T6 5w40?

[dfixit1]

I have an oddball question. Remember the W means winter.

Ive asked Rotella and have been waiting over 3 weeks for a reply, it’s been assigned a case number and been referred to engineering. I am curious if this is ok for year round use because of two reasons.
1. My previous tractor, the other orange. My dealer was an engineer and I asked him and he said winter only because it was too thin for summer.
2. I asked my local Kubota service manager and he stated we just use 15w40 and if a customer wanted thinner for winter we use 10w30.

Our winter low can get to -25* and winter lasts about 6 months. Summer typically can get as high as 95* .

i would like to be able to change oil once a year instead of twice.
Last resort is use 15w40 year round and block heater in winter.

Any opinions based on fact or research?
thanks.

 

[iunderpressure]

Use the 5w40 year round. Those people don’t know how to read motor oil weight. Anything that ends in 40 will be in the same range of thickness at 212 F. The first number is how well it flows when it is cold. 0w flows better than 5w when cold. 5w flows better than 10w. 10w better than 15w. Plus a synthetic will flow better when cold. That’s why all 0w40 and 5w40 are synthetic.

 

[RCW]

I think you will find many here use Rotella T6 5w-40 year ‘round. I know I do.....

I’m in upstate New York, and we get winter.
The 5w makes cold starts much easier than 15w.... I don’t have a block heater, but tractor is parked in an attached garage.

Also, if you’re a fan of synthetic motor oils, T6 is also a synthetic product

 

[PapaJ]

That’s why all 0w40 and 5w40 are synthetic.

Or synthetic blend.

 

[dfixit1]

i agree but my over analytic mind is wondering why he would comment too thin for summer and the only thing I can think of he was referring to is cold starts in the summer.
The Kubota dealer, he’s by the book so I understand his answer.

 

[UpNorthMI]

I have an oddball question. Remember the W means winter.

Ive asked Rotella and have been waiting over 3 weeks for a reply, it’s been assigned a case number and been referred to engineering. I am curious if this is ok for year round use because of two reasons.
1. My previous tractor, the other orange. My dealer was an engineer and I asked him and he said winter only because it was too thin for summer.
2. I asked my local Kubota service manager and he stated we just use 15w40 and if a customer wanted thinner for winter we use 10w30.

Our winter low can get to -25* and winter lasts about 6 months. Summer typically can get as high as 95* .

i would like to be able to change oil once a year instead of twice.
Last resort is use 15w40 year round and block heater in winter.

Any opinions based on fact or research?
thanks.

I'm guessing your service manager told you " we just use 15w40 and if a customer wanted thinner for winter we use 10w30" because that is true and that is what is specified and recommended by Kubota, see attached lubricant data from my Owners Manual for my 2019 L3901. Older Owners Manuals never had 15W-40 as an option.

Lot's of owners are using 5W-40 which may meet or exceed the CJ-4 oil classification but it does not meet the oil grade of 10W-30 or 15W-40. My dealer tells me that all Kubotas are shipped with 10W-30, based on the Owners manual 10W-30 is the only oil grade recommended for all temperature ranges.

We live in a free country and every tractor owner gets to make their own selection, I'm certainly not saying 5W-40 is not a good choice.

Good luck with your final decision.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Been using T6 in the 5-40 flavor for years. Gets cold here to and hot like it is now and I use my tractors hard in the summer (and winter). No issues at all. They turn over easier in the cold too. I like standardization in lube oil and hydraulic oil so I use 5-40 T6 in ALL my engines, gas or diesel, big or small, except the chainsaws of course.

 

[dfixit1]

Found specs, but I’m not an engineer!
comparing viscosity at 40 C and 100C
104*-212* they seem close.
But what about 60-70*?

 

[GeoHorn]

I have an oddball question. Remember the W means winter.
.....
Any opinions based on fact or research?
thanks.

I am old enough to remember when the “W” on cans (yes...CANS) of oil were labelled with a “W” which meant “Weight”, as in Thirty-Weight, or Forty-Weight... which referred to viscosity of the oil. It was common to see “30W” or “40W” stamped on the lids of cans. It was never printed into the labels. (This was LONG BEFORE anyone claimed it meant anything else. Some low-price-service-stations....Yes, they provided SERVICEs like checking battery-water, radiators, and tire pressures while YOU sat in your car and watched the SERVICE station attendant wash your windshield as the tank was filled.... SOME service-stations also sold BULK-OIL in bottles with tin-funnel-caps that was NOT graded at all. Prices commonly hovered around 5 to 8-cents/qt.)

Then, in the early ‘60s we began to see oil multigraded as 30-40, 20-40, 10-30, etc. No “W” mentioned. The common Marketing parlance at the time indicated that the lower number was the BASE oil with additives that made the oil “thicker” or “heavier” when hot to equal the “W”eight of the higher number.

Then some bright star from 5th Avenue came up with the idea to turn his “M” for “marketing” ...upside-down into a “W” for WEIGHT to indicate the BASE OIL WEIGHT of multigraded oils and 10W-30 etc was born. Then to help the masses understand multigrades the marketing folks of 5th Avenue decided to strategize the “W” into “Winter” for the simpletons out here in consumer-land.

Right or not... That’s what I believe is True... and I’m convinced I’m not ”W”rong. And this opinion is based upon the research of my dusty mind.

 

[iunderpressure]

Used oil analysis shows T6 5w40 usually shears down to a 30 weight fairly quickly in use, but this doesn’t hurt its performance.

 

[dfixit1]

I am old enough to remember when the “W” on cans (yes...CANS) of oil were labelled with a “W” which meant “Weight”, as in Thirty-Weight, or Forty-Weight... which referred to viscosity of the oil. It was common to see “30W” or “40W” stamped on the lids of cans. It was never printed into the labels. (This was LONG BEFORE anyone claimed it meant anything else. Some low-price-service-stations....Yes, they provided SERVICEs like checking battery-water, radiators, and tire pressures while YOU sat in your car and watched the SERVICE station attendant wash your windshield as the tank was filled.... SOME service-stations also sold BULK-OIL in bottles with tin-funnel-caps that was NOT graded at all. Prices commonly hovered around 5 to 8-cents/qt.)

Then, in the early ‘60s we began to see oil multigraded as 30-40, 20-40, 10-30, etc. No “W” mentioned. The common Marketing parlance at the time indicated that the lower number was the BASE oil with additives that made the oil “thicker” or “heavier” when hot to equal the “W”eight of the higher number.

Then some bright star from 5th Avenue came up with the idea to turn his “M” for “marketing” ...upside-down into a “W” for WEIGHT to indicate the BASE OIL WEIGHT of multigraded oils and 10W-30 etc was born. Then to help the masses understand multigrades the marketing folks of 5th Avenue decided to strategize the “W” into “Winter” for the simpletons out here in consumer-land.

Right or not... That’s what I believe is True... and I’m convinced I’m not ”W”rong. And this opinion is based upon the research of my dusty mind.

Lol, I must be OLD because I remember all the same things as you! I have a hard time replacing “W” weight for winter
Ever try to find a bottle of non detergent?

 

[dfixit1]

Used oil analysis shows T6 5w40 usually shears down to a 30 weight fairly quickly in use, but this doesn’t hurt its performance.

Maybe that’s the reason the engineer said it was too thin?

 

[iunderpressure]

Found specs, but I’m not an engineer!
comparing viscosity at 40 C and 100C
104*-212* they seem close.
But what about 60-70*?

There are some calculators online to figure out oil thickness at any temperature. Basically you need to know the spec temperatures and the viscosity index of the oil. A higher VI is better because it makes the oil relatively thinner at cooler temperatures and keeps it from thinning too much when hot. Everything depends on quality of oil components because a cheap oil can use a lot of viscosity index improvers to help with VI, but cheap VII’s shear quickly and the oil will end up with a lower VI.

 

[iunderpressure]

Maybe that’s the reason the engineer said it was too thin?

I doubt it. There are lots of people, even mechanics, that don’t understand oil weights. I say he was probably looking at the 5w and thinking thin.

 

[GeoHorn]

Lol, I must be OLD because I remember all the same things as you! I have a hard time replacing “W” weight for winter
Ever try to find a bottle of non detergent?

Actually, ...YES! I’ve found non-detergent at Dollar Stores and also at some CarQuest stores. TSC also sells it in 1-gal jugs. AutoZone also sells it at four-times what it’s worth: https://www.autozone.com/motor-oil-...ubricating-engine-oil-1-quart/811768_204046_0
I use 20-Weight in my pressure-washer pump, and 30-Weight in my large shop air-compressor pump. So-called “detergent” oils (additives actually) can create problems with pump reed-valves. The compressor-oil bottles sold for that dedicated purpose are rumored to be nothing more than non-detergent/non-additive oils they can charge three-prices for 8-oz bottles.

 

[dfixit1]

Actually, ...YES! I’ve found non-detergent at Dollar Stores and also at some CarQuest stores. TSC also sells it in 1-gal jugs. AutoZone also sells it at four-times what it’s worth: https://www.autozone.com/motor-oil-...ubricating-engine-oil-1-quart/811768_204046_0
I use 20-Weight in my pressure-washer pump, and 30-Weight in my large shop air-compressor pump. So-called “detergent” oils (additives actually) can create problems with pump reed-valves. The compressor-oil bottles sold for that dedicated purpose are rumored to be nothing more than non-detergent/non-additive oils they can charge three-prices for 8-oz bottles.

I had to find Non detergent 10w, wait there’s that “w” again! This case it weight! For my cast iron ceiling fans. They have a cup reservoir on the bottom that I had to drain and refill.

 

[NHSleddog]

I am old enough to remember when the “W” on cans (yes...CANS) of oil were labelled with a “W” which meant “Weight”, as in Thirty-Weight, or Forty-Weight... which referred to viscosity of the oil. It was common to see “30W” or “40W” stamped on the lids of cans. It was never printed into the labels. (This was LONG BEFORE anyone claimed it meant anything else. Some low-price-service-stations....Yes, they provided SERVICEs like checking battery-water, radiators, and tire pressures while YOU sat in your car and watched the SERVICE station attendant wash your windshield as the tank was filled.... SOME service-stations also sold BULK-OIL in bottles with tin-funnel-caps that was NOT graded at all. Prices commonly hovered around 5 to 8-cents/qt.)

Then, in the early ‘60s we began to see oil multigraded as 30-40, 20-40, 10-30, etc. No “W” mentioned. The common Marketing parlance at the time indicated that the lower number was the BASE oil with additives that made the oil “thicker” or “heavier” when hot to equal the “W”eight of the higher number.

Then some bright star from 5th Avenue came up with the idea to turn his “M” for “marketing” ...upside-down into a “W” for WEIGHT to indicate the BASE OIL WEIGHT of multigraded oils and 10W-30 etc was born. Then to help the masses understand multigrades the marketing folks of 5th Avenue decided to strategize the “W” into “Winter” for the simpletons out here in consumer-land.

Right or not... That’s what I believe is True... and I’m convinced I’m not ”W”rong. And this opinion is based upon the research of my dusty mind.

The main difference is that in the 80's CNC control in manufacturing increased tolerances by a lot, allowing for much better fitment. Unfortunately, the old "One oil fits all" was no longer the case. Due to increased tolerances the oil needed to be thinned while at the same time provide better "chopping" resistance.

These days, unless you are dealing with low tolerance chinese junk, you should stick to the manufacturers rating.

 

[GeoHorn]

The main difference is that in the 80's CNC control in manufacturing increased tolerances by a lot, allowing for much better fitment. Unfortunately, the old "One oil fits all" was no longer the case. Due to increased tolerances the oil needed to be thinned while at the same time provide better "chopping" resistance.

These days, unless you are dealing with low tolerance chinese junk, you should stick to the manufacturers rating.

NO argument from ME on THAT! On modern equipment ... I use what the mfr’r says to use! 10W-30 Marine rated oil in my boats, and 15W-40 in my Kubota, and 0W-20 Full Syn in the wife’s Toyota, but good old SAE 50/GRADE 100W (which in aviation-speak the “W” means “WITH ASHLESS DISPERSANT ADDITIVE”. (And that is NOT DETERGENT) . But in my 1934 Harley VLD it gets SAE 50 non-detergent mineral oil, which is what it was supposed to get when new. I have to use aircraft oil to get that stuff these days.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Well, 150K miles on my wife's car and all is well on T6. 2000 hours on my cab M9, just fine and 6K hours on the open station, jsut fine as well. In fact, when I had it in this winter for an overhead adjustment and other things, I was there when they removed the valve cover. Just as nice inside as when it was new. Same for my pickup truck, 99K on it and I had the valve covers off last summer. Just as clean underneath as when new. In fact, no blowby in the valve cover at all.

Don't like having multiple lubricants. Like having ONE engine oil, ONE hydraulic fluid and ONE gear oil.

 

[GeoHorn]

Well, 150K miles on my wife's car and all is well on T6. 2000 hours on my cab M9, just fine and 6K hours on the open station, jsut fine as well. In fact, when I had it in this winter for an overhead adjustment and other things, I was there when they removed the valve cover. Just as nice inside as when it was new. Same for my pickup truck, 99K on it and I had the valve covers off last summer. Just as clean underneath as when new. In fact, no blowby in the valve cover at all.

Don't like having multiple lubricants. Like having ONE engine oil, ONE hydraulic fluid and ONE gear oil.

OK... well... there IS a bit of over-concern about brand and type of oils, IMO. My ‘92 Jeep Cherokee, straight six has 332,000+ miles on it using nothing but El Cheapo SuperTech straight 30 and it has had NO engine work other than spark plugs, water-pump, and radiator. Don’t tell me you have to use magic potions, purple oil, or full chemistry-set-synthetic to get a car to go over 300K without troubles.
The difference in price spent on oil changes runs into thou$and$ of dollar$ $aved. (I believe it has saved me over $10K just on that ONE car!)