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What brand oil do you use to change your hydro oil? I have a raptor sd with zt 2800 pumps. the manual says use 20w50 sl/sm it doesnt say anything about synthetic or not. does anyone know what they are filled with at the factory. I ask because my overflow is empty and i want to fill it up to the cold line.

On my Super Z's first hydro oil change I used Mobil 1 synthetic 15w-50.

M1 15-50 here also.

Here's what the "sl/sm" means: API Engine Oil Classification

15W-50 Mobil 1 would be an excellent choice.

My Raptor is 3 weeks old, checked reservoir today and not showing and fluid. Sounds like I need to top off to cold fill with 15W-50 Mobil 1

Hustler Ed said:

My Raptor is 3 weeks old, checked reservoir today and not showing and fluid. Sounds like I need to top off to cold fill with 15W-50 Mobil 1

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That's what I did. filled reservoir about 1/3 full, then mowed. Next session I checked and it was completely dry. Added to 1/3 and mowed. Finally the 3rd fill all air was out and the reservoir was 3/4 full when hot, and when cooled down again was at about the 1/3 level. I think I added about a pint total.

Why are people using oil other than the recommended 20W50? Is there something different about the 15W50 that both Hustler and Hydro-Gear don't know? They both recommend 20W50.

http://www.hydro-gear.com/Main/docs/service-repair-manuals/zt-2800-3100-3200-3400.pdf

JohnCardin said:

Why are people using oil other than the recommended 20W50? Is there something different about the 15W50 that both Hustler and Hydro-Gear don't know? They both recommend 20W50.

http://www.hydro-gear.com/Main/docs/service-repair-manuals/zt-2800-3100-3200-3400.pdf

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It might have been 20W-50. I know I bought a 5qt jug of Mobil 1 for it.

JohnCardin said:

Why are people using oil other than the recommended 20W50? Is there something different about the 15W50 that both Hustler and Hydro-Gear don't know? They both recommend 20W50.

http://www.hydro-gear.com/Main/docs/service-repair-manuals/zt-2800-3100-3200-3400.pdf

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The Mobil 1 15w-50 is still a 50 weight oil. It will work just fine..

DK35vince said:

The Mobil 1 15w-50 is still a 50 weight oil. It will work just fine..

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I used Mobil 1 15w50 as well.

Interesting enough my dealer advised me NOT to use M1 syn oil. He said it does not contain enough zinc and the trans needed a high zinc oil. He recommended Amsoil. Don't know what to think about it just passing along what I was told by a dealer. I have done some research and understand what he is saying, just not sure what to think about it.:confused2: Thinking to much hurts my little brain. :laughing:

Nutcase2be said:

Interesting enough my dealer advised me NOT to use M1 syn oil. He said it does not contain enough zinc and the trans needed a high zinc oil. He recommended Amsoil. Don't know what to think about it just passing along what I was told by a dealer. I have done some research and understand what he is saying, just not sure what to think about it.:confused2: Thinking to much hurts my little brain. :laughing:

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I use the SL rated M1 high mileage in everything I own. I has more Zinc ( ZDDP / Zinc Dialkyl Dithiophosphate ) which is the critical component for metal to metal protection.

I use Mobile One 15W-50 Mobil One 15W which I verified thru Hustler that it would be OK to use. -50 does have more zinc than lesser viscosity oils and will be just fine. If not for the differende in cost I would certainly use Amsoil but being that one of my Hustlers is the Super Z HD and takes 12 quarts, I filled it with the Mobile One 15W-50 as specifed by the factory. For my FastTrak Mobile 20W-50 is recommended but I checked with the factory and was told Mobile 15W-50 would be just fine.

I'm new to the forums and I'll take the advice on this thread and get some Mobil 1.
My dealer is a distance away and I wonder if there is an online source to buy a hydraulic filter? I have a Hustler X one.

thanks in advance for any replies

Ok, question for those who are using the M1 15w50. Is that a conventional oil, or synthetic?

Synthetic

The Mobile One 15W-50 is what is legally called a full synthetic but it is not a 100 percent synthetic oil. It is what is referred to as a hydro cracked oil made from a group III base oil which is very good. It is not made from a PAO or Ester based oil and therefor not 100 percent synthetic. It does however have the properties and advantage of a pure synthetic and is an excellent oil that can be found at a very reasonable price and therefor is what I use in my Hustler super Z HD for the hydro which takes 12 quarts of oil.

isn't Mobile One 15W-50 motorcycle oil ?

I just got a Hustler Raptor SD and only mowed once and also noticed the Hydro oil level empty in the overflow and wanted to add some. My dealer is closed until Monday so I stopped and got some Valvoline Full Synthetic Syn Power SAE20W-50 Motor Oil. Is this okay/good to use?

Needshelp said:

I just got a Hustler Raptor SD and only mowed once and also noticed the Hydro oil level empty in the overflow and wanted to add some. My dealer is closed until Monday so I stopped and got some Valvoline Full Synthetic Syn Power SAE20W-50 Motor Oil. Is this okay/good to use?

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yes. you'll also notice a cold fill line on side of resorvoir.

chevitz said:

What brand oil do you use to change your hydro oil? I have a raptor sd with zt 2800 pumps. the manual says use 20w50 sl/sm it doesn't say anything about synthetic or not. does anyone know what they are filled with at the factory. I ask because my overflow is empty and i want to fill it up to the cold line.

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Do and use what the manufacturer/ manual calls for, if it calls for a synthetic then use a synthetic if it calls for plain old 20w50 then use it. I ran the 2800 drives for 1400 hours total and used the plain 20w50 and never had an issue. I wouldn't recommend changing viscosity. If your manual doesn't say anything about synthetic then I wouldn't use it.

I've had my Raptor SD for about a week and plan to use Amsoil 20w50 since it's what I use in my motorcycle.

Ferris suggests the Mobil1 15w50 in the manual.

SARG said:

Ferris suggests the Mobil1 15w50 in the manual.

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well, 15w50 and 20w50 are both a 50 weight at high temp. the 15w will flow slightly better when cold.

The thing about hydro oil or oil is every manufacturer is going to tell you to run a different viscosity oil, Ferris will say one type or viscosity, Cub Cadet will say a different viscosity, Hustler will say something different, Toro says run there Hypr-oil. If you want to know what to run for oil refer to the owners manual that came with your mower/product for details on repair or servicing of your unit and do and use what it says.

Synthetic oils are a better oil. May be overkill and of not real benefit under normal conditions, However, I prefer to use a synthetic of the proper viscosity as it a superior oil and will perform better in both low and high temperature extremes. A synthetic oil will also not break down as readily as a conventional oil and will provide protection better protection should you happen to exceed the specified oil change interval (not recommended). A synthetic oil of the proper specifications will most certainly not cause any problems and will have an advantage over a conventional dinosaur oil whether a full synthetic such as Mobile One(hydro cracked base 3) or a 100 % synthetic such as Amsoil, Royal Purple, etc. (base 4 PAO or base 5 ester). A number of manufactures are actually specifying a full synthetic oil for use in their hydro's such. Ferris, Gravely and Hustler in their Super Z HD recommend Mobile One 15W-50 which is a full synthetic oil (base 3).

I would use what ever the manual calls for..On mine it says 20w-50 conventional, I also called HydroGear they said the same "Conventional"

man00 said:

I would use what ever the manual calls for..On mine it says 20w-50 conventional, I also called HydroGear they said the same "Conventional"

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May not be necessary to use a synthetic oil, but it certainly won't hurt anything. In fact a number of manufactures using HydroGear recommend Mobil One which is a full synthetic. They may just make this recommendations as they warranty their machine and all warranty claims will come through the manufacture. With a new machine I wold be using what the manufacture recommends if for nothing more than for to be in compliance for any possible warranty claims.

Fwiw...just had mine in for hydro oil change and a couple other items needing tuning.
My hustler dealer used Kawasaki 20-50w synblend....charged $5.75/qt.
Got an xtra court when i picked it up just in case I have to top off later. Seemed like a fair price for manufacture named oil.
Dang filters were $16 a piece though...ouch...lol!
They did a great job on all points so no complaints over all!

gundog said:

Synthetic oils are a better oil. May be overkill and of not real benefit under normal conditions, However, I prefer to use a synthetic of the proper viscosity as it a superior oil and will perform better in both low and high temperature extremes. A synthetic oil will also not break down as readily as a conventional oil and will provide protection better protection should you happen to exceed the specified oil change interval (not recommended). A synthetic oil of the proper specifications will most certainly not cause any problems and will have an advantage over a conventional dinosaur oil whether a full synthetic such as Mobile One(hydro cracked base 3) or a 100 % synthetic such as Amsoil, Royal Purple, etc. (base 4 PAO or base 5 ester). A number of manufactures are actually specifying a full synthetic oil for use in their hydro's such. Ferris, Gravely and Hustler in their Super Z HD recommend Mobile One 15W-50 which is a full synthetic oil (base 3).

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Whether synthetic is better oil or not is a matter of opinion. HydroGear themselves said to run "Conventional" in their drives as man00 already stated and who better would know what to run than them/the manufacturer.
Depending on it's application it's use, (synthetic) can be beneficial in colder or hotter temperatures. As far as a drive unit on a lawnmower goes there is no real benefit I can see.
You say Ferris, Gravely and Hustler in their Super Z HD recommend Mobile One 15W-50 and maybe they do and I'll have to pull some PDF files/manuals and check just out of curiosity. Toro also says you can use the Mobil 1 15w50 but they also say if you select that type changing the 15w50 or 20w50 synthetic oil should be done every 250 hrs while the oil they recommend you use can be changed every 500 hrs so I don't think at least for me it's very beneficial to run 15w50 synthetic. I'll stick with what the manufacturer says or recommends.

My reservoir is low. I called my dealer and they use Kendall 20w50 in the hydrostats but it is hard to find. They sell it, but my dealer is a good ride away. I picked up some off brand stuff at Walmart to keep it topped off until my first oil change.

Freerider said:

My reservoir is low. I called my dealer and they use Kendall 20w50 in the hydrostats but it is hard to find. They sell it, but my dealer is a good ride away. I picked up some off brand stuff at Walmart to keep it topped off until my first oil change.

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As long as it's the 20w50 you shouldn't have any problems. Kendall is good oil.

Ric said:

Whether synthetic is better oil or not is a matter of opinion. HydroGear themselves said to run "Conventional" in their drives as man00 already stated and who better would know what to run than them/the manufacturer.
Depending on it's application it's use, (synthetic) can be beneficial in colder or hotter temperatures. As far as a drive unit on a lawnmower goes there is no real benefit I can see.
You say Ferris, Gravely and Hustler in their Super Z HD recommend Mobile One 15W-50 and maybe they do and I'll have to pull some PDF files/manuals and check just out of curiosity. Toro also says you can use the Mobil 1 15w50 but they also say if you select that type changing the 15w50 or 20w50 synthetic oil should be done every 250 hrs while the oil they recommend you use can be changed every 500 hrs so I don't think at least for me it's very beneficial to run 15w50 synthetic. I'll stick with what the manufacturer says or recommends.

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Mobile One is what is referred to a full synthetic oil which is made from a highly refined base 3 oil (dinosaur oil), a very good oil but not a true 100% synthetic oil which is made from either a group 4 oil (PAO) or group 5 (Ester)based oil. Mobile One does manufacture a true synthetic but not the 15w-50 or 20w-50 as it is referred to as a full synthetic. For example Amsoil is a group 4 true synthetic and Red Line is a Group 5 oil. There are other manufactures that produce true synthetic oils as well. I bet the Oil Toro is recommending (I assume under their label and expensive) is either a group 4 or 5 oil which is a true synthetic and therefor has the advantage of an extended drain interval. Extended service is one advantage of a true 100 % synthetic. Although I would still continue to change at the recommended interval. As for my Hustler Super Z HD which takes 12 quarts to change the hydro oil, I use Mobile One 15W-50 which is a full synthetic and I very good oil which is significantly cheaper than using a true synthetic oil which would under normal use not provide an advantage. However if I was operating in extreme heat or cold or other severe conditions, I would most assuredly use a true synthetic but that is not going to occur in any conditions I would encounter or even consider mowing in.

20W50 is basically air cooled motorcycle oil. If you're having trouble finding it in your area ask the clerks where the motorcycle oil is. Wally World usually has it in a small separate section next to helmets etc. or a very small bottom shelf that's hard to find in the oil section.

Parts stores will usually have it also.

If you can't find it that way but live near a motorcycle dealership you can buy it there but it will probably be more$$

bigdaddyr said:

20W50 is basically air cooled motorcycle oil. If you're having trouble finding it in your area ask the clerks where the motorcycle oil is. Wally World usually has it in a small separate section next to helmets etc. or a very small bottom shelf that's hard to find in the oil section.

Parts stores will usually have it also.

If you can't find it that way but live near a motorcycle dealership you can buy it there but it will probably be more$$

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motorcycle oils dont have the friction modifiers like automotive oil has.

The best oil $ can buy off the shelf other than Amsoil is Shell Rotella,either the synthetic blend or full synthetic...ill fill my drives up with 15/40 and forget about it.
How do you guys like that!!...lol

Ric said:

Do and use what the manufacturer/ manual calls for, if it calls for a synthetic then use a synthetic if it calls for plain old 20w50 then use it. I ran the 2800 drives for 1400 hours total and used the plain 20w50 and never had an issue. I wouldn't recommend changing viscosity. If your manual doesn't say anything about synthetic then I wouldn't use it.

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Can I ask you a question ric?
which mower did have when you put 1400 hours on those drives,,also what motor/engine did it have in it,thats pretty impressive for non commercial drives?

577jersey said:

The best oil $ can buy off the shelf other than Amsoil is Shell Rotella,either the synthetic blend or full synthetic...ill fill my drives up with 15/40 and forget about it.
How do you guys like that!!...lol

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I'm not sure why you run a lighter weight oil. These transmissions use the oil as hydraulic fluid. So ruining a thinner oil would probably create more heat due to thinner oil squeezing by clearances in the trans.

turboawd said:

I'm not sure why you run a lighter weight oil. These transmissions use the oil as hydraulic fluid. So ruining a thinner oil would probably create more heat due to thinner oil squeezing by clearances in the trans.

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You would think a lighter oil would get through faster,the thicker oil would take more force to squeeze through,,but hey it is what it is....I didnt do my change yet,,and have another 50 hours to research it,,Im probably going to go with Royal Purple 20/50 with the extra zinc and phosphorus to be honest.

1) Air cooled motorcycle oils , air cooled mower oils and air cooled car oils all have different addative packs and are nothing like the same.
2) 20W 50 was the most common car oil till around 2000 when to meet with the EPA regulations on start up thinner oils were used which allowed the engine to spin faster at start up.
3) thinner oil in the hydros will leak a bit faster, but lubricate better then the heavier oils.
4) the thinner the oil the better it conducts heat so thinner oils heat up faster and cool better than heavier oils.

Where is the thumbs up button on this forum??

Fwiw... my dealer uses a partial synthetic 20/50 Kawasaki oil in the hydros. He tried to talk me into using the same brand but in 10/40 for the engine.... he said it has additives that aren't in car oils whether or not that's true I don't know but I can't believe it makes that big of a difference. I just did my 5-hour engine oil change and put in Mobil 10/40 5000 dyno oil.... may switch to the synthetics after 40 or 50 hours.
Kinda interesting that Hustler want you to change Hydro oil at 200 hours in the manual but hydro-gear says 400 is fine.

kraky said:

Fwiw... my dealer uses a partial synthetic 20/50 Kawasaki oil in the hydros. He tried to talk me into using the same brand but in 10/40 for the engine.... he said it has additives that aren't in car oils whether or not that's true I don't know but I can't believe it makes that big of a difference. I just did my 5-hour engine oil change and put in Mobil 10/40 5000 dyno oil.... may switch to the synthetics after 40 or 50 hours.
Kinda interesting that Hustler want you to change Hydro oil at 200 hours in the manual but hydro-gear says 400 is fine.

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I wont use those name brand propaganda snake oils like Kawasaki,Echo,Stihl,ect...those oils are blended at the same plants the other oils are.
You are just draining your wallet using them...if you do the research,you can find out where they are made.Shell Rotella has one of the best additive packages around for small engines,,its readily available and wont kill your wallet.

I have been interested in Royal Purple lately,,i saw a few videos on how it was better than Amsoil..still doing my research,,until then its going to be the tried and proven Shell Rotella..been using it for 30 years and never had an engine blow up,,use it in my street bikes also...the additive package is far superior to any Honda,Kawasaki,or Suzuki snake oil,,from my experience.

We had a cat 500 engine with over 1.5 million miles on it that was torn down to do cylinder sleeves,,the inside of the motor looked brand new,,no wear at all!!!
We used Rotella dino 15/40 from day one.

Isn't Rotella a diesel service oriented oil? What makes you think it has additives for small engines? Not saying it isn't possible but I'm curious. As far as Kawasaki oil draining my wallet it's $5 a court at my dealer which its pretty much in line with synthetic oils although it is a partial synthetic oil. What's I have no fears that a partial synthetic oil will hold up its qualities beyond the time where it becomes infected with debris and should be changed at any how.

kraky said:

Isn't Rotella a diesel service oriented oil? What makes you think it has additives for small engines? Not saying it isn't possible but I'm curious. As far as Kawasaki oil draining my wallet it's $5 a court at my dealer which its pretty much in line with synthetic oils although it is a partial synthetic oil. What's I have no fears that a partial synthetic oil will hold up its qualities beyond the time where it becomes infected with debris and should be changed at any how.

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Yeah,its a diesel rated oil,,you cant go wrong with the added ZDDP especially in small air cooled engines..there is plenty of info out there on the net about how Rotella dino and synthetic is great for our application,,just google it.

But as always ,,there will be controversy over anything like this so you do your research for yourself and make up your own mind...for me its Rotella and always has been.
Just dont run it in anything with a cat converter or the high ZDDP content could cause premature issues with that,,i never ran it in my gas car or truck...its also highly sought after by motorcycle enthusiasts,,great package for wet clutches...my bro has a Yamaha Vmax and it had noisy valves/lifters..he did a change with 15/40 rotella and the engine has been quiet ever since.15/40 IMO is far superior to ANY 30 weight energy conserving oil.

Most if not all engines running the Shell T-6 synthetic run alot cooler as well.

Thats my two cents...

Tom

Well... if one is to believe in and appreciate the API service designations I found this out by doing my research. As far as gas ratings go a lot of oils only meet SM designations which expired in 2010. Rotella T6 full synthetic is an SM designation as far as gas engines go. my fancy Kawasaki partial synthetic oil only makes SL ratings which are even lower grade... and good old basic mobil 5000 oil makes SN rating which is the latest API designation. Possibly in some cases the oil just hasn't been tested to see if it meets the latest designations... I would imagine it's pretty expensive to have your oil tested. Thinking that Rotella T6 is the latest and greatest shell product I would think they would be up to speed on the highest possible ratings .
They are probably all great oils and like I said earlier they are all going to hold up just fine and well past the point of contamination by debris where should be changed any how.... in the meantime I'm kind of satisfied to find my $13 per 5-quart Mobil 5000 makes the latest designations..lol.
Oil can be pretty much like a Chevy versus Ford versus Chrysler argument!?

577jersey said:

Where is the thumbs up button on this forum??

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When you hit the reply button they are on the right side.
If using a smart phone the position may be different.
There is also another one in the top line of the tool bar.
hit the smilley and it brings up a selection window.

kraky said:

Well... if one is to believe in and appreciate the API service designations I found this out by doing my research. As far as gas ratings go a lot of oils only meet SM designations which expired in 2010. Rotella T6 full synthetic is an SM designation as far as gas engines go. my fancy Kawasaki partial synthetic oil only makes SL ratings which are even lower grade... and good old basic mobil 5000 oil makes SN rating which is the latest API designation. Possibly in some cases the oil just hasn't been tested to see if it meets the latest designations... I would imagine it's pretty expensive to have your oil tested. Thinking that Rotella T6 is the latest and greatest shell product I would think they would be up to speed on the highest possible ratings .
They are probably all great oils and like I said earlier they are all going to hold up just fine and well past the point of contamination by debris where should be changed any how.... in the meantime I'm kind of satisfied to find my $13 per 5-quart Mobil 5000 makes the latest designations..lol.
Oil can be pretty much like a Chevy versus Ford versus Chrysler argument!?

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I hear that,I stopped debating oil back in the early internet days until recently,,Ill have to look into Mobile 5000,with that rating it must have a great additive package as well,,I was eyeing up the Mobile 1-15/50 for my first hydro service also,,its a toss up now between that,Royal Purple,or Rotella T-6.
T-6 is pretty thin though....

bertsmobile1 said:

When you hit the reply button they are on the right side.
If using a smart phone the position may be different.
There is also another one in the top line of the tool bar.
hit the smilley and it brings up a selection window.

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Thanks Bert!!