What engine oil are you using in your Branson?

[K5lwq]

I want to use Rotella T6 15W40 in the 4815C. I have always had good luck with Rotella and think I will use full synthetic for the life of this tractor.

In an effort to keep things simple, I am converting the Kioti to the fluids I will use in the Branson.

The problem I have is I was only able to find 1 gallon of the T6 15W40 in the big city of Mineola TX. Plenty of the 5W40 but the manual is calling for the 15W40. If I was in a cooler climate, I would be fine with 5w40 but think I should stick with what Branson says to use.

The Kioti engine has had Rotella T4 15W40 from day one. What would you use?

 

[LouNY]

I use Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 year round in my Branson, the IH, Kubota mower, the UTV, JD lawn mower and my pickup.

 

[Peter 315]

I use Delo 400 xle 15w-40 ............

 

[oldnslo]

5W-40 year round in my Branson 2400H

 

[ericm979]

I've been using the Delo 400 (non synth). I got some T5 in 15w-40 for the next change. I'm sticking with Branson's oil weight spec. But it's rare to get temps more than a few degrees below freezing here. If it got super cold I'd consider 5w-40.

 

[K5lwq]

Looks like a either 5W-40 or 15W-40 is working fine. The strange thing here is T6 is mostly in the 5W-40 and in T4 and T5 15W-40 is available. Most of the places I went only carry T6 in 5W-40 with no plans to get 15W-40.

I will check some other towns as I work. Thanks everyone.

 

[ptsg]

My dealer sells Petronas brand of lubricants and used Petronas 15W40 on mine.

We can't service any vehicles or equipment still under warranty without lose it, so I can't remember now if it was synthetic or semi synthetic.

 

[K5lwq]

K7LN, thanks for the information. 5W-40 might be my only option without ordering. 73

Ptsg, that is interesting. I had no idea you were not allowed to service under warranty. Wonder what the reasoning is behind that decision?

I am very confident you would do a much better job than any place you could take the equipment in for service.

 

[Grateful11]

Rotella of your choice. They run 15W40 T4 in most of the tractors here.

 

[ptsg]

Only a authorized shop can service the vehicle in order to keep the warranty valid. They don't trust at all the owners I guess. It applies to any vehicle, equipment, whatever need service.

It kinda makes sense in way. Let's use Branson as an example, as it's a known issue. The owner uses a aftermarket hydraulic filter, which is known to burn hydraulic pumps, then he figures out the issue and swaps the filter to a OEM before claiming the issue to the dealer and proceed to the warranty. And then he wins brand new hydraulic pumps that previously failed due to user error.

In my tractor in particular, it's not that big of a deal. It's a small dealer with only the owner, the mechanic and an accountant that happens to be the owner's daughter. The dealer has a good reputation around. He used to be a big dealer for NH back in the day but as he got older, he downsized a bit and sells Case, Branson, another small brand I can't remember now and lots of brands of implements. He will service and fix whatever machine the costumer brings to him.

When we bought the tractor, they offered the first service for free. So the 50 hours arrived, 60 actually as I needed to finish some brush clearing, we called them but they were very busy and we offered to take the tractor to the shop, instead of them coming over my house. It's just 14 miles away or so. Anyways, they let me just watch the entire process. The mechanic is a good guy, worker and very good fabricator. He definitely cares and knows what he is doing. He also advised me to buy the inner air filter as a extra precaution as he knew I'll be mowing on dusty conditions.

We only get 2 year warranty here, so it ended in September of 2019. From now on, I'll do all the work on my tractor, even whatever repairs it needs. If I need parts, I still go to the dealer so he can order the parts from the big Branson parts warehouse in Germany.

I'm at 200 hours, the next service is to change the engine oil and filter at 300 hours. I may change the brand of oil, since I can get a better price on a local parts shop but will keep the 15W40.

The climate here usually goes as low as 35F, sometimes 30F in the winter, and as high as 105/110F in the summer. I usually don't use the tractor when it's that cold or hot.

 

[RalphVa]

I want to use Rotella T6 15W40 in the 4815C. I have always had good luck with Rotella and think I will use full synthetic for the life of this tractor.

In an effort to keep things simple, I am converting the Kioti to the fluids I will use in the Branson.

The problem I have is I was only able to find 1 gallon of the T6 15W40 in the big city of Mineola TX. Plenty of the 5W40 but the manual is calling for the 15W40. If I was in a cooler climate, I would be fine with 5w40 but think I should stick with what Branson says to use.

The Kioti engine has had Rotella T4 15W40 from day one. What would you use?

Your manual is WAY out of date. VW has used 5w30 in its diesel engines since WAAAAY back. That's what I now have in both the 2025R and Isuzu generator. Gives WAAAAY more protection to the upper valve train on startup than any 15wxx oil will. My VW Cabrio had a hydraulic valve with draindown problem. It would hammer away for 2 or more seconds at startup unless I used 0w30 in it. This is what I plan to do for the next oil change. You can often find 0w30 ESP M1 (diesel oil) on Amazon for less than $9/qt I've been paying VW for the Castrol.

Ralph

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

My dealer put in Amsoil synthetic 15w40 at my 50 hr. I'm coming up on my 300 hr soon and will try to replace with same. I require my tractor to operate routinely in temps from -40F in winter to +95 F in summer.

 

[Peter 315]

My dealer put in Amsoil synthetic 15w40 at my 50 hr. I'm coming up on my 300 hr soon and will try to replace with same. I require my tractor to operate routinely in temps from -40F in winter to +95 F in summer.

If your outside at -40f good luck to you.....I will be looking out the window........

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

If your outside at -40f good luck to you.....I will be looking out the window........

Lol.

That's why I insisted on a cabbed tractor.

Around here, -40 F is just called "Tuesday" (Well, in winter anyway).

 

[K5lwq]

I sure would never want to tangle with Slim! He is much a man to be able survive in that climate!!

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Lol. No, a "Real Man" wouldn't want a cabbed tractor.

Don't you read the forums?

:laughing:

 

[RalphVa]

My dealer put in Amsoil synthetic 15w40 at my 50 hr. I'm coming up on my 300 hr soon and will try to replace with same. I require my tractor to operate routinely in temps from -40F in winter to +95 F in summer.

I worked in the oil basestock industry for 31 years. During that, we were privy to and worked closely with our Canadian research arm in Sarnia, Ontario. At one point, they put a Dodge 024 four cylinder in a -40 room overnight and tried restarting the next morning with various oils. They had a transparent valve cover on it. EVERY oil but a 0wxx one smoked the valve cover underneath quite significantly. The oil pumps just would not pick up the oil unless it was 0wxx until the pump sat there and warmed up the oil a bit first. In the meantime, the engine was running, and the valve train was getting NO lubrication. The only oil at that time that could be had in 0wxx form was Mobil 1. We could not make a dino oil to 0wxx specs and still meet the Noack volatility spec. Just not possible.

Finally, after retiring and merging with Mobil, I could use Mobil 1 with a good conscience. Been using it ever since. A 0w30 was the ONLY oil in a VW Cabrio that would refill a leak-downed hydraulic valve lifter and not let it hammer away for a couple seconds, even in the summer. 0w20 is all I use in my 3 gasoline engines. I'd been using 5w30 Castrol LL03 in my 2 diesel engines (as I had for 7 years in our VW TDI) but have run out of it (from what I bought with VW $). In future, think I'll order 0w30 ESP M1 online. Have found it on Amazon for less than the $9/qt that VW charged me last time.

Ralph

 

[Cougsfan]

I think too much is made over this brand versus that brand of oil. As long as it meets specs and is in the proper viscosity range, it is adequate. This brand being better than that brand is usually not based on anything factual. Most failures reported to be related to engine oil are usually caused by another problem, but blamed on the oil as it is an easy target.

 

[Cougsfan]

I was in the Air Force based in Glasgow, Montana during the winter of 1966 and got to experience some of Slim's weather (-40 without a chill factor applied, and a very strong wind). Unfortunately I worked outside on the flight line, and not at a desk job. We used UPS style step vans for work stations that had been modified to have their radiators mounted in the open directly behind the driver for more effective cabin heating. You would go out and work on the aircraft for a couple minutes and go back inside the truck to warm up. One night a crew forgot to park one of the trucks inside the hanger. The engine wouldn't even turn over the next morning. We decided to push start it with an aircraft tow tug. The truck was so cold that the grease in the wheel bearings and/or differential had solidified, and the wheels just slid along the ground without turning!
Slim, it takes a man to live in that climate, even with a cab.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I use an oil pan sump heater (stick on pad) and a hydro sump heater (also a stick on pad) along with a standard block heater in my tractor. I have them all 3 plugged into a single pigtail that's zip tied to a loader arm. I plug in my tractor via a programmable timer to come on at 5am, and turn off at 9-10am (can't remember on the "off" time). I leave it plugged in all winter long, and usually, if I need it for pushing snow, it will likely be first thing in the morning anyway. However there have been a few times I've had to plow the driveway again when I get home at night, so I unplug the cord coming out of the timer, and plug it directly into the outlet above for an hour or so.

Neither one of our vehicles gets plugged in, ever. Both are gas engined, and both start without issues even down at -40 F and a bit colder.

On our vehicles, Mrs. Slim's '07 4 Runner is running a straight synthetic oil, of a weight I couldn't tell you off hand. The Toyota dealer in town does it, and they put in whatever weight synthetic called out by Toyota. On my '12 Superduty, I'm still letting the Ford dealer do my oil changes for free (from original purchase), and they're putting in a "synthetic blend" oil which is (I believe) 5w-30. I still have one more free oil change from my dealer, and after that, if wherever we move to I actually have a HEATED shop, I may start doing them all myself (I know how, I'm just old, fat, and lazy).

:laughing: