Got my Federal inspection passed on Thursday and I should pass my Provincial inspection on Monday.  Then it\'s drain my hydralic tank ( that should be fun ) and replace a couple of hoses, get insurance and I am my own boss again.  :)

Q,  Can I re-use the oil?  Should I filter it somehow, just throw it back in, or replace it all?

if you were to filter some for reuse i would put it into a five gallon like what it comes in and let it set for a long while so the sediment goes to the bottom; you could pour off 60-80 percent but using a siphon hose is best to get the clear stuff on top and leave the bogger on the bottom; just like making beer. 

Hey Newby

 Without knowing the history of your pump, and mostly if you are not sure, drain your oil and toss it. Oil absorbs moisture and contaminants through heating and cooling cycles, hydraulic pump and valve wear and outside sources such as filling and changing filters. Remove all inspection covers and filters and thoughly clean inside the tank. You\'ll be surprised at whats in there. In Canada you should use a multi viscosity hydraulic oil. I use an MV42. It will give you coverage from about -15 C to over 40 depending on oil manufacturer.

     If the oil has less than 1000 hours or 1 year you can filter it with a hydraulic filter cart. Drain the oil, and clean as above and pump it back in with the filter machine. after you fill it you can re circulate it with the machine for several hours as you do other things to your machine (or drink beer) We filter all our pumps every 3 months when they are in for maintenance and change the filters every 6 months regardless of hours. 

    At least every 2 weeks drain about 1 quart of oil from the hydraulic tanks. All manufactueres have a drain on both sides of the tank. Do this in the morning when the oil has had time to settle. You will almost always get some water from there as water is heavier than oil. I have seen pumps freeze and twist right off in the PTO from water contamination.

    If you follow these procedures, you will save yourself tons of money and heart ache in the future

                        GOOD LUCK and be safe

                                                Terry

I run a clairty oil (expensive from Canada) but non toxic. Since Canada seems to be a bit more progressive you maybe able to get riparian area or stream / river work by showing a sensitivity to the enviorment. If you have a spill it does not require containment. It is required in the US by excavation companies working in / on stream rehabilitation. It is over twice the cost of hydralic oil. One time in my past I blew a main line and dumped oil, there was a community well colse by, I cant imagine what they would have sued me for if it was standard oil, since it was Clairty Oil and it was consummable I believe it saved my butt. The home owners association and neighbors called the EPA on me, blocked me from even cleaning up the spill until the EPA had a chance to review. Once they recieved my MSDS they said pick up the heavily contanimated area and take it to a land fill no worries. Another time I was working on a zero tolerance discharge on a Nuclear Site, and we blew a line, I had the toxic enviornmental cleanup dudes show up in full protective gear to cleanup the spill and put it into 55 gallon drums, I handed them the MSDS and they took off the suits and left. Yeah it\'s costly, but if it saves your butt one time in all the years in business, it\'s worth it\'s weight in diamonds...

doint toss it just use it to oil your hopper , here in  az the temp of air cures the mud so much faster than cold places and the oil is so much easer to clean that set mud