hydrostatic fluid

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Use something that meets the specifications of your equipment manufacturer. Stay away from the cheap stuff. It is cheap for a reason! For instance the cheap 303 fluid only meets standards that were discontinued over 45 years ago. As I understand it, it has been banned in NC.
 
At the cost to diagnose/repair/replace charge pumps, piston pumps, gerotor motors, etc in hydrostatic systems I would use OEM fluid whenever possible. When the OEM isn't available I would buy the best oil that meets or exceeds the OEM spec.
 
Been using Citgo Transgard. Not cheap, I think it's around $15/gallon even when purchased by the drum. According to them, it meets or exceeds Hygard, Kubota UDT, and Hytran. Use it in everything, works well.

I agree that it's silly to save a little bit on oil for a $50k tractor. It's just not worth it. Anything that has wet brakes or some sort of powershift element needs good oil, not the $30 a bucket stuff.
 
My owner's manuals on my newer tractors with wet brakes, hydro steering, shuttle shift, or anything else modern clearly state a couple of oils and dictate that you can expect problems if you don't use these premium oils. These are the Premium TDH fluids like TSC's Premium fluid. The older tractors without any of these modern goodies get regular TDH as there is no need to waste money on the additives required for the modern conveniences so my 1960's vintage tractors get it.

When shopping, I have no green tractors any longer but in shopping, for my Premium oils I look for the JD J20c spec which is usually in the specs if anything....like "Meets J20c" on the label with some brands, or a full list on the reverse side, or 303 for the regular TDH with some oils trade name listed as 303 Oil.

Actually, I never met anybody around here that admitted to having a problem caused by the fluid they used.....whatever that was. Surfing, since climates and usages are so varied, surely the subject comes up.
 
Wet brakes, power steering, shuttle shifts are an entirely different animal than a hydrostatic system. Buddy has a JD 450 hydrostatic dozer in his shop right now that has internal trans issues. Owner was running some cheapo tractor fluid from TSC. Fluid that came out was separated out and broke down and caused lots of heat damage and scoring. All said and done the customer will have 25k into parts and labor. Owner of the machine is kicking himself now for going cheap I'll bet.

If your just talking something with wet brakes powershift clutches, etc then I personally like Shell Rotella tractor transmission. I used to use the premium Napa stuff until I noticed lots of sediment in the bottom of the buckets.
 
chevytaHOE5674 said:
Wet brakes, power steering, shuttle shifts are an entirely different animal than a hydrostatic system. Buddy has a JD 450 hydrostatic dozer in his shop right now that has internal trans issues. Owner was running some cheapo tractor fluid from TSC. Fluid that came out was separated out and broke down and caused lots of heat damage and scoring. All said and done the customer will have 25k into parts and labor. Owner of the machine is kicking himself now for going cheap I'll bet.

If your just talking something with wet brakes powershift clutches, etc then I personally like Shell Rotella tractor transmission. I used to use the premium Napa stuff until I noticed lots of sediment in the bottom of the buckets.

I had changed the oil in an engine into a clear plastic tub and put it on a shelf, in an out of the way place one day. Quite awhile later....like years, I happened opon it. The oil was clear and the bottom of the container was black with the sludge the oil had accumulated during it's operational life. Point I see here, if you have anything with particles in suspension.....rattle can spray paint to name a common example.....that sit idle for a period of time, additives can settle out.

Bought a 1988 tractor a couple of years ago with 900 hrs from an estate sale....aka old guy passed on....more indications of lack of use. First thing I did was to change the fluids. Bottom of the engine crankcase had about ¼ " of sludge from sitting which I cleaned out with some snake oil and a couple of quick oil changes. The other 4 tractors I have and use frequently have no sludge in the crankcase and when I drain the other fluids they come out homogenized with no visible signs of contamination.

No telling what oil the dozer guy was using, nor how he used or didn't use his equipment. Premium oils that list applicability list JD J20C and Kubota UTD. Seems to me that JD and Kubota make hydrostatic machines and use the oils specified. I have 5 hydro mowers and one has over a thousand hours, couple more over 500, hp between 18 and 26, V twins, air cooled. None have hydro problems. As I said, the world if full of stories due to environment and usage variations. My rule of thumb is that it's my machine, my money, my decision, right or wrong. So far, 42 years of farming, haven't missed a call on fluids yet.
 
My tractors are 20 + years old, 1 is 37 YO. I use Rotella HD Tractor Transmission & Hydraulic Fluid in everything except the Kubota RTV, I use Super UTD in it.
 
The dozer guy was self admittedly using the "traveller" brand tractor transmission oil from TSC. After sending parts, oil samples, and piece to mother Deere for analysis they blame the oil. After seeing the failure and the oil that came out with my own eyes as well as the oil test results I also blame the oil. He used the machine hard as it was intended and designed to be used, tho the oil met the "spec" the additive package was not able to withstand the heat so it broke down.

A hydro mower sees a totally different life than a hydrostatic tractor, backhoe, dozer etc. Comparing the two is like comparing a Geo Metro to an F350 diesel.

As a guy who fixes all kinds of equipment daily. I've been inside more transmissions, rear axles, engines, etc in the last few weeks that most people will see in a lifetime. I've seen what oil breakdown looks like dozens of times (have the samples and lab tests to backup that statement) so for me it is cheap to run a premium oil. The little extra for the good oil is way cheaper than fixing expensive parts.
 
Just because an oil meets a certain spec does NOT make it the same as a different oil that meets the same spec. The "spec" be it 134D or J20C, etc is the minimum, most premium oils have better additive packages to help with heat and moisture above and beyond the minimum spec.
 
Use low vis hy gard in my hydro sprayer. Regular hy gard in tractors. My Dad uses the cheapest stuff parts store sells in his stuff
 
Good thread to read as putting good oil in is cheap maintenance. A neighbor has 12 tractors as he swears by the cheap stuff at TSC, but I will not use it.
 
While we are: :deadhorse: There is a major petroleum supplier in the US that packages products for name brand big box stores and such. I am not intimate with the company but have used their products, their name on the container as to source of the product, and they have performed for me.

Speculating: In comes an order from 3 large retail customers with requests for this and that. Take Premium THD fluid. Does this company have half a dozen vats full of oil with different additive packages and oil qualities, maybe like different viscosities or such? I doubt that would be economically efficient. My guess is one of two things happen: Maybe a couple of vats of different viscosities and bags of additives on the shelf which are added as the order comes in to suit the customer's specs. Or, they canvass the specs from a group of OEM equipment mfgrs. come up with a formula to meet or exceed the worst (most comprehensive) of these specs and that's what in their vats. Order comes in, grab a suitably sized black container off the shelf, fill it with the "house brand premium fluid", slap the customer's label on the jug and out the door. Who knows!

On my success with fluids, no doubt my usage is a benign environment so what I say is meaningless for those who make their living and depend on their equipment to perform 100% of the time on a daily basis...... somewhere I saw a picture of a Branson tractor in a rice field in S. Korea. You wouldn't believe the environment, up to it's 4wd axles with rice tires in the mud, and apparently this is what they endure on a daily basis. No way do mine see that kind of (necessary) abuse.
 

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