mix 30 weight oil with hydraulic oil

[jcskippy]

got a long tractor, I mix 20 weight oil in the hydraulic oil reservoir. Ive drain it and refill with hydraulic oil what else should i do

[JasG]

got a long tractor, I mix 20 weight oil in the hydraulic oil reservoir. Ive drain it and refill with hydraulic oil what else should i do

Nothing you can do but drive it. I doubt it will hurt anything.

Cat at 1 time had 1 oil that was used for everything. It was 30 weight engine oil. I doubt it hurt anything, just keep an eye on the oil, make sure it doesn't get milky or like wax. Might want to change the filter if you havn't.

[rambler]

You should be ok.

--->Paul

[gotrocks]

Well fellers, this thread brought back old memory from Ft. Knox 1954-55

We had to make sure trainees did not mix 20W with 30W to fill gear box that required 50W.

[art]

Do to different seals and applications I'd not be adding the motor oil! If I was to be trying to do that I'd be using a lighter weight oil.

Only the low end hydraulic fluid will be about a thirty weight. Today most higher quaility hydraulic oils are in the 10 to 15 weight range.

[PILOON]

An engineer from shell oil once told me that hydraulic oil was the cheapest oil product made and that SAE 30 was far superior in all aspects for the hydraulics and on his personal tractor that was all he used. He ran his tractor for years without any hydraulic issues.
He said that hydraulic oil was price issue due to the quantities generally involved and resulted in a product that was 'good enough' eg; hydraulic oil!
PS, his tractor was a POS otherwise but free from hydraulic issues.

[JasG]

An engineer from shell oil once told me that hydraulic oil was the cheapest oil product made and that SAE 30 was far superior in all aspects for the hydraulics and on his personal tractor that was all he used. He ran his tractor for years without any hydraulic issues.
He said that hydraulic oil was price issue due to the quantities generally involved and resulted in a product that was 'good enough' eg; hydraulic oil!
PS, his tractor was a POS otherwise but free from hydraulic issues.

If all the oil is used for is hydrualics it will be fine, but if the trans uses the oil for other things it could cause issues.

One note that an ag rep at a farm show told me many years ago. Good hydraulic oil will mix with water and absorbe it. This is why you will see milky oil, motor oil not so much. I was told this was to keep water from freezing and damaging things in the system be it hydraulic only or the trans. Don't know if the freezing part is true, but it does absorb the water. It's easy usually to tell if water is in a motor, crack the drain and water will be the 1st to come out. Hydraulic turns a milky color and the water never seems to come out. I've also seen this posted on heavy equipment forums.

Also some tractors with wet clutches I don't think motor oil would be a good thing with it. I know at 1 time Cat was using all in one oil, now they do not.


Off-road Powershift Transmissions

Lubricating Yesterday's Powershift Transmissions
The original lubricant of choice for many older transmissions was engine oil, which performed multiple functions in the engine and drivetrain. Although convenient, using the same lubricant in both compartments is usually not the best choice. Its use can result in too much compromise, particularly as transmissions become more sophisticated, nonmetallic friction materials are used in clutches and brakes, and major changes have occurred in the composition of engine oils.
For example, compared to specialty oils, engine oils may not perform as well in wear performance because of reduced phosphorus and sulfated ash, or in friction stability due to an imbalance of detergents and dispersants. The dispersants used in new-generation engine oils may interact poorly with seals. Why? Because fundamentally, engine oil technology is driven by the needs of advanced engine designs; and the performance in the transmission or final drive is an afterthought at best. Dedicated off-road driveline lubricants, on the other hand, offer specific design features that are driven by the needs of the transmission and final drive.
If engine oils were used in the transmissions and final drives of today's equipment, the engineered limits would not meet the needed performance levels. Engine oils would likely allow clutch slippage and higher temperatures resulting in pump wear, reduced shift response and increased maintenance. The absence of the needed frictional properties in the fluid could result in vibration and noise in wet brakes. Also the oil might attack nonmetallic components, creating leaky seals, gear wear and damage. For example, the fluid could cause the elastomer materials to turn brittle - an undesirable result.

Now all that being said my dual hydo walk behind mower takes 20-50 motor oil, but that is what the system is made for.