Tractor hydraulic/trans fluid

[GeneSchultz]

I own a Kubota L3400DT gear drive transmission model tractor that is in need of a hydraulic/trans fluid change. After checking with Kubota, I was shocked at their high price for UDT fluid, not to mention $30.00 for a filter that looks just like a $5.00 auto oil filter.

After checking around, I found tractor hydraulic fluid at Wal-Mart and Tractor Supply at about half Kubota's price: Wal-Mart's Super Tech brand at $33.88 / 5 gallon and Tractor Supply's Accel at $27.99 / 5 gallon. Both brands claim to exceed all major tractor brand warranty specs.

Does anyone out there know if there is any worth while difference between these less expensive brands vs. Kubota's pricey UDT fluid? I don't want to damage my tractor with the wrong fluid, but I don't want to get ripped off either.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Hello Gene, and welcome to TBN. You will get some differing opinions on this and they are all valid. The dealers do tend to overprice their fluids. Kubota doesn't make a fluid, it's made for them and packaged in their containers. I can't see the reasoning behind buying the best made tractor you can find then putting in the cheapest oil you can find. Just try to remember one thing, you get what you pay for.

 

[Soundguy]

TSC and walmart have decent oil.. however.. I'm not sure it meets the super udt spec ( as well as others like HT-U ). Look the container over, and then look at your manual.. if the fluid meets tha manuls spec.. then you are good to go.. if it don't.. I wouldn't even consider using it.

Also.. remember that 30 dollar filter is protecting how much? 3-4-5 thousand dollars of hyds? That's cheap. the 1-gallon paint can sized filter on my CNH tractor is quite a bit more $$ than your filter... and I'm hppy to pay it..

soundguy

 

[WilliamBos]

I agree 100%. confider how much the tractor cost, how much the hydraulic system costs, and then do some research on the oil and filters. Buying the Kubota brand filters and oils, , as well as supporting your local dealer ( which could be the dealer who will be doing repairs if something goes wrong......) and in reality, the filters and oil are a real steal.

JMHO.

 

[canoetrpr]

Lots of universal hydraulic fluid sold at stores is compatible with UDT and matches those specs but you would have to look hard to find ones that match SUDT specs.

In Canada we have our own Premium UDT - whatever that is - with better cold weather properties than UDT. No such thing as SUDT or UDT up here - just premium UDT.

I go with the Premium UDT given our cold weather here. If I was in a climate without the temperature extremes I'd be happy to use universal tractor fluid that matched UDT specs. TSC up here sells a great big 5 gallon pail of Valvoline hyd fluid that is compatible with UDT for a bargain. Your tractor will not self destruct if you use UDT compatible fluid - one way or the other.

A local Kubota dealer up here told me that after the warranty is up they switch tractors to a universal hyd fluid that come in for service to save their customers the cost of the Kubota fluid. They claim performance is equivalent and they have never seen any problems with it at all. I have no clue if this is true or not.... but this is what they do.

 

[flusher]

I own a Kubota L3400DT gear drive transmission model tractor that is in need of a hydraulic/trans fluid change. After checking with Kubota, I was shocked at their high price for UDT fluid, not to mention $30.00 for a filter that looks just like a $5.00 auto oil filter.

After checking around, I found tractor hydraulic fluid at Wal-Mart and Tractor Supply at about half Kubota's price: Wal-Mart's Super Tech brand at $33.88 / 5 gallon and Tractor Supply's Accel at $27.99 / 5 gallon. Both brands claim to exceed all major tractor brand warranty specs.

Does anyone out there know if there is any worth while difference between these less expensive brands vs. Kubota's pricey UDT fluid? I don't want to damage my tractor with the wrong fluid, but I don't want to get ripped off either.

Fluids and filters are cheap compared to parts and labor for repairs. Pay the price for the manufacturer's stuff, keep good maintenance records, keep the sales receipts for the parts/fluids and consider it an insurance fee that's part of the cost of ownership. Sleep easy.

 

[RobJ]

The dealers do tend to overprice their fluids. Kubota doesn't make a fluid, it's made for them and packaged in their containers. I can't see the reasoning behind buying the best made tractor you can find then putting in the cheapest oil you can find. Just try to remember one thing, you get what you pay for.

Wayne, remember we don't know what we are paying for at the dealer. Just an oil jug that has Kubota on it. Same with the Kubota motor oil. that could be the same as the Oreilly brand oil, Walmart, TSC.

Funny thing is you can also find some posts where folks swear by the Kubota oils...then ask for the cheaper Wix filter crossover.

In my grear tractor I use the regular stuff and that's what everyone else uses around me. If you have the money...by all means spend it.

 

[Oldpath05]

Wouldn't it be funny if Kubota got there motor and transmission oil from Shell/Rottela, or the same place where TSC gets theirs.

So does it work like this, I buy a John Deere and the dealer says I have to use John Deere oil, or the tractor will not last, I buy/bought a Kubota tractor, now I have to buy their oil or the tractor will fall apart because their steel gears are different then anybody else's gears. I buy a New Holland, and they say I have to use their oil because their transmission is not the same as Kubota. I buy a Kioti, gotta use their oil, Mahindra, Case, etc......................., and what about ATV's, cars, pickup trucks, big rigs, or my 30 year old lawn mower. I just thought of a brilliant idea, wouldn't it be nice if there was a oil company that could make high quality oil for my transmission no matter what the tractor brand is.

 

[jd870]

I use Kendall Hyken 052 tractor hydraulic/transmission fluid in My Massey ferguson and plan on using it in my john deere next oil change.

 

[puckgrinder85]

Use the oil specification set by the manufacturer. It should be labeled on the pail, if its not on there don't use it. If it is go for it.