hydro fluid

[GeoHorn]

Right-On, Hokie! I agree completely as to Engine Oil...

The difference, as I see it, is that Kubota approves the use of other engine oils... as evidenced by their issuance of a specification (I.E. “ILSAC”, etc.). So since K gives us the specification or standard to -which engine oils are approved...we can Choose which brand we prefer.

However they do not allow us to have the specifications of the hydraulic oils sold under their name. The only cross-reference we end-users have access to is the Advertisements of competitor hyd-oil mfrs.... which, of course, are NOT the same.

And THAT is what is missing in this situation.... there is no such thing as a “universal tractor fluid” despite those words being printed on Some Labels.... because there is NO OEMs who release their requirements other than to buy THEIR branded fluid.

i think one reason some of us are apposed to it is that nobody realy knows who makes it or where it comes from plus the cost of it for a few $ more you can get good amsoil or shell or what ever better flavor you want

‘tattor, ... That’s just the point.... The belief of some that amsoil or shell is “better” is so subjective....
Advertising programs drive to create “brand loyalty”.... but in the case of hydraulic fluids.... who CARES ”who makes it” .... if the specified fluid meets the OEM’s requirements?
Something I find curious about one thing you posted is this: Waht some owners hate is the ”higher” price of Kubota fluids and believe there are lower-priced fluids out there that do the same thing (which is what gets troublesome when a failure occurs.). So, according to your post, PRICE is not the issue because your post indicates you are willing to pay MORE for a “better” amsoil/shell/whatever. The ACTUAL problem is we have no standardized Industry specification for hydraulic oils mentioned by Kubota.... we only have their word that K-brands meet their hyd fluid specs..... and we are “on our own” if we use anything else. (Except in front axles, where they DO let us know an alternative spec.).

 

[PaulR]

Moderator: Please move this thread to the BITOG forums.

 

[Orange man hero]

Geo - not to disagree with what you are trying to say ......... I understand perfectly! AND I am not opposing the use of any Kubota branded oils.........

But Kubota OIL - whether it is engine oil or hydraulic oil are not made by Kubota as you are well aware..... NOW I am going to stick with S-UDT2 oil in my BX25D - until it cost more to fill than I can afford.

But the engine oil ....... is nothing more than good ol Valvoline 10w-30 oil - nothing fancy about it - a great oil that is made by someone else in the oil business and the the bottle is changed in color and the label too and of course the cost just went up due to the orange logo.

A hydraulic oil is made according to the manufactures recommendation - so SINCE Kubota makes their own specific tranny and hydraulic mechanisms, they get to choose what is best for that specific system. Thus few other oil companies will make that oil exactly as Kubota calls for .........

now when it comes to engines - yes Kubota makes they engines .... and Yanmar makes their diesels and so on ........ but all those machines are the basically the same - different specs of course, but compression is more or less the same, and tolerances in the bearings are all the same.

And the kubota oil will make all of those engines purr purfectly !!!! However - as a person that does believe synthetics are a better oil ...... Kubota "oil" is not synthetic - nor does it have anything fancy in it to help a Kubota engine last longer - Where as - Mobil 1 and Amsoil both are synthetic and have been proven to be a more "better" oil by independent labs and others. Does Valvoline make a synthetic oil?

Sure they do - and I will bet you soon enough the good ol Kubota branded oils will be a synthetic blend or better yet a full synthetic just like they moved from the standard UDT - to the S-UDT (semi-synthetic) and now to the full synthetic S-UDT2 ......... I do not know a soul here that has said they would go back to UDT once they have S-UDT2 in their HST and hydraulics .....

Kubota oil is fine - but I have to travel 25 miles in one direction or 23 miles in the opposite direction to get it or order online and pay shipping .......... where as ol Wallyworld has 3 different engine oils - all for diesels .... all cheaper than Kubota's brand and maybe more importantly that store is 2.5 miles away.

Like you - I 'll stick with Kubota filters and hydraulic oils ..........engine oil I will not.

 

[Orange man hero]

To keep the Kubota warranty you have to use their hydro oil but can use any engine oil you want. Synthetic oils are great in newer engines but many claim they leak out more in older engines. I'm going with Shell Rotella semi syn since it is highly favored by long distance over the road truckers. And at my duck hunting shack in the fall I like listening to their radio commercials on late night trucker radio. lol I've got a few high mileage Ford pick-ups and they do great on some of the high-mileage regular or semi- syn oils. I like Valvoline because of the price and the easy pour spout and I think oils are like some politicians like Obama, you never know where they came from.

 

[whitetiger]

To keep the Kubota warranty you have to use their hydro oil

Actually, you do not. The fluid has to meet or exceed the UDT.

 

[Orange man hero]

Actually, you do not. The fluid has to meet or exceed the UDT.

Not what the dealer told me, but, OK.

 

[whitetiger]

Not what the dealer told me, but, OK.

For the manufacturer to specify that a certain brand of fluid to be used as a condition of warranty, they would have to supply to you the fluid free of charge.

 

[85Hokie]

Not what the dealer told me, but, OK.

Dealer is telling a little white lie ..............

Do a little research on this topic "Magnuson Moss Warranty Act" .........

as long as "an oil" meets or exceeded the "rating" listed by the OEM - it cannot refuse a warranty.

 

[Orange man hero]

Dealer is telling a little white lie ..............

Do a little research on this topic "Magnuson Moss Warranty Act" .........

as long as "an oil" meets or exceeded the "rating" listed by the OEM - it cannot refuse a warranty.

Good to know, makes sense as you don't really know who refined the oil anyway I believe.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I haven’t read all the replies to the OP in this thread. I’m “jumping to the ”chase”. \
WHY? WHY’. WHY the G-D-Hell do people oppose using GENUINE KUBOTA fluids?

Why are some peple such blind fan boys?

 

[number two]

I picked up a pail of SUDT2 at the dealer two weeks ago for $89.10-20% off-spring sale.
Why buy any else?

 

[GeoHorn]

Why are some peple such blind fan boys?

Because they paid a lot of money for a machine they want to keep in good-order.... and they foolishly believe the manufacturer knows what his machine needs.... and they know that some fluids that DON”T meet the machiness needs cannot be counted on to be labelled “Might work?”.

 

[friedtattor]

Right-On, Hokie! I agree completely as to Engine Oil...

The difference, as I see it, is that Kubota approves the use of other engine oils... as evidenced by their issuance of a specification (I.E. “ILSAC”, etc.). So since K gives us the specification or standard to -which engine oils are approved...we can Choose which brand we prefer.

However they do not allow us to have the specifications of the hydraulic oils sold under their name. The only cross-reference we end-users have access to is the Advertisements of competitor hyd-oil mfrs.... which, of course, are NOT the same.

And THAT is what is missing in this situation.... there is no such thing as a “universal tractor fluid” despite those words being printed on Some Labels.... because there is NO OEMs who release their requirements other than to buy THEIR branded fluid.



‘tattor, ... That’s just the point.... The belief of some that amsoil or shell is “better” is so subjective....
Advertising programs drive to create “brand loyalty”.... but in the case of hydraulic fluids.... who CARES ”who makes it” .... if the specified fluid meets the OEM’s requirements?
Something I find curious about one thing you posted is this: Waht some owners hate is the ”higher” price of Kubota fluids and believe there are lower-priced fluids out there that do the same thing (which is what gets troublesome when a failure occurs.). So, according to your post, PRICE is not the issue because your post indicates you are willing to pay MORE for a “better” amsoil/shell/whatever. The ACTUAL problem is we have no standardized Industry specification for hydraulic oils mentioned by Kubota.... we only have their word that K-brands meet their hyd fluid specs..... and we are “on our own” if we use anything else. (Except in front axles, where they DO let us know an alternative spec.).

very good point you made. and thanks for the info. i originaly started this whole mess with posting amsoil tractor trany/ hyro fluid just to put it out there if anybody is interested in buying it. for quite some time many guys questioned about a better universal fluid. however there is very little info on hydraulic/ trany fluid. from what i gather there are no strict gov. standards set on manufacturing it, unlike engine oil. so as of now my opion is to stick with kubota udt2 but as for engine oil i believe i will continue to use my prefered brand that meets all of kubotas requirements.

 

[Orange man hero]

I picked up a pail of SUDT2 at the dealer two weeks ago for $89.10-20% off-spring sale.
Why buy any else?

Some truth to that!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Because they paid a lot of money for a machine they want to keep in good-order.... and they foolishly believe the manufacturer knows what his machine needs....

And they foolishly believe that the manufactuer is the only entity on the face of the earth that can make a fluid that will work for their vehicle, despite the fact that the manufacturer likely doesn't even make the fluid that they sell at a premium price.

 

[GeoHorn]

And they foolishly believe that the manufactuer is the only entity on the face of the earth that can make a fluid that will work for their vehicle, despite the fact that the manufacturer likely doesn't even make the fluid that they sell at a premium price.

Not true. The problem is (as I pointed out previously) there is NO INDUSTRY STANDARD for hydraulic fluids that makers can build-to and refiners can attest to for their fluids. So each tractor-mfr’r must specify their OWN brand because that’s the only one they can guarantee has the required performance and additives.

Keep bitchin’ about it if you like... and use whatever your wallet likes.... but run the risk if you do.

 

[Chesapeake]

Kubota calls it “universal trans-hydraulic fluid”. And the SDS on Kubota’s site is a Valvoline SDS.

https://www.kubotausa.com/docs/default-source/safety-data-sheets/product-name/kubota-super-udt2-3_1-ga-70000-40201.pdf?sfvrsn=7fed4a29_4

 

[nbryan]

I use the Amsoil hydraulic fluid -- because Kubota does not sell SUDT-2 in Canada and I use my tractor to blow snow in the dead of winter.

Kubota hydraulic oil is sold in Canada. In Canada The Kubota hydraulic oil is called Premium UDT instead of Super UDT2. Same oil I've been told.
Kubota Premium UDT what my Kubota dealer supplies for my tractor.

And I blow snow in the dead of our Manitoba's winters, for years now with this tractor and hydraulic oil.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Not true. The problem is (as I pointed out previously) there is NO INDUSTRY STANDARD for hydraulic fluids that makers can build-to and refiners can attest to for their fluids. So each tractor-mfr’r must specify their OWN brand because that’s the only one they can guarantee has the required performance and additives.

I've never been a fan of Kool-Aid.

 

[DustyRusty]

My Vermeer chipper recommends changing the hydraulic fluid every 100 hours. The counter man told me that I could use any name brand hydraulic oil. When I asked the price, it was close to what I would have to pay for the name brand oil, so I bought 20 gallons for the next oil change. If you think that Kubota parts are expensive, you should see what a Vermeer part costs! There was one part on the machine that fails from metal fatigue, and when it does, it shuts the safety bars down, so the machine won't work. A new one is $89 plus tax the last time that I checked. I had a friend make one to replace the one that was on the machine, and he used heavier stock, and reinforced the part where the stress is. He made me 2, but said that I will probably never need the second one. The best machine repair person that I know. He used to repair multi million dollar machines before he retired.