I see the yellow bucket oil is on sale at my local farm store. I am wanting to get some and run it in my tractors, they all leak very bad, so will this be okay?
303 yellow bucket good enough for my needs?
- Thread starter WillBrinkhoff
- Start date
I wouldn't use 303 oil in anything. It's an ancient spec.
I guess its better than no oil! How old are these tractors and how much to they leak? Probably the little tractors from the 30's, 40's and 50's just needs something oily in there and this is very similar to what they ran on for decades. I suppose you could mix it 50/50 with a good THF? If you aren't cold starting often or working them really hard in the heat of summer, a low quality oil might be fine.
I don't have much experience with the old tractors though, mine is a newer HST so THF is the last place you want to cheap out on... My buddy has a TE-20 and he puts the cheapest stuff he can find in it and it's been fine for the 15 years he's had it, but I don't see how much metal is in the used oil that comes out... Who knows, he might be cutting its service life down to 90 years instead of 100?
The tractor leaks quite a bit so I offered my used 400hr THF, but I don't really know how used up it really is?
I don't have much experience with the old tractors though, mine is a newer HST so THF is the last place you want to cheap out on... My buddy has a TE-20 and he puts the cheapest stuff he can find in it and it's been fine for the 15 years he's had it, but I don't see how much metal is in the used oil that comes out... Who knows, he might be cutting its service life down to 90 years instead of 100?
The tractor leaks quite a bit so I offered my used 400hr THF, but I don't really know how used up it really is?
For the cylinders alone in a multi reservoir system it's fine. For everything else I wouldn't so if it has a single reservoir for everything that's a no. It's inadequate. I do have an old yellow bucket that i use only just for basic outer lube and parts coating but I won't be buying another as a much better bucket is only slightly more.
Something that meets j20c would likely be better, at least its still a current standard. The price difference can't be that much.
The yellow bucket tractor fluid is so sketchy there is a class action lawsuit over it.
It's just not worth the gamble. The best if it might barely meet an ancient obsolete standard. The worst of it doesn't even come close to meeting standards even for older tractors.
In my town I can get Harvest King Premium tractor fluid for $55 a pail at Runnings, or Traveler Premium tractor fluid for $60 at Tractor Supply.
Both are good fluids and actually meet specs for most tractors.
It's just not worth the gamble. The best if it might barely meet an ancient obsolete standard. The worst of it doesn't even come close to meeting standards even for older tractors.
In my town I can get Harvest King Premium tractor fluid for $55 a pail at Runnings, or Traveler Premium tractor fluid for $60 at Tractor Supply.
Both are good fluids and actually meet specs for most tractors.
