Oil use

[NCI]

Hello. Do diesels use more engine oil than gas engines? Thanks.

 

[freewheel3]

Hello. Do diesels use more engine oil than gas engines? Thanks.

All engines vary in oil usage depending on engine condition, type of service they're used for, type of oil used etc., but no, they don't use more oil as a rule. Generally though, they do hold more oil than a comparably sized gas engine.

 

[hodge]

All engines vary in oil usage depending on engine condition, type of service they're used for, type of oil used etc., but no, they don't use more oil as a rule. Generally though, they do hold more oil than a comparably sized gas engine.

Good answer. My current Cummins engine uses less oil than a 351 Windsor I had in a Ford truck. It used a quart every 3000 miles. No problems.
Some engines use oil, most use very little or none. Typically, the question isn't whether it uses it or not, but how much.

 

[NCI]

Thanks for those thoughts. I've got a BX1860. Did my first oil change at 49 hrs. Put in Kubota 15-40. It now has 75 hrs. on it and the dipstick shows about 1/8 inch below the full mark. Wondered if this is normal? I had a 25 hp Cub Cadet and the oil level would never change between oil changes. That's why I wondered if this is normal for a diesel. Thanks again.

 

[skeets]

Just bring it back up to the line remember your going to loose, and by that I mean drop a bit on the stick after you change oil because the filter has to fill back up, and some motors will use oil, I had a brand new Plymouth 383 babied her for the first 1000 miles,, and used about a quart every 500,,, started beating the snot out of it and the oil consumption dropped like a rock,,, go figure,, and welcome to the orange, I too had a cub which is thankful now gone forever

 

[hodge]

Thanks for those thoughts. I've got a BX1860. Did my first oil change at 49 hrs. Put in Kubota 15-40. It now has 75 hrs. on it and the dipstick shows about 1/8 inch below the full mark. Wondered if this is normal? I had a 25 hp Cub Cadet and the oil level would never change between oil changes. That's why I wondered if this is normal for a diesel. Thanks again.

That's nothing. You could have that much variation just in where you park it to check it. I am very particular about my equipment, and that little bit of variance would be no cause of concern to me.

 

[NCI]

Thanks everyone! I feel better. I agree, thankfully the Cubs are gone forever!

 

[BenRich]

I'm glad to hear these comments on oil use. I have a 2000 Isuzu Trooper which I've owned since new; it started consuming oil to the tune of about a quart every 600 miles or so within its first 5,000 miles. On straight freeway type driving, it uses much less, but since it spent seven of its 13 years overseas, it got very little freeway driving until I retired in 2009 and returned to the U.S.

I asked an excellent local mechanic about it and he said just check the oil regularly and top it off as needed as well as continue with the regular oil/filter changes with a good oil.

Nevertheless, it still bugs me a little. I always carry a couple of quarts of oil in the Trooper just in case. So I'm glad to hear from others that this is not that unusual.

Now, to bring this subject back to tractors - I did the 50 hr service on my BX1870 when it was up to 42.x hours. I now have 62 hours on it and the oil level is exactly where it was after I changed it at 42 hrs.

Ben

 

[hodge]

I'm glad to hear these comments on oil use. I have a 2000 Isuzu Trooper which I've owned since new; it started consuming oil to the tune of about a quart every 600 miles or so within its first 5,000 miles. On straight freeway type driving, it uses much less, but since it spent seven of its 13 years overseas, it got very little freeway driving until I retired in 2009 and returned to the U.S.

I asked an excellent local mechanic about it and he said just check the oil regularly and top it off as needed as well as continue with the regular oil/filter changes with a good oil.

Nevertheless, it still bugs me a little. I always carry a couple of quarts of oil in the Trooper just in case. So I'm glad to hear from others that this is not that unusual.

Now, to bring this subject back to tractors - I did the 50 hr service on my BX1870 when it was up to 42.x hours. I now have 62 hours on it and the oil level is exactly where it was after I changed it at 42 hrs.

Ben

A quart every 600 miles isn't normal- that is excessive. It is hard to equate it to tractors, especially depending on how hard you work the tractor, temps, and oil vicosity. An 1/8" drop on the dipstick would equate to just a smidge of oil. A quart in 600 miles is a lot of consumption. At that rate, you'd never need to change it- just put a new filter on it. I'm sure that this is subjective, but a quart every 2000-3000 is normal, anything over a quart every 800 miles isn't worth tearing it apart, and less than 800 miles needs attention. Again, that could be subjective, but in my experience, it is a sound rule.

 

[BenRich]

A quart every 600 miles isn't normal- that is excessive. It is hard to equate it to tractors, especially depending on how hard you work the tractor, temps, and oil vicosity. An 1/8" drop on the dipstick would equate to just a smidge of oil. A quart in 600 miles is a lot of consumption. At that rate, you'd never need to change it- just put a new filter on it. I'm sure that this is subjective, but a quart every 2000-3000 is normal, anything over a quart every 800 miles isn't worth tearing it apart, and less than 800 miles needs attention. Again, that could be subjective, but in my experience, it is a sound rule.

Thanks, Hodge. It looks like I need to start paying closer attention to this. I'll talk to the mechanic again; I've had him do the yearly preventive maintenance checks on the Trooper while I do the oil/filter changes approximately every 3,000 miles or six months.

 

[olthumpa]

Just bring it back up to the line remember your going to loose, and by that I mean drop a bit on the stick after you change oil because the filter has to fill back up, and some motors will use oil, I had a brand new Plymouth 383 babied her for the first 1000 miles,, and used about a quart every 500,,, started beating the snot out of it and the oil consumption dropped like a rock,,, go figure,, and welcome to the orange, I too had a cub which is thankful now gone forever

A quart every 600 miles isn't normal- that is excessive. It is hard to equate it to tractors, especially depending on how hard you work the tractor, temps, and oil vicosity. An 1/8" drop on the dipstick would equate to just a smidge of oil. A quart in 600 miles is a lot of consumption. At that rate, you'd never need to change it- just put a new filter on it. I'm sure that this is subjective, but a quart every 2000-3000 is normal, anything over a quart every 800 miles isn't worth tearing it apart, and less than 800 miles needs attention. Again, that could be subjective, but in my experience, it is a sound rule.

My son got a Audi Q7 new in 09 and it has used a quart of oil every 1000 miles sense new. The mechanic and others told him that this was normal for that vehicle. Go figure.

Back to equipment. My father taught me to check ALL fluids and grease every day before you start it and top off anything that needs it. One tractor only uses oil if I am working it really hard, one has several small slow leaks not worth taring down to fix right now and one that was fill up the oil and check the fuel - the engine on that one was rebuilt this winter.