I picked up a John Deere 5210 (2.9 3cyl, NA) last year. It is a 1998 model with just under 3,000 hours. It appeared to have been well maintained and the previous owner said that he had always used JD filters and 15w-40 JD Plus 50 II oil. Mechanically sound. No leaks. It's given me great service.
The tractor is used for moving round bales/mowing/baling and general utility. In the spring and summer it is used for hours at a time, in the winter it is used long enough to move a few bales (but I always let it get up to temp).
I have followed the previous owner and run 15w-40 JD Plus 50 II and had no issues whatsoever, but a few cold starts last winter had me wondering. It has no block heater and I don't really want to install one (I'm off site from the farm, so it's hard to plug in/set a timer).
It rarely gets below 10F where I am, but there are usually plenty of 15-20F mornings.
Here's where I'm looking for guidance:
1) Would I be better off with a 5w-40 for winter/all-season use?
2) Would you switch a 3,000 hour tractor from conventional to synthetic?
Since the JD oil is a Chevron product (I think) I was leaning heavily toward Delo 5w-40.
Thanks
The tractor is used for moving round bales/mowing/baling and general utility. In the spring and summer it is used for hours at a time, in the winter it is used long enough to move a few bales (but I always let it get up to temp).
I have followed the previous owner and run 15w-40 JD Plus 50 II and had no issues whatsoever, but a few cold starts last winter had me wondering. It has no block heater and I don't really want to install one (I'm off site from the farm, so it's hard to plug in/set a timer).
It rarely gets below 10F where I am, but there are usually plenty of 15-20F mornings.
Here's where I'm looking for guidance:
1) Would I be better off with a 5w-40 for winter/all-season use?
2) Would you switch a 3,000 hour tractor from conventional to synthetic?
Since the JD oil is a Chevron product (I think) I was leaning heavily toward Delo 5w-40.
Thanks