I'm NOT testing MY oil!!!

[Henro]

I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

Got your attention didn't I, GSRX1000? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

But really...

If I had a fleet of vehicles, I would do it. Because I would not have personal control over every aspect of vehicle operation. The test would tell me if my people were, or were not, doing what they should. It might also tell me when to get rid of a vehicle in advance of costly problems.

But with my tractor, my gut is telling me I should just use the money that I would spend for the testing to increase oil/filter change frequency. I mean, I use the tractor and don't abuse it. I KNOW the sound and feel of the tractor. And increased frequency of oil/filter changes has to make the tractor happier than a sheet of paper telling me that all is OK.

I just can't not help but think that changing oil/filters has to be better for the tractor than analysis that makes my head feel better at a given point in time. At least when it comes to my two tractors.

So, how bad is my head twisted? Pretzle or licorice stick? I prefer red over black...licorice that is... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif The other color I like is rainbow... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you could only do one, would you spend the money on an oil test or a oil/filter change?

Me...non issue...the oil/filter wins hands down...

 

[Dargo]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

Well Henro, I have a different view of an oil test. By blindly changing the oil in my tractor or my vehicle at a given interval, I have positively no idea if my oil change intervals for that vehicle are too soon (wasting oil), or too late (causing damage). By doing one oil test at the time I plan to do the oil change, I get an idea of how to set my interval.

I'm not one to push the limits even close, but I'm interested in trying to establish the shear strength of my oil. The shear strength of the oil is the oil's ability to stay between two parts that are being compressed. For example; the top of your crank where the rod attaches. Since I have my tractor under a load, I'm exerting a much higher load on the shear of an oil than in a vehicle. I want an addative package that provides me with a greater shear strength than necessarily a high TBN. I don't mind changing my oil frequently if needed. Also, I want to know which oil is going to give me the characteristics I want. If my oil has lost some of it's addative package that keeps it's shear strength high, I'm going to begin the wear process on the bottom of my rod bearing and the top of my crank where the rod attaches. Without knowing the actual condition of my oil, I do not know if it is providing the amount of protection I want.

I'll waste money for new oil as soon as my existing oil begins to lose not only TBN, but the other factors that the oil experts and chemists determine to give me high shear protection. Oil is cheaper than engines. I'd rather buy oil and filters than engines. Knowing when I need to change my oil in a specific vehicle only seems prudent to me. Once I know how my oil is lasting, I set my oil change interval by making it in advance of when the oil analysis says my oil will lose the factors that I deem important. Without at least one test, I'd only be guessing.

I used to think "racing oil" was just a marketing ploy and a different label. However, I discovered that it contains a much different addative package and will have different characteristics after a given time frame than a regular motor oil. Since in my street rod I'll likely never drive over a couple thousand miles a year, I don't need a high detergent oil that will enable my oil to last. I'll never need it to last 10,000 miles. I want higher protection; the time it lasts will be plenty long with no more miles than I drive it in any six month time frame.

 

[Junkman]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

How would this work????? If you have a BX and use a certain brand of oil, then could you tell us the brand and the frequency of change? Wouldn't that be the same for all BX models of the same engine configuration? If it would be different because of different type of use, then a oil test is of little or no value, because for the first 50 hours, I might be doing 90 percent grass cutting. For the next 50 hours, I might be snow blowing and that is a lot harder on an engine than grass cutting. Since tractors are multi task units, how much does the particular use have to do with the rest of the oil numbers? Convince me that a oil test is going to do something more for me than possibly stretching out the oil changes by a few extra hours of use.

 

[JimR]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

Yup, I can't agree more with you Junkman. If you abuse, misuse and work her hard, change the oil more often. I have never had an oil test done on anything I have ever owned.

 

[_RaT_]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

Just think Bill, if you start testing oil, you also get to learn and indulge yourself with a whole new abbreviated vernacular. Things like TBN, ZDDP, grp 3, OXD, NOX will fly off your fingers for all to see. Please just stay the way you are. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

Just think rat, you would also become for educated at the same time. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

Dargo- Well first off oil testing is not just to see if oil is still protecting. It is also for preventive maintance. You could have an injector problem, ring wear, or bad cam and you would never know. With a simple a CHEAP oil test, you would see the problem LONG before causing down time on the machine or major repair due to not testing.

Next it kills me when people complain and whine about a cheap and simple $15 oil test that could/would save you time and money down the road. Also changing the oil at 50 hours for example, is proven to do nothing. Show me an oil test with 50 hours and then 100 and let’s see the results. I bet the delta is very small if you use a good oil.People will not oil test but drain soon and then refill.

Junk-Each tractor is different due to variations in the manufacturing process, assembly, etc. Even if each tractor is different, the oil test is invaluable. It tells a story or trend for YOUR expensive machine.

So an example would be, if you injectors are going you will never know it, ever. Then when you metal get so worn from the fuel in the oil, thus from wear, you will never know it until something major breaks. With oil testing, a whooping $15, you will see this many hours before something major or minor wears or breaks.

To close, it amazes me that people will not do a still oil test for approx $15 when they spend over $16,000 on a tractor. I do not get it.

 

[Junkman]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( To close, it amazes me that people will not do a still oil test for approx $15 when they spend over $16,000 on a tractor. I do not get it. )</font>

Wouldn't I need to do two oil tests initially? One sample would be the oil that I was going to use to determine its quality components and then the oil when I drain it to have it sent for analysis. Then I would need to put in fresh oil and use the results of the second test to judge when I needed to do the next oil change. Since a injector can go bad at any time, I would need to continue to do oil sampling at each oil change just to verify that the engine is performing properly and that nothing has changed?
You state the the engines might be assembled differently. Are you saying that the engine in the Kubota BX22 that was produced in January, is different that the same engine that was produced in February, and so on ?????? Seems to me that the quality control on Kubota engines would insure that all BX engines of the same family are identical in specifications and assembly.

 

[_RaT_]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

Mike, theres no more room in my tiny brain. What I learn now has to bump out other information. Unfortunately, I don't get to choose what goes. I'll just learn from you and hope the dull boring stuff in my brain falls out. You do liven up the place, I enjoy that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

Re: I\'m NOT testing MY oil!!!

I know Rat. You, Dargo and Skypup are great on Debates!