Re: Why doesn\'t PT use a standard quick-hitch?
<font color="red"> According to him, PT used to use hydraulic fluid, but they ran into compatibility problems with customers scattered all over buying different brands with different chemical compositions. He even said something about having to ship the right oil to distant customers.
Terry went on to say they use motor oil because everybody can get it, and because of rigid standards, it is the same everywhere.
And if I recall correctly, he said the use of hydraulic fluid in current production models will damage them and void the warranty. </font>
My post was perhaps too simple, since Terry did mention some difficulty in getting compatible fluid, but he didn't know details. He went on to say that motor oil was cheaper, universally available, and worked fine. He said when they first switched to it, they used some additive which became too expensive and they found the machines really didn't need it.
Since I was worried about compatibility, I sent the spec sheet for the Amsoil Tractor Hydraulic Fluid to Terry. He reviewed it with an engineer and said :"The 1845 will love it." He went so far as to say that I should waste five gallons by draining the oil, putting the five gallons in, then cycling all the cylinders and exercise each attachment to get all the oil out. Terry figures if I'm rich enough to buy the synthetic, or crazy enough, I'll be rich enough or crazy enough to waste five gallons avoiding minor local blending. So far, I haven't been rich enough or crazy enough to order the synthetic, but from its specs I think it will do a better job that the oil. I think I calculated that I'll have to be about 180 years old to prove that it's worth the money. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Mine's out of warranty so we didn't discuss that. I suspect if you changed to something that damaged the system, they'd balk on a warranty claim. Most manufacturers would.
