hydraulic oil

canucklehead · Nov 29, 2006

Our local costco has "Red hydraulic oil ISO 32". It's made by a big oil company like quaker state (just can't remember mfr). Is ISO 32 the viscosity?

All my JD manual says is to use JD oils and lubricants, but they don't specify characteristics like viscosity, etc.. And there's no way I'm gonna spend the kind of $$ the dealers want for lubricants. I never bought my PSD motor oil from Ford and amazingly, the truck is still running!

so can I use this for transmission oil?

Doc_Bob · Nov 29, 2006

canucklehead said:
I never bought my PSD motor oil from Ford and amazingly, the truck is still running! so can I use this for transmission oil?

How much is a new tranny?
Bob

PS I asked for the MSDS sheet and then contacted the manufacturer, and they sent me the specs. Took a few days, but I ended up with a tranny oil that worked in my tractor.
Bob

john_bud · Nov 29, 2006

canucklehead said:
Our local costco has "Red hydraulic oil ISO 32". It's made by a big oil company like quaker state (just can't remember mfr). Is ISO 32 the viscosity?

All my JD manual says is to use JD oils and lubricants, but they don't specify characteristics like viscosity, etc.. And there's no way I'm gonna spend the kind of $$ the dealers want for lubricants. I never bought my PSD motor oil from Ford and amazingly, the truck is still running! so can I use this for transmission oil?

Are you using it for a pure hydraulic only application or for use in the transmission AND hydraulic system? Straight hydraulic fluid is a big no-no in a transmission. Especially if it is a hydro or powershift. I also don't think that pure hydraulic fluid would lube the differential very well either.

Buy trans-hydraulic fluid that meets the JD spec. It's about $6 a gallon when bought in 5 gal buckets.

jb

Fredex · Nov 29, 2006

Hydraulic oils seem to all have an ISO #. I suspect, but don't know for certain, that the ISO describes several characteristics including viscosity. Looking at the viscosity ratings of hydraulic oils from several mfgr's shows that ISO 32 is approximately the same viscosity as 10W engine oil. Doesn't mean they are interchangeable. Also, as others have stated, straight ISO hydraulic oils are not acceptable in a system in which transmissions or differentials and hydraulics share a single oil supply.
Fred

canucklehead · Nov 30, 2006

yes, it is a shared transmission & hydraulic system. So I take it then, I have to purchase the JDM J20 Hygard? OR, is there a "trans/hydraulic" fluid made by others?

it's a standard/clutch drive type tranny.

Opti-Mist · Nov 30, 2006

There are aftermarket oils for which their labels indicate that they meet the specs for various tractor manufacturers. Depends on how well you trust the aftermarketer and who packages their house branded oil.

CurlyDave · Nov 30, 2006

My JD manual says to use JD oil and then gives the spec, JDM J20C.

I have always understood this to mean that any oil which meets the JDM J20C spec will be OK.

Unless it lists that spec on the label, I would not put another brand of oil in my tractor. Fortunately, Wally World near me carrys a "Universal Tractor Oil" , which claims to meet that spec, at a very reasonable price.

Now a lot of people think that only super-premium oil is good enough for their tractors, and more power to them. I would rather change mine at about half the recommended intervals and use an oil I don't have to drive 60 miles round trip to get.

canucklehead · Nov 30, 2006

I consider myself pragmatic on this kind of thing. JD doesn't own the refinery where the oil is made. it's refined from crude oil with some additives. there must be private labelled products with the EXACT same properties, rolling off the exact same assembly line. that's why I made the smart-***** comment about my PSD has run well and I'm not using Ford brand motor oil at $5/quart from the stealership. At 14 quarts/change, that gets awfully expensive. And the dealer puts in bulk oil from whoever gave them the best deal on their oil & dispensing equipment.

Thanks Curly Dave, I'll check our local Walmarts. I was able to buy oil filters for our quads from the US Walmarts (at 1/2 dealer price), but not in Canada. Hope the same isn't true on the oil!! When dealer pricing gets realistic on these types of items, I'll support them. I just feel like they never stop bending us over.

slowrev · Nov 30, 2006

I think TSC's universal hydro oil is about $34 for a 5 gasl bucket right now.
Just check whatever you get to make sure it meets the specs your tractor needs.

3RRL · Nov 30, 2006

Dave, I was going to say the same, Unless it lists that spec on the label, I would not put another brand of oil in my tractor. Fortunately, Wally World near me carrys a "Universal Tractor Oil" , which claims to meet that spec, at a very reasonable price.
I believe it lists some tractors as using it like JD? or CAT or something like that....don't remember exactly. IMO, if it meets the specs, I don't see why you couldn't use it. I understand that the Universal Tractor oil has more lubricity than straight AW32 hydraulic fluid, but it is slightly thicker then AW32. You can use it in a hydraulic system too, but straight hydraulic fluid can't (shouldn't) be used in a tractor that has the trans and hydraulics shared together.