Recently completed a HST fluid and filter change on my Branson 2800h. Dealer used Service Pro Hyd/Trans fluid at 50 hour service, and HST ran smoothly and quiet. I had the remaining portion of that fluid to use on the most recent change (about 200 hours), but came up about 1 gallon short and used the Tractor Supply Premium. Since the weather cooled off some, my tractor has gotten "whiny". The HST pump whines more at startup when cold and makes more noise during use. I had read about varying results with the TSC fluid and suspected that might be the culprit.
So....I bit the bullet and bought a bucket of Kubota Super UDT2. Drained what I could out of the tractor and replaced it with the Super UDT2. I could tell a difference immediately.
The filters (hydraulic and HST) were warm after the tractor was driven from the barn to the garage before the change. Basically, about 5 minute warmup and a 2 minute drive downhill. After the fluid change, the filters were noticeably cooler.........even after driving around for 15 minutes or so. Noise was way less and engine RPMs at idle were slightly up. You could just tell that the whole system was smoother. By the way, it was 29F outside, so the lower viscosity synthetic really helped here. The old oil was very thick....almost like syrup. Tractor would lose 2-300 RPM when HST pump was engaged during cold weather startup. You could tell the oil was heavy.
No way I will ever put a non-synthetic HST fluid in my machine again. It's more expensive, but I only change the fluid every 3-4 years.
I understand that many use the TSC fluid with no problems, but I wanted to share my experiences so others can have a data point for reference in the future.
So....I bit the bullet and bought a bucket of Kubota Super UDT2. Drained what I could out of the tractor and replaced it with the Super UDT2. I could tell a difference immediately.
The filters (hydraulic and HST) were warm after the tractor was driven from the barn to the garage before the change. Basically, about 5 minute warmup and a 2 minute drive downhill. After the fluid change, the filters were noticeably cooler.........even after driving around for 15 minutes or so. Noise was way less and engine RPMs at idle were slightly up. You could just tell that the whole system was smoother. By the way, it was 29F outside, so the lower viscosity synthetic really helped here. The old oil was very thick....almost like syrup. Tractor would lose 2-300 RPM when HST pump was engaged during cold weather startup. You could tell the oil was heavy.
No way I will ever put a non-synthetic HST fluid in my machine again. It's more expensive, but I only change the fluid every 3-4 years.
I understand that many use the TSC fluid with no problems, but I wanted to share my experiences so others can have a data point for reference in the future.
