Oil & Fuel Hy Guard reg. or low vis for 2305?

[JCCinOhio]

Hi all.

I'm coming up on my 200hr maintenance and now that I have a little more understanding of the tractor I have a question. When I did the 50hr maintenance the local JD shop talked me into low viscosity hy guard.. but now I see in the manual (OMLVU23228_B0) that it says they put the regular hy guard in at the factory.

So I guess it had regular thru 50 hrs.. then I put in the low viscosity for 50 thru 200..

I live in SW Ohio and do more in warmer temps (60s to 80's, 90's when I have to) with mowing than I do in colder temps. I do use a blade and the loader for snow removal, but it rarely gets below 0F. I've seen two versions of the temp scale for lov vis vs regular. The manual above shows low vis up to 104F, the other I've seen shows it only to 86F.

So, question is, should I stick to low vis, or go back to regular? My only implement that uses the external hydraulics is the 200cx loader, if I don't change the oil in the loader too does that constitute 'mixing' of fluids?

Thanks
John

 

[prosperity]

I'm a little more north, but with similar temps and operate about the same. I used Lo-Vis and my 50 and 200 hour service and will continue to do so. I notice a big difference at my 50 hour service when I put the Lo-Vis in - a much more responsive hydro pedal for sure.

 

[bigtiller]

I went through this last fall with my 2720. The dealer was surprised that the manual and the factory use regular. The dealer said they seldom put regular in anything. Also, the small amount of regular in the loader cylinder and hoses was not enough to worry about.

 

[JCCinOhio]

I'm just wondering if the low vis will be too thin to provide good protection on those hot mowing days (6 acres in 90F).. Conversely, would it be better to have a thicker (the regular hy gard) fluid in when it's really cold out, say slightly below 0F and snow removin' (for about 1hr)? Which extreme would I be better off covering?

 

[mfreund]

Use lo-vis. I have not had a problem mowing on a 100 plus degree day, but I have had hard steering on -40 with lo-vis. Cannot imagine how long it would have taken regular to warm up.

 

[bigtiller]

I'm just wondering if the low vis will be too thin to provide good protection on those hot mowing days (6 acres in 90F).. Conversely, would it be better to have a thicker (the regular hy gard) fluid in when it's really cold out, say slightly below 0F and snow removin' (for about 1hr)? Which extreme would I be better off covering?

There isn't much difference in the high range ambient temperature difference. 104 degrees for low vis and 122 degrees for regular.

 

[RG1]

Double check your manual. Mine for my 4115 says Low Vis as preferable, but regular Hy-Guard is acceptable.

 

[JCCinOhio]

My manual says..
"Do not use type “F” automatic transmission fluid.
Use Hy-Gard® (J20C) or Low Viscosity Hy-Gard (J20D) transmission oil.
John Deere Low Viscosity Hy-Gard transmission oil is specially formulated for operation below -18provide maximum protection for the hydraulic system.
Use oil viscosity based on the expected air temperature range during the period between oil changes. "

So not specific on either..

On the temp ranges.. it shows the 104F in the 2305 manual, everywhere else I've seen the low vis (like here: https://jdparts.deere.com/partsmkt/document/english/pmac/4968_fb_HyGardsTransmissionHydraulic.htm) it shows the upper limit as 86F..

 

[RG1]

My manual says..
"Do not use type “F” automatic transmission fluid.
Use Hy-Gard® (J20C) or Low Viscosity Hy-Gard (J20D) transmission oil.
John Deere Low Viscosity Hy-Gard transmission oil is specially formulated for operation below -18provide maximum protection for the hydraulic system.
Use oil viscosity based on the expected air temperature range during the period between oil changes. "

So not specific on either..

On the temp ranges.. it shows the 104F in the 2305 manual, everywhere else I've seen the low vis (like here: https://jdparts.deere.com/partsmkt/document/english/pmac/4968_fb_HyGardsTransmissionHydraulic.htm) it shows the upper limit as 86F..

It has been my experience in owning 20 some JD's, that the first fluid listed is always the preferred fluid, and generally what the machine came filled with.

I will also note that since the 2305 doesn't have a trans cooler and relies on the fan for its cooling, the regular Hy-Guard makes more sense since it is a little better able to handle higher temps.