John Deere oil

[Harry in Ky]

It's not just the price, although it is a consideration. The nearest dealer is seventeen miles away, while TSC is just on the edge of town, open late and on weekends. Sometimes that makes all the difference.

 

[MTGreen]

It's second hand smoke in this case. The tractor's owner is catching the flak. I just can't help getting pissed off when I hear that stuff.

Your friend needs to look up the Magnuson Moss act which prohibits the manufacturer/dealer from requiring oem oil so long as the aftermarket oil meets specs. Now granted this is only as applied to warranties and I imagine this tractor is out of warranty, so it's not a basis for legal action but he can call shenanigans with the dealership

 

[bmg88201]

When I bought my new JD mower, the salesman told me if I didn’t use JD oil I would void the warranty. I read the warranty and said nothing about having to use JD oil. Got 700 trouble free hours on my mower with nothing but Valvoline in it.

 

[strantor]

Your friend needs to look up the Magnuson Moss act which prohibits the manufacturer/dealer from requiring oem oil so long as the aftermarket oil meets specs. Now granted this is only as applied to warranties and I imagine this tractor is out of warranty, so it's not a basis for legal action but he can call shenanigans with the dealership

I've never heard of this. Thanks for sharing. I looked it up and there is a loophole, which if anyone would exploit, it would be John Deere. I'm not familiar with any company that has more contempt for their own customers, and I can't fathom why anyone buys their products.

Magnuson Moss Act protects Consumers

The highlighted section of the FTC booklet clearly says that you can’t require a purchaser to buy a manufacturer’s oil in order to maintain the warranty (whether on the engine, transmission or primary chain case). There are only two exceptions (1) you can require the use of a specific oil to maintain a warranty if you provide it free of charge (CFR) or (2) you can apply for an FTC waiver because your oil, and only your oil, would work in the specific application (US Code).

I'm sure the customer kill squad of attorneys that JD employs is bright enough to have come up with some patently bogus but legally "valid" reason why their oil, and only their oil, will work in each and every specific application.

I have no proof of this, I didn't find any evidence of an FTC waiver on the part of John Deere, but neither do I know where to look. I am just speculating based on JD's history and the MO they have created for themselves.

 

[dodge man]

It sounds like we are talking about hydraulic fluid, which is an oil, not engine oil. I choose to use JD hydraulic oil in my tractor and I used Kubota hydraulic oil when I had a Kubota. You can find a lot of information on motor oil and it’s fairly easy to pick out a good one. With hydraulic oil, it seems a little tougher to find information on them. That said I’m sure there is a lot of hydraulic fluid that is as good or better than JD’s stuff.

 

[RjCorazza]

It sounds like we are talking about hydraulic fluid, which is an oil, not engine oil. I choose to use JD hydraulic oil in my tractor and I used Kubota hydraulic oil when I had a Kubota. You can find a lot of information on motor oil and it’s fairly easy to pick out a good one. With hydraulic oil, it seems a little tougher to find information on them. That said I’m sure there is a lot of hydraulic fluid that is as good or better than JD’s stuff.

I agree. There is simply no reliable information or industry standards for trans / hydraulic oil. Terms like "Meets xxx", "Recommended for use in", and "Compatible with" do not inspire confidence.
There was a post here (?) some time ago that showed one side of a TSC product that said something to the effect of "Suitable for use in all modern equipment", and on the back lable said "Do no use in equipment manufactured after 1970" or something to that effect.

 

[daman1]

JD Hygard IS a high quality oil we've used it for many thousands of hours I've seen many analysis of this lube very stout addictive package.

Use it with confidence it is a good oil,and worth the money.

 

[ruffdog]

There are lots of articles about the yellow pail JD 303 oils.

Missouri Bans “JD 303” Tractor Hydraulic Fluid

 

[deserteagle71]

I bought my John Deere 2020 26 years ago and have changed the hydraulic oil multiple times. Walmart's "Supertech" Tractor Hydraulic is all I've ever used and have no problems with the tractor's hydraulics. But then it is an old tractor, no idea if the same oil would work well in newer machines.

 

[Harry in Ky]

It seems to me the main issue is brakes. Exactly why, I don't know. Wet brakes and wet clutches have been around as long as I've been working on tractors (long darn time). Case, IH, AC, Ford, Cat, Deere, all had them. Every one of them pushed their oil as the best product for their tractors. Okay, I get that.

In this particular case with the 6200 the thing that burns me up is the dealer shop spokesperson insisting the brake failure was caused by non Hy Gard fluid being used. I put brakes in a 5065E just this past summer. The brake lining had come totally unglued. Large flakes of it were everywhere. That tractor has had nothing but Hy Gard in it since day one. That didn't make a nickels worth of difference. Brakes wear out like anything else. Yes, the right TYPE, WEIGHT, and GRADE of oil, the condition and cleanliness, all do indeed make a difference. But not necessarily the brand on the jug.