Anything suitable for a Bobcat in a pinch when the Bobcat dealer is closed for the weekend?
I use Costal hydraulic fluid that I get from the local auto parts store. It is suitable for tractors as well and has never caused me a problem.
the owners manual for my '04 s185 says to use the engine oil of 15w-40 grade. the later model manuals for some of my other bobcats don't suggest using motor oil... but then they don't suggest anything except the bobcat fluid. now as far as i know, bobcat components and systems haven't changed much in the last 5 years...
I think it's a preferrence thing. I've seen guys that will use only OEM oil in their machines, and I'm ok with that. On the other hand, there are other quality oils out there that are suitable. After all, there's nothing unusual about the Bobcat hydraulic system, they use the same type of hyd components that are used thoughout the hyd world. IMHO, a good quality AW hyd oil will work fine. I prefer AW oil as opposed to RO hyd oil. RO oil has additives to inhibit formation of Rust and Oxidation. AW has these additives as well but also has Anti Wear additives, and doesn't cost much more. The debate is usually which grade to use, 32, 46, or 64. I'm going to climb out on the debate limb and say AW32. Some will say you need 46 or 64 to deal with heat, but the Bobcat has a pretty good oil cooler to control heat, so I think the AW32 will work just fine along with the oil cooler and give good cold weather performance. My 2
When I bought my 763F I talked to the bobcat mechanic and asked about engine oil for oil changes. I told him that I was using Delo400 and he said that was a good oil and I could use it anywhere on the machine that need oil, including the hyd system. I took his advice and have not had a problem in the 6 years that I have owned the machine.
Hey thanks for all the info, guys. I put some 32 in there and made my wife happy over the weekend....can't ask for much more than that.
In all 12 bobcat machines we use, We use 15w 40 ELF Diesel Engine oil in both the Engine and the hydraulics. They range from s185, s250, s300 and 435 excavators.