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Hello, all. Hope everyone here is doing OK. Another question for the experts. My Hustler Raptor SD 60" mower is one year old. And, I have put a whopping 21 hours on it. I read in the owners manual that the hydraulic fluid and filter should be changes after 75 hours of use or after the 1st year of use, which ever comes first. With only 21 hours on the meter, should I go ahead and change the oil & filter? Or, can it wait a while? I haven't needed to add any fluid yet. Thanks for any input.

I think what they're saying is the hours don't really matter that much unless you run it more than 75 hours in the first year, in which you'd change it before the first year ended. One year or 75 hours, whichever comes first.

I'd change it.

Change any new fluid on any new engine slash mower. People spend thousands on a mower and neglect a simple fluid dump. Then wonder why it breaks down in peak mowing season. Mower shops are slammed from May to October.

slomo

Thanks for your reply guys. Looks like I'll be getting some oil on my fingers this weekend. I know that I should raise the rear end and put it on a couple of jack stands. Do the rear tires have to come off? Or, does that just make it easier to change the oil and filter? The general service manual and the owners manual are fairly clear about how to do the change and the purge afterwords. But, has anyone here posted their step by step directions as to how they do this? After I do this once, it will probably be easy the next time. Just want to avoid stupid mistakes the first time. Never mind my questions. I've seen the YouTube videos

bladedoctor said:

Thanks for your reply guys. Looks like I'll be getting some oil on my fingers this weekend. I know that I should raise the rear end and put it on a couple of jack stands. Do the rear tires have to come off? Or, does that just make it easier to change the oil and filter? The general service manual and the owners manual are fairly clear about how to do the change and the purge afterwords. But, has anyone here posted their step by step directions as to how they do this? After I do this once, it will probably be easy the next time. Just want to avoid stupid mistakes the first time. Never mind my questions. I've seen the YouTube videos

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THEN FOLLOW IT..it's right from the horse's mouth(manufacturer)

Well, I changed the fluids and filters yesterday. I think it was much easier with the rear wheels off. The top port plugs were a PITA, but doable. Should be good for another year. Thanks for those who replied.

bladedoctor said:

Well, I changed the fluids and filters yesterday. I think it was much easier with the rear wheels off. The top port plugs were a PITA, but doable. Should be good for another year. Thanks for those who replied.

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You should be good for several seasons now, at your current rate of usage. I think mine went from first year to 200 hours to 500 hour intervals.

I did mine today for the first time . It is 3 years old with 104 hours on it.

The hydraulic oil for the Hydro Gear Transmission 2800, 3100 or 5400 should be changed after the first 75 hours of use, then every 400 hours after that. However, the oil can be changed at any time, especially if the performance of the hydrostatic drive is reduced. Note that the hydraulic filter needs to be changed at the same time (if equipped).

bladedoctor said:

Hello, all. Hope everyone here is doing OK. Another question for the experts. My Hustler Raptor SD 60" mower is one year old. And, I have put a whopping 21 hours on it. I read in the owners manual that the hydraulic fluid and filter should be changes after 75 hours of use or after the 1st year of use, which ever comes first. With only 21 hours on the meter, should I go ahead and change the oil & filter? Or, can it wait a while? I haven't needed to add any fluid yet. Thanks for any input.

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It is surprising that they recommended after the first year. Everything that I have seen in manuals states after xxx hours AND then every year after. You should have been able to wait until 75 and did it for the first time then. The reason why it goes to every year after the first is because with each opening of the hydraulic oil system there is always a risk of introducing contamination and therefore filter and oil changes each year keep the system running optimally.

Not like that with the 3100's I have. They recommend an early change, then a 200 hour change, and longer intervals (not annually) after that. I think it's 400 hrs.

Got to get all the metal and junk out of the system early. Just like a new engine. It will be full of glitter like metallic flakes.

slomo

slomo said:

Got to get all the metal and junk out of the system early. Just like a new engine. It will be full of glitter like metallic flakes.

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Typically, you have a filter to remove the small debris from the hydraulic fluid. The problem is simpler than that.

You change your fluids on a calendar basis due to WATER. These large cases experience internal condensation with the changes of seasons. This might not be an issue for the pro, but rarely does a home owner run his equipment long enough to "cook off" the water vapor. The filter certainly doesn't remove water. So the only way to rid the system of water is to change the fluid.

Very rarely are we talking about liquid water. Most of the time this water is absorbed by and suspended in the hydraulic oil. But it reduces the effectiveness of the fluid and allows rust to form on ferrous surfaces. Rust then leads to advanced wear.

In the case of someone buying a 5yo mower with only 20 hours on it, the hour meter is telling you the mower hasn't been hot in a long time... therefore (although the lubricant may not be "worn out") those low hours may be proof that a fluid change is required due to possible water absorption.

So it cuts 2 ways... Change fluids based on high hours (lots of use), but also change fluids based on low hours within a calendar period (possible water inclusion simply due to non-use).

[Engine oils have the same issue with water absorption, but since engines operate at a much, much higher temperature, even a 30 minute residential mowing session is enough to keep water inside the engine cases at much lower levels.]

Hope this helps.