Oil & Fuel Brand new B3350, should I change oil to Synthetic?

[Beauly]

As my title suggests, I have a very new B3350SU, with less than 2 hours on the engine. A friend suggests I change the oil and filter right off the bat and replace the oil with synthetic. His livelihood depends on diesels engines working very well for him, he is in the marine industry running charter boats with diesel engines and also works at a maritime academy maintaining diesel engines. He suggests that running synthetic is a very worth while thing to do.

Thoughts from the good group here? Am I nuts to consider changing the oil on this new machine right now to Synthetic?

Thanks much...

 

[murphy1244]

Do your 50 hours first, then run whatever you want.

 

[Beauly]

Do your 50 hours first, then run whatever you want.

You mean run the tractor for 50 hours with the present oil and then change it?

Any magic to 50 hours?

 

[Citydude]

You mean run the tractor for 50 hours with the present oil and then change it? Any magic to 50 hours?

Not magic, just a good use of the oil you paid for in my opinion. I refer to my operators manual on scheduled maintenance rather than friends with good intentions and no cost to them ideas....

 

[Iowan]

I was told 150 hrs by my dealer and 200 hrs by a good friend that's a CAT mechanic. I split the difference and changed it at about 175, with 75 percent of the hours running a tiller I felt the rings had seated.

 

[Beauly]

Not magic, just a good use of the oil you paid for in my opinion. I refer to my operators manual on scheduled maintenance rather than friends with good intentions and no cost to them ideas....

Looking at the price of a gallon of Rotella Synthetic Oil, $20. B3350 oil capacity, 5.1 quarts. Oil filter per Messicks website $10.29. Oil change of B3350 to synthetic, $35 +-?

Not a huge outlay of money, (or time, I guess) if it might be felt that this would be good for the life of the engine?

 

[Beauly]

I was told 150 hrs by my dealer and 200 hrs by a good friend that's a CAT mechanic. I split the difference and changed it at about 175, with 75 percent of the hours running a tiller I felt the rings had seated.

between oil changes you mean? are you running Synthetic?

 

[s219]

Wait to the 50 hour service when you are supposed to change the engine oil and filter (you will also need to change the HST/hydraulic filter(s) but not the hydraulic oil). At 2 hours, the tractor has barely begun to contaminate the oil at all. I think it's borderline OCD to do an unnecessary oil change at this point.

I don't know if it's still true, but in the past it wasn't recommended to switch to synthetic too early, as it wouldn't allow the engine to break in as well as standard oil. That was for car engines that were spec'd for standard oil. I have no idea if it applies to diesels or Kubota diesels. But I will say that many people here have put thousands of hours on Kubotas running standard oil, and I don't think synthetic would make much difference.

 

[Citydude]

Looking at the price of a gallon of Rotella Synthetic Oil, $20. B3350 oil capacity, 5.1 quarts. Oil filter per Messicks website $10.29. Oil change of B3350 to synthetic, $35 +-?

Not a huge outlay of money, (or time, I guess) if it might be felt that this would be good for the life of the engine?

Not running it would be good for extending engine life as well . Seriously though, following the maintenance schedule with any oil, oil filters and air filters that meet requirements extends engine life.

 

[sandyc]

Change to synthetic after first 50 hours and the engine is broken in. You'll notice that the synthetic will quiet the engine down in the cold weather. I have run Amsoil diesel oil in my tractors and not had a problem. With the cost of the tractors it doesn't pay to skimp. Use the best (hst oil, eng oil, and filters) you can afford and the tractor will serve you well.