DieselPower,
Wayne County Hose , or anybody that is up on oils for hydraulics.
What would you guys think about the use of motor oil as hydraulic fluid? I hear so much about this oil and that oil, that it leaves one in doubt about what is what. Lubricant is lubricant, but with additives to do a certain function. For instance, the Power-Trac is all hydraulic machine using 10W-30 or 40 motor oil as the hydraulic fluid of choice, with some saying that is because you can find that grade of oil just about anywhere. It appears to be doing an outstanding job as far as I know. Not that it is just Power-Trac is using it , some larger industrial machines are using motor oils as the hydraulic oil. My Case manual says to use 10W-30, but to add Case special additive, which probably improves certain characteristics. Some of this stuff is so confusing and some of the people you talk to are also confused as well. I ask the question to a hydraulic tech one time, is there any advantage or disadvantage to using motor oil in a hydraulic system? and he said why would they do that. When you hear things like that, you have to wonder, just who the he** is right. I believe some of the PT guys have switched over to synthetic motor oils and said it was better for the conditions that they switched. Maybe it was for cold weather operation. I don't know for sure, but the motor oil used in my PT-1445 may be some of the original oil put in, in the early 90's. It still looks clean. I have had several blow outs on hoses, and refilled the tank. It holds 20 gal.
Just curious what other people think.