never be dirty enough to need changed.

 

[D2Cat]

The secondary filter cost about $12. Put it in and leave it. Keep the primary filter clean, and be sure to keep the inside of the airbox clean when you replace the filter.

About have too much air filter, no not too much filtering. However, you could let a filter get full of material and then it would block off enough air for the engine to not run with much power, and eventually not run at all. A mouse nest will plug one up good!!

 

[michigander]

B2601 comes stock with inner filter , I figure because MMM stirs up sooooo much crap and dust.

 

[SidecarFlip]

There for a reason.

 

[JohnDB]

...The lime dust is unreal and inescapable. I had no idea about the damn 2nd filter until now!
I wish I had known about it 300 tons of lime ago.
My question for you guys on this topic: Is there such a thing as TOO MUCH filtering?
...

Some Kubotas with Donaldson air cleaners (sounds like yours might be of that brand) came with an air filter restriction indicator (Donaldson name: "filter minder") In heavy dusty use the restriction indicator would be a great guide - but if your air cleaner isn't set up for one then you'd have to get a screw-in adapter fitted (and be sure it didn't leak) at the joints. If you feel your air cleaner is getting really dirty before the usual service interval this could provide objective guidance.

The filter minders come in different restriction settings - the recommended max restriction for your engine but you could probably find out with some research, or ask Donalson. If you get stuck, PM me.

The Donaldson site used to have some great info on the dos and don'ts of servicing air filters - well beyond what is in the Kubota manual. Maybe it's still there but I couldn't find it when I looked just now.

One way to tell whether the air filter is doing its job is to remove some of the trunking between the filter and the engine and wipe the inside with a scrupulously CLEAN cloth and see what residue is on the cloth (dark cloth to show lime? White cloth to show dirt). There should be no residue at all on it.