Is mixing different brands of tranny fluid ok?

[Deliberate1]

Friends,
Had an early summer idiosy experience. Mounted up the mower deck to my 2200 and gave the keys to my wife. She comes running in a few minutes later saying that there is something wrong - stuff coming out of the tractor. I go out and immediately see that the PTO was disconnected. I fire up the engine and tranny fluid comes gushing out from around the filter. On closer inspection, I see that the filter has been severly beated up. Apparently, I did not properly secure the PTO which disconnected and beat on the oil filter. So I head down to the dealer and sheepishly tell him what I need and why. Turns out two other guys were in earlier that day with similar tales. So I bought a gallon of tranny fluid thinking it would be enough to top off what I lost. It was'nt and I live 60 miles away from the dealer. If I can find non-Kubota tranny fluid locally would it be ok to mix it so long as it is the same weight? Many thanks.

 

[BOTAL35]

KUBOTA SAYS DONT MIX BRANDS. CALL YOUR DEALER SEE WHAT HE SAYS

 

[wvhillbilly]

Tractor Supply sells 2 kinds of hydraulic fluid. One is Traveller(cheaper I think) and another made by Citgo. I forget the name it goes by. Anyways, the label on the back of the brand made by Citgo says it is compatible with Kubota UDT.
Kubota says DO NOT MIX. Could be a sales pitch to get you to buy their jacked-up price fluids. Example. Arctic Cat sells "their" oil filter for something like 12 dollars. I simply go to Advance Auto and buy the same filter that says "Fram" on the side for 5 dollars.
Just my 2 cents
Dave

 

[Chechnya]

Ive put Ambria and Pennzoil/Quaker State in my hydraulic tank and it runs just fine. Sales pitch probably

 

[JimR]

Yes you can. Kubota and many other dealers tell you this so that you will only use their expensive oil. I've been mixing oils since I bought my first tractor in 1978. I have yet to have any problems.

 

[wvhillbilly]

I just visited Tractor Supply this evening and have some information. The "other" brand I spoke of earlier is Citgo "Mystic JT5" It is 28 dollars for a 5 gallon bucket and 13 dollars for a 2 gallon jug. Ought to save quite a bit of money using it over Kubota UDT.

Dave

 

[fractal]

Kubota UDT is a "universal tractor hydraulic fluid". The same oil is circulated to the implements, the transmission and the wet brakes. Using a regular tractor hydraulic fluid, as opposed to a universal tractor hydraulic fluid (you did see the slight difference there) can ruin your brakes REAL FAST. At least that's what I have been told.

So, while I would never recommend anyone do something to a piece of equipment the manufacturer recommends against, I DID mix. I bought a 5 gallon pail of universal tractor hydraulic fluid. I have put about half of it into the tractor so far, along with whatever the guy who owned it before me put in it (yes, it leaks, yes I should fix it, no I haven't). Just make sure it claims to be "kubota udt compatible" or "universal tractor hydraulic fluid" and you are "probably" ok.

 

[wvhillbilly]

Yes, the Mystic JT5 is Compatible with Kubota UDT.. It is Hydraulic FLUID, not Hydraulic OIL. Hydraulic FLUID is universal. You should not use Hydraulic OIL if your tractor has wet brakes. OIL will ruin the brakes. OIL is okay if your tractor has dry shoe brakes.