250w gear oil in brush hog

[thastinger]

Mine takes 00 grease, gear drive tiller does as well. That stuff does turn into a thick liquid once it gets heated up.

 

[Elkins45]

Mine leaked all the oil over the winter a couple of years ago. I bought a replacement seal but as a temporary measure I filled it to the top of the gears with 00 grease. I may never get around to replacing the seal because the grease seems to be doing a fine job. I’ve been told King Kutter is shipping them with grease instead of oil now, but I don’t know that as a fact.

 

[dlundblad]

I’d use what the manual says.

 

[userfriendly]

Cat Final Drive comes in 50 weight and 60…

https://www.petersoncat.com/sites/cat/files/downloads/Cat%20FDAO.pdf

cST at 100°C - 25.6
cST at 40°C - 338

Hard part is finding some in a gallon container…

5 gallons…

https://parts.cat.com/en/catcorp/184-6022

Cat FD-1 is not to be confused with Cat TO-4s.
The product I heard was developed by Caterpillar and www.teck.com

 

[cb_13]

Why not? At this point I believe most of the gear lube reservoirs on my tractor and implements have been filled with Morey’s Oil Stabilizer as it’s thick enough to not leak out and I inherited a bunch of it.

 

[JoshuaHouck]

I am on tractorbynet a bit and I've never heard of anyone actually wearing out a gearbox? Usually they break an input or output shaft or a gear in the first decade, or lose a seal and then people pump them full of corn head grease and carry on.
I got a chinese one and changed the oil to 85W140 and its been good for a decade now, and have broken a half dozen sheer pins, and even loaned it to my neighbor, and they tried to kill it but only bent the blades a little...

This is good to know. I have seen some very old rotary cutters still in operation, so I guess I may just be over-thinking this. Thank you!

 

[JoshuaHouck]

Why not? At this point I believe most of the gear lube reservoirs on my tractor and implements have been filled with Morey’s Oil Stabilizer as it’s thick enough to not leak out and I inherited a bunch of it.

I am actually using Lucas hub oil, which is a 250w gear oil. Seems to be working fine!

 

[dlundblad]

I am actually using Lucas hub oil, which is a 250w gear oil. Seems to be working fine!

My main concern would be long term and/ or unnecessary stress on the seals. Say it heats up and expands too fast or is simply too thick and the breather can’t keep up. I don’t know…

I’m guessing the manual wants some sort of 90 weight. Make sure your slip clutch is working and you shouldn’t have too much strain on the gearbox.

 

[wpod]

00 grease?

After it starts leaking

 

[wpod]

This is good to know. I have seen some very old rotary cutters still in operation, so I guess I may just be over-thinking this. Thank you!

Use what is recommended or higher and the gear box will last or it won't . Changing the oil is the best thing that can be done.

 

[Old fart]

Whenever I changed out the 90wt that all of mine have came with I used 85-140 and never had a issue.

 

[Elkins45]

The 00 grease has been in mine for three seasons now with no apparent issues. I can comfortably touch the gearbox after an hour of mowing heavy grass.

 

[oliver88]

We use 75w110 in ours....Thicker may actually Contribute to higher gearbox temps....Regardless I have not heard of a gearbox issue on "brush hogs" with any of the farmers I know. As was said above many are just plain broken by hitting a rock, etc. rather than wearing out due to use.