Hyd oil question

panamaguy · Mar 4, 2022

Do we have a hyd oil expert on the group? I have a IHI NX15 mini excavator and the manual calls for #46. oil. So this is what I am wondering about. I live in Panama and a cold night is 73 degrees and average daytime temp is 90 to 95. Everyone down here uses #68 oil and 46 is hard to find. Is there any reason why I can't use 68. It is hard to find 46 and way more expensive than 68. I would guess because nobody uses it.. I am guessing that IHI might be calling for 46 because there machines are mostly sold in the States were cold and hot weather both apply. Mine was exported here so is it reasonable to use a thicker oil. Thanks in advance on any expert advice

BeezFun · Mar 4, 2022

#68 is a better fit in your climate. Here's a generic chart that shows #68 is right for your temps.

LD1 · Mar 5, 2022

The climate really shouldn't matter much unless you are only using it for short periods of time.

Most mini's have hydraulic coolers and smaller reservoirs. Meaning that working it for a few hours you oil temp will likely settle around 150 degrees regardless of whether you were here in the states or down in panama.

Running either oil wouldn't concern me though. So if you can only find 68....I wouldn't loose any sleep using it