Gear oil that meets AGMA 5EP for blower

[TheOldHokie]

If you are going to obsess over this at least take the time to understand the specifications

AGMA SEP specifes a type of gear oil.:

S = SYNTHETIC
EP = Extreme Pressure additive package

It says NOTHING about viscosity. You can get an SEP oil in AGMA grades 0, 1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. or 8. Those are vastly different viscosities.

ISO 220 is a viscosity grade and says NOTHING about the type of oil. It could be straight mineral oil, an R&O oil, an EP gear oil, or cooking oil. ISO 220 corresponds to AGMA 5 which would be very thick and heavy in a snowblower gearbox and a real power robber.

SAE 80W90 is a different viscosity grade and corresponds to ISO 120 or AGMA 3. That woild be on the high end of viscosity in a snowblower gearbox. SAE 75W90 would be a better choice.

So what EXACTLY is the speciifcation in the manual?

Dan

 

[tthorkil]

If you are going to obsess over this at least take the time to understand the specifications

AGMA SEP specifes a type of gear oil.:

S = SYNTHETIC
EP = Extreme Pressure additive package

It says NOTHING about viscosity. You can get an SEP oil in AGMA grades 0, 1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. or 8. Those are vastly different viscosities.

ISO 220 is a viscosity grade and says NOTHING about the type of oil. It could be straight mineral oil, an R&O oil, an EP gear oil, or cooking oil. ISO 220 corresponds to AGMA 5 which would be very thick and heavy in a snowblower gearbox and a real power robber.

SAE 80W90 is a different viscosity grade and corresponds to ISO 120 or AGMA 3. That woild be on the high end of viscosity in a snowblower gearbox. SAE 75W90 would be a better choice.

So what EXACTLY is the speciifcation in the manual?

Dan

My LX2980 manual calls for -
AGMA 5EP, SAE 80W90 gear oil or equivalent

 

[corey123]

Ma

If you are going to obsess over this at least take the time to understand the specifications

AGMA SEP specifes a type of gear oil.:

S = SYNTHETIC
EP = Extreme Pressure additive package

It says NOTHING about viscosity. You can get an SEP oil in AGMA grades 0, 1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. or 8. Those are vastly different viscosities.

ISO 220 is a viscosity grade and says NOTHING about the type of oil. It could be straight mineral oil, an R&O oil, an EP gear oil, or cooking oil. ISO 220 corresponds to AGMA 5 which would be very thick and heavy in a snowblower gearbox and a real power robber.

SAE 80W90 is a different viscosity grade and corresponds to ISO 120 or AGMA 3. That woild be on the high end of viscosity in a snowblower gearbox. SAE 75W90 would be a better choice.

So what EXACTLY is the speciifcation in the manual?

Dan

Manual calls for AGMA E5 not S5, SAE 80w90 gear oil or equivalent. Centex PDF from previous reply says not for use with GL5

If you are going to obsess over this at least take the time to understand the specifications

AGMA SEP specifes a type of gear oil.:

S = SYNTHETIC
EP = Extreme Pressure additive package

It says NOTHING about viscosity. You can get an SEP oil in AGMA grades 0, 1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. or 8. Those are vastly different viscosities.

ISO 220 is a viscosity grade and says NOTHING about the type of oil. It could be straight mineral oil, an R&O oil, an EP gear oil, or cooking oil. ISO 220 corresponds to AGMA 5 which would be very thick and heavy in a snowblower gearbox and a real power robber.

SAE 80W90 is a different viscosity grade and corresponds to ISO 120 or AGMA 3. That woild be on the high end of viscosity in a snowblower gearbox. SAE 75W90 would be a better choice.

So what EXACTLY is the speciifcation in the manual?

Dan

I'm obsessing because this tractor blower has been more problems in 3yrs than my professional craftsman was in 12.

Manual states AGMA 5EP, not SEP, SAE 80w90 OR equivalent.

The link I've listed is AGMA 5EP, 90W synthetic.

I don't usually go crazy, but im tired of issues with equipment and if I can prevent one I want to.

 

[TheOldHokie]

My LX2980 manual calls for -
AGMA 5EP, SAE 80W90 gear oil or equivalent

That ia not an ISO 220 oil. That is a synthetic SAE 80W90 EP gear oil which corresponds to AGMA 3 SEP or ISO 120 viscositiy grade.

Go to Walmart and buy a quart of this:

 

[TheOldHokie]

You are confusing the Kubota specifications. Its not an OR its an AND.

There is no ISO 220 anywhere in that Kubota specification and it is way heavier than the SAE 80W90 that is specified. Using s much heavier oil is not helping with your woes but may add to them.

Dan

 

[corey123]

When I Google AGMA 5EP it says it's equivalent is ISO VG 220. Boy I love all this! Ugh

 

[tthorkil]

You are confusing the Kubota specifications. Its not an OR its an AND.

There is no ISO 220 anywhere in that Kubota specification and it is way heavier than the SAE 80W90 that is specified. Using s much heavier oil is not helping with your woes but may add to them.

Dan

I know very little about oils but everything that I can find on the internet indicate that AGMA 5 and ISO 220 refer to a 90W gear oil.

 

[corey123]

When I Google AGMA 5EP it says it's equivalent is ISO VG 220.

I know very little about oils but everything that I can find on the internet indicate that AGMA 5 and ISO 220 refer to a 90W gear oil.
View attachment 118306

Clearly know WAY more than me! It'd be a lot easier if Kubota just sold the stuff and had it listed on their bottles.

 

[TheOldHokie]

When I Google AGMA 5EP it says it's equivalent is ISO VG 220.


Clearly know WAY more than me! It'd be a lot easier if Kubota just sold the stuff and had it listed on their bottles.

Google os Returnimg you result containimg AGMA SEP. That particular result is AGMA SEP in viscosty ISO 220. It is not tellung you they ar w equivalwnt.

I am telling you what you want Is what Kubota spcified - AGMA SEP in viscosity grade SAE 80W90. That would be the same as AGMA SEP in viscosity grade ISO 120.

I made my living reading, writing and impementing technical specifications and got pretty damn good at it. No brag - just fact.

Kubotas specification is mixing two different systems but its perfectly clear to me what they want.

From their specification you have to consult the data sheet for an SAE 80W90 oil to figure out what the corresponding ISO grade is. An SAE 80W90 oil has a KV40 around 120 cSt which makes it an ISO 120 viscosity grade.

Dan

 

[TheOldHokie]

I know very little about oils but everything that I can find on the internet indicate that AGMA 5 and ISO 220 refer to a 90W gear oil.
View attachment 118306

Look closely at that chsrt. It says based on a VI of 100. It does not apply to synthetics or multigrades. A synthetic multigrade has a VI around 150. Throw that chart in the trash can and ask Google for the data sheet for ANY synthetic SAE 80W90. Use the KV40 value in that datasheet for determoning the correct ISO or AGMA equivalence.

Dan

 

[GeoHorn]

There’s a lot of Horse-thit about this sort of thng. SOME. thing are important…BUT NOT THIS!

Be smarter…. ordinary gear oil is perfect for this service. There are SOME things that need to be specific about… but not this one. Get some gear oil and get on down the road.

 

[Toyboy]

I've been using marine lower unit gear case lube in mine for years.

 

[TheOldHokie]

When I Google AGMA 5EP it says it's equivalent is ISO VG 220.


Clearly know WAY more than me! It'd be a lot easier if Kubota just sold the stuff and had it listed on their bottles.

Well clearly your eyes are better than mine. I finally realized you were typing 5EP not SEP. So my apologies - an AGMA 5 gear oil is equivalent to a ISO 220 viscosity.

But its also nowhere close to a multigrade SAE 80W90 which is a ISO 120 grade oil.

Those two specifications are very substantially at odds with each other.

I did look at the datasheets for some of the name brand AGMA 5 industrial oils and they have a VI in the 170 range and KV100 in the low to mid 30s. That makes them an SAE xxW140 or in some cases SAE xxW190 multigrade oil.

You can chase the AGMA 5 rabbit down its hole if you want but personally I would never put a heavy oil like that in a snowblower. All its going to do is suck up HP and empty your wallet

Once again - my apologies for not listening to what you were saying.

Dan

 

[corey123]

Thank you for all the replies. I'm going yo see if I can return the high dollar stuff. I'm clearly out of my league when it comes to oil.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Thank you for all the replies. I'm going yo see if I can return the high dollar stuff. I'm clearly out of my league when it comes to oil.

This topic confounds most people. My failure to listen to what you were saying simply added confusion and made the matter worse.

Get yourself a quart of full synthetic SAE 75W90 and you will be good to go.

Dan

 

[DustyRusty]

You are parroting old internet myths and fear mongering.

The API test for yellow metal corrosion is ASTM D130 which rates oils in four bands of four levels each starting at 1A for least corrosive and ending at 4D for most corrosive.

Modern GL5 formulations use buffered sulfur compounds and are almost all 1A or 1B in that test. They are in essence GL4 (2B or lower) compatible. In fact most of them can even be used in a synchronized manual transmission where there might actually be a concern with the high surface temperatures that the brass synchronizer rings experience. Nothing in that snowblower gearbox is even close.

Dan

It might be an internet myth to you, however, I used a GL5 gear lube in my 4-speed transmission before I learned the issue, and the new synchros that I installed were junk in less than 3000 miles of driving. If a person uses GL5 gear oil and it damages their gearbox, who is going to be responsible? Certainly not the person who said on a forum that it was OK. How is a person to differentiate between an old GL5 formulation and a current one?

As a side note, back in 1962 when I was living in New Hampshire and driving a new Corvair you couldn't get the manual 4-speed transmission into first gear until the transmission had time to warm up, the dealer at the recommendation of Chevrolet Zone Office drained and refilled my transmission/differential unit and installed Kendal 80/90/140 Three Star Gear oil and 2 ounces of Molybdenum (Moly) Disulfide into the transmission. Back then it came in 1-ounce tubes manufactured by Lubriplate in a silver and black lead tube. This information came to the Chevrolet Zone Office from a person who was involved in maintaining the armored tanks during the 2nd World War. After that change, the car was a dream to drive no matter how cold it got.

 

[TheOldHokie]

It might be an internet myth to you, however, I used a GL5 gear lube in my 4-speed transmission before I learned the issue, and the new synchros that I installed were junk in less than 3000 miles of driving. If a person uses GL5 gear oil and it damages their gearbox, who is going to be responsible? Certainly not the person who said on a forum that it was OK. How is a person to differentiate between an old GL5 formulation and a current one?

As I said - synchronized ttansmissions are the applicatiom where you might need to be concerned. Snowblower gear boxes dont have anything thst is going to be harmed by any GL5 oil.

Virtially all GL5 products today use buffered or inactive compounds. You dlfferentiate them from the few that do not with the D130 test results for those products.

Dan

 

[mattwithcats]

Delvac 50, 90W gear oil, can be used instead of GL-4…

PdsDetailsPage

Mobil Delvac Synthetic Transmission Fluid 50 is a fully synthetic, manual transmission lubricant engineered to meet the most demanding extended drain and OEM warranty requirements

www.mobil.com

You could also consider Caterpillar Final Drive 50…
Final Drive is made by a lot of companies, but it usually comes in 5 gallon pails …

 

[TheOldHokie]

Delvac 50, 90W gear oil, can be used instead of GL-4…

PdsDetailsPage

Mobil Delvac Synthetic Transmission Fluid 50 is a fully synthetic, manual transmission lubricant engineered to meet the most demanding extended drain and OEM warranty requirements

www.mobil.com

You could also consider Caterpillar Final Drive 50…
Final Drive is made by a lot of companies, but it usually comes in 5 gallon pails …

Delvac 50 is an interesting product but based on that PDS it has a KV40 of 135 cSt so its technically an AGMA 4 not 5 viscosity grade.

I doubt that matters anymore than GL4 vs GL5 and I am sure it would work just fine

Dan