Grease Compatibility Hell

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Why are y'all adding grease? Did you tractors not come with any installed

 

[319Quahog]

Why are y'all adding grease? Did you tractors not come with any installed

Good point.

I could likely save money that way by not buying grease.

 

[Tinhack]

Why are y'all adding grease? Did you tractors not come with any installed

I just bought a ditch & bank mower and the manual shows there must be 20+ grease points on it all of which are dry. It also says to add one quart of 80/140 gear oil to the transmission. It comes bone dry which is fine be me.

Do you really think a dealer or manufacture is going to use the best grease and oil available for your location?

That's why they usually come with cheap break-in oil and a half a squirt of cheap grease.

 

[Darrellq]

In my younger years buying grease for my tractors was easy. They recommend use of "NLGI grade number 2 rating". I'd head to the store, buy a tube that lists that rating, and use it.

In the last few years I learned about this thing called grease compatability. Huh. OK, to be safe I'll just stick to using Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty grease to be safe. Then over the last year Lucas Xtra HD grease has become almost impossible to find in online stores. I read about a manufacturing plant fire causing the shortage, and about Covid causing to grease industry to switch to lithium based grease.

There seems to be plenty of Lucas Red N Tacky available online, but it is lithium based, and from what I've read I fear that using that on my tractors will damage them.

These days I'm mostly greasing front end loader joints, steering joints, and mower spindles. So far I haven't greased wheel bearings - I have others do that.

I'm down to a handful of Lucas Xtra HD tubes left. How do I safely switch to using a lithium base grease???

I never knew there was such a thing. I have used "whatever" for 50 years. Sometimes have used synthetic, sometimes regular grease and have never ever had any kind of joint or spindle problem with my L3700 Kubota with 2600 hrs, my Kubota ZD28 with 1960 hrs, my John Deere X595 with 1000 hrs, or my 1965 John Deere 110 with thousands and thousands and thousands of hrs. "Grease compatibility" may be something to worry about for industrial equipment that works 8 hrs. everyday, 5 days a week, but for Harry Homeowner, just grease it with anything, even Tractor Supply brand, about every 5-10 hrs, and don't overthink it.

 

[oneal hicks]

"Lucas Red “N” Tacky Grease is a good choice,. You can't go wrong with AmsOil synthetic I have used it for years with no issues, Royal Purple is a top of the line synthetic also.

 

[NibbanaFarm]

Looks like Lucas Extra Heavy Duty polyurea based is back on the shelves at Walmart. I just bought some a couple weeks ago.

I use the Red 'n tacky lithium based for just about every zerk fitting except mower spindles and my disk harrow which sits outside. Auto and truck wheel bearings get Kendall Super Blue lithium base out of the same big tub that I bought back in 1982. Never had a wheel bearing failure.

 

[scottbrucea]

In my younger years buying grease for my tractors was easy. They recommend use of "NLGI grade number 2 rating". I'd head to the store, buy a tube that lists that rating, and use it.

In the last few years I learned about this thing called grease compatability. Huh. OK, to be safe I'll just stick to using Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty grease to be safe. Then over the last year Lucas Xtra HD grease has become almost impossible to find in online stores. I read about a manufacturing plant fire causing the shortage, and about Covid causing to grease industry to switch to lithium based grease.

There seems to be plenty of Lucas Red N Tacky available online, but it is lithium based, and from what I've read I fear that using that on my tractors will damage them.

These days I'm mostly greasing front end loader joints, steering joints, and mower spindles. So far I haven't greased wheel bearings - I have others do that.

I'm down to a handful of Lucas Xtra HD tubes left. How do I safely switch to using a lithium base grease???

I picked up a couple tubes of Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty at the local Walmart just yesterday. There was plenty more on the shelf. I’m hoping that maybe the shortage is over. It was somewhere between $8 and $9 per tube.

 

[jyoutz]

I picked up a couple tubes of Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty at the local Walmart just yesterday. There was plenty more on the shelf. I’m hoping that maybe the shortage is over. It was somewhere between $8 and $9 per tube.

Yeah I bought some at Walmart last week. The factory that made the additives burned. I guess it’s operational again.

 

[scottbrucea]

Mm

 

[scottbrucea]

I used to always get it at Home Depot. Reading this thread made me curious so I checked today and they have it in the store. $6.48 each.

 

[aircommuter]

Been my experience that there are only 2 grease types, cheap clay based grease that clogs up Alemite fittings (Zerk) and hardens and is difficult to remove the excess and synthetic based base grease that provides much improved boundary lubrication.

Myself, I use and have used for years, Lubrication Engineers synthetic grease I purchase in 150 pound open head drums which are compatible with my ARO pneumatic greaser and I also fill my lever guns from it and I carry a lever gun in each implement too box.

All my lever guns have clear Polycarbonate barrels so I can easily see how much grease is in each one and refill them accordingly. I use quality Plews lever guns only. Never use grease cartridges, too messy and always a PITA to load. I much prefer bulk loading utilizing my air greaser.

Lubrication Engineers Teflon fortified synthetic grease is extremely tacky abd don't rub off ground engaging implements like hay mowers and shredders or your hands if you get it on them...lol

It's not cheap by a long shot and only comes in 150 pound, open headed drums. A 150 pound drum lasts me about 3 years of greasing all my implements and tractors. I buy it through my jobber as they don't sell retail.

Never used Lucas grease, no need to. LE grease handles all my greasing needs, no issue and that includes wheel bearings as well.

Not too impressed with Lucas oil products anyway. They seem to be overpriced for what you get. JMO.

I buy all my lube oil and transmission (tractor) lubricants in 55 gallon drums which makes it convenient for me plus, the used lubricants go back in the empty drum and my jobber takes the used lubricants back so no worry about disposing of used lubricants, ever.

For me, it works fine and I don't have to deal with taking 5 gallons at a time to Auto Zone or Tractor Supply and depositing it in their 'used oil' tank that may or may not be full, depending on if the local 'Safety Clean' truck has emptied it. Besides, buying oil in 55 gallon drums, the price per gallon is appreciably less than buying it by the jug.

Besides the LE grease I use, I run Shell Rotella 5-40 T6 in everything including my vehicles and even the lawnmower and have for years now.

What about boat trailer wheel bearings? I always used barium based where there is a possibility of water intrusion.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Some could say you're wasting your money.

https://www.ruralking.com/providence-automotive-premium-lith-flex-grease-as-50-14oz-palit14g

For just a general purpose grease, it's ok, but the Mystic starts with a higher viscosity base and has a higher Timken Load Bearing rating.

Either way, Rural King has just about all the brands of grease at ~50% less than other stores, including Walmart.

 

[5030]

What about boat trailer wheel bearings? I always used barium based where there is a possibility of water intrusion.

No boat here so I cannot say.

 

[Flogger]

If it's a bearing I use a 3% to 5% molybdenum disulfide grease. If it's a gearbox it gets 00 picker grease. Worked damn fine for 45 years. The only time my moly grease causes a problem is if it's a tube in a tube system that depends on gravity. Then it has to be cleaned on occasion.