All hydraulic oil is NOT created equal!!

[Midniteoyl]

Maybe I am a fool. I once caught a show on C Band about JD oils. I am convinced they are of the highest quality and Deere puts a lot of resourses into this area.

My friend was up last week and we got to changing a hydraulic filter and talking about oil. He works at a company with a commercial turf and landscaper division. Their main small engine mechanic insists that all oil come from just two suppliers. In other words, it's all the same and just a marketing game beyond that. I don't want to believe that, but who really knows any facts about anything anymore?

A short time ago, most would have been in agreement that VW was in EPA compliance! Seems you can't trust anything.

ALL oil, or just 'small engine branded oil'? Cause there are definitely more than 2 oil manufacturers..

 

[Industrial Toys]

Hard to say, since I didn't talk to him. But the gist was that all the wholesale oil was the same and with the same quality and then the individual companies put in their additives and stick on their name. So, the basic product is the same.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Hard to say, since I didn't talk to him. But the gist was that all the wholesale oil was the same and with the same quality and then the individual companies put in their additives and stick on their name. So, the basic product is the same.

I can see the base Dino oil being the same, but Synthetic would probably not be. Close, maybe real close, but not the same as each uses their own technique to refine it.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I am not aware of any catastrophic failures due to using the correct specked universal hydraulic tractor fluid versus factory labeled hydraulic fluid. I have always used UTF without any ill or adverse effects on our units over the years. That's been a LONG TIME. Never had a new tractor until a couple months ago though. While in warranty I am sticking with New Holland Ambra Multi-G 134 in my Workmaster. After the warranty is out I will go back to UTF.

 

[Wagtail]

I'm not about to take a chance on a 'bargain oil' or a 'just as good' product when it comes to the hydraulic oil in my tractor... especially as it's an HST. I just performed my 400 hour hydraulic oil and filter change = bought the Hy-Gard and JD branded filter from my dealership. The tractor actually performs a wee bit better with the fresh stuff in!

Now, when it comes to the diesel... it's a Yanmar and the fuel & oil filter is pretty generic; I bought those at my local auto store along with the engine oil. I did bring my owner's manual with me so that there would be no stuff-up when it came to cross referencing.

 

[setxjeff]

My International 254 (Mitibushi) being my first tractor and not knowing about all the different oils ,first hydraulic change was filled with universal tractor fluid. Big mistake 3 point would not even lift. Done my research and drained flushed and refilled with hy-tran B-6 labeled tractor oil as called for and everything now works great, that was 25 years ago and it is still going great after learning to check the specs.

 

[Soundguy]

Hmm.. that's odd ( unbelievable ) that it went from working to not working to working on just an oil change.

I really suspect there was some other issue at play other than oil type. Sure some oils are different.. but in general.. hyds are hyds.. you displace oil with a pump, direct it's flow with a valve, and it displaces something like a piston. Oil type will play a difference in loengevity, seal life, foaming characteristics, brakes and cltch packs in a wet sump, as well as viscosity. For instance, if you put in 300w oil in a hyds sump looking for 10w, you might get cavitation and a non operating lift... however.. UTF fluid is a general multi purpose oil.. and the viscosity in the short term should have made no difference.

While the UTF may have been incorrect for your application, I believe there was another related or not, situation occuring.

I've seen a black bird fly over a road right be fore a car accident.

That doesn't mean birds flying over roads cause accidents.

the 2 events just occured at the same time.

 

[setxjeff]

There might have been but as it was 25+ years ago we will never know.
That's my story and I am sticking to it.

 

[Soundguy]

That's ok.. sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.

 

[tractormike16]

this is maintenance 101