Take flat paper towel drag ur dip stick across it slowly and u will see the Utd level ..70 yrs old same problem could not see on dip stick fluid so clear …makes u feel dump first you do it for not thinking of ur self …hope this helps
Surely there's a drain plug where you could drain a little of it, Neil. Sticking and wiping the dipstick will take forever to get the level back to specs. (grinz)
Neil, sending a big thank you to your parts department. Very courteous, patient, and knowledgable. Received the exact part and installed in an hour with the tractor up and going. This is one reason I order from Messick's instead of my nearest Kubota dealer.
I bought a set of pallet forks from Messick's about a year ago since my dealer couldn't seem to get me any. I had them in a week, and I'm in Idaho, they shipped them to a Fedex warehouse, and all I had to do was simply drive over to the warehouse and pick them up....Fedex warehouse guy was nice enough to load them onto my trailer with their forklift....definitely highly recommend Messicks...even if you don't live in a state that they have a store in, they're extremely helpful.
When I get a dipstick that's hard to read I'll line the end up with a paper towel and touch it to the towel. You should be able to see how tall the wet spot is, not perfect but it will get you close
Use the blue shop towels, like in the video. Since clean oil drips off a dipstick quickly: take the dipstick out, lay it flat on top of a piece of blue towel on the palm of your hand. Fold the towel over the dipstick and then unfold it. The dark oil stain next to the dipstick shows you the exact amount you have.
my tractor has a glass. easy to spot the level with a hand pump and watching it (and watching and watching and watching....) the problem is every attachment and even the 3 point at different heights changes the level - buckets, backhoes, grapples, height of 3pt implement, etc. if filled to "right" height it is unhappy when working and needs more fluid but change configuration and it is unhappy it has too much - ugh
Neil, is there a recommended due for hydraulic fluid to aid in seeing it? My tractor (non Kubota) has a sight glass instead of a dipstick and it is impossible to know if it's under or over filled.
Kubota should have a better dip stick, something painted a flat black with hatch marks. I have 2 Kubotas that use the same hydraulic oil and is very hard to see the stick especially when you are older.
Hope you checked other stuff besides just the hydraulic fluid level LOL. Just about every lug nut on the wheels wasn't torqued on my BX2680....engine oil level was fine, coolant was fine, but the front axle and hydraulic fluids were low.
I have to agree with the other comments, I bought a very old Cub Cadet SC-2400 tractor and they God bless them had the upper hood that I couldn't find any where else shipped to San Antonio Tx. and got it in one piece. thanks guys for the great service.
Can you add any type of dye to that to be able to see the oil where it's at on a dipstick ? I've heard of some companies actually having a the dipstick a different color to where they can be able to see the oil on the dipstick
I recently experienced a Hydro loss of power and my steering system it just got real slow and sluggish. I replaced the pump given that my tractor is a 2006 model. I figured it was time for a pump anyway. Long story short, it took a while to bleed the air out of the system, but it worked again to repair the steering but now my tractor is weaker and slower. What should I consider doing next to improve operation to prior performance? Just seems sluggish.
Cavitation is a condition that a pump can have under certain operating conditions. Usually from an inadequate supply of liquid on the suction side or, too high of head pressure on the discharge side. Over speeding a pump can also cause cavitation. Over filling the hydraulic fluid in the tractor is highly unlikely going to cause cavitation in a tractor pump(s).
I unhook my backhoe all the time and loose fluid, that sight glass is worthless. I’ve found in need to have somone watch the glass while I run the loader all the way up then you can see the level drop. Dumb ass design.
So I always use Kubota hyd. fluid, but you are right, it is next to impossible to accurately see the level on the dipstick. Do you have any suggestions on how to avoid this visibilty issue?
Add food coloring maybe? Not sure if that's something that could be done, I mean they add dye to transmission fluid to make it red, so I don't know why it couldn't be done to the hydraulic oil. They add dye to diesel fuel for "offroad" diesel, so I'm sure a dye could be put in hydraulic fluid to more easily see it on the dipstick.
when checking the fluid level of the tractor with say a loader attached or other hydraulics should the hydraulic cylinders be retracted or extended my understanding is that on hst models these share the same revivor and depending on the attachment extended or closed could be a significant difference in volume in the cylinders?
Read the owners manual, everything with cylinders will have a “parked” or “maintenance” position and the fluid should be checked in that configuration for the reason you mentioned. Most often it’s checked with all cylinders retracted but there are some that should be centered or in a particular position when checking the fluid level. 👍
Definitely would help. The newer BX models have a yellow plastic dipstick...still isn't any help trying to see the fluid level LOL. I've thought about painting mine black or gray.
Should have talked about oil dye. In a tractor site glass you can't tell how much oil you have unless the line is actually in the window (which it often isn't, let's be honest. The world ain't flat). 1/2 tablespoon of dye and 12 gallons of oil is now a nice, very visible red.
Wonder if the breather was clogged up? Being that old of a machine its quite possible. Although for being a 20+ year old machine that tractor looks to be in really good shape, at least the paint isn't pink, so it must have been kept indoors. My aunt had a VW Beetle towed into the dealership where the customer had hydrolocked the engine. Turned out every time she would fill the car up with gas, she'd add a quart of oil to the engine....the crank case was filled completely to the oil fill cap of oil...several gallons of oil drained out late, and the car started and was fine LOL....overfilling things is often worse than being underfilled LOL.
Only fluid I know of is automatic transmission fluid that is dyed red....and offroad diesel is dyed red as well. Other than that everything else is pretty much clear, with the exception of the growing number of antifreeze types.
Say it's just a hair over the hash marks on the dip stick on. 2021 BX2680? Is that horrible? Overfilled a little with the filter change, as it was pretty low. Thought I only put in a little, but it was enough to bring it to level and be just a little over. I don't really want to open the drain plug just to try letting a small amount out, I've tried a metal fluid suction device to little effect. Other tips?
Not terrible. Depends on what your definition of "hair over" is though LOL. The fluid level on my BX2680 is maybe a 32nd of an inch over the top of the hash marks...and it don't seem to go up any when it heats up so I'm fine with it....next time I change it though, I will watch the level more closely as I refill it. Being over by a tiny bit like that isn't going to hurt anything, being over by a quart, or several quarts is a different story though....that's when you start blowing out seals.
Only tip I've been told that helps you see hydraulic oil level on Kubota's dip sticks is to take a hack saw and score "X's" or hash marks on the dip stick. This helps the oil stick and stay on the dip stick so it is easier to read. Still not easy, but easier... This should be a part upgrade on future Kubota's and is one of my biggest complaints I have with mine. I never feel comfortable that I know the exact level of one of the most important fluid lvls on my tractor...
@@circuitbreaker9001 It does, but still takes 10 or so attempts to get a general idea of level. The hash marks and a paper towel is the way to go. The L3901 hydraulic level can fluctuate A LOT if not on Perfectly level ground. Not sure about other machines.
All gearboxes should have breather tubes in some shape or fashion. If a gearbox cannot breath then it will find a seal somewhere to leak. I have to change the rear main seal on my 2001 MF1225. And probably the mid PTO seal. I paid stupid tax trying to rebuild my water pump last year. It held but recently found it was leaking again. I even wore gloves and NEVER touched the seal nor let oil get on it. Cost $200 to rebuild. Cost $400 to replace with new - always pay more to fix it right the second time 🤦
Yes. With my lawn tractor you ain't checking the fluid level in the hydrostatic transaxle with it running, heck you can't even get to it with the battery in place...even if you could you'd have quite the challenge as the hydro fan is on the top of the transaxle HAHA!! But, yes, check the fluid level with all your implements/loader sitting on the ground, and tractor level.
Neal, several years ago I restored a Kubota L225. Even had paint color matched at PPG. I sold it to a buddy, but if you're interested I can share photos of the end product
Does Kubota offer any dye to be able to see the level easier, especially for us with older eyes?
John Deere mt3668. I wouldn't recommend using it if your tractor is still under warranty. It won't hurt it but Kubota will say it did to avoid paying.
They should've made the stick portion if the dipstick black so that it can be easily seen.
John Deere has a dye
Take flat paper towel drag ur dip stick across it slowly and u will see the Utd level ..70 yrs old same problem could not see on dip stick fluid so clear …makes u feel dump first you do it for not thinking of ur self …hope this helps
@@jimmie7520 was about to write the same comment apart from being 70 👍🏻
Surely there's a drain plug where you could drain a little of it, Neil. Sticking and wiping the dipstick will take forever to get the level back to specs. (grinz)
Exasperated some of the leaking? Perhaps exacerbated? :)
Neil, sending a big thank you to your parts department. Very courteous, patient, and knowledgable. Received the exact part and installed in an hour with the tractor up and going. This is one reason I order from Messick's instead of my nearest Kubota dealer.
I bought a set of pallet forks from Messick's about a year ago since my dealer couldn't seem to get me any. I had them in a week, and I'm in Idaho, they shipped them to a Fedex warehouse, and all I had to do was simply drive over to the warehouse and pick them up....Fedex warehouse guy was nice enough to load them onto my trailer with their forklift....definitely highly recommend Messicks...even if you don't live in a state that they have a store in, they're extremely helpful.
Yes, that is exacerbating, but not necessarily exasperating!
I caught that too. Neil likes to use agronomic instead of ergonomic when describing how easy it is to reach controls, etc. on tractors.
When I get a dipstick that's hard to read I'll line the end up with a paper towel and touch it to the towel. You should be able to see how tall the wet spot is, not perfect but it will get you close
Yep, that's the best way I know to ensure a proper level. Blot the stick against the paper towel.
Terrific idea!
Use the blue shop towels, like in the video. Since clean oil drips off a dipstick quickly: take the dipstick out, lay it flat on top of a piece of blue towel on the palm of your hand. Fold the towel over the dipstick and then unfold it. The dark oil stain next to the dipstick shows you the exact amount you have.
Great info Neil. I can’t stand the hydraulic sight bulb that Kubota used on some of the l series tractors. It’s hard to tell when it needs fluid.
Same with b series
Amen. I stare at it - and always wonder. Is it high? Is it low? Horrible horrible design. Give me a dipstick!
Love what you do in these videos, but the word you were looking for was "exacerbated" in describing how the problem was made worse....
Wow, under 3 min, might be a first
my tractor has a glass. easy to spot the level with a hand pump and watching it (and watching and watching and watching....) the problem is every attachment and even the 3 point at different heights changes the level - buckets, backhoes, grapples, height of 3pt implement, etc. if filled to "right" height it is unhappy when working and needs more fluid but change configuration and it is unhappy it has too much - ugh
Neil, is there a recommended due for hydraulic fluid to aid in seeing it? My tractor (non Kubota) has a sight glass instead of a dipstick and it is impossible to know if it's under or over filled.
Love my BX-22, that tractor is a beast! Hate where the hydraulic oil fill plug is, hard to get back on without kid size hands.
Kubota should have a better dip stick, something painted a flat black with hatch marks. I have 2 Kubotas that use the same hydraulic oil and is very hard to see the stick especially when you are older.
Is there some kind of dye you could safely add to the oil? My tractor's dipstick was dry when it was delivered. Not buying from them again...
Hope you checked other stuff besides just the hydraulic fluid level LOL. Just about every lug nut on the wheels wasn't torqued on my BX2680....engine oil level was fine, coolant was fine, but the front axle and hydraulic fluids were low.
I have to agree with the other comments, I bought a very old Cub Cadet SC-2400 tractor and they God bless them had the upper hood that I couldn't find any where else shipped to San Antonio Tx. and got it in one piece. thanks guys for the great service.
I. Made my own dip stick out of a wooden dowl and painted it black so i could see oil level for front axle
Can you add any type of dye to that to be able to see the oil where it's at on a dipstick ? I've heard of some companies actually having a the dipstick a different color to where they can be able to see the oil on the dipstick
Thank you, finally subscribed 😊
I saw somewhere that there is a red dye for hydraulic fluid for just that reason. Maybe it was "Tractor Time with Tim".
I have this dye, you can get it at a naps store
Is there something that can be put in the oil to make it easier to see? ?
I recently experienced a Hydro loss of power and my steering system it just got real slow and sluggish. I replaced the pump given that my tractor is a 2006 model. I figured it was time for a pump anyway. Long story short, it took a while to bleed the air out of the system, but it worked again to repair the steering but now my tractor is weaker and slower. What should I consider doing next to improve operation to prior performance? Just seems sluggish.
What model is this for?
Overfilled can be just as bad as not enough, overfilling can cause cavitation in the system
Cavitation is a condition that a pump can have under certain operating conditions. Usually from an inadequate supply of liquid on the suction side or, too high of head pressure on the discharge side. Over speeding a pump can also cause cavitation. Over filling the hydraulic fluid in the tractor is highly unlikely going to cause cavitation in a tractor pump(s).
I'm not sure which other Kubota models employee the sight glass, but my l2501 combined with clear udt can be some fun😉
I unhook my backhoe all the time and loose fluid, that sight glass is worthless. I’ve found in need to have somone watch the glass while I run the loader all the way up then you can see the level drop. Dumb ass design.
So I always use Kubota hyd. fluid, but you are right, it is next to impossible to accurately see the level on the dipstick. Do you have any suggestions on how to avoid this visibilty issue?
Add food coloring maybe? Not sure if that's something that could be done, I mean they add dye to transmission fluid to make it red, so I don't know why it couldn't be done to the hydraulic oil. They add dye to diesel fuel for "offroad" diesel, so I'm sure a dye could be put in hydraulic fluid to more easily see it on the dipstick.
What's the correct way to check the level? Cold ? Putting dip dipstick in a few times when cold? Thanks Neil 😊
The correct way is to simply be consistent with whatever you choose so the conditions are the same each time and you'd notice a leak or consumption
when checking the fluid level of the tractor with say a loader attached or other hydraulics should the hydraulic cylinders be retracted or extended my understanding is that on hst models these share the same revivor and depending on the attachment extended or closed could be a significant difference in volume in the cylinders?
Read the owners manual, everything with cylinders will have a “parked” or “maintenance” position and the fluid should be checked in that configuration for the reason you mentioned.
Most often it’s checked with all cylinders retracted but there are some that should be centered or in a particular position when checking the fluid level. 👍
Wouldn’t matt black solve the dip stick issue?
Definitely would help. The newer BX models have a yellow plastic dipstick...still isn't any help trying to see the fluid level LOL. I've thought about painting mine black or gray.
Should have talked about oil dye. In a tractor site glass you can't tell how much oil you have unless the line is actually in the window (which it often isn't, let's be honest. The world ain't flat). 1/2 tablespoon of dye and 12 gallons of oil is now a nice, very visible red.
Yep, it’s hydraulic fluid, specifically designed to be incompressible, designed to “push”, so it’s going to do exactly that when it expands.
Wonder if the breather was clogged up? Being that old of a machine its quite possible. Although for being a 20+ year old machine that tractor looks to be in really good shape, at least the paint isn't pink, so it must have been kept indoors.
My aunt had a VW Beetle towed into the dealership where the customer had hydrolocked the engine. Turned out every time she would fill the car up with gas, she'd add a quart of oil to the engine....the crank case was filled completely to the oil fill cap of oil...several gallons of oil drained out late, and the car started and was fine LOL....overfilling things is often worse than being underfilled LOL.
Deere offers a dye to make their hydraulic fluid colored.. I'm sure others have dye that makes it easier to see that's compatible with Kubota fluids.
we had that problem Niel with a sightglass, why don't Kubota put a dye in it.
I wish Kubota would put a colorant in the UDT2.
Give yer stick a couple taps with a grinder wheel and you’ll be able to see it a bit better.
Hope your employee with an injured foot has been healing.
In the owners defense, it's not exactly easy to see the fluid line on the shiny silver dipsticks.
Always enjoyed three minute Thursdays. Thanks Neil.
I heard that Kubota used a dye for their hydraulic oil.
Outstanding, Neill! Not having owned any other brand besides Kubota, does anyone else colorize their fluid?
Only fluid I know of is automatic transmission fluid that is dyed red....and offroad diesel is dyed red as well. Other than that everything else is pretty much clear, with the exception of the growing number of antifreeze types.
Say it's just a hair over the hash marks on the dip stick on. 2021 BX2680? Is that horrible? Overfilled a little with the filter change, as it was pretty low. Thought I only put in a little, but it was enough to bring it to level and be just a little over. I don't really want to open the drain plug just to try letting a small amount out, I've tried a metal fluid suction device to little effect. Other tips?
Not terrible. Depends on what your definition of "hair over" is though LOL. The fluid level on my BX2680 is maybe a 32nd of an inch over the top of the hash marks...and it don't seem to go up any when it heats up so I'm fine with it....next time I change it though, I will watch the level more closely as I refill it. Being over by a tiny bit like that isn't going to hurt anything, being over by a quart, or several quarts is a different story though....that's when you start blowing out seals.
Neil where is the shop that you work out of a live in Hartly Delaware and would like to stop by and check out your lineup of equipment. Thanks
Matt
Mount Joy, PA. If it suits you, we have a huge open house next week.
Get the JD hydraulic oil dye. MT3668. Only check hydraulic dye level with all implements at ground level and tractor turned off
I miss your 3 min Thursdays.
Only tip I've been told that helps you see hydraulic oil level on Kubota's dip sticks is to take a hack saw and score "X's" or hash marks on the dip stick. This helps the oil stick and stay on the dip stick so it is easier to read. Still not easy, but easier...
This should be a part upgrade on future Kubota's and is one of my biggest complaints I have with mine. I never feel comfortable that I know the exact level of one of the most important fluid lvls on my tractor...
If this helps I have read if you lay the stick on a paper towel you can see the wet area. I have not tried this yet but plan on doing it.
@@circuitbreaker9001 It does, but still takes 10 or so attempts to get a general idea of level. The hash marks and a paper towel is the way to go.
The L3901 hydraulic level can fluctuate A LOT if not on Perfectly level ground. Not sure about other machines.
All gearboxes should have breather tubes in some shape or fashion. If a gearbox cannot breath then it will find a seal somewhere to leak.
I have to change the rear main seal on my 2001 MF1225. And probably the mid PTO seal. I paid stupid tax trying to rebuild my water pump last year. It held but recently found it was leaking again. I even wore gloves and NEVER touched the seal nor let oil get on it. Cost $200 to rebuild. Cost $400 to replace with new - always pay more to fix it right the second time 🤦
So most all kubota tractors and lawn mowers you check hydrostat fluid level with engine off?
Yes. With my lawn tractor you ain't checking the fluid level in the hydrostatic transaxle with it running, heck you can't even get to it with the battery in place...even if you could you'd have quite the challenge as the hydro fan is on the top of the transaxle HAHA!!
But, yes, check the fluid level with all your implements/loader sitting on the ground, and tractor level.
@@wildbill23c ok…wasn’t sure cause like automatic transmissions ( pretty much a hydraulic pump) needs to be checked with engine running!
Is it better to check the fluid when the fluid is hot or cold?
does not matter, just be consistent when you check it so you know if its leaking. The heat will change the level.
Nice One Neil Thanks again
Nice reminder.
Neal, several years ago I restored a Kubota L225. Even had paint color matched at PPG. I sold it to a buddy, but if you're interested I can share photos of the end product