Kubota engine oil recommendation

[Zoidberg79]

What do the numbers mean on the oil anyway???

The number on the oil are the viscosity (how runny the oil is).

The reason for the two numbers is one is a Winter viscosity (or "weight") and the other is a summer or warm viscosity.

The first number will have a "W" next to it to represent the Winter weight.

So for a 10w-40 this has a winter weight of 10 and a summer weight of 40.

Here in OZ, the older vehicles (pre 1990) use a thick oil rated at 20w-50. This is a good viscosity for older high mile engines.

All modern vehicles now use a 10w-30, a thinner oil. Generally the more modern engines use a thinner oil.


For diesel engines most common oil sold here is either 10w-40 or 15w-40.

This is fine for our climate as heat is our biggest problem.

Ih the Nothern parts of the USA I would probably use a thinner oil like a 5w-30 or as recommended by Kubota, a 10w-30.

If numbers are within +/- 5 of what you are looking for then you don't need to worry about it too much.

Regardless of the oil type, nothing is better than oil at the correct fill level.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[hiker308]

I use Shell T-6 in everything, it is a 5w-40 full synthetic heavy duty turbo diesel oil. We are retired and my Super Duty pickup has 2000 miles in 16 months. We have a 2010 Subaru that had some clatters and rattles in real hot weather, not so with the T-6, quiet as an electric motor. Our Kubota tractor gets used for chores in all-weather so the cold weather qualities of this oil are high on our list. We have an air cooled V twin Kowalski in a riding lawn mower. When I used the dealer suggested oil in it there was piston slap a pin rattle when it fired up cold and then some valve train noise when hot. Both disappeared with the T-6, however this engine does heat stress the oil so I usually only run it about 80 hours.

 

[bdog]

I have over a dozen things with Diesel engines from kubota RTVs to generators to heavy equipment to pickups to farm tractors to semi's and they all get 15-40. I am in Texas so maybe your needs would be different in really cold climates but it works good for me. Several of my engines are approaching 10,000hrs.

 

[hiker308]

I have over a dozen things with Diesel engines from kubota RTVs to generators to heavy equipment to pickups to farm tractors to semi's and they all get 15-40. I am in Texas so maybe your needs would be different in really cold climates but it works good for me. Several of my engines are approaching 10,000hrs.

When I had my 7.3 Powerstroke leased to a deliver company I used non synthetic 15-40 year round, the truck痴 block heater was plugged in at night and the only time I shut it off during the day was to fuel up. Now that most of my equipment is operated where it might not get up to operating temp each time it is started the T-6 seems a good choice and it seems to hold up in hot weather with the exception of that one air cooled engine that has no oil cooler. My brother had a gas Chevy Suburban that he used his 15-40 diesel oil in, it had over 300,000 miles on it and the only thing ever done to it was to replace some leaky valve cover gaskets.

 

[Copperhead]

I have about 513,000 miles on a factory rebuilt Detroit S60 12.7 crate motor that moves up to 80,000 lb of truck regularly and it has been using a Schaeffer 10w30 syn blend, getting 20,000 mile oil changes and using about 2 qts between changes. Oil samples look as good as they did when the motor had about 50,000 miles on it after the rebuild. Winter, summer, heavy, light, it doesn't matter. -20F or 110F. Same oil used in a NH TC33DA, my JD Z445 zero turn mower with a Kawasaki engine, and my Yamaha EF 2000is portable generator. CJ-4/SM rating. One serious additive package in this oil. Would make a racing motor builder drool.