Recommended John Deere Grease

   / Recommended John Deere Grease #1  

JMER817

Platinum Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
546
Location
Grass Lake, Michigan
Tractor
John Deere 4120
Coming up on my first 10hr lube job on my JD 4120 with 300CX loader. In the manual it recommends a John Deere SD Polyurea grease or a HD Lithium Complex grease. Which type are you guys using and why. I believe the Polyurea is the factory lube.
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #2  
Does the owner's manual also suggest their lithium/moly blend? I thought they suggested that and the lithium complex and didn't suggest the polyurea at all. The lith/moly blend takes more impact, is stickier and protects a loader better. I use it on my loader and lith complex on the other joints. I no longer use the polyurea.

I'll bet they use the polyuria from the factory because it's green and not real messy. The lith/moly blend tracks everywhere.
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #3  
I use the polyurea grease. JD recommends it as the "preferred" grease for most things. It doesn't harden and is highly water resistant.
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #4  
Get two grease guns, Use JD high temp, extreme pressure on loader pins and bushings only. This grease is black and really messy, but the best I have found for pins & bushings.
Use polyurea on any bearings. There are other brands of grease that are good for bearings but JD polyurea is what I use.
I am sure you will be satisfied.
Don
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #5  
I have always followed manual instructions and use the JD Polyurea.
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #6  
I'm with sixdogs.....use lithium complex with moly for high load, low motion. polyurea was initially developed for electric motor bearings - long life between regreasing (if any) and resistant to water washout (in mills, etc.).

Really not the 'best' for loader work - the mines don't use it, they use lithium with moly. Deere is barking up the wrong tree with this one.
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #7  
The JD moly for the loader (or hoe),and the poly for everything else. I can't find where I read it ,but JD does NOT recommend mixing these. Once you use it,stay with it.

Greg
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #8  
The JD moly for the loader (or hoe),and the poly for everything else. I can't find where I read it ,but JD does NOT recommend mixing these. Once you use it,stay with it.

Greg

I researched the mixing of polyurea and other greases a while back and while I found that warning with generic or other brand greases I recall that Deere said mixing with their own greases was OK. If you could find that non-mix info it would be helpful for us to look into it.

Polyurea is their most expensive grease and as I noted, is green in color and not messy. It would not provide the best shock resistance for a loader so I wonder if Deere suggests it on small loader tractors because it IS green and pretty. Most small tractors aren't going to be using their loaders for severe use and want it to look pretty and not greasy.

For bigger Deere tractors, they suggest moly-lith for the loader and lith-coplex for everything else. Polyurea is mentioned only for the axle bearings that are on a 300 hour grease schedule.

I stopped using polyure after my grease search of a couple years ago decided it was not the right grease for my loaders. Suggesting poly for small loaders must be a new thing since my JD790 loader manual suggests lith coplex for mild use and moly-lith for severe use. If anything has changed, I'm all ears.


For those new at this, there are basically three types of grease.

1--lithium complex for everything including car wheel bearings.
2. Lithium with a few percent molybdenum for shock resistance applications. Lith-moly.
3. Polyurea for certain bearing applications that require a thickened grease such as mower gearboxes and certain bearings operated at temperatures outside the normal operating ranges of most equipment.
 
   / Recommended John Deere Grease #9  
For bigger Deere tractors, they suggest moly-lith for the loader and lith-coplex for everything else. Polyurea is mentioned only for the axle bearings that are on a 300 hour grease schedule.

I disagree completely. I'm not sure what you consider a "bigger tractor", but polyurea is listed as the preferred grease for the 400cx, h260,h360,h380,h480 loaders. Your claim that they recommend polyurea grease only on small machines because it is "green and pretty" seems a bit naive to me. I think some of the reason it's recommended is the good water resistance, and wide operating temperature range.
 
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   / Recommended John Deere Grease #10  
I can't find where I read it ,but JD does NOT recommend mixing these. Once you use it,stay with it.

Greg
I saw the same info. It was stated on John Deere Grease Lubricant data sheet (showing all their greases) available at the dealer a few years ago. Pretty sure I still have a copy in my records over in the garage. But, this may have changed. Here it states compatible with most other greases. Trying to find something more current and more specific.
John Deere Multi-Purpose SD Polyurea Gun Grease TY6341
 

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