Hydraulic oil

[loggerman1959]

Was curious if any of you guys change to a lower viscosity hydraulic oil in the cold months , or do you stay with the same year around ?

[ehp]

change to 32 oil in winter and run 68 oil in summer is what I do

[Skeans1]

We run 46 all year long here in the PNW.

[Maine logger88]

I run 303 in the skidders year round. I've been running 46 in the buncher cause that's what it calls for but I'm gonna find out how it works in the cold I may have to switch to 32

[Southside]

What do you mean by "cold months"?  It was in the 60's today, so a bit nippy, but back to the 70's on Saturday - no sense in changing the oil for only a day.... :D

[Maine logger88]

What do you mean by "cold months"?  It was in the 60's today, so a bit nippy, but back to the 70's on Saturday - no sense in changing the oil for only a day.... :D

Well you don't have to be mean to those of us in the north... lol

[newoodguy78]

Well said Mainelogger88  :D

[chevytaHOE5674]

32 in the winter and 46 or 68 in the summer.

[Southside]

[/quote]
Well you don't have to be mean to those of us in the north... lol
[/quote]

I grew up in The County, worked west of the gates for a while.  You ain't in the north!!!  But I have to say - I don't miss it, so I had to have fun with it!!  ;D

[Maine logger88]

What part of the county where you in?

[Southside]

Mapleton was home, but I worked around Daquaam, St Pamphillie, and in The Valley for a while.

[Mountain_d]

The previous owner ran ATF in my 1978 TJ 230. Not sure how common that is? Anyone use ATF? I guess 32 would be cheaper. I do have a few leaks and you know how much you are losing with the red ATF on the snow  :D Mountain.

[Southside]

I have used ATF and even two cycle in my fuel for added lubrication and my buncher calls for it in the brake resovoir of all places.

[Skeans1]

Never hurts to throw a little dye into your hydraulic oil, we actually dye ours red for leak detection. Atf is about 15 weight from memory to give you an idea.

To where atf is used heck the Fabtek 2000 4 roller heads used atf in the measuring wheel for the bearings if you can keep it sealed up.

[Maine logger88]

Mapleton was home, but I worked around Daquaam, St Pamphillie, and in The Valley for a while.

I know that area fairly well I've spent a lot of time hunting snowmobileing and tractorpulling in the county and just across the boarder in NB

[coxy]

I run 303 in the skidders year round. I've been running 46 in the buncher cause that's what it calls for but I'm gonna find out how it works in the cold I may have to switch to 32

303 that's all I run in every thing but my 518 tranny I run the cat drive train oil 30wt year round it takes a little while to move when its cold but about 15min and shes ready to go 

[Spartan]

I run a multi-vis year round.  10-20w hyd/trans oil.

[Al_Smith]

 :D That brings a good laugh .I worked for a rich electrical contractor who could squeeze blood from a buffalo nickle .His line truck broke a main hose,one inch and dumped about 40 gallons of all weather fluid on the ground .When he had it repaired he insisted on general purpose hydraulic oil .It gets or got cold in Ohio during the 80's and he had three journeyman,one apprentice and a crew foreman waiting a half an hour before it warmed up enough to even move the boom .He soon realized the error of his ways. 8)

[ehp]

ya I have seen cylinders bend the ram from to thick on oil in say 30 below weather , the relief valve does not always work  8)

[1270d]

We stick with 46 year round.   Don't have a long enough stretch of cold to bother changing over the whole system.

[Southside]

ya I have seen cylinders bend the ram from to thick on oil in say 30 below weather , the relief valve does not always work  8)

I don't know about these days but 20 years ago it was common in the dead of winter to leave equipment running all weekend when it was -40F or colder.  Would drive by a loader and the bucket was slowly turning circles with nobody in sight just to keep the oil and everything else warm and alive.  Stuff breaks when you let it get that cold and you try to start it up Monday morning. 

[deastman]

I run Castrol high viscosity dual range 46 in my processor so I can run it year round. I used to run 303 but it took too long to warm up in really cold weather. The Castrol works great in cold weather, warms up real quick and is dyed purple for leak detection. Costs about double regular hydraulic oil but it's high viscosity and I can run it year round without changing it out

[Skeans1]

What do you guys do for bar oil in that cold below 0 weather?

[chevytaHOE5674]

Run winter grade bar oil. Flows ok when it gets cold. 

[Bandmill Bandit]

I run #28 year around in the mill Hydraulics and I use winter bar oil in the chain saws.

BUT I dont saw below about -10*C either.

[Ken]

The hydraulic in my harvester is 10-30 motor oil.  It's certainly a bit thicker in the winter but haven't had any issues.  Use summer grade chain oil in the summer and winter grade in the winter.  The forwarder has regular hydraulic.  Use pails of 32 in the summer and 68 in the winter. 

We only have a few days in the winter when it gets really cold (-30C).  It saves me money to pay the guys to stay home those days. 

[chevytaHOE5674]

We never fully changed the oil in either machine we just started adding the thinner weight oil in the fall as we needed. Since the machines I ran were 20k plus hour old girls they tended to drip, leak, and blow oil from time to time. So by the time the cold weather hit in January and February a majority was the 32 weight.

Last year I started running 0W-40 engine oil in my tractors for winter and it really improved cold weather starts and made the motors sound much happier at -30.

[coxy]

I run iso  chevron 100w rock drill oil for bar oil winter and summer I got a great deal on a pallet of it 1.00 a gal 8)  the stuff looks like water its so clear  but doesn't seem to get thick in the cold but it turns a milk color below 0 anyone know why 

[snowstorm]

Dose castrol make there oil or do they buy it? I went on the Irving oil refinery tour last year.there wss thousands on cases of Castro that Irving blended for them. I buy mine direct from them.

[deastman]

Dose castrol make there oil or do they buy it? I went on the Irving oil refinery tour last year.there wss thousands on cases of Castro that Irving blended for them. I buy mine direct from them.

Dysarts makes up 5 gal. pails of the Castrol for me, not sure where they get it from, I'll ask next time I'm in to get some

[mike_belben]

I don't know about these days but 20 years ago it was common in the dead of winter to leave equipment running all weekend when it was -40F or colder.  Would drive by a loader and the bucket was slowly turning circles with nobody in sight just to keep the oil and everything else warm and alive.  Stuff breaks when you let it get that cold and you try to start it up Monday morning.

Yeah all those no idle states dont even know why their cost of goods is getting inflated to death.  Try starting a stone cold 14L tractor at the truckstop next day.  Or living in one for that matter.  No one wants to haul into northeast unless its good $$. 

[Al_Smith]

Some time ago I was involved in 42 miles of a 20" high pressure natural gas pipeline in Northern Ohio .It was unusually cold for Ohio ,several weeks on end the temp was never above 10 below zero often hitting 20-25 below in the night time .During that time the pipeline contractor never shut off  those giant side boom tractors,the size of a D8 or the Cat  245 excavators off .They ran 7 and 24 .They even tarped the radiators at night to keep the engine temp up .Coldest winter I ever spent in my life .

[mike_belben]

Im just not man enough for that kinda cold.

[Al_Smith]

That was half a life time ago for me .The coldest I get any more is walking from the parking lot into the shop .No problem there with the hydraulic oil .

[coxy]

come on put on your big boy pants  :D :D :D

[ehp]

0 to 20 below is pretty much perfect logging weather , anything below 40 below I stay inside

[Timbercruiser]

The previous owner ran ATF in my 1978 TJ 230. Not sure how common that is? Anyone use ATF? I guess 32 would be cheaper. I do have a few leaks and you know how much you are losing with the red ATF on the snow  :D Mountain.

Lots of people up here in Canada use ATF year round . I use it in my 230 year round

[snowstorm]

So what the going price go a 5 gal. Pail of 46? Not asking about the cheap no name brand . Good quality oil. From what I have seen most stores mark it up $10 to 15 from what they pay for it.