consensus on rotella t

SkyPup · Jan 11, 2005

Why then even bother with paying a little more for Rotella-T, when you can just use the cheapest oil you can possibly find at Wally World, or maybe just don't bother changing it at all and save on all the worry about it.

Could also just change whatever oil is in your autos and then recycle it into the tractor too for the added benefit of recycling! Adding used automatic transmission oil to the diesel fuel has always been a old way to keep the FIE intact as well.

Not to mention the used radiator fluid from the auto radiator can be recycled in the tractor too since it doesn't even run as many hours per month! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

cowboydoc · Jan 11, 2005

Well based on any oil samples we've ever done that is simply not true. We do oil samples twice a year on all of our equipment and have never found what you are saying will happen.

I can't remember the report now but John Deere, Case, and New Holland participated in a joint study based on condensation in tractors. Their findings were that it made no difference whatsoever using dyno or synthetic oil related to condensation. This isn't much of a problem in the engine but it is a huge problem in hydraulic fluid. The findings from this study were that it made no difference at all if you used synthetic oil in the engine and in the hydraulics in relation to condensation. The particulates and chemistry they look for in regards to this were the same for both when changed at regular intervals. The final recommendation was that in the spring regardless of hours you should change hydraulic fluid especially and engine oil if the tractor hadn't been used. That finding was recommended for both synthetic and dyno oil. There is nothing special about synthetic oil that is going to disspense water accumulation.

gsxr1100 · Jan 11, 2005

So are we talking engine oil here of hyd fluid????hyd fluid is a different world.

A synthetic engine oil (above grp 3) will provide better acid protection that any dino engine oil.

And yes there is a difference in dino and synthetic engine oils. As noted in billion and billions of posts on this board and others.

Also what water limits in engine oil are high to you, in %? So far in my short years of oil testing my equ, I have never had any water, fuel or gycol issues on my engine oil tests.

SkyPup · Jan 11, 2005

No, except for the fact that the combustion of middle distillates produces strong inorgainc acids and weak organic acids which combine with all that extra water produced in the crankcase (beyond just water from condesation) as a result of the combustion to strip the oil's TBN down rapidly. Remember, sulfates and nitrates are NOT sulfuric acid and nitric & nitrous acids when NOT hydrated in a aqueous solution.

Are you aware of any dino based oil with a TBN >10? Neither am I, but there a plenty of good synthetic >10. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

gsxr1100 · Jan 11, 2005

sky- I have seen mobil 1 down to around 5 TBN....nice oil. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

SkyPup · Jan 11, 2005

Time to add some sodium hydroxide to that Mobil 1 crud to get it back into shape, 12 ounces of liquid Drano would do the job! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dargo · Jan 11, 2005

( As noted in billion and billions of posts on this board and others. )

If I've told you once, I've told you a million times to not exaggerate! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif But, yes, there is a difference in oils.

On heavy equipment, I've had the fortunate/unfortunate (you pick) lectures from my father over the years who has been a mechanic and welder at a large coal mine for 30 years about maintaining heavy equipment. It seems that most commercially produced heavy equipment is designed with the knowledge that someone will be operating the machine who has the attitude of "drive it like you don't own it", or "drive it like you hate it".

It seems that most makes of heavy equipment has the ability of taking much more abuse than an automobile or lawn tractor will. I've heard plenty of horror stories of what people have done to equipment that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. In general, those pieces of equipment will last quite a while even if they are poorly maintained and frequently abused. I can't imagine how a bunch of saw dust in the transmission of a dozer could get an extra month or two of operation before the transmission is completely shot and quits pulling all together!

On the same token, if that same piece of equipment is operated with some amount of consideration of equipment preservation and is well maintained, it will likely last until it is ugly and people wish it would die. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif From that, I assume that in many circumstances regular ole' dino oil works just fine and the equipment will last, but it isn't necessarily the "best" oil that can be used in that particular piece of equipment. Sometimes I think that for all intents and purposes, just having some maintenance and oil changes (as opposed to no oil changes) makes all the difference that is needed for a particular application. I'm confident that regular oil changes using Rotella T will likely be fine. I don't really believe that Rotella is really a high quality oil, but most of the time it likely is good enough.

_RaT_ · Jan 11, 2005

"I'm confident that regular oil changes using Rotella T will likely be fine. I don't really believe that Rotella is really a high quality oil, but most of the time it likely is good enough."

Brent, my attitude as well and why I generally avoid the oil discussions. I use Delo, Rotella, Valvoline and in some rare instances, Redline. They all worked.

Soundguy · Jan 11, 2005

( Why then even bother with paying a little more for Rotella-T, when you can just use the cheapest oil )

( Could also just change whatever oil is in your autos and then recycle it into the tractor )

( Adding used automatic transmission oil to the diesel fuel has )

( used radiator fluid from the auto radiator can be recycled in the tractor too )

Now.. my post was polite, this one doesn't sound too polite. i was also being serious.

I generally do use cheap wallmart oil ( supertech) as flushing oil on my new tractor aquisitions. I also generally use traveler oil in my antiques, and valvolene oil in my 'new' ones. I spent the money on the rotella this time as it was they only oil on the shelf in the weight I needed.

While every other poster has been helpfull and serious..... this previous post wasn't.. though.. thanks for playing.

Soundguy

Soundguy · Jan 11, 2005

( Sometimes I think that for all intents and purposes, just having some maintenance and oil changes (as opposed to no oil changes) makes all the difference that is needed for a particular application. )

I agree.

Now here's a question.. the acid problem that the synthetics are so good about handling.. what's the time frame here. in other words.. do the synthetics have to be soo good about acid handling in order to go the prolonged change interval.. or if using a short interval... do the acids ever become an issue.. In other words.. if ya change the dino oil often.. would there otherwise be a benefit from the synthetic oil, specifically on the acid issue? it's quite obvious there are machines from the 30's running on no rebuild, and having started on very antiquated oil standards, and are now probably only running dino oil .. and not a synthetic... so obviously the scale of this acid issue must be onthe sub-negligible level.. right?

Soundguy