Gear Lubricant For Brush Hog

[Lubener]

I have a Ford 951 brush hog purchased in 1988. I am wanting to change the gear box oil and cannot find what is recommended or what is an equivelant oil. I see similiar industrial lubes in drums but I need only a few quarts. The manual suggests any of these lubricants:

Sunoco 850EP
Gulf Mining Lube HD
Mobile EP023

Finally generic, NLGI Grade 000 grade EP.

I am not sure differential gear oil is an equivelant and would appreciate any advice.

 

[Elkins45]

I realize this isn’t even remotely an answer to your question but this is what I’m using in mine. The seal failed and all the oil leaked out but this has just enough viscosity that it stays put. It’s been in there for three mowing seasons and seems to be working fine. The gearbox never gets too hot to touch.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/super-s-cotton-picker-spindle-grease-00

 

[dnewton3]

Any GL-5 75w-90 will be good for the application.
Conventional or syn; your choice.

 

[thastinger]

Any gear oil will be fine in there, bulk 80-90 from tractor supply will be fine. If it leaks and you don't want to mess with the seals, fill it with 00.

 

[cptbarkey]

I have a newer Frontier RC2060 that takes 80w90 but haven't serviced it yet. I figure if I put in 75w90 it would triple the service interval.

I found the manual pdf for your model, it looks like it was written with an old school typewriter. Even tried to google the older grease recommendations but didnt come up with much except the Gulf brand seems to still being offered.

 

[CheezWhiz]

what about corn head grease?

 

[jeepman3071]

I would use gear oil unless it leaks really bad. I typically use whatever 80w90 or 85w140 I can get on sale in both my own brush hog and my grandfather's. The last time I did a change my local New Holland dealer actually had their 80w90 on sale for a better price than even the store brand stuff at the auto parts store.

They aren't too picky on lube, as they don't spin all that fast. The important thing is keeping oil in them, and changing it if you store the equipment outside and have moisture intrusion.

 

[JHZR2]

If it says grease, I wouldn’t put gear oil in personally. Id want to know what the grease base was and then get something similar.

Lubriplate 105 is the easiest to find 0- spec grease I’ve found. But it may be too heavy, and may not be the right base…

Have you tried to find an old pds on any of the listed greases?

 

[IndyIan]

Any GL-5 75w-90 will be good for the application.
Conventional or syn; your choice.

This is what I would do, the grease is only if the seals are gone and you don't think you are going to put too many more hours on it, or you are going to reseal it at the end of the season.
There must be some rule of thumb for how much shorter a greased gearbox lasts or how much less hp in can handle before overheating?

 

[mattwithcats]

Mobillux ep023…

https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-businesses/heavy-duty-lubricants/product-series/mobilux-ep-series

 

[JHZR2]

This is what I would do, the grease is only if the seals are gone and you don't think you are going to put too many more hours on it, or you are going to reseal it at the end of the season.
There must be some rule of thumb for how much shorter a greased gearbox lasts or how much less hp in can handle before overheating?

If the manual specifies a 000 grease, why would you imply that it’s only for a failed machine with a few hours left?!?

 

[IndyIan]

If the manual specifies a 000 grease, why would you imply that it’s only for a failed machine with a few hours left?!?

Well I’m guessing there’s a reason why diffs and gearboxes usually filled with oil? More consistent lubrication, better cooling, and easier to replace the oil than clean out grease when servicing.

 

[JHZR2]

Well I’m guessing there’s a reason why diffs and gearboxes usually filled with oil? More consistent lubrication, better cooling, and easier to replace the oil than clean out grease when servicing.

Diffscand gearboxes for what? Cars? Trucks?

Not saying you’re wrong. It’s just that the specified products aren’t oils. They’re greases.

The PDS for Mobil 023 does kind of confirm your comment:

“Mobilux EP 023 are particularly suitable for the lubrication of enclosed gears and bearings in poorly sealed gear cases they can also be used in many other industrial applications where conventional gear oils cannot be retained in gear cases, chain cases, etc. because of leakage due to worn or missing seals”

Its base oil is 23.4 cSt.

 

[ripcord]

Grease is rated by thickness. 000 grease is the thinest and it goes up from there to 00, 0, 1, 2 all the way up to 6 as the thickest. 2 is the weight of grease most are familiar with and is commonly used for wheel bearings, ball joints, etc.

000 grease is very thin, almost like super heavy gear oil. Some brush hogs call for 250 weight gear oil. If you can't find an EP 000 grease, that's what I would try to find.

 

[IndyIan]

Diffscand gearboxes for what? Cars? Trucks?

Not saying you’re wrong. It’s just that the specified products aren’t oils. They’re greases.

The PDS for Mobil 023 does kind of confirm your comment:

“Mobilux EP 023 are particularly suitable for the lubrication of enclosed gears and bearings in poorly sealed gear cases they can also be used in many other industrial applications where conventional gear oils cannot be retained in gear cases, chain cases, etc. because of leakage due to worn or missing seals”

Its base oil is 23.4 cSt.

I think the first 2 are oils and the last two recommended are greases. Maybe it doesn't matter much but I like to have oil in my rotary cutter and change it every few years. I'm not sure how I would do that with grease other than taking it apart?

 

[JHZR2]

I think the first 2 are oils and the last two recommended are greases. Maybe it doesn't matter much but I like to have oil in my rotary cutter and change it every few years. I'm not sure how I would do that with grease other than taking it apart?

00 grease will flow. This is 000 grease, even more fluid. So I would suspect that it’s in the cards for it to flow out. If it’s ghat badly abused and not maintained, then maybe it should be opened up?

 

[Elkins45]

This is what I would do, the grease is only if the seals are gone and you don't think you are going to put too many more hours on it, or you are going to reseal it at the end of the season.
There must be some rule of thumb for how much shorter a greased gearbox lasts or how much less hp in can handle before overheating?

King Kutter is shipping some of their newer brush mowers with grease instead of oil.

 

[Lubener]

King Kutter is shipping some of their newer brush mowers with grease instead of oil.

My Ford has something in it thicker than gear oil.

 

[IndyIan]

King Kutter is shipping some of their newer brush mowers with grease instead of oil.

Another Lifetime(or at least covers the warranty) fill!
I guess these don't usually see consistent high loading like a truck diff while towing would, and straight bevel gears are pretty efficient so maybe heat is never an issue? 1-3% heat loss isn't bad with 40-80 hp for the size of the gears I suppose.

 

[Lubener]

I realize this isn’t even remotely an answer to your question but this is what I’m using in mine. The seal failed and all the oil leaked out but this has just enough viscosity that it stays put. It’s been in there for three mowing seasons and seems to be working fine. The gearbox never gets too hot to touch.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/super-s-cotton-picker-spindle-grease-00

That's what I eventually settled on....Thanks