What engine oil are you using in your Branson?

[sikmusicfreak8]

Guess I am the only one using Valvoline Blue 15w40? I use it for the tractor, my truck, and my TDI swapped Samurai. Makes it easy to keep a stock.

 

[Asteral]

we use Mobile HD 15w40 in our shop for our tractor services

 

[K5lwq]

I was able to locate some more T6 15W-40 and changed the oil in the Kioti. I will keep looking for more to do the 50 hour service on the Branson when it is time.

Hopefully by then I will know what brand hydraulic/tractor fluid I want to use. Thinking of stepping up from the cheap TSC stuff to a synthetic.

 

[Nickak8]

I just started using the T6 5w40 Rotella in my Branson 3515R. Live in Michigan so will encounter temps below 0 and in the 90s F.

 

[RalphVa]

Branson, Hanson, JD, Kubota. If my VW TDI can run 100 mph for 10k miles on a change of 5w30 Castrol synthetic, that's enough for me to say that 5w or 0w30 is the way to go. It's what I have in the JD and the Isuzu diesels. In future, as I'm out of free VW $ 5w30 Castrol, I plan to switch to 0w30 M1 ESP. Can get it online for about the same price as the Castrol from the local VW dealer.

Use any heavier oil, and your top end will starve for oil for a few seconds in the winter time.

Ralph

 

[LouNY]

I use the Rotella T6 5w-40 starts good in sub zero with quick oil pressure I use this in both my tractors and my PU well satisfied with it,
if I wasn't using this it would be an Amsoil 5w-40 diesel oil.
No indication of any top end issues with any of them.

 

[Bavarian]

I once read a report about the comparison between 15w40 and 0w40 at cold starts in truck engines. It took the 15w40 about 90 seconds to reach all points in the engine at -40. For the 0w40 it was only a fraction. I can't remember the time anymore. But it confirms what one of the previous posters wrote.

I changed the oil specs in my semi truck a few times. Originally it was recommended to use 15w40. I had a few cold starts in winter times, where I got a low oil pressure warning after startup.

I changed to Rotella 10w30. Those issues were gone but has a noticeable lower oil pressure when warmed up compared to the w40 oil.

We moved to a different place and I changed the shop who serviced the truck and had to order the Rotella in. To make things easier, I switched to 0w40 from COOP. Fast oil pressure build up at cold starts, easier starting in cold temps and higher oilpressure at operating temps compared to the 10w30.

I changed the shop again and now I'm back to Rotella again. But now the 5w40 is available. The Rotella 5w40 and the COOP 0w40 have the same cold flow point, at -60 C if I remember correct. They are equal in building up pressure at cold start but the Rotella holds a higher pressure when pulling hills.
I do run in Canadian winters the same as southern summers with the same oil all season.
The Rotella is about a Loonie more compared to the CCOP per liter.

In the tractor, I stick with COOP 0w40 since I get it in chugs that are more handy than a pale to fill up. No starting issues with the tractor either, as long as it's plugged in when needed.

 

[Texasmark]

Last time I checked, T6 was the full synthetic 5W-40. Only thing my Bransons have seen since new. 15W-40 is dino oil. That goes in my Fords.

 

[bernardcuziillo]

Ever since working as a research engineer in Chevron Research's engine lubricants department in the '80s, I've used nothing but Delo 400 15w-40 in every four stroke engine I've ever owned. They have had full-synthetic flavors for quite a few years now, for those superstitious about that. I also habitually use extended drain intervals, up to 70 kmiles on a single change in a reputedly finicky Infiniti with no ill effects. (Don't try that at home.) I wrecked another Infiniti engine after neglecting to change to Delo after purchase under similar conditions. Rotella T is probably good too. One thing I learned: It's really hard to measure lube performance, so anything short of systematic fleet statistics, personal experience is not worth much unless it involves lube abuse or failure (Infiniti engine 1 and 2, respectively.) Use the highest viscosity compatible with starting and pumping to minimize wear. Never use cheap oil; it'll cost much more in the long run.

For the Branson transmission, I use Chevron THF 1000.

 

[Cougsfan]

Bernard, nice to have someone who has real technical experience in oil join the discussion. I fully agree with your statement you can't rely much on individual testimonies on oil quality. A couple questions though.

If you are successful at changing the oil once every 70K, does that really relate in terms of oil quality to someone who changes oil every 5K? Another question, how do you determine if an oil is "cheap"? Does price always equate to quality? If a "cheap" oil and "expensive" oil meet the same API specs, what further differentiates them?

I ask because I have always bought oil based on price, It has to meet the proper viscosity and API specs, and I change it at sometimes longer than recommended, but not unreasonable intervals. In my 60 years of running numerous internal combustion engines I have never had what I could see as an oil related failure. I see all these "what's the best oil" discussions and always just shake my head, thinking marketing people are having an effect on us that has more to do with hype than reality. Am I all wet?

 

[bernardcuziillo]

Cougsfan, here's my understanding from back in the '80s, and I suspect it's still similar now. There are basically two markets for oil: The consumer market which is totally price driven. The add-packs for consumer oil are as cheap as possible, barely enough to "bounce in" a passing test and claim the rating. A "bounce" is an unrepresentative good result used to make the claim. An internal study by an automaker sampled retail oil sold in quarts and found that about 10% had no additive at all--basically defective oil.

The other market is fleets which are largely driven by performance as determined by statistics based on failures and oil analysis. This "heavy-duty" market also requires diesel tests that run at higher BMEP, thus higher temperatures, and as a result, they demand more. And generally, the heavy-duty oils also have the gasoline ratings so that they can be used as universal fill. (BTW, if you're interested in oil analysis, one key is to keep a sample of the unused fill oil. The comparison is more informative than from a stand-alone used sample.) This market is what Delo and other heavy-duty oils are aimed at. These oils don't skimp on additives, and they pass the ratings tests easily and consistently. Personally, I think changing Delo at 5k is throwing out good oil in light-duty service like a passenger car that runs at a fraction of full power for the great majority of the time. (I still run my 4520R at idle more often than not, being a novice.) 5 kmiles on a Cat D11R ripping a pasture at maximum power nearly all the time, inhaling volcanic dust (even with its 28 gallon sump), those are much different hours.

 

[MadGunner]

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?

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

I'm looking at a Branson operator manual for the new 5520CH that recommends 10W-40 engine oil. Odds are good any -40 oil will suffice. Many people recommend 15W-40 for diesel engines, and before synthetic, there may not have been a lot of options in dinosaur oil for diesels better than 15W-40.

Shell Rotella T6 in 5W-40 or 15W-40 are both good options. Rotella T6 is full synthetic, available in 15W-40, 5W-40 and 0W-40, and is targeted at heavy duty diesel engines.

I'll use Rotella T6 5W-40 at next oil change as I have a few gallons on-hand, but may move to T6 15W-40 in the future, depending on whichever is readily available.

 

[ericm979]

My manual says to use 15w-40 at ambient temps from 0 degrees F up, 10w-30 from -20 to 68 F, and 5w-30 from below that to 68F. I've been using 15w-40 as it never gets close to zero here.

 

[Cougsfan]

All the talk about motor oil multi-weight probably should be best considered a recommendation rather than an absolute rule. Generally speaking the lower first number will help in extreme cold situations, and can, or should be varied the most depending on temperature conditions. The second number is what you get once the tractor gets up to operating temperature, and should be varied less. Not following the recommendations to a tee is not generally a big deal unless you live somewhere like in North Dakota in the winter. If you allow your tractor to run a while before putting a load to the engine, that will alleviate most concerns about oil weight.