Surprises when picking up fluids / filters for 50 hr service

[canoetrpr]

I wander over to a local dealer to pick up all the fluids / filters I need for the 50 hr change on my L3400. I have a copy of the page from the manual that tells me how much of what I need.

I ask for Super UDT, he says "you mean UDT". Apparently they don't even carry SUDT and never have he says. He claims nobody uses it around here even in construction equipment.

Its not like I have a choice unless I want to wander the neighbourhood looking for someone that may carry SUDT so I pick up the 5 gallon jug.

Then comes engine oil. Figure that one is easy. Manual calls for 10W-30.. he says "no 15W-40".. I point him to the manual he still says I want 15W-40 as that is what they would put i if I was servicing it there. In his opinion, if I was running the tractor every day in the winter he would suggest 10W-30 but since it will be used only occasionally in the winter 15W-40 is the way to go. I'm guessing this is a heavier oil and so long as I warm the tractor up before using - I will be fine.

I'm going to go to a local store for front axle gear oil. I figure I'll use 80W-90.

Anyone care to comment on the above? I figured it was clear cut, easy, you put in the best fluids that the manual recommends.

 

[art]

I wouldn't recommend less then super udt here in NY! Price is less so maybe they look at keeping the customer by price. Is yours a hydro or gear, hydro's would need the Super more then a gear and I'd use it in the front axle as well until you might get a weep.

The thinner base oil will give you better cold weather starting performance.

 

[DiezNutz]

This from the same *** that wanted to charge you $300 for a shop manual?! All things considered, maybe you'd want to RUN, not walk, to another dealer...

I absolutely WOULD NOT run heavier oil in a new engine than what the manufacturer recommends... clearances in a new engine are tight, and you want to make sure oil is getting into all the nooks & crannies, especially during those all-too-critical first moments after a cold start.

What's even more dumbfounding about all of this is you live in CANADA! Probably SUDT's biggest advantage over UDT is its cold-weather performance. The choices your dealer is pushing might be suitable for a hot climate, but considering where you live, it defies all logic and conventional wisdom.

I'm running gear oil in my front axle, but again considering your climate, you might be better off with UDT or SUDT. Maybe some fellow TBN'ers from your latitude would have a better opinion on that one...

 

[SkyPup]

Your dealer sounds like an "airhead", time for a new one.

 

[canoetrpr]

Boy I feel like an idiot. I called them yesterday to ensure that they had all the filters and fluids in stock and they said yes. I never thought I would have to ask specifically if they had SUDT in stock etc.

I trusted what they said. When you are standing in a Kubota dealership in front of the parts guy it's kinda hard not to take him at his word.

I'm sitting here with a big ol 5 gallon jug of UDT right now. I imagine my tractor won't self destruct with it so I will probably use it this time around and will likely just do another hydraulic fluid/filter change at the 100 hr mark even though not necessary as per manual.

I'm putting may be 50 to 55 hrs on my tractor per year so I can well afford to change all the fluids and filters once a year - regardless of whether it is truly necessary or not. Figure the UDT will do me fine for the next 50 hrs ? T

he other option is to hang on to this UDT and use it for the front axle and try to locate SUDT for the hydro from somewhere else. Thats an awful lot of UDT that I'll have sitting around after I've filled up the front axle. Not sure if I can just hang on to the excess and expect to use it a year later. I'll probably just have to waste it.

The oil... not sure what to do about that. I've got about 2 gallons of Kubota 15W-40 which I might have to to use for general purpose lubrication of hay elevators and such.

Their restocking fee is 25%.

Boy this is irritiating.

 

[ByronBob]

Do you garage the unit? If so maybe the tractor is warm enough for you to use these fluids until the next change.

 

[Marcussen]

My dealer had the super UDT, but tried to sell me the regular and said there was no difference. He also told me 15W-40 (I went with 10W-30) the owners manual give a temperature range for the different viscosity oils 10W-30 and 5W-40 is good in all the listed temperatures. The dealer said they always use 85W-90 in the front end (so I did).
At the 100 hour oil change I used to 5W-40 synthetic engine oil.

 

[canoetrpr]

The plot gets thicker..

So I call another rather big Kubota dealer in the area.

All they carry is UDT. He too did not know that "Super UDT" even existed and said they have always used UDT and once the warranty expires use another aftermarket generic hydraulic oil.

He also said they sell 15W-40 as engine oil and run it year around and that is what he recommends.

What is this - a plot to confuse Canadians????

 

[Kendall69]

I went with some bad advice and changed to a NON Kubota fluid, and tractor ran like doo doo, then i quickly switched to SUPER and it would climb hills in high it never would before. Then i had it at the dealer for other work, and said, while it’s there, change all the fluids - I forgot to mention the super, when I got it ran like doo doo again. I asked him if he put in super, and his answer was “we never put in super” - I explained how mine rune much better with super, then purchased 10 Gallons from the parts guy and left to redo the job.
Grrrrrrrr

I’ve only run high end 15/40 in mine. My latest flavor of the month is REDLINE.

 

[mazurrj]

The plot gets thicker..

So I call another rather big Kubota dealer in the area.

All they carry is UDT. He too did not know that "Super UDT" even existed and said they have always used UDT and once the warranty expires use another aftermarket generic hydraulic oil.

He also said they sell 15W-40 as engine oil and run it year around and that is what he recommends.

What is this - a plot to confuse Canadians????

just my 2 cents, but considering you're temps in Canada, and posts I've read and one person i talk too that switched to UDT. I'd take the UDT back, pay the restocking, buy the Super UDT over the internet. Put in the oil you have 15/40 and next time go with the 10w/30w before winter. Granted you may not see much difference with UDT, but from what few have said less likely you will lose performace with SUDT. And if you have the hydrostatic and it already could have SUDT in it, why put UDT in. Keep it all SUDT. you'll have to wait a week to get SUDT over internet to do the 50hr. I know you wanted wanted to do this weekend but in long run it will be less work for you and waiting a week is not going to hurt anything. i did my transmistion fuild at 50hr and good till 300hrs according to my manual, so if the same on L3400 you be good for long time.

 

[acohen100]

The plot gets thicker..

So I call another rather big Kubota dealer in the area.

All they carry is UDT. He too did not know that "Super UDT" even existed and said they have always used UDT and once the warranty expires use another aftermarket generic hydraulic oil.

He also said they sell 15W-40 as engine oil and run it year around and that is what he recommends.

What is this - a plot to confuse Canadians????

You're forgetting about the exchange rate. If you factor in the exchange rate 15w40 in Canada equals 10w30 in the US - just kidding.

I know you can order SUDT online from Amazon.com if you need to. I bought a 5 gallon pail of UTF red from TRC (courtesy of DeiselPower) and plan to run that at my next change.

 

[canoetrpr]

Heck I'm not even sure if I can order fluids over the internet or whether I'll have a problem with customs etc. and what shipping fees will be. This stuff is pretty heavy!. If I can I'm done with relying on these local dealers.

If I can find SUDT around I'll pick it up and either use the UDT in the front axle or return the UDT, pay the restocking fee - or exchange for a few filters that I can use the next time around.

Anybody have an opinion on what kind of shelf life this UDT would have if I used some for the front axle and kept it around for future fluid changes for the front axle?

If I can't find the SUDT I might just have to use the UDT for now and see whether I notice a difference or not.

 

[JRobyn]

I think I'd call the dealer and order enough SUDT. They can surely order it; my Kubota dealer in HOT Georgia stocks it all the time. When it comes in, take the UDT in with you for a FULL credit on the SUDT. If the parts counter guys balks, get the dealer manager, and ask him nice to do the credit while mentioning that Kubota RECOMMENDS SUDT FOR COLDER CLIMATES and that you wouldn't want to have to send Kubota a letter to complain about how the dealer advocates you ignoring Kubota's recommendation. Maybe they'll reconsider the restocking fee.

- Jay

 

[DiezNutz]

This stuff is pretty heavy!

On the bright side, it weighs less than 5 gal of water...

Anybody have an opinion on what kind of shelf life this UDT would have if I used some for the front axle and kept it around for future fluid changes for the front axle?

As long as you kept it in a cool dry place (shouldn't be hard there ) it should last at least as long as you need it to). But like others have said, I'd take it back for full credit. That restocking fee is crap too, it's not like it was a special order (they're selling this stuff by the truckload - right?)

Don't feel bad... like you said, it's the dealer and they're supposed to be trustworthy and knowledgeable. It's a disservice to all of us when one isn't.

 

[studway]

Just finished the 50 hour service on my bx2350 10 minutes ago! My dealer in NH told me to use 15w-40 too. Said it's all they use when they service tractors. They did have the SUDT.

 

[canoetrpr]

I think I have an extra piece in this UDT SUDT puzzle.

Every dealer for about 100 miles around here only carries one kind of hydraulic oil. It turns out it is called neither UDT nor SUDT but "Premium UDT". Thats what I have a 20 liter tub of in the back of my van right now.

I just read the tub and it says:

"Kubota Premium UDT: Performance similar to UDT but with superior cold weather properties".

It appears to be manufactured specifically for Kubota Canada.

I strongly suspect that what I am sitting on there IS SUDT and that is ALL that is sold in Canada given our weather but it is branded under this different name "Premium UDT".

I'm willing to bet that this is what my tractor came with as well. I imagine that at somepoint in the past someone in Kubota Canada decided that the regular UDT stuff just wasn't good enough for our weather so it doesn't eve appear to be sold around here.

Just something else to confuse us Canadians!

 

[DiezNutz]

Well fellas... who ya gonna trust? The people that designed and manufactured the engine, or the dealer who is likely buying oil in bulk and has conflicting financial and logistics interests to stock and use a brand and/or weight that may not serve yours the best?
NOWHERE in my B3030 manual does 15W40 appear. God forbid you need a blood transfusion and the doctor says "ehh.. it's all red, this one's close enough..."
New tractor, your $$$. Do your worst.

 

[DiezNutz]

I strongly suspect that what I am sitting on there IS SUDT and that is ALL that is sold in Canada given our weather but it is branded under this different name "Premium UDT".

I suspect (and hope) you're onto something there... it must be a language thing. Premium in Canadian must translate to Super in the US

 

[canoetrpr]

I suspect (and hope) you're onto something there... it must be a language thing. Premium in Canadian must translate to Super in the US

Maybe "Premium" translates better in French than "Super" ;-)

 

[Toolguy]

I use Mobil 5w-40 synthetic in my B3030. I would not, however, be at all concerned about doing damage with regular 15w-40. It is what is recommended and used by almost all heavy-duty diesel engines in the states. I use regular Mobil Delvac 15w-40 in my work truck's engine, a 5.9L Cummins. Go to any place that sells Diesel oil and all you're going to find is 15w-40 regular or 5w-40 synthetic. It works and is the industry standard. Your engine will be just fine. There are thousands of Kubota Diesel engines around the country running all kinds of equipment besides tractors. I would bet that not many have 10w-30 in them. The Kubota dealers that recommend 15w-40 are not stupid. If it caused problems they would be the first to know. Oil related engine failure is probably the last thing anyone needs to worry about. Just change it at regular intervals and your engine will last a long time.