Kubota does "not recognize synthetic oil"

Bird · Apr 27, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

The manual also says to use CC or CD oil. Andy, do you have any? Since everyone I know personally around here uses the 15W-40, including the dealer, I don't expect there'd be any problem. And since I've never had a lubrication related failure on anything I've ever owned anyway, I'm quite comfortable using the 15W-40. But technically speaking, I suppose you're right. Of course, I do think Kubota should get someone to update their manuals. I wouldn't even care if they approved Mark's imitation oil./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

Anonymous Poster · Apr 27, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

I agree that you can not easily get CC od CD rated oils however the oils with higher letter designations will almost always meet or exceed the CC and CD rating. This rating is a case where the consumer has almost no choice (although I have not checked to see if the Kubota brand oil still has the CC, CD rating).
Viscosity is another issue. There are plenty of oils available that meet the 10-30 or 10-40 rating. If Kubota tests the oil after an engine failure, the easiest test and probabily the first one performed will be for viscosity.

Andy

Bird · Apr 27, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

Andy, I don't have any quarrel with what you're saying, but do you really believe there could ever be a warranty question because someone used 5W-40 or 15W-40 oil (whether petroleum or synthetic) instead of 10W-30 or 10W-40? If you do believe that, then I think you should use the 10W-30 or 10W-40, and you sure can't go wrong. But I'm comfortable using the 15W-40. And I guess you know I live in central Texas. If I lived in a colder climate, I might reconsider (even though my brothers used the 15W-40 in their diesel trucks in Alaska).

Bird

MChalkley · Apr 27, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

Good point, Bird. Realistically, we all know that there's no way a warranty issue engine failure will be blamed on oil viscosity unless it comes out of there looking something like tar. (Which is what petroleum will look like if you exceed the recommended drain interval by about 4 times. That's what they're looking for.)

Once again, synthetic comes out on top here because it will maintain its viscosity far better than any petroleum oil. Besides, any 20w50 synthetic is going to be closer to the center "weight" of 10w30 petroleum at 30 degrees and 200 degrees, and any oil analysis lab in the world knows this. What does it mean to engine durability, specifically? I don't know. What does it mean to a lab analysis "proving" an oil is unfit insofar as meeting a certain specification? Everything.

Mark

JimBinMI · Apr 27, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

Bird,

You poor Kubota guys, I don't know what I'm gonna do with you all! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif You know how I feel, if it's OK by New Holland it must be OK! I have a list of oils to choose from and I believe my API service ratings of SG-CE are more up to date? Not sure, I've never been accused of hanging around reading oil bottles. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif My operator's manual says I can use: 10w-30, 15w-40, 30, 5w-30...the power of BLUE ! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif My dealer sold me 15w-40 for my 50 hour and said it would be just fine in all of Michigan's weather.

JimBinMI

MChalkley · Apr 27, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

And any of those will be fine in a Kubota. One thing that's been neglected so far is that the Kubota manual actually says that you can use 30w above 77 degrees, 20w between 32 and 77, and 10w below 32. If you can use that stuff, you can use anything thicker than olive oil and thinner than molasses. So much for engineering and science. I wouldn't use that stuff to lubricate the throttle linkage, much less inside the engine. Of course, the manual also says you can use 10w30 and 10w40 at any of those temps.

Mark

W5FL · Apr 28, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

Mark, My dad was shop foreman for a Cadillac dealer and Service Manager for a Buick dealer. The stories he told about people and their oil and warranty failures were incredable to me. Some people never changed their oil until something failed. Ever see the inside of an engine where the oil is BAKED on everything?

He also disliked the multiweight oils because when they exceed the recommended change intervals they break down to the low viscosity numbers and cause failures at high temp. Single grade oils do not do this. That is why they check the viscosity of the oil. If it comes out 5W you will never get your claim!

Abused oil is usually pretty obvious before going to the lab. The lab just gives the results in writing. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MChalkley · Apr 28, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

Good points, Wen. And that's the main difference between high quality petroleum oils and cheap ones: the additive package. Amsoil has always made a big deal of the quality of additive packages. Several of Amsoil's synthetics achieve 10w30 and 15w40 API ratings with no additive package whatsoever, which substantially improves their life in extended drain applications.

Mark

Bird · Apr 28, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

JimBinMI, it's an unfortunate fact that no manual can cover everything (we wouldn't have much to talk about on this forum if they did /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif), and it's also rare, if not impossible, to find a manual of any kind that is completely accurate and up-to-date (I know; I used to be responsible for keeping the manuals up-to-date on my job). And I called GM's technical folks a few years ago when I found some errors in their repair manuals for my 1989 Chevrolet truck, and they said they just overlooked changing the manual when they changed the production. Nowadays I do just a little bit of air tool repair, and I've found a number of errors, and omissions, in the manuals of the major manufacturers and sometimes have to call them to get the right information. I suppose Kubota's manuals are on a par with others, but I'm not really impressed with them. Their tractors are a lot better than their manuals./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I also wondered when I got the B2710 manual about it specifying only Kubota's UDT or Super UDT hydraulic oil, when the 1995 manual for the B7100 listed the UDT AND a half dozen other brands by name. Of course, New Holland's manuals may be better than Kubota's/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif; I don't know. The only one I've seen was when I read rapidly through the TC29 owner's manual, but I'll bet if you keep that tractor and manual long enough, you'll find some mistakes in the manual/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. I've never forgotten that part of my early training was to "go by the book until you know more than the book." That struck me as odd at the time, but I came to understand it better later on in life.

Bird

W5FL · Apr 28, 2000

Re: Kubota does \"not recognize synthetic oil\"

Bird, My dealer also referred to the previous 1995 Kubota manuals as listing the other substitutions for UDT as being those name brand hydraulic fluids that are specified to have brake pads operating in the oil. If you still have your old manual, I would be very interested in the listing of comparable UDT fluids.