Equipment service intervals: how to find yours and log them

A service interval is the number of engine hours, or the amount of time, between planned services on a machine. The maker sets it for each machine, so your operator’s manual is the place to check.

Why the numbers you see online may not fit your machine

If you run tractors, excavators, loaders or mowers, you will see numbers like 250 or 500 hours quoted online. Some of those numbers are right for your machine and some are not. This page shows how the schedules differ and how to find the one that applies to you.

What a service interval is

An interval is the gap between services, counted by the hour meter, by the calendar or by both. Some makers write it as "every 200 hours or annually, whichever comes first". Whichever comes first is the one that counts.

The interval tells you when the next service is due. The log tells you when the last one happened. You need both.

Hours or distance: which to use

Machines that work in place, like tractors, excavators and generators, are measured in engine hours. Road vehicles are measured in kilometers or miles. Not sure which your machine uses? Engine hours vs mileage explains how to choose.

The hours ladder, and why it isn’t the same for every machine

Many heavy-equipment makers use a ladder of services at rising hours, with small services often and big ones rarely. Cat’s planned maintenance page names four steps, at 250, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 hours. It also says what is included depends on the machine and the interval, and tells you to check your machine’s Operation and Maintenance Manual.

Even within one maker the ladder moves. The examples below are real.

Intervals by machine: examples from maker sources

Only what each source says is listed. Tasks the source does not name are left out.

Machine	Interval	What the maker lists	Source
Cat 320 GC excavator	Every 500 hours	Engine oil and filter change, fuel filter change, lubricate machine, hydraulic tank water separator	Cat 320 maintenance page
Cat 320 GC excavator	Every 1,000 hours	Engine oil and filter change, fuel filter change, lubricate machine, belt	Cat 320 maintenance page
Cat 320 GC excavator	Every 2,000 hours	Engine oil and filter change, air filter, fuel filter change	Cat 320 maintenance page
Cat 299D3 compact track loader	250 hours	Engine oil sample, engine belt check, final drive oil level, track sag	Cat 250-hour article
John Deere 4052R tractor	50 hours	Cab air filters (clean or replace)	Deere quick reference guide
John Deere 4052R tractor	200 hours or annually	Engine oil and filter change	Deere quick reference guide
John Deere 4052R tractor	400 hours or annually	Fuel filter and fuel-water separator, transmission and hydraulic oil and filters	Deere quick reference guide
John Deere 4052R tractor	600 hours or annually	Air filters, primary and secondary	Deere quick reference guide
Kubota B2650 tractor	50, 100, 200 and 400 hours, and yearly	The manual groups its periodic services under these headings	Kubota B2650 operator’s manual
Bobcat loaders	By model and serial number	Bobcat publishes a separate schedule for each model and serial range. The S650 has six	Bobcat loader service schedules page

Cat’s 320 GC page lists its regular services at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 hours. The 299D3 loader gets a 250-hour service. A Deere tractor has its biggest oil service at 200 hours. A Kubota tractor has services at 50, 100, 200 and 400. None of these is wrong. They are different machines.

Mowers, forklifts, boats and generators follow the same rule. We haven’t listed figures for them because we haven’t checked them against a maker source. Look in your manual.

How to find your interval

Find the maintenance schedule in the operator’s manual for your exact model.
Check your serial number. Some makers, like Bobcat, publish different schedules for different serial ranges.
Note whether each interval is in hours, in time or both. Use whichever comes first.
Not sure what a task includes? Ask your dealer. Cat’s own articles tell you to contact your dealer for specific instructions.
Write the intervals down once, at the top of the machine’s log.

What can shorten an interval

Your manual may list shorter intervals for hard use. Check the section on severe conditions or special operating conditions. The manual’s figure always wins over a figure on a web page, including this one.

Log each service by hours

An interval only helps if you know when the last service happened. Write down, each time:

the date
the engine hours from the hour meter
what was done
the parts used and the cost
the receipt or a photo of it
the hours when the next one is due, from your manual

Loggy records the engine hours at each service, with the parts, cost, notes and photos, so each machine has its own history. Add a machine, pick Hours, and log the last service. Unlimited machines are free. Loggy Pro adds sharing machines with other people, folders, and income and expense reports.

Prefer a sheet? The free farm equipment log template and the vehicle maintenance log both have an engine hours column.

Sources

All checked on 1 November 2026: Cat planned maintenance, Cat 320 maintenance and service, Cat 250-hour planned maintenance (299D3), John Deere 4052R quick reference guide, Kubota B2650 operator’s manual on ManualsLib, Bobcat loader service schedules.

Try it on your own vehicles. Loggy is free on iOS and Android, with unlimited vehicles and no ads.

Frequently asked questions

Is it 250 hours for every machine?

No. Some machines have a 250-hour service and some don’t. Cat’s 320 GC excavator page lists services at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 hours. A John Deere 4052R tractor has its engine oil service at 200 hours. Check the manual for your model.

What does "whichever comes first" mean?

Some intervals have two limits, such as 200 hours or annually. Do the service when you hit the first one. A tractor that works little still needs its yearly service.

Where do I find my machine’s schedule?

In the operator’s manual, usually in the maintenance section. Some makers also publish schedules online by model and serial number. If you can’t find it, ask your dealer.

Do I need the service manual or the operator’s manual?

Start with the operator’s manual. It lists the schedule and how to do the routine jobs. If you do heavier repairs yourself, the maker’s service manual covers those.

Can Loggy remind me when a service is due?

Loggy keeps the record of every service by engine hours. Reminders in Loggy are set by date, not by engine hours. Use the log to keep the history, and read the next-due hours from your log.