Oil & Fuel Oil Type for your Kubota........

don716 · Jul 23, 2007

What type or brand of oil do you use in your engine on your kubota? My kubota dealer uses John Deere brand oil (15w/40). It's $3.49 qt. I asked him if there was any other oil to use and he recomended Delo 400 (15W40). I called my local auto parts store and the Delo 400 is $9.99 per gal. Any thoughts? It's about time to change my oil and I thought of switching oil but continueing to buy kubota oil filters.
Donny

bama85 · Jul 23, 2007

I just completed my 50hr service on my L2800 and switched to Shell Rotella T 15-40. The dealer uses straight 30wt Rotella but I preffer multi viscosity's. I run Shell Rotella T 15-40 in my Kubota ZD 21 as well. I believe that it's a great oil, and upon first start up at idle after changing the oil, the engine sounds a little quieter and smoother.

art · Jul 23, 2007

There are normally a lot of recommendations here but to get you started. The diesel engine in a tractor is normally run at near full throttle full load conditions in dust and many other things.

To look at oil that was designed around an over the road truck that would be figured closer to one third load one third to two thirds throttle. A car is figured at one quarter throttle one quarter load.

There are far more names and brands of oil then there is blenders of oil and often one plant may make 100's of blends of oil out of one base stock just by adding different additives. Pick your favorite label and a color for the container and away we go!

These additives are normally enhancers that make the oil cling to the parts better, flow better in cold weather. And the list goes on to include ash to aborb the by products of partially burnt fuel from a cold running engine.

Some products you pay for the name, most times they got that from building a reasonable product. There are those oils out there that are a bargin in price as well as quality.

Depending on where you live, the hours you put on your tractor and when you plan to change your oil are all important as to which oil is best for you.

If I was to buy cheap oil I'd probably just change the oil and filter more often, but then I don't like to waste time so I buy good oil and reduce the mount of changes.

The last time I looked at both companies mentioned the ash content was about the same as well as the TBN on the the two oils mentioned and I consider them average oil. There is better and worse oils made.

Shimon · Jul 23, 2007

Delo 400 15/40 would work just fine.

canoetrpr · Jul 23, 2007

On my recent 50 hr change on my L3400 I used Kubota 15W-40 on the dealer's recommendation. Thats about all anyone seems to recommend around my area even though the manual states 10W30. What does your manual state?

Locally I have found Shell Rotella 15W-40 and 5W-40 synthetic. I might consider changing to the latter before winter... after some more research.

DiezNutz · Jul 23, 2007

Well your best bet is to...

ehh, nevermind.

Scrounger · Jul 24, 2007

Talking oil is like talking politics.

I love both!!

Go for the Rotella Synthetic.

Youare · Jul 24, 2007

The Kubota dealer I purchased my tractor from uses the Castrol brand diesel oil. Works for me.

Randy

Jay4200 · Jul 24, 2007

don716 said:
What type or brand of oil do you use in your engine on your kubota?

I use Shell Rotella T 15W-40 ($8.00/gallon at WalMart last time I bought it). Rotella T isn't all that great of an oil, but if you change it at 50hr intervals like you are supposed to, it's fine.

JayC

Kendall69 · Jul 24, 2007

My last change I used REDLINE 15/40, and I really noticed a smoother quieter engine.
Since then I changed all my vehicles to REDLINE, and against all advice changed the tranny fluid in my motorhome ot the REDLINE fluid.

Prior to that Amsoil 15/40, and Delvav 1.

don716 · Jul 24, 2007

Well, since I live in North GA. the weather does'nt get real rough and my tractor has never seen rain unless I wash it, so I thought the Delo 400 (15W40) would work fine. I change the oil once a year.I usually don't put but about 50-65hrs on it a year anyway,and that's for mostly mowing.
By the way it's about time for a wax job.Looks better now than the day i bought it. Donny

Volfandt · Jul 24, 2007

I use Kubota branded dino 10W30 as well as Kubota branded filter's.
I've got nothing against the others, but since I've only got the one diesel and it's a once a yr service, it's OEM for it

cp1969 · Jul 24, 2007

Rotella makes 10w-30 diesel oil, CJ4+ rated. It isn't all that easy to find but it is out there. I found it at an auto parts chain named O'Reilly's.

cisco · Jul 24, 2007

Well, when someone has data on various commercial oils, with identical engine hours and loads, then we'd have something - but we don't. There was some decent data on oil used in oil rig engines in Texas (24/7 running, all seasons), but it's over a decade out of date.
Me, I use the same stuff I put in my auto, generators, zero turn mower - yada, yada, yada. I have about 590 hours on my Kubota, have met all service intervals (like most folks on this forum, tend to change fluids prior to required service interval) and seem to be using zero oil between changes. Use synthetic oil, and Castrol seems to be on sale most of the time locally with the 5 quart size nearly as cheap as "better" regular oil brands. I select the 10-40W variety, as I'm in S.C. and it gets a bit warm in the summer.

swmpbgy1 · Jul 25, 2007

Volfandt said:
I use Kubota branded dino 10W30 as well as Kubota branded filter's.
I've got nothing against the others, but since I've only got the one diesel and it's a once a yr service, it's OEM for it

Same here.....Kubota fluids and filters all the way around! This way, if I ever have a warranty issue, Kubota can't come back and say it was because of non OEM products.......cya is my motto!

For what it's worth.........
Swmpbgy1

8561 · Jul 25, 2007

I use Mobil Delvac 1 full synthetic 15W 40.

DiezNutz · Jul 25, 2007

swmpbgy1 said:
Same here.....Kubota fluids and filters all the way around! This way, if I ever have a warranty issue, Kubota can't come back and say it was because of non OEM products.......cya is my motto!

ABSOLUTELY.
No good argument for doing otherwise, especially as long as its still under warranty.

kkesler · Jul 27, 2007

Jay4200 said:
I use Shell Rotella T 15W-40 ($8.00/gallon at WalMart last time I bought it). Rotella T isn't all that great of an oil, but if you change it at 50hr intervals like you are supposed to, it's fine.

JayC

A bunch of us who road race motorcycles have been using the Rotella 15W-40 and/or 5W-40 synthetic. Our engines are beat on, run at full throttle up over 10k rpm through the gears, the shifted back down, then back up over and over again. None of us have ever had an oil related engine failure. Sending the oil in for testing shows it to hold up fine.

DiezNutz · Jul 27, 2007

Rotella-T 5W-40 synthetic IS a great oil, I use it (not in the Kubota, yet) and would prefer it over some of the alternatives - especially in a new-ish engine.

canoetrpr · Jul 27, 2007

I found both Rotella 5W-40 synthetic and 15W-40 dino in the local Canadian tire here.

All the 15W-40's around here seem to have listed "Heavy duty diesel engine oil". The 5W-40 lists no such thing. I imagine it is the same Rotella 5W-40 that the rest of you are talking about and there is no such thing as 5W-40 for diesel engines and 5W-40 for non diesel engines?

I ask because I have seen 10W-30 for example with labelling that states "for diesel engines" and I have no clue how this differs to 10W-30 which does not state this.