Kubota engine oil -- a quality product?

cp1969 · Sep 19, 2004

( ... Synthetic multi-grade (10w40 etc...) oils use little or no viscosity improvers / polymers to achieve spreads that were not possible even 10 years ago. So the reality in my case is that the 10w40 synthetic I use (no VI / polymers) is as stable as a straight weight 30.... )

How is this possible? I thought the viscosity improvers are the very thing that makes multi-vis oils, whether dino or synthetic, possible. I recall reading an article Mobil put out about Mobil 1 regarding viscosity reduction over time. Mobil 1 outperformed the dinos, but still suffered from viscosity loss over time, just not as bad as all the rest.

Soundguy · Sep 19, 2004

( are you sure that your front axle uses gear oil? I ask because the front axle on my tractor uses hydraulic fluid. )

Or transmission fluid.. or final drive fluid right? We are talking about M2C134D oil from NH for your tc-25d right? For those that aren't familiar with most common UTF's.. that transdraulic oil is rated as a gear lube. That's what my NH 1920 took in the front axle.

Stranger things I've seen though.. Including mower and tiller gearboxes that were specced for grease not oil.. etc.

(Long time no hear.. how ya doing?)

Soundguy

MikePA · Sep 20, 2004

Or transmission fluid.. or final drive fluid right? We are talking about M2C134D oil from NH for your tc-25d right?
Right and right. 134D fluid in the transmission and in the front axle. 134D fluid everywhere but the engine and radiator. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif (I use the equivalent Amsoil product.)

(Long time no hear.. how ya doing?) 
Doing well. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy · Sep 20, 2004

Yep.. it is convienient... hyd oil.. tranny oil.. rear diffy oil.. power steering oil.. front diffy.. etc.

Soundguy

wvhillbilly · Sep 20, 2004

Absolutely right Soundguy. The book that came with my Kubota L3400 said to use SAE80, SAE90 or Kubota's UDT in the front axle. The dealer told me that Kubota's UDT is packaged by Valvoline. Just some trivial Info there.
Dave

BobCorazza · Sep 24, 2004

( ( ... Synthetic multi-grade (10w40 etc...) oils use little or no viscosity improvers / polymers to achieve spreads that were not possible even 10 years ago. So the reality in my case is that the 10w40 synthetic I use (no VI / polymers) is as stable as a straight weight 30.... )

How is this possible? I thought the viscosity improvers are the very thing that makes multi-vis oils, whether dino or synthetic, possible. I recall reading an article Mobil put out about Mobil 1 regarding viscosity reduction over time. Mobil 1 outperformed the dinos, but still suffered from viscosity loss over time, just not as bad as all the rest. )

It's all in the base oil used. I am not knowledgeable on the "group x" terminology, but even the dino oils are produced with better base oils - Group 3 I believe. Oil with less contaminants is able to stay in grade with less viscosity imrovers / polymers. Also older technology oils begin life relatively thin and are thickened with additives (polymers) to get back to the desired grade while still being able to meet the Winter classification. Synthetic oils (Group 4) have no contaminants, and equal molecular size (sounds like techno babble, but it's true!). The synthetic base oil doesn't need to start off as a lower weight and thickened with long chain polymers to meet Winter classifications for reasonable spreads (ie: 5w30, 10w40). That being said, I do not not know which brands require no viscosity improvers - but the top brands require little to none. FYI, although widely used - there is no such thing as "multi-viscosity" oil. It's either straight weight or "multi-grade". Oil is a specified viscosity at 212 deg F (ie: 40) and multi-grade oil receives a "W"inter classification based upon their performance in a CCS (cold cranking simulator) test specified I believe by ATSM (?) or one of those acronyms. The grade numbers (ie:10w & 40) are totally unrelated to each other.