OEM Fluids

[Creature Meadow]

Lot of discussion here on what fluids to use in your equipment and opinions vary. Some strictly OEM, others Amsoil, some what is cheapest, it varies and I am no different. I use Amsoil, SUDT2, Mobile 1, Rotella T6, Exmark hydro....

I wanted to share what happened yesterday at my local Exmark dealer.

Stopped in to pick up hydro oil and filters to service my 2012 Lazer Z.

Bought the 4 quarts of hydro oil and the required 2 filters. I run Napa Gold air filters and Amsoil motor oil in her. After buying the required items at a cost of $120.00 cash I began to discuss the use of OEM fluids with the sales guy, it was a slow morning so I was the only customer.

Bare in mind I had already bought the stuff so no sales pitch needed.

I ask do you sell much OEM fluids, and he responded yes especially the hydro fluids and filters.

I asked did he know who makes Exmark's hydro fluid and he said Mobile makes it. He went on to say that they had been getting an excessive amount of the Exmark mowers in with hydro pump failures. It was a mystery but then they received a notice from Exmark stating that Mobile in an effort to cut cost had removed an additive specified by Exmark. Not good and that is what was determined to have caused the failures.

He said the bottles I had were the ones where Mobile had corrected the formula and for the life of me I can't recall what it was on the bottle that signified it was the "right" one, Exmark additive included.

I'm not advocating the use of OEM fluids but I thought that this was worth sharing.

Business started picking up so I left without asking if the hydro pump failure repairs were being covered for those who had used the hydro fluid unknowing to them that the additive had been removed. Next visit I'll ask, as I am curious.

Again not to start a fluid war, just thought worthy of sharing.

Have a great day.

Jay

 

[Redlands]

Interesting, thanks.

 

[dsims]

I've stuck to Kubota fluids and filters for my BX. For what little cost savings you will have over the life of the machine, it just isn't worth not doing it. A couple of bucks on a filter, a few bucks on a gallon of oil. One mechanical failure possibly due to a fluid or filter issue would wipe out that savings quickly. These tractors aren't cheap, why cheap out on the maintenance side.

 

[lugbolt]

Hydraulic fluid is the biggest thing I get questioned about. What folk don't realize is that Super UDT2 is "trans-hydraulic fluid". That cheap garbage is hydraulic fluid, not transmission fluid. Works ok in a hydraulic system but not so much in a wet-clutch transmission. A family member's tractor is a GST. It shifted horribly, harsh between the speeds and whenever the shuttle clutch engaged it was pretty harsh. Found out that it had that TSC stuff in it. Changed it to Super UDT2 (which is the ONLY fluid that will work properly with the GST to my knowledge) and it shifts/engages normal again.

I also use super UDT2 in my car's power steering, it's a little quieter than ATF. Have run super UDT2 in the race car's transmission at one point and noticed a slightly "tighter" converter stall speed (datalogged approximately 100 rpm difference) and slightly more MPH at the finish line, probably due to "tighter" converter. Couldn't tell much shift quality difference. Clutches and steels and the band look perfect after a seasons' use. Temperatures stayed roughly the same with SUDT2 as they were with ATF. Switched to synthetic ATF this season and noticed about a 20 degree temp drop overall which is nice.

 

[whitetiger]

Yes, Exmark hydro oil is Moble 1 with a huge shot of Zinc IIRC.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Yes, Exmark hydro oil is Moble 1 with a huge shot of Zinc IIRC.

Whitetigher, thank you for the PM it has been corrected.