Oil & Fuel Regular oil or synthetic

[Popster]

You probably even remember the re-refined oil in the glass bottles too. Man I burned and I mean burned a lot of that stuff in my time.:laughing:

Heh, that stuff smelled like the dinos pooped it!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

According to Molecular Engineers and other University lab people Oil never loses it's lubrication quality. It gets dirty but still lubricates as well as it every did.
I've known people that never change their oil, only their filters on cars. I knew one lady that did as her husband told her and asked the full service gas station attendant to check her oil when she filled up. Attendant did check it and always said it wasn't low. After 40 some thousand miles her motor locked up. Guess there was a failure to communicate between her husband, a College Professor, and her, a HS Math Teacher/Real Estate Agent. Maybe he should have told her to also change it every so often.
One of the Car Magazines asked a Molecular Engineer about changing oil and he was the one that told them that oil never loses it's lubrication quality. He said it doesn't ever have to be changed, only cleaned. They asked him how often he changed his. He replied "Every 3000 miles, as cheap as it is to change it, why take a chance". Another example of "feeling" "traditions" winning out over knowledge.
I change mine when the manual says to change it on tractors (all from Kubota dealer). Cars and trucks now have these extended mileage changes but I change them at 3000 to 4500 miles depending on how much local and how much highway miles.

 

[bp fick]

While we're on the subject of oil, I bought an L3400 less than a week ago and the dealer was trying to tell me that I should always buy Kubota oil and hydraulic fluid and filters.

I have an idea he was just trying to sell me their over priced products. Any thoughts?

Each dealer has flexibility in pricing. Some are higher priced than others.

But the products are solid.

Of course, you can and likely will buy your lube products elsewhere. NAPA who often re-brands WIX is commonly mentioned, but there are others. FleetGuard and Hastings/Baldwin/Purolater are well respected filters. Mobil and Shell are respected world wide for their lubricants. You cannot go wrong.

Sometimes, however, you'll have no choice on the trans filters. Those are specialty filters that are rarely produced by the big filter companies. These are specialty, niche market products. While Kubota doesn't have their own oil company, of course, they use Ashland Oil in the US, and sub-contracts filters to be made to their specs, they aren't usually all that over priced and sometimes, there is no option but a Kubota filter on a some applications.

 

[RADIUM]

I'm not quite sure where to follow you with that one? Oil not only breaks down after use the viscosity goes up which causes the oil not to flow and protect critical parts not to mention the byproducts of combustion of a diesel engine I would stick to whatever your manufacturer recommends changing your oil, if I lived in a southern climate and used a lawn tractors I would probably not worry about using synthetic ,but in the great White North where the average days don't get above 15 Fahrenheit and nights dipped down to minus numbers I'll stick with synthetics as a matter of fact synthetic oil synthetic transmission fluid anything to help the tractors deal with the environment from the old ones to my new one they all run synthetic check out my video at -4 in the new video section, the tractor starts up after four hits of the glow plugs no block heater or other aid however the hydraulic pump complains even with synthetic transmission fluid nature of the beast,the livestock have to eat they don't care about the cold ;-). I don't use the block heater that is installed I'm not paying national grid any more money someone once told, plug it in for a few hours before needed, nonsense in this cold that's like throwing a match in a warehouse you have to leave it plugged in all night 1200 W running all night no thank you take care

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I'm not an engineer or lab type person. I read alot and try to learn a little about alot. Here are a couple of articles about oil from people that study it for a living or make their living in the oil industry or oil filter business in one article.
Guess car magazines from 10 to 15 years ago may not be the best or worst place to gather information.

DOES OIL BREAK DOWN OR WEAR OUT?
The Lowdown on Oil Breakdown

 

[RADIUM]

No engineer at this residence that's for sure just some common sense as far as those articles go I can show you five others that disagree go to the John Deere webpage and check out their video as they compare oils over 500 hours explaining about viscosity breakdown and free radicals and a demonstration of what happens to oil with viscosity breakdown in cold weather you tell me which one you'd rather use take care

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

No engineer at this residence that's for sure just some common sense as far as those articles go I can show you five others that disagree go to the John Deere webpage and check out their video as they compare oils over 500 hours explaining about viscosity breakdown and free radicals and a demonstration of what happens to oil with viscosity breakdown in cold weather you tell me which one you'd rather use take care

I don't think you read the articles. I believe they are saying the same thing.
No, I wouldn't take what JD says over the Labs that do it but I suspect that's where JD gets or got their info. Your quite a crosstractorer.

 

[smstonypoint]

Your quite a crosstractorer.

Just curious (and killing time before leaving for a medical appointment).

Is "crosstractorer" the appropriate term? It seems pejorative to me.

"Monotractorer" versus "polytractorer" doesn't work because that doesn't say anything about the brands owned by the "polytractorer."

Steve

 

[RADIUM]

To the contrary regardless of your sly comment ;-) I would trust John Deere they have been manufacturing equipment for decades and probably have one of the largest in-house research and diagnostic labs of any corporation building tractors today I know my cousin works for JD take care

PS I'd love to play some more but I have to take care of the 9 inches of snow we've just received this morning have a nice one

 

[santa2u]

Each dealer has flexibility in pricing. Some are higher priced than others.

But the products are solid.

Of course, you can and likely will buy your lube products elsewhere......

Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to you all for your input. I grew up in the country, but about the time I should have been learning such things, we moved into town.

I try to combine a "by the book" mindset with common sense i.e. on our vehicles I change oil and filter usually within 1,000 miles of the recommended 3,000, whereas my wife would watch the odometer and even drive around the block several times to roll into the bay at exactly 3,000 miles. Well, maybe I exaggerate a little.

When it comes to my tractor, I am very much like my wife and try to get it done very close to the 100 hour mark if not sooner, especially if I have been in dirty, dusty conditions. It's just that $180 seems a little high for all fluids and filters for a change out. Or not.... Is that in the ballpark?