Oil & Fuel Oil Type for your Kubota........

[cp1969]

I found both Rotella 5W-40 synthetic and 15W-40 dino in the local Canadian tire here.

All the 15W-40's around here seem to have listed "Heavy duty diesel engine oil". The 5W-40 lists no such thing. I imagine it is the same Rotella 5W-40 that the rest of you are talking about and there is no such thing as 5W-40 for diesel engines and 5W-40 for non diesel engines?

I ask because I have seen 10W-30 for example with labelling that states "for diesel engines" and I have no clue how this differs to 10W-30 which does not state this.

There is quite a bit of difference in the additive package contained in API class "C" (diesel) oil and API "S" (gasoline) oil.

 

[kkesler]

I found both Rotella 5W-40 synthetic and 15W-40 dino in the local Canadian tire here.

All the 15W-40's around here seem to have listed "Heavy duty diesel engine oil". The 5W-40 lists no such thing. I imagine it is the same Rotella 5W-40 that the rest of you are talking about and there is no such thing as 5W-40 for diesel engines and 5W-40 for non diesel engines?

I ask because I have seen 10W-30 for example with labelling that states "for diesel engines" and I have no clue how this differs to 10W-30 which does not state this.

Interesting. The Rotella T 5W-40 synthetic we are using is a "C" oil (it doesn't say anything about diesels on the front, but that is what the API C designation means).

 

[chrisjbell]

Well, the Oil Wars are in full swing again...

But FWIIW, at work we have a reasonably large fleet of Kubota diesel engines in our equipment, including three of the M tractors. All of the engines have well over 1000 hours, some are in the 6000 hour range. They are operated at WOT all the time, some used daily, others sit for months at a time (depends on machine function and time of year).

We use Ramos fleet oil out of a 55 gallon drum. No additives. Kubota filters some of the time, but when available we use the less expensive aftermarket versions. Fleet hydraulic fluid.

Some of the maintenance practices have been atrocious and it isn't uncommon for me to find a machine that probably hasn't had its oil changed in, literally, years.

None of the engines have had oil related failures or problems.

Once I saw that evidence first hand I stopped using the expensive Kubota brand oils and filters on my own machines .

 

[ericbx1500]

Its like asking whats your favorite song or singer. It all comes down to peace of mind and good maintenance practices. Oh by the way I use amsoil Series 3000 Synthetic 5W-30 Heavy-Duty Diesel Oil (HDD).

 

[SteveA]

Used the Royal Purple stuff for my first 2 oil changes. Just noticed that our local WM now carries the Mobil 1 diesel oil. Might switch over to that or use the Rotella Syn. the next time around.

 

[DiezNutz]

All the 15W-40's around here seem to have listed "Heavy duty diesel engine oil". The 5W-40 lists no such thing. I imagine it is the same Rotella 5W-40 that the rest of you are talking about and there is no such thing as 5W-40 for diesel engines and 5W-40 for non diesel engines?

My Rotella T 5W-40 syn bottle just says "Heavy Duty Motor Oil" and there is no distinction. Why? Reading the label you'll find lots of key words & phrases to let you know it's geared toward diesels. Does that mean it shouldn't be used in gasoline engines? 'Course not... in addition to CI-4 PLUS it also has rather current Service ratings SL & SJ. Diesels require more & additional oil additives that gasoline engines do not, but in most cases it's simply a little "extra insurance" to use a heavy-duty "diesel oil" in a gasoline engine and doesn't hurt anything*. Sort of like putting 93 octane in your car that only requires 87... may or may not help, but certainly won't hurt. I would say crotchrocket engines qualify as a heavy duty application.

*Regardless, always check the label and the "donut" to make sure oil service & category is correct for your application. I posted this elsewhere, but here's a handy API service guide for anyone interested in what the letters & numbers mean. It really should be required reading.
http://www.apicj-4.org/EngineOilGuide2006.pdf

 

[canoetrpr]

Thanks for the info DiezNutz.

 

[Jabroni]

.........Rotella T isn't all that great of an oil, but if you change it at 50hr intervals like you are supposed to, it's fine.....

I had a Dodge Cummins Turbodiesel that ran 250,000 miles on nothing but that not-so-great oil when I sold it this year. Nothing like the smell of hot, fresh Rotella T!

 

[Marcussen]

Water (coolant) related failures a much more common than oil related. Flushing and changing coolant is a maintenance function overlooked by a lot of people that does regular oil changes. That being said I use Rotella T 5W-40 in my tractor and change it once a year or every 100 hours whichever comes first, I am sure that in my climate 15W-40 would work well too, but the tractor only holds 6 quarts so it's cheap insurance. I use Kubota filter only because I can't find the right Wix or Purolator in any stores around here.

 

[lawn_king]

Shell rotella 15 40 here. We have used it for years in kubota, isuzu and international diesels with no problems, commercial landscape duty.