oils cheap also in an engine it breaks down over time annualy is the max time on any engine oil even if your not at max hrs. I read a good forum discussion on heavyequipmentforum that discussed oil change intervals and most agreed and had oil samples to prove that 250 hrs was still a huge cost saving over 500 hr changes most oils where failing around 350-400 hrs some as low as 200 hrs. depending on your intentions I will stick with what your doing now or take oil samples and compare a 150hr and 300hr change my oils really sooted up at 200 hrs I put 600hrs a year on each of my 4wds and 300 hrs or more on my combine I always take sample its cheap insurance send them to Kramer and a week later get results via email I know if I have issues arising or not this way

 

250hr vs 500hr Oil Changes

this is the forum I was talking about remember these machines reach 250 hrs several times a month and they still don't think its possible to extend drain times

 

I agree with alfred123. Maintenance is cheaper and less stressful than repairs. You have a great tractor and want to protect your investment. The oil might not be completely worn out but there could be condensation and other contaminants in it that would be worth removing with a lube and filter. I think you doing the right thing

 

The John Deere Plus 50 is good for 500 hrs. But you still need to change it annually. Not because of the oil but because of the other contaminates. Condensation is oils worse nightmare. When temps change outside you get condensation inside.

 

I have rarely done oil samples ether as it was more about checking for possible coolant or fuel contamination ( fuel pump failing internally etc ) and I realize I may be pouring good oil down the drain because of my practices too. A lot of our equipment never gets near the amount of hours on it a year that is suggested by the manufacture but they usually are basing the oil change on so many months or hours. As its said, the oil absorbs combustion byproducts/water that form acids and so on and the anti corrosion additives in the oil get used up.

The problem with such limited seasonal equipment on a farm, it puts them into a maintenance situation that is so different from the highway tractor or construction equipment that gets used day in and day out, not to mention a dusty environment.

So no personal scientific backing behind my method but I don't think mauryj, that you are doing a bad thing at all by changing the oil with low hours in a once a year method. That way when your done for the season with the tractor, its changed and ran with new oil that coats all the bearings and internals of the engine with new additives that will hopefully keep away any nasty surprises as it sits over winter in storage and is ready to go for you the next spring.

 

Northern Farmer, While i agree with you about changing annually i dissagree with the time you change it, with only 150 hrs on it there are plenty of additives left for over winter. If you change it in the fall then all the new oil gets the condensation from all winter and then you run it all the next year. Pull it out in the spring, warm it up and dump it then.

 

Northern Farmer, While i agree with you about changing annually i dissagree with the time you change it, with only 150 hrs on it there are plenty of additives left for over winter. If you change it in the fall then all the new oil gets the condensation from all winter and then you run it all the next year. Pull it out in the spring, warm it up and dump it then.

x2. Do it in the spring. The condensation will happen in the winter months.

 

Hmmm, I may have my thinking backwards in that regard, when to change the oil as I've been thinking in terms of totally fresh oil being run through the engine for the best protection for storage. I don't really know what to say about the condensation issue over the winter because in my environment here it rarely goes above the freezing point all winter so most items stored in a shed away from the sun are a frozen block all winter so wouldn't have the above freezing/below freezing cycles that I would tend to think draw in the moisture. Typically its very low humidity here during the winter ... just biting cold but I can certainly see in an area that has cool rainy weather as that would cause all sorts of potential for condensation in an engine, fuel tank or what have you.

 

We change the oil in each piece of machinery at the beginning of the year regardless of how few hours are on it. Oil and grease is cheaper then shop labor.

 

This article about, glycol, water, fuel and soot explains why I feel uneasy about extended changes. I can't comment on the filtration company that is the sponsor. The age and soundness of the engine, how long it has idled and how much fuel it's burned is likely just as important as how long the plug has been in the pan.

Four Lethal Diesel Engine Oil Contaminants
.

 

If you only do 150 hrs, why use JD plus 50? Also have you ever seen plus 50 that's 500 hrs old! You would never run that long again. A high quality 15w 40 oil will do the same as plus 50 for the 150 hours. I change every 150 hours and use CAT oil as its the same spec and cheaper but it's a recommended 250 hr oil. We run to 500 hrs in mining but that equipment has a reserve oil system which in short doubles the amount of sump oil. I'm pretty sure most oils state they should be changed regardless in 6 or 12 months.

 

If you only do 150 hrs, why use JD plus 50? Also have you ever seen plus 50 that's 500 hrs old! You would never run that long again. A high quality 15w 40 oil will do the same as plus 50 for the 150 hours. I change every 150 hours and use CAT oil as its the same spec and cheaper but it's a recommended 250 hr oil. We run to 500 hrs in mining but that equipment has a reserve oil system which in short doubles the amount of sump oil. I'm pretty sure most oils state they should be changed regardless in 6 or 12 months.

exactly what I was thinking but I had some plus 50 in store so it got changed yesterday. I changed it before I read the posts about the condensation, I still like new oil in storage for 7 to 8 months, I think the moisture is evaporated quite fast once the tractor is operated for a few hours anyway.

 

Change it whenever you get to it, usually last minute before machine is put in use, that's how it works here

I like to change oils just before the said piece of equipment goes into service. Changing oil at the end of season or just before winter has some valid points, but I don't think they contribute much to extending equipment/engine life. Our newer engines will go to 300 hours book says 600 hour interval, and that's it, it gets changed. I so t care what the book says, oil breaks down over use and time. Fresh oil often won't hurt anything and its cheap insurance, one hour of shop rate work is equal to an oil change.

Use good quality oil and change it within what you feel is a reasonable timeframe just dont exceed a drain interval. Last I checked they aren't giving tractors or anything with an engine away for discount prices, protect it.

 

Cars used to get changed at 5000km. Now with the dash telling you oil change intervals they dont tell you to change it until at lest 20 000km. Most of us do it long before that.

There are semis with circulating filters that never change oil during life of semi.

Stick to your plan just for safety sake but I would venture a guess that if most people skipped every second oil change and put that time and money into the transmission, u-joints, hub oil, etc it would be better spent.

 

Had a neighbour who used to change oil every fall and then still change it first thing in the spring. Another one who greases his tractor every day. I grease mine every 50 hours and change the oil between 150 to 200 hours. I have a Vers 2375 new this spring and have 90 hours on it after having done the break-in oil at about 60 hrs. A versatile dealer said he felt I could leave the oil in and change it when due next spring. After reading here I am thinking I may change it in the spring before I start.

 

For what's its worth, it's good to have the flexibility to change when convenient, some times you are miles from the workshop and if you are going past and won't be home for a while just do it, somewhere between 300 and 500 hrs. I also consider the situation it's working in, hot and dusty....!!
Always like to put gear away with new oil.