I searched with no luck. I have 15w40 rotella but was thinking 10w30 synthetic might be better for midwest winter? I need my tractor for clearing snow and woodcutting chores.
Thanks
Thanks
What weight oil for winter?
- Thread starter Kingcreek
- Start date
Kubota Newbie
Active member
Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
Central Ohio (15 deg this Sunday morning), use 15-40 year around in the Kubota (M4500) no starting issues. I do have an old cub with a snow blower that gets Mobile 1 0w-30 in the winter.
Rotella T 15-40 here year round in everthing. It's already formulated for extreme heat and sub zero cold.
Kubota_Man
Member
Equipment
BX24, Rear blade, Front blade, Snowblower, 54" MMM, Box scraper, Landscape rake
15-40 in North Idaho no problems yet although my baby is kept in her house aka the shop 
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I use 5w30 synthetic year round. Kubota engines don't need 15w40. The heavier oil is just robbing power from your little engine. 1 or 2 hp loss may not be very much on a 500hp Cat engine but lossing that much on a 20 hp Kubota is a lot.
The manual for my (previously owned) BX 24 recommended 15-40, but when I went to purchase new oil filter at the dealer for oil change, they recommended 10-30 saying that their service dept(s) all used that exclusively. After the change, I couldn't help but notice how much better the engine ran- started up easier (year round) and idled better. The tractor was stored in an unheated garage in Maryland.
Thanks. It is stored in an unheated barn but it has a block heater and I always plug it in for an hour or 2 before starting in cold weather. I used synthetic 10w30 last 2 winters but I had the Rotella 15w40 on hand and anything else just means another purchase. doesn't bother me but the wife/bookkeeper/budgetmeister is having a bug-eyed fit over our fuel and vehicle maintenence costs lately (almost none of the expenses related to the Kubota but it is the way she catagorises it all). I've tried to point out the costs of repairs vs maintenence but she only looks at the expense column.
I should have worded my post differently. It's not really the loss of HP that makes the biggest difference. The loss in fuel economy affects everybody that uses 15w40 when it's not required. The heavier oil is harder for the oil pump to push thru the engine which requires more HP and in turn burns more fuel.
2 weeks ago my L 3000 rans side by side with a L 3410 moving and piling brush. The 3410 has 1 more HP than mine and he uses Rotella T6. Both tractors were full of fuel when we started. The 3410 was out of fuel before dark the first day. Burned another tank the second day. My 3000 finished out both days and still had 3/8 of a tank. In 2 days time the difference in fuel being used was over half the cost of the Amsoil I use. 2 more days of running and the fuel savings has my oil cost covered for the year. 361 days of running left where I'm keeping money in my pocket instead of putting it in my tank.
I'm not trying to start a oil debate. I'm glad we can choose which product that best suit or needs. It's funny how up front it costs me maybe $40 more to change my oil but in about 3 days time I have already made up the difference in fuel cost. Operating at 1/3rd the cost is something I can deal with anyday.
Just my experience with a '92 VW diesel. I ran what VW recommended and that was 15-40. I kept meticulous mileage records. With the 15-40 I averaged in the 45-50 mpg(imperial gal). I switched to 0-30SB and my mileage went up to over 55mpg. Not believing it I went back to 15-40 and the mileage fell back to where it was. Needless to say I went back to 0-30 and ran that for 250000 with no problems and the engine never used any oil.
Thanks. Good point on false economy.
I'm a big fan of synthetic lubricants and I think I'll stick with it. We've got a jeep Grand Cherokee with 240k miles and nobody has had to crack into the engine yet.
I'm a big fan of synthetic lubricants and I think I'll stick with it. We've got a jeep Grand Cherokee with 240k miles and nobody has had to crack into the engine yet.
Not really a fair comparison, the L3410 ran wide open all day and did three times the work.
The Rotella T6 5w-40 works great in the winter, it has gotten a little expensive though.
I guess it wasn't fair to compair, I'll tell my 14 yr old to put out a little more next time.Not really a fair comparison, the L3410 ran wide open all day and did three times the work.
The Rotella T6 5w-40 works great in the winter, it has gotten a little expensive though.
He did what he could, I'm sure you don't want him to work your tractor like I do mine. Mine was a little banged up when I bought it, so it doesn't hurt my feelings when I knock the head lights and tail lights out of it, and drive over stuff people would never consider doing. Or push stumps out of the ground as big as the tractor, and run into trees to knock them down. Kubota should give me their new models to test and see how they hold up.
So much for that dealer saying a GST wouldn't take any abuse.On another note, I run the Rotella 15w40 in the summer, and it's a well known fact that Rotella is one of the best oils money can buy for a diesel.