John Deere Fluids

[oldtimer72]

I just bought an 855 and am looking thru the shop manual. It really stresses John Deere fluids. Is this just sales hype or is there a difference?

I want to change all the fluids and filters to start fresh but didn't know if I needed to go to the John Deere place or just run by Gebo's or Auto Parts store. Would any premium brands not be just as good? I am a little cautious about mixing the hyd fluids especially.

 

[WH401]

As long as the fluids you buy meet the spec. requirements of the JD fluids that are in the manual, then the another brand of fluids will be fine. For the engine oil though I would suggest getting either the oil from JD or some of Amsoil's synthetic 15w40 or 5w-30 HD diesel oil, as there all still CI-4 compliant and not the new CJ-4.

 

[kennyd]

I think if you compare prices, the JD branded fluids are competitive. I do however use Shell Rotella T for engine oil-because I always have some left from my truck. I do use the JD brand hydraulic oil, anti-freeze (it already has the anti-cavitation additive in it that diesel engines require) and filters.

 

[Karl2]

I think if you compare prices, the JD branded fluids are competitive.

Yes they are roughly priced the same as others of similar quality but for some owners it's not practical to make the long drive to a JD sales outlet when there's none nearby.

I would be curious to know which oil company supplies JD, that way it would be easier to find identical products sold under a different brand name. For example I have a New Holland dealership nearby and I'm wondering if their fluids aren't the exact same as JD.

 

[kennyd]

If you search on the JD website for the MSDS sheets, the manufacture of the oils' are listed on them. Chevron IIRC....

 

[foggy1111]

I think if you compare prices, the JD branded fluids are competitive. I do however use Shell Rotella T for engine oil-because I always have some left from my truck. I do use the JD brand hydraulic oil, anti-freeze (it already has the anti-cavitation additive in it that diesel engines require) and filters.

What the devil is ANTI CAVITATION antifreeze?....and what does it do? This is a new one on me.

 

[AKfish]

Cavitation is a problem for high compression diesel engines with either wet or dry cylinder liners.

Combustion under high pressure is how diesel fuel is ignited. This pressure causes the pistons to create high frequency vibrations between the liners and the engine block. When the circulating coolant (anti-freeze) becomes trapped between the liner and the block, small vapor bubbles form which then are compressed and expanded at very high frequency; causing erosion - pitting - of the liner. When a hole forms in the cylinder liner, the anti-freeze leaks into the cylinder and can create general havoc with your engine!!

The corrosion inhibitor (anti-cavitation additive) in the anti-freeze coats the liners and creates a chemical barrier to stop the pitting of the cylinder liners.

AKfish

 

[AKfish]

It's been my experience - with the prices of parts in Alaska; I've done ALOT of legwork - that the Deere products are very competitive with the other major brands; NAPA, Shuck's, Autozone, etc.

Once in awhile, you can shave a few bucks here and there... but, more often than not; it's a pretty break-even situation.

And my local part's guy at the JD dealership is a great resource for ideas concerning what other products can be substituted for JD parts, etc. that meet or exceed the specifications. Between him and the shop foreman -- they've got 50 years of experience -- and I have come to rely upon their perspective.

AKfish

 

[kennyd]

What the devil is ANTI CAVITATION antifreeze?....and what does it do? This is a new one on me.

AK said it well...HERE is another article to read. Not trying to scare anyone, but the short story is if you have a diesel engine, don't use el-cheapot antifreeze.

A quick Google search of "cavitation in diesel engines" will turn up lots of reading also.

You can also look on JD's site: Cool-Guard.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I use Deere fluids, as mentioned, they are priced very competively with other top shelf oils.
Whats made me a believer is a real life situation.... Dad's Kubota L2900 GST....did the 100 hour oil change and when we did we used CIH Hy-Tran as we always have plenty of it around...its known "good stuff"....All was well for a week or so and then the GST didnt shift worth a bean....took a LONG time to shift between gears...made a call to the dealership and the first thing he asked was what Oil was in there....told him HyTran and he said to drop it and put Kubota UDT back in... While HyTran didnt cause any damage, it wasnt the right viscosity on the apparently "sensitive GST Tranny".... after going back to UDT, its back to normal...

Another thing Concerning HyTran & HyGard...I illustrate these two because I have seen this first hand...HyTran is designed to "retain" water, HyGuard is designed to completely reject water and thus water settles to the bottom of the cases... This was found out the hard way by local farmers when they burnt the brakes & clutches out of there Deere's filled with HyTran....the Deere friction materials were NOT designed to be in contact with water and they would de-laminate because of the water which was absorbed by the HyTran....

Long story short, your not saving in the long haul if something goes south because of an inferior lube, use the factory stuff and sleep good...