The tractor that mowed all summer is about to change jobs. Snow work is harder on a compact tractor than mowing: cold starts, heavy loader or blower work, and short runs in the cold. Fall is the time to service it, before the shop's busy season and before you need it at six in the morning.
Here's the list I'd work through on a Kubota BX, LX or any compact tractor before the deck comes off and the snow gear goes on.
Oil and filters
Check the hour meter against the service interval in your manual. If you're close, change the engine oil and filter now rather than in spring, so the engine sits through the cold on clean oil. Use the oil grade the manual lists for the temperatures you'll be working in.
Coolant: test the strength, not just the level
A full radiator isn't necessarily protected. Top-ups over the years can water down the mix. Check the antifreeze strength with an inexpensive tester, and make sure it covers the coldest weather you'll work in. While you're there, blow the summer's grass and chaff out of the radiator screen and fins. Heavy blower or loader work needs good airflow.
Fuel and the water separator
Switch to winter-blend diesel and drain any water from the fuel filter's water separator. Keep the tank full when the tractor sits, which leaves less room for condensation.
Battery and block heater
A battery loses a lot of its cranking power in the cold, so have it load-tested and clean the terminals. If your tractor has a block heater, plug it in now and make sure it's working and the cord isn't damaged.
Hydraulic and transmission fluid
Check the level and take a look at the colour. Milky fluid means water has got in, and that's worth having looked at before winter, not after.
Tires, chains and ballast
Set tire pressures to the manual. Turf tires need chains to do much in snow. A front loader or front blower also needs the right counterweight on the back of the tractor, and your manual lists how much for that attachment.
Grease everything
Loader pins, the three-point hitch, the front axle pivot and the steering all get worked hard in snow. Pump grease into every fitting until fresh grease shows.
Deck off, snow gear on
Clean the mower deck before it goes away, because packed grass holds moisture and rusts the deck from the inside. Sharpen or replace the blades now so it's ready in spring. When the blower or blade goes on, check the pins and clips, and wipe the hydraulic couplers clean before you connect them.
Lights and cab
Check the work lights. If you have a cab, check the heater, defrost and wipers too. Most snow work happens in the dark.
Intervals, fluid types and capacities vary by model, so let your operator's manual set the specs.