Interesting article on oil break down.

I'm no oil expert, actually no expert at all. After getting conflicting advice from my hyd shop and the owner's manual on my terramite I decided to go some surfing on oil break down. After reading a few articles on hyd oils and motor oils, I've decided to follow terramites recommendations, use motor oil and not Hydraulic oil.

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Although distinctly different, thermal failure, oxidation and the effects of compressive heating all result in a change in the fundamental chemistry of the base oil molecules. However, because the changes that occur are often chemically different, it stands to reason that the observable effect - the used oil analysis test data - will also differ. For this reason, it is vital to assess how likely it is that each mechanism will occur, so that appropriate test slates can be devised to account for all likely scenarios.
machinery lubrication

Sounds like a bunch of techno-babble to me. Seems to contradict itself, but not committing to a specific outcome.
When oil is used mostly for lubrication, I can see that it would become contaminated with residue from the friction of the moving parts. In an engine, there is always some blow by that contaminates the oil. BUT....at the same time, back in the '70s, I recall a number of "old timers" insisted that re-refined oil was the best thing to use because it had already had the paraffin burned out of it. There was no talk of oil breakdown.
I would think that oil used in a hydraulic system would last a long time, and would eventually become contaminated with material from the pump or cylinders it operates.
I would think that things like residue from combustion, wear from moving parts, and heat would be the determining factors in deciding when oil should be changed.
Keep in mind that not everything you read on the 'net is factual or truth. The oil producers have a vested interest in selling you more oil. The equipment makers have a vested interest in making your equipment last longer (but not TOO long <grin>). These days, it seems that everybody has an agenda.

I guess I'd sure have to go with what the MFG. says to use. I even go so far anymore as to buy my oil and filters from the MFG. for most of my stuff.
I was looking at a Case TLB one time and was surprised it said to use motor oil in the hyd. ?
I'd never heard of this before as I'd always been around Deere's that use Hy-Gard in the HYD.
and IH farm tractors that used Hy-Tran.
It does make perfect sense though just as the Case manual stated as this way you only NEED to keep one oil around.

I thought the majority of the oils out there where asphalt base with the paraffin based coming from the Pennsylvania type oils. Bill

At my MF dea;ers one fine day, I asked what oil he preferred in the MF Perkins engines, Valvoline, Pennzoil, Q-State???? He gave me a look, reached over and grabbed some MF-10W-40, said "Why not what the engine manufacturer recommends?" I reaelized it was almost the same price, and I could not think of any reason to take a chance on engine damage for saving $1 on a quart of oil.

I can agree with you, the whole science of oil sounds like a bunch of babble, but in the end, it's all true. The majority of people rarely keep a machine long enough, or whatever to run into a situation where they actually see the quality and type of oil they use ever do anything for them.

In my case, I work on equipment for a living, and have witnessed what happens with enough customers, that I have seen how it works.

The best examples I can give are from customers that use a high really grade oil in their equipment. One has been using this companies products, exclusively, for over 40 years. In that time he has never had a lubrication related failure in his equipment. Two prime examples from him was a 3306 CAT engine that had been in operation for 12 years before being pulled down to repair a liner that had a hole in it due to electrolysis. Every measurement in that engine, rods, mains, etc, all came back standard. Dad worked at CAT building engines for a number of years and said he had never seen that happen with an engine with so many hours. Two years back he had to get the main hydraulic pump on his 345B excavator rebuilt. It was just shy of 10,000 hours when it was pulled and taken to the shop. The guys at the shop were amazed that it had so many hours on it as their experience was usually closer to 5,000 to 6,000 hours before the pumps needed serious attention.

In the second case the customer ran rock drills. The engine driving the compressors were going through turbos every 9 months, give or take. Too his compressors were often pushing the upper limit on oil temps during the summer months. I finally got him started on the oil used by the customer I just mentioned. Turbo life went to well over 2 years, and compressor temps dropped by 10 degrees, just from changing to a better quality oil.

In the end, your right, it does all sound like a bunch of techno babble, and I can't say I understand the science, but I can surely understand the results I've seen.

Well problem is your customer with the "good" oil now has over 40 years real world experience with it and back when he first tried it he had to take said salesmans word it was this great.
So the real problem now is which salesman or advertisement does one believe ???? if you want to switch and hope you get the "GOOD" stuff.

If you want any info on Engine Oil, Hydraulic oil or anything in between, head over to the Ford 8N site and look up The Old Hokie.
He can and will supply you with anything that you need to know about what is in any oil, differences, which is best and where to use what and why and back it up with solid concrete data.

greywolf224

Do you remember when Kendall was advertized as the "2000" mile oil? Do you remember when oil filters were "optional-extras"? In the 1940's, my Dad hadda boss that would NOT order heaters for company vehicles. He didn't want the crew settin' inside outta the COLD WIND. My Dad was 6'5", do you know how hard it was to gitta sheepskin coat to fit? And size 13 leather boots? NO rubber overshoes either. I can remember the smell of him melting "Neats-foot" oil on the kitchen stove pilot lite so he could "waterproof" his boots. My brother almost wasn't drafted fer Vietnam 'cuz he wore size 15 shoes. The army actually had custom boots made for him. Me? I measure a size 11, but 12's feel so good I buy size 13. .......shoeless Dell

For what it's worth---I know lubricating fluids have changed tremendously since the 60s but during my Automotive Certification, we were instructed that Motor Oil gets dirty (contaminated) but doesn't break down. Hydraulic fluid (auto trans fluid) breaks down and looses it's viscosity.
Back in the day, there was lots of recycled (cleaned) motor oil, but I never saw any recycled hydraulic fluids.
Like I said, this was back in the day, but I go by this previous training today.