Is this a logical decision..

[thatguy]

I am trying to make a decision whether to switch over my Dodge/Cummins and John Deere 2320 compact tractor to synthetic oil.

I have read through the old posts and didnt find any similar situations, since the problem is neither are used a lot..

The truck is a 2002 and only has 51k miles on it, and it gets used about 8k/yr.. I currently use rotella 15w40 and a Fleetguard Stratapore filter, and change the oil around 4k since most of the trips are pretty short/local.. (i have already switched the front and rear diff's to amsoil and have the fluid to do the transmission and 4x4 box).

The tractor gets used yr anyway. But it does get used a lot during hot weather - mowing the yard and rough cutting the fields, and the synthetics certainly wouldn't hurt then. (I have already switched the hydraulic/transmission and front axle over to amsoil)

Best/worst case I spend 2x the money ($12 dino vs $25 syn) on the tractor oil change and break even on the truck oil change cost (2x/yr to 1x/yr)..

Any suggestion or thoughts on what to do?

IF i do switch, I am thinking of the Rotella 5w40 or the Amsoil 5w40? Any thoughts there?



thanks

Brian

 

[Bambam]

Truck doesn't get used much and with 4k oci's = dino.

Tractor,again moderate to light use = dino.

No worries.

 

[Steve S]

Stratopore is a pricey filter for 4,0000 mile oil changes. The Cummins will las as long with syn or dino so dino is the choice.

 

[dnewton3]

I believe you're well within the capabilities of dino and traditional filters.

I would suspect you could go the whole 8k on dino with your truck; no need for two changes per year. A few used oil analysis would confirm this.

Same for the tractor. 100 hours is at or less than 6k miles equivilant.

 

[thatguy]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
I believe you're well within the capabilities of dino and traditional filters.

I would suspect you could go the whole 8k on dino with your truck; no need for two changes per year. A few used oil analysis would confirm this.

Same for the tractor. 100 hours is at or less than 6k miles equivilant.


Thanks to everyone for the feedback..

I never gave UAO's/synthetic oils/etc much thought until very recently.. My thoughts were for ~$20 used oil analysis I can do an oil change (less the filter cost) and be done with it...

On the truck they called for 3750 miles for severe and ~7k-ish miles for non-severe miles oil change intervals.. I thought I was 'stretching it' by going to 4k changes when i first got the truck, but it appears the joke may be on me. LOL

Just out of curiosity - Is there a standard formula that is used to convert hours to miles? In my work car my average mph is around 45 (based on the onboard computer), so that would convert to around 4500 miles per 100 hrs.. Is this even close?

Thanks

Brian

 

[dnewton3]

There's no joke on you. Just a learning curve that we all go through in the pursuit of knowledge.

When low mileage/use occurs per year, I'd have to agree that sometimes an OCI is simply cheaper than a used oil analysis. However, a used oil analysis can be beneficial to know if there are other problems occuring. I would suggest running perhaps 5k miles and take a sample without dumping the sump; it will likely come back fine for continued use. Then run it up to 7.5k miles or so; do another used oil analysis. At that point you'll near the end of your year, and you'll have a very good idea for how long you can sustain the OCI duration. Do this a couple of times and you'll probably find confidence in a once/year OCI on conventional.

Regarding the hours/mileage issue; it depends on how hard you run the equipment. When I think of a tracor used such as yours, it's typically being run at or near rated rpm for the PTO impelement. That would be akin to running at highways speeds, at least in my mind. So I estimate it at 6000 miles (100 hours x 60 mph). You certainly could say that the average is a bit less than that, depending upon the percent of time at rated rpm versus the time at idle or low rpm. Using your method, you come up with 4.5k miles/year; using mine it's 6k miles/year. It's only an estimate, but it's as good as any other quick mental note. Heck, split the differnce and say it's 5k miles a year (50mph average for 100 hours). Any way you look at it, one OCI/ year on conventional will easily cover this as well.

I'm a big believer in the advantages of synthetics, but only in a scenario where they makes sense. In short duration, low mileage OCI's dictated by a yearly change, synthetics don't make much sense.

 

[RWEST]

Quote:
In short duration, low mileage OCI's dicated by a yearly change, synthetics don't make much sense.

Unless you're after a special weight range (0W-30 or 40, 5W-40, 5W-50, etc..) that's not available in dino.

 

[lazaro]

bottom line, if you want to save a heap of cash operating your equiptment, synthetic oil and UOA is superior to doing mineral oil changes.
synthetics will last years longer than any mineral oil period.
I have done it and still benifit from using synthetic oils I purchased years ago in my equiptment.
I have plenty of USED OIL SAMPLES with years and tens of thousands of miles on oil that samples
Quote:
good for continued use

people argue with me but it is my equiptment not theirs.
I even lose friends over it, fine, seeya!
if you can keep synthetic oil clean with proper filtration it never needs to be changed, there is 35 years worth of information on this.

 

[dnewton3]

Lazaro hits the nail on the head. Synthetics are all about longevity of service.

If you can get past short OCI's, then synthetics pay off big time. You'll save by not having to buy a lot of oil.

But if you can't get past short OCIs (either mentally, or by warranty constraints), then dino's work just fine, and you'll save money by not wasting expensive oil.

It really comes down to the length of duration the lubricant is in service. Elasped time, severity of use, contaminants, costs, etc all play into this decision. Choosing a lubricant is not as simple as "use the stuff in the XXX bottle - it's the best". Too many variables to consider.

But if short OCIs are mandated (either by warranty or mentality) then dinos rule due to good performance/dollar spent.

 

[bullwinkle]

Cummins builds possibly THE most durable diesel engine EVER for light truck use-even with dino, changing it once a year/8K, your engine would outlast THREE '02 Dodge pickup bodies (unless you live in the Southwest, rust would get them, w/my '02 it was already setting in on the doors & cab). One thing that would concern me a little on the tractor would be leakage, even though some will disagree, syn cleans so well that you could get some new leaks on an older engine when you switch.

 

[Johnny]

thatguy, no matter which oil you decide to use, I would stick with a 15w40 for both of your applications.

 

[greenaccord02]

It's alot of oil to be changing so often with so few miles. I'd say do used oil analysis and filter changes with the synthetic and use the UOA to give yourself peace of mind while helping you determine an extended OCI. You might try the truck on 5W-40 just to see how it feels, but I would think the tractor needs 15w40 for sure.

 

[trik396]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Stratopore is a pricey filter for 4,0000 mile oil changes. The Cummins will las as long with syn or dino so dino is the choice.


Yet it's the only filter I'd use on my Cummins. Fleetguard. Period.

 

[thatguy]

Originally Posted By: trik396
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Stratopore is a pricey filter for 4,0000 mile oil changes. The Cummins will las as long with syn or dino so dino is the choice.


Yet it's the only filter I'd use on my Cummins. Fleetguard. Period.


I am definately sticking with the Strapore Fleetguard for my truck... I am going to extend my oil changes to about 6k and then do an UOA and see what is going on..

thanks for all the thoughts

Brian