Hour Meters, and Why Machines Are Serviced by Hours
Small engines, tractors, generators and boats are specified in running hours rather than dates. What an hour really measures, and how to track them without a meter.
Guide
Outdoor machines · OM-07
Tractor Service Record
A free printable tractor service record with hour-based intervals — engine, hydraulic and transmission oils, filters, greasing and daily pre-use checks.
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2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Service by hours rather than by date, which is how tractor intervals are actually specified.
Who it is for
Compact and garden tractor owners, smallholders and anyone running machinery with an hour meter.
How to use it
- Record oil types, quantities and filter numbers once — there are several different oils and mixing them up is expensive.
- Log each service against the hour reading.
- Run the daily checks before use, particularly the safety cut-outs.
- Grease on schedule; it is the cheapest maintenance there is.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: Hour-based servicing for a compact or garden tractor, where the intervals are counted in engine hours rather than dates.
Write-on lines: Tractor make & model · Serial number · Engine make & model · Purchased · Warranty ends
Specifications — look these up once and never search again
Write-on lines: Engine oil & qty · Hydraulic oil & qty · Transmission oil · Engine oil filter · Hydraulic filter · Fuel filter · Air filter · Coolant type · Grease points · Tyre pressures F / R
Service record by hours
Table, 13 rows: Date · Hours · Engine oil & filter · Fuel filter · Air filter · Hydraulic · Greased · Other work
Page 2
Daily / pre-use checks
- Engine oil level
- Coolant level
- Hydraulic oil level
- Tyre pressures and condition
- Grease points
- Lights and beacon
- PTO guard in place
- Brakes and parking brake
- Seat switch and safety cut-outs
- Leaks under the machine
- Radiator screen clear
- Fuel level and water trap
Ruled lines: Notes and anything specific to yours
Read next
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Also in the resources library
The same subject, with a version you can fill in on screen.
Equipment Running Hours Log
Hours run between one entry and the next, from the readings themselves.
LR-166 Log PDF Excel Online
