My Father in law's tractor

[wavinwayne]

Last weekend, at my suggestion, we planted a garden at my in-law's place. They live just down the street from me & my wife. To get things started, my FIL plowed & disked the garden to get it ready for planting. He used his circa 1988 model year John Deer 6-hundred-something to do the work.

The next day, as we were planting the garden, my FIL said that he had just changed the oil & filter, as well as replacing the fuel filter. I asked him how often you have to change the oil in the tractor. He told me he last time he could remember changing the oil was about 10 years ago!

This is a guy who KNOWS about regular maintenance, because he has to keep his big rigs running for 1 million+ miles before he trades them. I guess the little tractor is the red headed step-child in his family.

That must either be one tough tractor, or one that's about to croak. It has around 1300 hours on it total. FWIW, he used Rotella 15w40 & John Deere branded oil & fuel filters for this round of 10-year maintenance.

 

[benjamming]

That's what I would call a good extended oil change interval! He would scoff at my mere 1-year interval. What does John Deere recommend?
How many hours on this interval?
Did you get to cut the filters open? Or would that result in banishment from the clan for crazy talk?

 

[wavinwayne]

Quote:

---

...What does John Deere recommend?
How many hours on this interval?
Did you get to cut the filters open? Or would that result in banishment from the clan for crazy talk?

---

In order:
Don't know
Don't know
No
Yes

FWIW, he said the 10 year old oil drained like thick syrup.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

Last I heard, JD fllters, for "domestic" engines anyway, were just repainted FRAMs. Not sure about the Kawasaki's.

 

[TLAR640]

The oil filter for my Kawasaki powered John Deere zero turn mower was a Fram with black paint. It now has a Wix (with black paint too)