Just bought a 2002 773G bobcat, hydraulic oil is low so I called dealer. A 2.5 gallon jug is $40 , it just seemed pretty high . Is their hydraulic oil that good or can I buy another brand that is as good or better for a better price. I don't want to cheap out , then again I don't want to throw money away. I seek knowledge!
A good quality brand of AW hyd oil will work fine. The debate is usually which grade. I've used AW32 in Bobcats for years, others would recommend the higher viscosity grade AW46, probably works just as well. IMHO, AW32 works just fine because Bobcat's have a fairly good oil cooler to control high oil temps. I purchased 10 buckets of Shell AW32 a week ago and they were $38 per 5 gal bucket.
I used to do the same thing with my Kubota tractor. The dealer recommended fluid was ridiculously expensive. I went to the local auto parts store and bought the same SAE certified type of fluid for a lot less. Never had a problem. :my2c
We have been using aw32 hydro oil for years now no problems
Do you need to drain the Bobcat oil that is already in the machine? I'm using a Case 1845C and a Bobcat T190 and switching my 4-in-1 bucket back and forth. I'd like to just put AW46 in everything just like my Kubota KX121-3. Make life a lot simpler. I know that the Case has 10W30 w/HTO additive in it right now. Anybody know if I'll be making a huge mistake adding NAPA AW46 on top of what's in these machines and then running them like I stole them?
Bobcat will not officaly release the the weight of the oil, but my part guy heard at schooling that it is close to a 20 weight. We tell people who are to far away to come shop is look for something that says hydraulic/ hydrostatic.
thats what i've heard too i tell people not to use "universal tractor fluid" find some oil thats rated for use with hydrostatic drive systems. oil formulas have changed so much over the past 25+ years, it's hard to keep up anymore. :beatsme BTW bobcat no longer recomends using engine oils in hyd systems (6/06) anymore, engine oil is probably the worst thing you can use, especially with the newest low ash oils for the EFI engines :drinkup
Personally, for the cost, at work I just buy what the manufacturer recommends. I figure the cost, every 1000 hours or so, is not worth the down time $. Now, for my own machines, down time is not an $ issue but a frustration issue. I have had to scrimp and save to get them, so I still figure fluid is cheap. Other repairs I might go cheap, but for fluids I try to get a cheap generic equivalent. If I can not ascertain one, I get the manufactures recommended.
I have been running 2 nine seventy five (975) bobcats séance 1982 and have only used 15/40 Delo motor oil in them. 1 of the machines has had a new motor replaced due to running it upside down for a short time starving the motor for oil and wiping out the bearings. The replacement motor was turbo charged bumping the HP from 85HP to 125HP. Both machines have over 10,000 hours on them and run great except for the sun strand hydrostatic pumps are getting weak. each time I change hydraulic oil (still 15/40 Delo) they run strong for about 6 months. At the time these machines were new Bobcat recommended Delo 15/40 motor oil for the hydraulic system. 33 gal each.
Yea you could use another brand but it must to have "antifoam on it" And no bobcat hydraulic/hydrostatic oil is NOT 20 weight ,must like 46 but in olders units 32 works fine,I worked for a bobcat dealership for 9 years, shop foreman for 4 years.
Yea you could use napa 46 but 32 napa will worked better for you One of my customer had a Takeuchi 150 ,case 450 and a bobcat S250 Takeuchi takes engine diesel oil,case engine oil SAE and bobcat hydraulic anyhow,he used the same breaker for all 3 machines and everything works fine
The service manual for the 753 says 10/30 oil.
The CAT dealer sent me some literature in the mail. I noticed they wanted $110 a 5 gallon bucket for their hydraulic oil. For that price that oil better cure cancer.
bobcat no longer recomends using engine oils in hyd systems (6/06) :drinkup
Was that for equipment built from 6/06 and on or is it for even older equipment? Thanks, I had not heard of that.
for everything hydrostatic drive. oil formulas have changed drastically over the years, back in the day, oil was oil, but not anymore, engine oils have added and taken out certain additives, engine oil doesnt have the correct antiwear and antifoaming additives. fwiw, it wouldnt bother me to use engine oil in the hyd system of a 30 year old machine, i wouldnt do it to anything made is the last 15 years tho :drinkup
Keep running the Delo. My 974's worked great. The newer machines are the ones that they recommend the hydrolic fluid. I would think the wt debate could also have something to do the location of the machine. Alaska gets a little colder than Florida
i have been looking for an alternative also.i have a 1993 bobcat 980 and its hydraulic system holds 34 gals so i was looking for something cheaper than the 5 gal bobcat fluid which is about $90 here. they told me at the dealer 10-30 motor oil would be fine,but idk if i would be comfortable using that and when talking to the guys at the parts store it would actually be higher than bobcats fluid.they sent me home with some utf but after doing some further research i think i need to take it back and get something else.i hate to spend $600-$700 in fluid to replace all the hydraulic fluid throughout the machine but i dont want to use the wrong stuff and start replacing pumps and other things as well.any info?
We have constantly had this debate around the shop, we have Cats, Bobcats, New Hollands, Kubota, and a few oddities. Per the owner we buy all the OEM hydrostatic fluids. I always kinda chuckle when I think what is the point we switch and move attachments to different machines daily... Really 1 machine could have 3 kinds of fluid its system.
I also run AW32 In all of my bobcat equipment you can puck up a 55 Gallon drum of it at your local car quest, and it will not harm your equipment. all 3 of my machines where built in 2008, and have over 4000 hours on them. I have been running car quest AW32 in them ever since the first Hydro oil change at 1000 hours.
For what it's worth, I talked to a guy who had an older jug of the Bobcat oil, and he said it had Mobil DTE 15M on the label in small print as well. Mobil DTE 15M Has been replaced by Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46, which is an AW 46 hydraulic oil.
They CHANGED the formulation of Delo, It is NOT what it used to be, in order to comply with new emissions regulations!!!
Bobcat oil for $32.85 per bucket delivered free https://www.walmart.com/ip/AW-32-Hydraulic-Oil-Fluid-ISO-VG-32-SAE-10W-5-Gallon-18-Liter/792140101