Looking for inexpensive AW46 - Hydraulic Oil

[DarkBlack]

On sale this week for 39.99.
Think I’ll pick up a pail of it, tomorrow. Maybe 2.

 

[mboulais]

Yeah the stinky stuff. I’ve seen it in front axles but not hydraulic systems who calls for gl4 spec for hydraulics?

TSC AW46 is GL-4. I have emailed my contact at mobil through work to get some answers on Delvac. TYM does and probalby all the brands built by TYM do

 

[DarkBlack]

TSC AW46 is GL-4. I have emailed my contact at mobil through work to get some answers on Delvac. TYM does and probalby all the brands built by TYM do

Again..You, or someone taking to you , is confusing their Premium Tractor Fluid, which DOES meet the GL-4 gear spec, with their cheaper ISO-46 hydraulic fluid, which DOES NOT.

 

[mboulais]

No.

Again..You, or someone taking to you , is confusing their Premium Tractor Fluid, which DOES meet the GL-4 gear spec, with their cheaper ISO-46 hydraulic fluid, which DOES NOT.

I am not confused. I checked with TSC. I also emailed my ExxonMobil rep through work. This is stuff I actually do for a living unlike most of the retired keyboard warriors on here. 30 years in industrial maintenance and engineering. ExxonMobil confirmed mobilfluid 424 and Delvac are the same and both meet GL4. They are slightly thicker than AW46. For a lighter option they have Mobilfluid LT which is roughly ISO VG 32.

 

[DarkBlack]

No.

I am not confused. I checked with TSC. I also emailed my ExxonMobil rep through work. This is stuff I actually do for a living unlike most of the retired keyboard warriors on here. 30 years in industrial maintenance and engineering. ExxonMobil confirmed mobilfluid 424 and Delvac are the same and both meet GL4. They are slightly thicker than AW46. For a lighter option they have Mobilfluid LT which is roughly ISO VG 32.

Yes, yes you ARE confused..still.

Mobil 424, and Delvac are Tractor/transmission hydraulic fluids, thus meet the GL4 specification, as does Tractor supply Premium Tractor /transmission fluid.

For the third time…inexpensive Tractor supply ISO 46 Premium hydraulic fluid IS NOT for use with gears, transmissions or wet clutches /brakes, and does NOT meet the GL-4 gear spec.
What is so difficult for you to understand about that?
I’m not debating something this ridiculous with you anymore.

Feel free to post a photo of where Tractor supply states their $40 ISO 46 hydraulic oil meets GL-4 specification….

I’m done .

 

[JRH02]

Let me throw 'another wrench into the gears' and say something on a wide open international forum: some of this depends where you live! If your machinery lives outside and you live in a high humidity area it can be a contributing problem.

On my commercial duty machine the hydraulic and the engine have various heat exchangers that work in tandem to not only heat to operating temp and to cook off moisture but cool as well. My B series old Kubota has no such system so part of the maintenance is to change it before it turns into baby poo.

The commercial machine takes 25+ gallons and the B takes a part of one jug. So I last did the B7100 with Amsoil UTF. Dang that was expensive but the farm store keeps a few jugs so someone else must be buying it. That doesn't solve the humidity problem but any rig that's been worked hard and is 40+ years old and has never been broken down for a repair, other than a clutch, PP and bearing, deserves some TLC. A few years ago I had to pull the top plate/shifter off the B7100 because the pin fell out of the H/L shift shaft. That 40 YO gear box looked brand new. All the gear faces were polished in the center, the yokes and spines were beautiful. Bearings apparently OK but it is noisy in 2nd, loaded or not.**

** if any of you folks know the old B7100 and know why 2'd is noisy I'd like to know. It's got to be a counter shaft?

 

[5030]

I don't disagree there's a difference. But I think your machine will outcast you on cheap oils.

I believe you mean outlast. I'm sure they will and they will bring a good sale price for my wife as well. That aspect has already been arranged a head of time.

Having said that, I still will never use cheap lubricants or filters. Probably sitting on 150 grand in tractors and implements, all paid for, presently.

 

[JRH02]

I believe you mean outlast. I'm sure they will and they will bring a good sale price for my wife as well. That aspect has already been arranged a head of time.

Having said that, I still will never use cheap lubricants or filters. Probably sitting on 150 grand in tractors and implements, all paid for, presently.

I've have good success with NAPA Gold for years and years. They are WIX for the most part and I believe many OEM's have WIX in their color/brand. Filters are one of the easiest and cheapest things. I have no patience for someone going cheap of filters.

 

[Camofurever1]

I've have good success with NAPA Gold for years and years. They are WIX for the most part and I believe many OEM's have WIX in their color/brand. Filters are one of the easiest and cheapest things. I have no patience for someone going cheap of filters.

What??? You mean you don't put Fram oil filters on everything?

 

[TractorTech]

Now, unfortunately, it needs a hydraulic fluid change - like over 55 gallons worth.
Any recommendations on an inexpensive source of hydraulic fluid with some actual specific approvals?
The cheapest I found is Service Pro (see PDF) in 55gal Drums - about $550/ea. or so. Looking to replace JCB's AW46 oil.

That's a nice looking hoe. Congratulations.

Hydraulic Oil specs always confuse me. I'm not sure that it is even possible to find the specific approvals that you are looking for in a hydraulic oil. What does JCB use? Their saying "HP46" doesn't tell us much.
SAE and ASTM standards don't seem to cover hydraulic oils well, and AW46 is just another way of saying standard viscosity at 40 degrees is roughly the same as 20 wt engine oil. That is a viscosity standard sure enough, but not very complete. Nothing about what happens at different temperatures, additives, aging, or especially seal compatibility.

The Service Pro spec for their fluid just claims "highly refined base oils"... whatever that is. It might not even be a mineral oil; there are lots of other chemical oils. Glycols, esters, and glycerides are all oils that are used in hydraulic, too. About half that spec is abut viscosity...and sure enough, it is close to 20 weight by the way that engine oils are measured. Unfortunately nothing in there about seal compatibility, aging, or friction and wear standards. To be fair, that lack of reporting any testing or in-house standards seems to be par for the hydraulic oil industry. So it isn't a knock on Service Pro. The whole industry is secretive when it comes to their own hydraulic oils.

No reason not to ask around varioius JCB dealers to see what they run in them. When I asked, I was surprised to find that my Kubota dealer used New Holland multi-G for all his hydraulic work. It's an AMBRA product blended by Petronas. And the JD dealer doesn't use their own hydraulic oil exclusively either. Some of JD's commercial hoes run multiweight engine oil in the hydraulics.

If I couldn't get an answer from JCB, I'd probably lean toward a known brand like Mobil, Chevron, or Shell.
I might use a less well known brand as a flushing oil, but wouldn't leave it in there long term.
Keep us posted as you decide on an oil.

always curious about hydraulics,
rScotty

Probably dealer gets a better bulk buy from NH on oil. JD does have different recommendations for some of their industrial stuff. JD excavators call for JD hydraulic oil while Hitachi excavators, which make larger JD excavators spec'ed their oil only!