Oil & Fuel rotella oil in 2720
- Thread starter perazzi15
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There is real science behind this 'snake oil'. Each to his own.:confused2:
Runner
Elite Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2007
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- 3,009
- Location
- Missouri
- Tractor
- 2024 Cub Cadet Ultima ZTXS5 54, 2007 John Deere 2520, 1989 John Deere 185, 1960 Panzer T70B
I have used Rotella T in my 2520 since the first (50 hour) oil change, primarily because it's the only 10-w30 diesel rated oil I can find. JD recommeds 10-w30 as one of the recommended weight oils, but the only oil they sell (at any dealers around my city) is 15-w40.
eepete
Platinum Member
My commenting on engine oils has me thinking of the saying "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" 
...
The link Kennyd supplied is a non tractor model specific link. I think each manufacture of a engine will have their own fist oil change and break in oil requirements. Since the 2x20 series has a non Deere engine (Yanmar?) in it, it may have a different break in scheduale than (for example) my Deere 4520 which has a Deere made engine in it.
So the Deere Break-in oil site is good info for me. Now this has been discussed before, but, in the manual for my 4520 there is no mention of break in oil. It says to change the oil at 200 hours, or yearly if less than 200 hours. Asking around, I know the engine came with JD break in oil in it. I changed my oil out and over the JD 15W-40 at 75 hours because it had been 14 months since I got the tractor new. If the manual had said to put break in oil back in until you had at least 100 hours, well, I would have done that. After the change I found out about the break in oil page.
I suspect that the break in process is not linear. In other words, if you don't run the break in oil for 100 hours, but (as in my case) only ran it for 75 hours, I suspect that the break in process was more than 75 percent done. It seems that the break in process would be "heavy on the front end". If someone has data on this I'd would be very interested in finding out. As it breaks in and things get smoother, there is less wear and continuing break-in. Think "sanding a board with a piece of sandpaper." As the paper slowly gets clogged/gets smoother, it sands off less wood.
My B21 with a Kubota engine had it's original oil changed at 50 hours as per the manual. I ran my B21 with straight 30 weight Rotella for 10 years, then switched over to 15W-40. My 4520 manual shows ambient temperature ranges and the weights of oils that can be used. For my 4520, the 15W-40 is listed as good for temps of 0 to 120 F. The 10W-30 is listed for -10 to 102 F. For me, in North Carolina, the 15W-40 is all I need and is 90% of what my dealer sells. My tractor is in an insulated garage, so it never gets started below about 40 degrees, will see less than 200 hours per year and is not used much in the winter so the other option you see, a 0W-40 synthetic, doesn't make much sense for me.
So, each engine manufacture and type will have different break in scenarios. Even in Deere land, information in the manual and on the site don't completely agree with each other. Try to find a chart for your engine that shows ambient temperatures and acceptable oil weights. To the OP, if you need the 0W-30 temperature range I'd use the Rotella, it's good oil.
The Deere break-in oil and 15W-40 oil cost virtually the same, so while I distrust the Marketing department as much as the next fellow there's not enough difference in profit margin for them to be hiding behind the break-in oil recommendations.
Pete
...The link Kennyd supplied is a non tractor model specific link. I think each manufacture of a engine will have their own fist oil change and break in oil requirements. Since the 2x20 series has a non Deere engine (Yanmar?) in it, it may have a different break in scheduale than (for example) my Deere 4520 which has a Deere made engine in it.
So the Deere Break-in oil site is good info for me. Now this has been discussed before, but, in the manual for my 4520 there is no mention of break in oil. It says to change the oil at 200 hours, or yearly if less than 200 hours. Asking around, I know the engine came with JD break in oil in it. I changed my oil out and over the JD 15W-40 at 75 hours because it had been 14 months since I got the tractor new. If the manual had said to put break in oil back in until you had at least 100 hours, well, I would have done that. After the change I found out about the break in oil page
.I suspect that the break in process is not linear. In other words, if you don't run the break in oil for 100 hours, but (as in my case) only ran it for 75 hours, I suspect that the break in process was more than 75 percent done. It seems that the break in process would be "heavy on the front end". If someone has data on this I'd would be very interested in finding out. As it breaks in and things get smoother, there is less wear and continuing break-in. Think "sanding a board with a piece of sandpaper." As the paper slowly gets clogged/gets smoother, it sands off less wood.
My B21 with a Kubota engine had it's original oil changed at 50 hours as per the manual. I ran my B21 with straight 30 weight Rotella for 10 years, then switched over to 15W-40. My 4520 manual shows ambient temperature ranges and the weights of oils that can be used. For my 4520, the 15W-40 is listed as good for temps of 0 to 120 F. The 10W-30 is listed for -10 to 102 F. For me, in North Carolina, the 15W-40 is all I need and is 90% of what my dealer sells. My tractor is in an insulated garage, so it never gets started below about 40 degrees, will see less than 200 hours per year and is not used much in the winter so the other option you see, a 0W-40 synthetic, doesn't make much sense for me.
So, each engine manufacture and type will have different break in scenarios. Even in Deere land, information in the manual and on the site don't completely agree with each other. Try to find a chart for your engine that shows ambient temperatures and acceptable oil weights. To the OP, if you need the 0W-30 temperature range I'd use the Rotella, it's good oil.
The Deere break-in oil and 15W-40 oil cost virtually the same, so while I distrust the Marketing department as much as the next fellow there's not enough difference in profit margin for them to be hiding behind the break-in oil recommendations.
Pete