oil for a tractor

[JR]

I just started using a old farmall "H". I have no clue to what year it is, just that its old. I bought it for 300 dollars. Had a new battery, generator, rebuilt magnito, and fresh tune-up. I am using it to pull trees that I cut down in the woods. I am clearing just alittle over 35 acres of hard oak maple and ash so I am putting the hours on it. I have been put anywhere from six to ten hours on it a day, five and six hours a day. I was wondering what kind of oil, weight I should use? Everyone I know tells me a straight 30 non-detergent. Then again my grandpa has a few of these old farmall and swears by good ol pennzoil 10w30. Also how long would be a decent oci.

JR

 

[RinconVTR]

We run 10w-40 Havoline in our Farmal Super H and AC WD-40. They'll run about anything being liquid cooled and low RPM motors. So make sure the fan belt is good and you can feel the fan moving a lot of air, and the radiator is always full of coolent.

The SAE 30 non-detergent can be used, and the thought behind the old school oil is the motor is awefully full of deposites and this oil wont break them up and circulate the junk. Thats the theory anyway.

We run detergent oil just fine, and if your tractor has seen 10w30 in the past, you know your fine too.

 

[Donald]

If the prior owner used non detergent oil then you need to slowly introduce detergent oil. Like fill with 1 QT detergent and 4 QT non detergent, then 2 and 3 and so on. But my guess is that the prior owner used detergent oil. I would go for 10W30. Straight 30 (HD) might be good if you only planned to use the tractor in the summer, but if you use it year round then you need a 10W30 or similar.

 

[Sparkman]

Sorry to hijack but this is very closely related...

I rent a house on 23 acres, and there is an old Ferguson in the barn for mowing the pasture.

This thing has been severely neglected. When we moved in it misfired so badly that it didn't have enough power to mow. I tuned it up somewhat and now it runs better, though new points, plugs, and a carb rebuild are pending.

In the garage I found various quarts of 20w-20 and straight 30. Presumably all of the equipment that the owners left when they moved has one of these in it. The oil in the tractor is very thin, but I think it's suffering some fuel dilution from the bad ignition and carb condition. Pressure starts at about 60 PSI when cold, but goes down to about 15 PSI when hot, the cooling system seems fine.

Will I dislodge all sorts of deposits and cause the seals to start leaking if I use a 15w40, which I really think the ole girl is begging for? I bought a new cartridge filter on the internet, I'm ready to go!!

 

[bruce381]

I'd change the oil hot to whatever you want and change filter often to chatch the gunk
bruce

 

[widman]

I'd put a heavy duty 10w30 in it and monitor it. If it gets thicker, change it. Did this with someone's pickup and we changed it out 3 or 4 times at about 5 day intervals until it was ready for longer periods.

 

[old farmer]

I like 15w40 for most of the year, but did you know Shell sells Rotella HDEO in a 10w30 grade, which would be good for the colder weather?
My MF35 manual says 5 w or 5w20 from -10 to +10 Fahrenheit, 10 wt from 10 to 32 deg, 20 or 20w20 from 32 to 90 deg, 30wt above 90 deg.
Light specs aren't they? So I think 10w30 or 5w30 for colder temps would fill the bill.
But a worn old engine might like 15w40 in warm weather.

 

[SWD6]

We have the w4 here, same engine as your h . We use 10w30 diesle engine oil in it and the Super W6 with no problems. If detergent oils hurt it , it was time you repaired it any way

 

[HM12460]

i like to use the diesel rated hdeo in these old tractors. mobil delvac 1300 or the shell rotella t is also a very good oil. i use the delvac in my john deere's.

 

[onion]

I'm partial to 15W40 HDEO's, myself... but an old tractor will run on most any reasonable motor oil that you pour in.

As far as OCI goes, 100 hours is a commonly accepted interval for old junk. You could estimate the hours if you use it a lot... or if it's a 12V system, you can pick up an hour meter for about $20.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Please don't use the non-detergent oil... Try whatever brand and weight you like, use your oil intuition....

 

[HM12460]

the old farmall A,B,C,H,M were pretty good old tractors. the M was one of the most popular of all time, just like the john deere 4020 diesel. they'll run and do well on most any oil you put in them, within reason. i'd suggest shell rotella t, mobil delvac 1300 for conventional oil, 15w40, or maybe even mobil delvac 1 or the rotella equivalent is the engine has been recently overhauled. don't forget to change the gear oil in the transaxle also! very important in these old tractors.

 

[onion]

My grandpa has a farmall M... bought it new (don't remember what year he said- roughly half a century ago). A few years back, he told me that the County had the same model of tractor, bought the same year. He told me about all the money that the County had wasted, changing that gear oil every few years. He's never changed it- EVER. Now, Pappaw will turn 92 in a few weeks, so I seriously doubt that I'd be able to change his mind about anything. Also, he doesn't use the old M much these days... so I didn't preach the oil-changing gospel to him. I reckon he HAS saved several dollars over the years, and it hasn't caused him any problem.

 

[occupant]

http://www.farmall-h.com/dates.htm

Serial number will tell you what year it was produced. That whole site is chock full of tractor info. I have a 1949 M myself, and couldn't be happier with it.

And Delvac 1300 will be used every hundred hours or so, which at the current rate I'm mowing the 8-acre yard (4 hours a week) will be about twice a year. Sounds fair to me, hope the machine feels the same way. The four gallons or so in the shed should be a good starting stash and I'm watching for rebates.