more my "sudt vs others" thread. (400 hour service)

[allen in texas]

Just changed hydraulic and engine fluids and did all the goodies on my tractor for the 400 hour service.
I used SUDT after lots of agonizing and reading everything here and listening to all the dealers promote their brand of oil.

The book said to use SUDT so I did.

Here's what I noticed with the new fluid...

All the hydraulics seemed faster and smoother. Could be simply because I had clean, new fluid and all new filters, who knows but here's the biggie...

At the 50 hours service, when I changed the filters I lost a bit of fluid so I topped my tractor off with JD HYGARD because the JD dealer was 3 miles from my house and the Kubota dealer was 40 miles away and everyone said the HYGARD was fine. A no brainer to me.

Now I'm not knocking the HYGARD but I immediately picked up a very noticeable and annoying transmission whine, particularly under load, but I chose not to worry about it and lived with it for 350 hours.

With the new SUDT, the whine is gone. For my money, I'll use the Kubota stuff from now on.

your mileage may vary,
different strokes for different folks,
whatever floats your boat
etc, etc

 

[bp fick]

I don't blindly "rah" "rah" Kubota's stuff. I frankly prefer a quality Hastings oil filter made by Cornhuskers in Nebraska over a Kubota oil filter made in China, for example. I also do not believe there is anything special about Kubota motor oil, for another example. They just re-brand whoever they contract, Ashland likely.

HOWEVER, when it comes to SUDT and my BX, I had a similar experience as you described. I topped off my HST with some "premium generic" fluid when adding my FEL. Less than 2 quarts. What harm would that do?

Nasty whine and foam. It wasn't pretty. I didn't see that coming.

Drained it all and re-filled with SUDT and all is well. It only whines like it always has.

Until something else comes along that I can have confidence in, only SUDT goes in and a Kubota HST filter will ever go on. Of course, due to having to dump and re-fill, I'm good now for a few hundred hours anyhow.

 

[allen in texas]

Actually, the only kubota stuff I used was the HST filter, the hydraulic filter, and the SUDT.
Everything else is something else.

I use Shell oil in the engine, WIX or Hasting filters...

 

[art]

I see many people who talk about there oils and how good they are and I do often preach about the differences.
I'm sorry I do as I know it hurts my shop work!

Knowing that there are also filter differences and having Fleetgaurd for our second brand or our universal brand and the differences of paper meshes used, there are differences there too!!!!!
Shell Rotella is not a good oil for tractors but does fine in trucks and cars.
Wix filters I think I've seen more recalls for certain models than any other filter. Same as NAPA.

 

[allen in texas]

Why ain't shell good in tractors?


Honest question here.

 

[DarrylH20]

Why ain't shell good in tractors?


Honest question here.

I would like to know that one too

 

[teg]

I would like to know that one too

Ditto, since I have several gallons around... not too mention, also in my tractor...

 

[Happyman]

I would relate the "Rotella is not a good oil in tractors" to the same issue as why one oil is better than another. Personal preference.
I'm sure this will start a very nice "discussion".

 

[Big Bri]

Why ain't shell good in tractors?


Honest question here.

its what i use in mine also. . . what gives?

 

[KennyV]

Shell Rotella is not a good oil for tractors

I agree Rotella T is not a good oil for tractors... It is a GREAT oil for tractors,
I use T6 in my tractors, cars, truck and all my small gas engines... It must be Great... KennyV

 

[art]

The TBN as well as ash content is to low for ag use. We have people who use it as well and it doesn't bother me when they keep at 100 hour oil changes instead of the longer extended drain intervals of the better oils at the 250 mark. The low price of the oil is given up for a higher cost of more frequent changes. I didn't say it was a bad oil!

A lot of oil jugs all say they meet or exceed, that covers the very minimum spec's you all can see that right from the beginning of the post here!

The average compact tractor owner will never put 1000 hours on a tractor. We deal with that as well as those that will put 1,000 hours a year on!

 

[allen in texas]

So what oil does have the proper TBN and ash content?

 

[art]

So what oil does have the proper TBN and ash content?

If you could ask a clerk and get this answer great. TBN should be over ten if not pushing 11, the ash content should be over 1. if not getting close to 1.5 , Shell does build oils that will fit that description I just haven't followed all there oil levels lately.

Thirty years ago when I was driving the tractor trailer the boys with detroits liked Shell because of the old detroit's issues with keeping it in and it was low priced. Always used to joke about the lower price of them initially so you could afford to add the oil!

Allen, the kubota oil works good, if you have a Case-IH dealer close, that is one of my overall favorite engine oils.

 

[bp fick]

I doubt this conversation will go anywhere but where such oil threads always go. First into a molecular data, mind numbing debate and then oblivion. But anyhow, last word from me, I change my oil/filter every 50-80 hours, or annually, so I doubt it would make much, if any, difference, ever, ever which major oil company oil, made for diesels, that met the API specs I might use. When the tractor companies start refining oil is when I will get excited, not until then.

Rotella T6, for the record, has a TBN of 10.6

OK, I'm over and out. See ya round the forums.

 

[Chilly807]

I had every intention of using Rotella T when I got the 3400, however after reading the owner's manual which specifically states not to use CJ-4 rated oils, I use Kubota branded oil.

Rotella is still available in CI-4 and CI-4 Plus rating, not much difference in price between Kubota and Rotella.

I don't believe in second-guessing the manufacturer unless I have no choice, in this case I do have a choice.

My 2 cents

Sean

 

[mrennie]

I had every intention of using Rotella T when I got the 3400, however after reading the owner's manual which specifically states not to use CJ-4 rated oils, I use Kubota branded oil.

Rotella is still available in CI-4 and CI-4 Plus rating, not much difference in price between Kubota and Rotella.

I don't believe in second-guessing the manufacturer unless I have no choice, in this case I do have a choice.

My 2 cents

Sean

I had the same concern about oil for my B26 and found the way the manual was written confusing. I wrote Kubota Canada a letter asking if they were against using any oil that was for CH/CH/CI AND CJ-4, or if the were only against using an oil that is only rated CJ-4 (which is actually hard to find).

Their written reply was that as long as the oil was rated for either CI, CH or CF, it didn't matter is it was also rated CJ-4. This is also dependant on the sulphur content of the fuel. If you use a high sulphur fuel (which is getting harder to find anyways), they want you to use CF oil.

I also asked specifically if it was OK to use Shell Rotella T oil in my B26 and they said yes, it was fine.

In the next few years I think it will be very hard to find any diesel oil that does not have a CJ-4 rating, so as long as it has the previous ratings you should be fine. My understanding is that if you only use ULSD then a straight CJ-4 is OK too.