Oil & Fuel Costco tractor fluid

[ScottW]

I'll keep using Permatran III as long as my tractor is under warranty, but I can't help thinking ahead about less expensive and (for me) easier to get hydraulic fluid. I've been eyeing the 5-gallon cans of "Tractor Fluid" that Costco sells for $49. A whole bunch of manufacturer specs are listed as being met, including Permatran. I haven't bought any, but last time I was in the store I saw a guy with a half dozen cans of it on a flatbed cart. I asked him about it, and he says he runs it in a whole host of machines. He was a farmer or orchardist for sure, and kind of scoffed at my careful, hobbyist perspective on choosing product and maintaining my GC2410. He was talking about running for 1000 hours before changing fluid . . . funny how differently some people regard these maintenance issues . . .

At 118 hours I have reached a milestone. Construction and landscaping work at our house is now complete. The last job was building a small retaining wall, setting boulders, and spreading topsoil. Now I think I'll just be doing maintenance--working garden soil once per year, driveway gravel, and snowthrowing. Just a small lawn, no tractor mowing needed. I can't foresee what I'll use the backhoe for next, but I'm sure something will come up . . .

[Don87]

A few people have had success using oil other tham permatran, but most have not from the threads I've read.

Personally I'm not going to chance it. Hydros are very expensive to replace.

[ray66v]

How much money are you talking about saving $15?

Why are you running Permatran just because it is "under warranty" then? The warranty is a legally binding contract that does not say you have to use Permatran, and they are not going to send an oil sample out for analysis to see if you did, anyway.

Permatran is actually a very good fluid, it is not all exactly the same.

Some owners have reported issues when they tried using generic, and some say they have had no problems.

I can tell you I switched a fairway mower I have, that specified a Mobil hydraulic oil which is no longer manufactured, over to Permatran, and it runs about 20 degrees cooler.

If you really want to extend the interval, and I agree 200 hrs is pretty conservative, I would suggest you use the synthetic oil.

[Wacky]

How much money are you talking about saving $15?

Why are you running Permatran just because it is "under warranty" then? The warranty is a legally binding contract that does not say you have to use Permatran, and they are not going to send an oil sample out for analysis to see if you did, anyway.

Permatran is actually a very good fluid, it is not all exactly the same.

Some owners have reported issues when they tried using generic, and some say they have had no problems.

I can tell you I switched a fairway mower I have, that specified a Mobil hydraulic oil which is no longer manufactured, over to Permatran, and it runs about 20 degrees cooler.

If you really want to extend the interval, and I agree 200 hrs is pretty conservative, I would suggest you use the synthetic oil.

^^ Well stated!

[Don87]

How much money are you talking about saving $15?

Why are you running Permatran just because it is "under warranty" then? The warranty is a legally binding contract that does not say you have to use Permatran, and they are not going to send an oil sample out for analysis to see if you did, anyway.

Permatran is actually a very good fluid, it is not all exactly the same.

Some owners have reported issues when they tried using generic, and some say they have had no problems.

I can tell you I switched a fairway mower I have, that specified a Mobil hydraulic oil which is no longer manufactured, over to Permatran, and it runs about 20 degrees cooler.

If you really want to extend the interval, and I agree 200 hrs is pretty conservative, I would suggest you use the synthetic oil.

I'm not sure if this question was for me or the OP, but I'm using the permatran because the book calls for it, and like you said, it's only about a 15 dollar difference.

And with some people having trouble with their machines after switch to something else, I fugured it was easier just to use what it calls for. No sense in creating potential headaches.

[Soundguy]

i have been using walmart / tsc ( and other warren unilube products.. like coastal.. etc. ) UTF for over a decade now.. no issues.

soundguy

[ray66v]

I'm not sure if this question was for me or the OP, but I'm using the permatran because the book calls for it, and like you said, it's only about a 15 dollar difference.

And with some people having trouble with their machines after switch to something else, I fugured it was easier just to use what it calls for. No sense in creating potential headaches.

Yes, it was for the OP. Your response was not even there when I started to type mine.

I do though agree with everything you said.

For the record, technically the book calls for Permatran 3 or SAE 80 GL4. This leaves the door wide open for you to use almost any hydraulic trans oil you desire as far as your warranty goes. Any modern tractor hydraulic fluid will be labeled that it meets all the requirements for the SAE 80 GL-4 designation. Some will even go as far as to list it as a substitute for Permatran by name.

As in most oil, the real difference is the additive package. Permatran and Amsoil ATH (synthetic), have been proven by members to be completely trouble free in these machines specifically, meaning no noise or braking issues. Like you said, some other fluids have not fared as well. Although I am sure some will work.

[ScottW]

Thanks for all the perspectives on this. My main interest in posting wasn't to ask a question, but to point out how some users who work their machines much longer and harder than I don't worry about such fine points. Just as an interesting observation.