OEM Tractor Oil vs Shell, Valvoline, Amsoil, etc.

[Rob REECE]

I know this has probably been beat to death on here but does OEM Tractor oil have something magical that Shell Rotella or other standard oils do not have? They are always more expensive and "specially formulated" for their diesel engine.

What would happen if you put John Deere oil in Kubota tractor, etc? Is this a scare tactic to get you to pay more for the OEM oil to your tractor or is there something in the special sauce that makes their oil the best for their tractor?

Are all these diesel tractor engines that much different that you should use only theirs?

I have a JD4320 and I only use JD oil. I paid a lot of money for it and I don’t want to take any chances at all of any damage to the engine. I also only use JD oil filters.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Hmmmm.... It depends more on the person than the brand. Are you one of the people who says things like, "JD sucks, and are overrated, and overpriced, and yeah Trump tariff the heck out of them for wanting to go to Mexico to avoid way overpaying a bunch of unskilled union workers, and they're an evil company who forces you to pay them to be able to work on your tractor." If that's you then don't buy JD oil. If you're going to say about it, then be about it. If you're someone who says, "I went with Kubota over Deere because I preferred it, or I got a better deal on it, or I like the Bota dealer more than the Deere dealer, but I have no bias against either brand," then yeah if you get a good deal on JD oil it will likely work just fine in an orange machine. Personally I look at JD engine oil the same way I look at Motorcraft engine oil. Yes, they are quality oils, but I'm not paying you Full-Synthetic oil prices, for oils that are only conventional, or semi-synthetic oils. No, I'll just stick with whichever the cheapest, quality brand, full-synthetic diesel oil that meet my tractor certifications is on the market at the moment. Generally for me it's usually either Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo, or Mobil Delvac. These brands all make a full-synthetic version of their oil, as well as conventional and/or semi-synthetic variants, and I use their full-synthetic variants. I'm a big fan of Valvoline in my gas vehicles, but I have not seen them label a diesel oil as full-synthetic. Now, that's just my personal thing. I like full-synthetic oil, but I've known people who run the cheapest conventional oil they can get, with an orange Fram filter, and they keep up with their oil changes, and go hundred of thousands of miles in their pre-AFM 5.3L Silverado's, or 4.6L/5.4L, 2V and 3V Modular Triton F150's. I know that Valvoline is excellent oil, and Cummins highly recommends their diesel oil, even though it doesn't claim to be synthetic so I would definitely run it in my tractor if I found it cheaper than the full-synthetic oils. Even the Wal-Mart, Super-Tech diesel oil is supposed to work very well, but it's not listed as Full-Synthetic either, but it's priced nicely, and highly rated. It would work fine in your tractor. If Costco and Amazon sells diesel oil it's likely about the same oil as Super Tech. They are made by Warren Oil Company.

I will point this out. This is not me bad mouthing Kubota to prop up Deere, but how many people do you know that do not own a Kubota, who actively seek out Kubota branded oils/fluids/coolant/greases/etc? I know people who love their Kubota machines, but no one who just wants to run their oils, and other fluids in machines that are not labeled Kubota. JD on the other hand sells oils/greases/etc that have a fairly large following from people who do not own JD machinery. For example JD Polyurethane grease is very good, and popular. Also JD Cool-Guard II is some of the best spec'd coolant on the market for any vehicle, regardless of brand. I run it in all my vehicles, gas or diesel, truck or sports car, lawnmower or tractor etc. There are people who switch to JD Cool-Guard II for their racing applications. While I'm sure Kubota oils and fluids are very good, and do their job fine, they are expensive from what I've seen, and they don't have the following that Deere does for these types of products.

 

[hhydro]

I know this has probably been beat to death on here but does OEM Tractor oil have something magical that Shell Rotella or other standard oils do not have? They are always more expensive and "specially formulated" for their diesel engine.

What would happen if you put John Deere oil in Kubota tractor, etc? Is this a scare tactic to get you to pay more for the OEM oil to your tractor or is there something in the special sauce that makes their oil the best for their tractor?

Are all these diesel tractor engines that much different that you should use only theirs?

The Magnuson Moss Warranty act of 1975 prohibits warranties from requiring dealer service or OEM oil changes etc.

Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Magnuson Moss Warranty-Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act

Title I of this Act authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to develop regulations for written warranties.

www.ftc.gov

GM got around this by creating a proprietary specification (e.g. DEXOS, DEXCOOL) and then licensing the spec to oil and antifreeze manufacturers to carry the name. The workaround was to say an oil is DEXOS compliant rather than DEXOS approved.

New multi-grade oils are available with a much wider temperature range, for example rather than 10W-30 you can get 0W-50 full synthetic oil. There are a number of good quality synthetic oils but I'd focus on Shell and Chevron because they produce the most synthetic base oil which is derived from paraffin wax byproduct of natural gas to jet and diesel plants they run in the mid-east, Nigeria, and Indonesia.

We run old Cat machines. If you dig into the ancient history of the earliest Cat diesel machines there was a ring sticking problem first solved by Chevron with a detergent oil marketed as DELO (Diesel Engine Lube Oil). That's what my great grandfather ran and that's what we still run in the tractor he bought in the early '50s. Of course it has been vastly improved over the years, even recent years, and the price of full synthetics have dropped radically from when they first appeared on the market.

 

[Shady oak]

I used to load bulk motor oil in Cicero IL. On the same racks from the same pipes they loaded Shell, Cenex, Philips and other brands. Oil is like gasoline and diesel. It’s all the same. Only a small additive package differentiates the brands. I don’t know about the oil additive quantities injected, yes injected per gallon, but I do know that about 7 gals of additive go into 8700 gals of gasoline. #2 diesel as a rule never has any additive with the exception of cold weather treatments.

 

[rooster1980]

I know this has probably been beat to death on here but does OEM Tractor oil have something magical that Shell Rotella or other standard oils do not have? They are always more expensive and "specially formulated" for their diesel engine.

What would happen if you put John Deere oil in Kubota tractor, etc? Is this a scare tactic to get you to pay more for the OEM oil to your tractor or is there something in the special sauce that makes their oil the best for their tractor?

Are all these diesel tractor engines that much different that you should use only theirs?

I always use delo or rotella, usually which ever one is cheaper at the time i buy it. i dont think the OEM oil reallly matters, as the the OEM oil is made by some other manufacter, LIke john Deere oil is made by Rotella i believe. the main thing i think is keeping the oil changed at correct intervals. Ive seen my dad drive ford trucks for over 500,000 miles and never use the same kind of oil, always the same weight just not the same kind, most of the time he used the walmart super tech brand and never had a problem

 

[HamishMacCheap]

Attentive, consistent service with quality fluids and quality filters (usually always original manufacturer branded filters in my case) has served me well over many years. That said, I never really worried about the name of the product as long it is a quality product. John Deere/Shell/Delvac/NAPA/etc. engine oil is what I bought if I could save buck or two.

My grandfather was a farmer and he said "Grease is cheap, parts ain't".

Don't put off service.

 

[jyoutz]

Hmmmm.... It's more depend more on the person than the brand. Are you one of the people who says things like, "JD sucks and are overrated, and overpriced, and yeah Trump, tariff the heck out of them for wanting to go to Mexico to avoid way overpaying a bunch of unskilled union works, and they're an evil company who forces you to pay them to be able to work on your tractor." If that's you then don't buy JD oil. If you're going to say about it, then be about it. If you're some who says, "I went with Kubota over Deere because I preferred it, or got a better deal on it, or like the Bota dealer more than the Deere dealer, but I have no bias against either brand." Then yeah if you get a good deal on JD oil it will likely work just fine in a orange machine. Personally I look at JD engine oil the same way I look at Motorcraft engine oil. Yes, they are quality oils, but I'm not paying you Full-Synthetic oil prices, for oils that are only conventional, or semi-synthetic oils. No, I'll just stick with whatever the cheapest, quality brand, full-synthetic is on the market at the moment. Generally for me it's usually either Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo, or Mobil Delvac. These brands all make a full-synthetic version of their oil, as well as conventional and/or semi-synthetic variants, and I use their full-synthetic variants. I'm a big fan of Valvoline in my gas vehicles, but I have not seen them label a diesel oil as full-synthetic. Now, that's just my personal thing. I like full-synthetic oil, but I've known people who run the cheapest conventional oil they can get, with an orange Fram filter, and they keep up with their oil changes, and go hundred of thousands of miles in their pre-AFM 5.3L Silverado's, or 4.6L/5.4L, 2V and 3V Modular Triton F150's. I know that Valvoline is excellent oil, and Cummins highly recommends their diesel oil, even though it doesn't claim to be synthetic so I would definitely run it in my tractor if I found it cheaper than the full-synthetic oils. Even the Wal-Mart, Super-Tech diesel oil is supposed to work very well, but it's not listed as Full-Synthetic either, but it's priced nicely, and highly rated. It would work fine in your tractor. If Costco and Amazon sells diesel oil it's likely about the same oil as Super Tech. They are made by Warren Oil Company.

I will point this out. This is not me bad mouthing Kubota, to prop up Deere, but how many people do you know that do not own a Kubota, who actively seek out Kubota branded oils/fluids/coolant/greases/etc? I know people who love their Kubota machines, but no one who just wants to run their oils, and other fluids in machines that are not labeled Kubota. JD on the other hand sells oils/greases/etc that have a large following from people who do not own JD machinery. For example JD Polyurethane grease is very good, and popular. Also JD Cool-Guard II is some of the best spec'd coolant on the market for any vehicle, regardless of brand. I run it in all my vehicles, gas or diesel, truck, or sports car, etc. There are people who switch to JD Cool-Guard II for their racing applications. While I'm sure Kubota oils and fluids are very good, and do their job fine, they are expensive from what I've seen, and they don't have the following that Deere does for these types of products.

What I use

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

View attachment 1970045What I use

Good deal, and thanks. I might have to check it out sometime. I'm always shown the blue bottle from Valvoline in Googe searches. Right now I already have bought some synthetic Chevron Delo for my next oil change, as I found it on sale for a good deal last year, and bought it in bulk.

I've started running that new "Valvoline: Restore and Protect" oil in all my gas vehicles. Valvoline is definitely some of my favorite oil, and generally the brand I use for modern ATF fluids like LV or ULV fluids(I prefer Redline D4 for systems that use older, regular ATF fluid) and gear oils, etc.

 

[SwingOak]

Look up "motor oil geek" on YouTube. Interesting stuff, has all the answers to your motor oil questions, (including the ones you didn't ask) from a testing and analysis perspective.

The Project Farm channel also reviews a bunch of different oils, but test things like flow stability, evaporation, lubricity, etc.

 

[mx842]

See Magnuson-Moss warranty act. Can't void a warranty based on the used of non OEM parts.

Yeah, they can't, not that some manufactures won't try but if they say you have to run our brand to keep the warranty in force' then they would have to provide it for you. That's the way it was when I was a boat dealer.

 

[joc664]

I know this has probably been beat to death on here but does OEM Tractor oil have something magical that Shell Rotella or other standard oils do not have? They are always more expensive and "specially formulated" for their diesel engine.

What would happen if you put John Deere oil in Kubota tractor, etc? Is this a scare tactic to get you to pay more for the OEM oil to your tractor or is there something in the special sauce that makes their oil the best for their tractor?

Are all these diesel tractor engines that much different that you should use only theirs?

Where is the John Deere or Kubota oil factory located? I think they buy from the same people who make all the other engine oils in the US. If they are rated, they will work.

 

[Robert walker]

I know this has probably been beat to death on here but does OEM Tractor oil have something magical that Shell Rotella or other standard oils do not have? They are always more expensive and "specially formulated" for their diesel engine.

What would happen if you put John Deere oil in Kubota tractor, etc? Is this a scare tactic to get you to pay more for the OEM oil to your tractor or is there something in the special sauce that makes their oil the best for their tractor?

Are all these diesel tractor engines that much different that you should use only theirs?

I have used both OEM and Rotella. Not sure I could tell the difference. I can say that my Kubota L3400 has gotten to smoke when I first start it up and if I’m mowing or working it hard a puff will spew out every once in a while.

 

[John_Mc]

That is illegal, Magusson-Moss warranty act forbids this.

While it's illegal to void the warranty for using non-OEM oil, it is legal to offer an extended warranty if you purchase some of their oil for use in the equipment. I have not seen this mentioned for tractors, but chainsaw manufacturers have used it to get you to try their 2 cycle oils and premixed fuels when purchasing a new saw for some time now.

Either way: it's important to make sure you use oil that meets the specs to maintain warranty coverage for lube-related failures.

 

[panamaguy]

I know this has probably been beat to death on here but does OEM Tractor oil have something magical that Shell Rotella or other standard oils do not have? They are always more expensive and "specially formulated" for their diesel engine.

What would happen if you put John Deere oil in Kubota tractor, etc? Is this a scare tactic to get you to pay more for the OEM oil to your tractor or is there something in the special sauce that makes their oil the best for their tractor?

Are all these diesel tractor engines that much different that you should use only theirs?

If you put JD oil in a orange tractor you will get up the next morning and it will be green. Simple science LOL. same as HD saying you must use their oil in your Harley. Never have i seen a HD oil refinery

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I have read that using the wrong transmission oil weight in a hydrostatic can cause issues... Not sure if that is true, but something to consider. Quality is one thing, wrong weight could be another

 

[Robert walker]

For parts, yes. For fluids or additives which may not meet the necessary specs, this law does not apply.

You can't run peanut oil in your crankcase or put gas in your diesel and expect the manufacturer to pick up the tab when it breaks.

I laughed when I read your reply Not at you but the peanut oil comment. I have a generator I used to carry to hunting camp. I used it to run my weilder on occasion. One time I got out there and the welder would start but then die. It has a 10 HP tecumseh engine. I figured out the oil was low and it has a low oil shutoff. All I had was a bottle of generic canola oil. I’m here to tell you it worked fine. Of course when I got home I changed the oil. That was 20+ years ago and the generator still runs like a top. Don’t knock peanut oil in a pinch.

For parts, yes. For fluids or additives which may not meet the necessary specs, this law does not apply.

You can't run peanut oil in your crankcase or put gas in your diesel and expect the manufacturer to pick up the tab when it bre

 

[SCHMALSHOF]

Shear stability is the big difference between John Deere oil and Rotella. Learned this at a John Deere Expo years back. Rotella is a superior oil for road use. Think of a semi working the engine to get up to speed and then when it does, the rpm's go down and the engine isn't working so hard. Now think of a tractor working in the field. That engine is working hard all day long at high rpm's without any rest. That is where the oil starts to break down. Interestingly enough, CarQuest branded oil was listed number 2 (John Deere number 1) on John Deeres' list of diesel oils at that time with the best shear stability.

 

[Joe1]

I know you're talking about a diesel engine, but when I bought my TORO (Before Toro started selling AYP rebadged stuff) Garden Tractor It has a Kawasaki V-twin had a 2 year engine warranty, but if I used Kawasaki oil it was extended to 4 years. I did use the Kawasaki oil only because of the warranty, reasoning I could buy a hell of a lot of oil for the price of a new Kawasaki engine. I only use branded oil, but not the more expensive Kawasaki oil. It is nearly 20 years old and is still not burning any oil.

If one buys Kubota or John Deer brand oil, one doesn't know who refined the oil, so I would imagine that if the specifications are the same, then it should be OK. One can buy a hell of a lot of oil for the price of a Kubota Diesel, so my uninformed suggestion is go with what you feel comfortable with.

 

[DadofTim]

Bob Is The Oil Guy

Bob Is The Oil Guy

bobistheoilguy.com

Is the best place for any questions/answers you have about oil

 

[mx842]

I have read that using the wrong transmission oil weight in a hydrostatic can cause issues... Not sure if that is true, but something to consider. Quality is one thing, wrong weight could be another

Yeah, I was wondering about the hydrostatic tractor fluid. I was talking to my Kubota mechanic about the fluids I should use in my new tractor. He comes to my house and does all my regular maintenance like oil changes and other general things that need to be done on a regular basis. I asked him if I needed to use Kubota's high dollar lubricants if I wanted it to last a long time. He told me as far as motor oil was concerned to use a good quality oil that is in the correct weight range and specs, and I would be good. But he did say it would be best to use Kubota's brand in the Hydro fluid. He didn't say why he just said there is something in their oil that those Hydros liked. I have about 40 more hours to go before it needs to be changed and have a couple other things that need to be checked and was wondering if I really needed to use their hydro fluid. When he comes buy to do regular maintenance things he goes away from here with between $450 and $500. I know I could do it cheaper doing it myself just not sure about the transmission fluid.