Basic Viscosity 101 Question

[SPYDERLK]

When I got a recent Woods mower, the manual stated using 80w90 or synthetic 75w90. Same was true for the Landpride reverse tiller I got last year.

That being said, most, if not all, commercial truck fleets use a synthetic 75w90 in the differentials of the trucks. I am apt to believe that yanking 80,000 lb up and down mountain passes all day long in high ambient temperatures (with no oil cooler) is a little more brutal than what most of us here would put on a piece of equipment on a 3 point hitch. I have an '06 International semi that has had nothing but 75w90 in the rears, per Eaton, and it has almost 550,000 miles on it with no problems. And it regularly pulls almost 80,000 lb up and down hills year round. I guess that is why I am not so concerned with putting a good 75w90 in a gear box on my tiller or mower.

When you have implements that deal will driveline impact pulses the added cushioning of 140 can be a comfort issue. Mostly not necessary, but some benefit at least a little above the noise. You factor this against higher viscous drag losses and its no brain why trucks use the lighter oil, esp since there is no driveline impact in their systems.
larry

 

[cowpie1]

Warren/Coastal makes a 75w-90 non synthetic....
personally I wouldn't use it though

Not sure why not. Warren blends a lot of oils for various labels. The regional supplier I use for my oils (Allied Oil and Supply, Omaha) has their's blended by Warren. And their gear lube is on the primary supplier list for Eaton/Spicer transmissions and differentials. Not just on an "approved" list.

 

[bp fick]

Warren/Coastal makes a 75w-90 non synthetic....
personally I wouldn't use it though

Not sure why not. Warren blends a lot of oils for various labels. The regional supplier I use for my oils (Allied Oil and Supply, Omaha) has their's blended by Warren. And their gear lube is on the primary supplier list for Eaton/Spicer transmissions and differentials. Not just on an "approved" list.

Warren is actually an amazing company, with solid products, good reputation and trusted products. Use them or don't use them, that's anyone's choice, but frankly, they produce products equal to most folks with big label names.

Your decision to "not use" may simply have been the fact that it was non-synthetic.

 

[Soundguy]

Not sure why not. Warren blends a lot of oils for various labels. The regional supplier I use for my oils (Allied Oil and Supply, Omaha) has their's blended by Warren. And their gear lube is on the primary supplier list for Eaton/Spicer transmissions and differentials. Not just on an "approved" list.

I agree. Some people are down on warren. I take it to be a ford/chevy issue. I mean heck.. if I bought and used 80$ per pail oil.. I'd sure have to justify it to myself by saying the 30$ a pail of oil was evil and going to make your tractor explode and bring bad luck on your familly..

I've been using tsc and walmart oil for 10 years with no lube failures...

soundguy

 

[Wis Bang]

When I got a recent Woods mower, the manual stated using 80w90 or synthetic 75w90. Same was true for the Landpride reverse tiller I got last year.

That being said, most, if not all, commercial truck fleets use a synthetic 75w90 in the differentials of the trucks. I am apt to believe that yanking 80,000 lb up and down mountain passes all day long in high ambient temperatures (with no oil cooler) is a little more brutal than what most of us here would put on a piece of equipment on a 3 point hitch. I have an '06 International semi that has had nothing but 75w90 in the rears, per Eaton, and it has almost 550,000 miles on it with no problems. And it regularly pulls almost 80,000 lb up and down hills year round. I guess that is why I am not so concerned with putting a good 75w90 in a gear box on my tiller or mower.

Eaton also waranties the differentials and power divider using the recomended synth gear oil for 750,000 miles but look at the amount of gear oil in a truck differential VRS the gearbox of a mower. The extra viscosity may provide a little extra protection in a small gearbox w/ alot less mass for thermal dissapation and a good deal of stress. The large size of the components in a truck diffferential setup also provides additional thermal relief.

If the higher viscosity oil didn't hurt, I don't see why it needs to be changed to the lower viscosity oil unless there is some benefit to using the thinner oil.

The largest reason auto manufacturers went from 10W30 to 5W30 [and even 0W30] motor oils was to provide some MPG gains by allowing the engine to turn easier...They did it to help reach the CAFE fuel mileage standards NOT for some engineering reason.