My right tire hydraulic lines blew out! Ive got the new lines all attached, but now need to refill hydraulic oil. I am going with 20w50 per manual and a million forums lol.
Problem is, I cant find it! Everything that comes up when I search for "20w50 hydraulic oil" is either for motorcycles, planes, or they call it "motor oil".
Even the highly recommended Mobil 1 full synthetic 20w50 hydraulic oil says it is "motor oil" in the search results!
Did I miss class the day that hydraulic oil = motor oil, or have I just not found what I need yet?
Help!
Thanks!
Dee:confused2:
Scags use 20W-50 motor oil as fluid in the hydraulic drive system. You will never find 20W-50 "hydraulic" oil.
I don't recommend using 20W-50 synthetic motor oil in a Scag, however I have switched to synthetic motor oil in the hydraulic drive systems on other brands of machines both ZTRs and GTs.
Mad Mackie in CT:biggrin::laughing:
Thank you Mad Mackie!
I guess things that make no sense logically, actually do make sense! LOL, motor oil for the hydraulic system it is! :smile:
Could you explain why it is only for the Scags that you do not use synthetic oil? You just use traditional motor oil then for Scags?
I dont know what was put in this mower last! Is the hydraulic system the same as engine systems where once you do synthetic you can never go back to traditional?
Thanks!!
Hi DocDeeDC,
Several years ago I was chatting with the service manager at my local Scag dealer and I brought up synthetic oil in the drive system and he said you don't want to do that but he didn't elaborate, and went on to another subject. They are a large Scag dealer in my area with a great service department. They stock Wolf's Head 20W-50 dino motor oil and I bought some. In servicing older ZTRs I have run into 10W-40 in the hydraulic drive systems, 10W-40 is not a common oil any more and I switched them to 15W-40 Shell Rotella T motor oil. The motor oil requirement has to do with the style of gears in both the pumps and the wheel motors. Hydraulic oil is typically around 10 weight and not intended for the drive systems on most or all hydraulic drive ZTRs. Lower level ZTRs have hydrostatic drive units and use different oils.
Engines are very different and most newer ones use synthetic motor oil such as the B&S 26HP ELS on my Scag Tiger Cub that uses 5W-30 synthetic. You need to follow the engine manufacturers recommendations. All my larger power equipment engines are B&S and use 5W-30 synthetic year round. The assortment of motor oils that I stock is finally getting smaller, finally!!!!
Mad Mackie in CT:biggrin::laughing:
I switched both my Ingersoll GTs to 20W-50 full synthetic oil in the hydraulic drive system, There tractors are fully hydraulic drive, the pump is directly driven by the engine, which inturn supplies hydraulic pressure for the drive motor thru a travel control valve, and many attachments are hydraulicly driven also. On the engine front is either a manual clutch on older models or an electric that can drive belt driven attachments such as snowblowers, mowerdecks. Snow plows do not need a belt but are lifted by the hydraulic lift circuit as are the snowblowers and mowerdecks. Utilizing an accessory rear mounted hydraulic PTO, rototillers, Hydrabagger/Hydravac, log splitter, rear mounted brush cutter and many homemade attachments also can be utilized, some require a 3 point or sleeve adapter.
I switched both of these tractors to 20W-50 full synthetic motor oil. It takes several system flushes to evacuate all the old oil out. The 20W-50 synthetic oil was $9.50 per quart and I used two 12 quart cases to flush and fill both tractors, expensive!!! Both have Hydrabaggers and they add to the system volume. As these tractors get used year round, the synthetic oil in the hydraulic systems makes them easier to start in cold weather.
Those of you that are not familiar with Case and Ingersol Garden tractors, check them out, they are great, durable, and functional GTs. I have over 2,100 hours commercially mowing and snow removal between two Ingersolls. I recently sold the older one, a 1985 448 when I got comfortable with my new Scag Tiger Cub ZTR.
Mad Mackie in CT:biggrin::laughing:
Thanks for catching this... there are still Toooo many places that this Myth keeps turning up, and then another new generation of folks take it as true...
You can Always switch back & forth... there is No good reason to go back to mineral oil... but will not harm anything ever if you do...
Every hydraulic system that I have seen runs synthetic multi-viscosity "motor oil" ... :smile:KennyV
My Scag Tiger Cub operators manual says 20W50 motor oil, dealer says dino oil only. I just ordered a new Hustler X-One with a rear discharge deck and I have been reading the operators manual downloaded from Hustler. It is very emphatic about using 20W50 non synthetic in the X-One and Mobile One 15W50 synthetic oil in the Super Z. These two machines have pumps and wheel motors of different specs and different manufacturers.
Gotta read the operators manual. But a call to the service manager at a dealer is recommended as there may be a service bulletin from the manufacturer that over rides the operators manual servicing specs.
As I'm a member on four Case/Ingersoll Garden Tractor groups, frequently someone pops up that has put hydraulic oil in the system on their Case or Ingersoll GT and never had nor read the operators manual and didn't read the decal on the hydraulic oil reservoir, sometimes the decal is missing. Ingersoll calls for and distributes 20W40 nonsynthetic motor.
Mad Mackie in CT:biggrin::laughing:
It all depends on what the pump/wheel motor manufacturer calls for. Synthetic motor oil has relentless detergent qualities to it and this may be undesireable in some pumps/wheel motors.
Years ago I switched my hydraulic drive Ingersoll GTs to 20W50 synthetic and so far haven't had any problems, but now with ZTRs my Ingersolls don't get many hours on them. My Onan powered Ingersoll GT was much easier to start in cold weather with synthetic oil in the hydraulic system.
I've never heard of Hy-Tran Plus/Ultra but I don't deal much with hydrostatic drive machines and that may be why. Are the high end CC ZTRs pump and wheel motor driven? I know that the GTs are all hydrostatic and fortunately the state of the art in hydrostatic drive units has improved. I have heard of some with lots of hours on them with no drive problems other than belts.
I had a customer/friend that used Simplicity GTs in his lawn care business and I replaced several hydrostatic drive units in his machines for him. He retired from the lawn care stuff in 2004 due to a back injury. All his Simplicity GTs were from the 80s.
Mad Mackie in CT:biggrin::laughing:
Scag and other mower manufacturers must go along with what the pump and wheel motor manufacturers recommend for use in their products. Newer and higher end hydrostatic drives have been changed to full synthetic oil, but here again, the manufacturer of the drive unit has specified the type of oil to be used in their products and not the mower manufacturer. Compliance with the manufacturers specifications is necessary to maintain warranty requirements while the machine and or components are still on warranty, when the warranty has expired, then the operator is on their own. However maintaining specs is highly recommended.
