I have a Hitachi zx35u and need to do a fluid change on hydraulics. Are other zinc free fluids like Phillips etc safe to mix with factory oil? It's a bit cheaper than the Hitachi oil.
Need to compare specs. Phillips might be able to tell you if their oil meets the Hitachi specs.
Are you talking about Conoco Phillips EcoTerra oil.? If so it’s a direct replacement for Hitachi 46HN factory fill oil.
I believe it's the powerflow nz 46. I think it replaced the eco terra. I just went to Hitachi dealer whom I had spoke with earlier to get some of the Hitachi branded fluid and they bring up case zinc free fluid. The guy said Hitachi told them they could use that in place of Hitachi fluid and they can't even get the Hitachi fluid right now. I said no thanks for over 140 bucks a bucket. The Deere dealer has it for 150 something a bucket. I think I'll just get a compatible fluid shipped to me. It's cheaper than the dealer. I almost cheaped out on some sinopec ashless for 64 a bucket but it just didn't seem right.
You have to be careful. Conoco Phillips Powerflow NZ 46 comes in 3 flavours. The one that is compatible with Hitachi OEM oil spec is Powerflow 46 NZ HE-E. The link below specifically mentions among the applications - "Hitachi construction equipment with 5,000-hour service intervals" POWERFLOW™ NZ HE-E HYDRAULIC OIL - Phillips 66 Lubricants Phillips 66® Powerflow NZ HE-E Hydraulic Oil is a high-quality, high viscosity index, zinc-free antiwear hydraulic oil developed for use in mobile equipment operating over a wide temperature range and in wet environments. It is specially formulated to emulsify readily with water to maintain... phillips66lubricants.com
Glad you pointed that out. I just read about it. They also have the nz E which says compatible with Hitachi but dry systems only whatever that means. I guess the EE emulsifies with water. I had read Hitachi did not publish certain specs of their fluid according to a pdf of chevrons clarity fluid compatibility.
Update......... The basic Powerflow NZ 46 does not meet any Hitachi Construction Equipment specification that I can see. NZ 46 HE-E is the biodegradable version NZ 46 HE is the "full fat" equivalent of HE-E that also meets the requirements of Hitachi EX46HN. From what I can find the 46 HE oil is the replacement for the Conoco EcoTerra 46HVI that we used in our Hitachi equipment a few years back. Do you have a Shell oils distributor anywhere close.?
I will check. I guess I'll just go to John Deere dealer and get factory oil. It's gonna be close to same price as ordering online and paying shipping.