Tractor hydraulic oil

pinball

Well-known Member
Had to go to town to get couple oil filters. Stopped at Orchelns. They had 303 hyd/trans fluid oil on sale. 20 bucks for 5 gallon. Good price to me.
 
(quoted from post at 15:01:13 09/22/16) Had to go to town to get couple oil filters. Stopped at Orchelns. They had 303 hyd/trans fluid oil on sale. 20 bucks for 5 gallon. Good price to me.

I've been running it in my tractors and backhoe for years with no problems. I don't have any JD tractors. I might be a little leery of it in some of the newer tractors.
 
That is pretty good - a $1 a quart. But I would only use it in older hydraulic systems or in systems that used to specify 20W nondetergent oil. They can print its compatible with what ever oil they want on the side of the bucket - but you can't get any kind of additive package for a $1 a quart - I don't think you even get 20W nondetergent for a $1 a quart.
 
Bet it was $19.99 not $20 but whats a penny now days. They have been having it on sale on and off all summer for $19.99. I picked up a couple of them a month of so ago for that. Same stuff from O'Reilly's is $45 or so
 
Depends on what it goes in. 303 is yellow bucket. I got a white bucket of Universal Hydralic for 29.99 yesterday. It has a list of specs on back of bucket, I needed the Ford-New Holland for the 134ABCD spec. This is about half price of a couple years ago.
 
I'm always so tempted to use that stuff just due to price. I use it in the hydraulic system on the Farmall M. The 886 gets true HyTran and the Deeres get HyGuard. I just don't have the guts to try it and find out if it works.
 
I believe "303" refers to the old John Deere transhydraulic fluid from the 1960s. 303 was a step above 20W nondetergent oil and was never recommended to be used in a powershift transmission. John Deere came out with Hyguard to put in their powershift transmissions and eventually stopped selling "303". I probably wouldn't use it in an 886 either because of the TA. Although I do have "303" it in my Farmall 350 because of the mechanical TA.
 
If you read carefully you notice it doesn't name a specific spec it meets, it basically dances around the question with wording that says it can be used in tractors requiring this oil. I use it in simple hydraulics, the old Ford's, gear pumps on the loader, all these are pretty basic and don't need much for goodies. It doesn't go in anything with wet brakes or clutches like the Deere reverser in my 210c backhoe.
 
Don't use it in the 886 IH. I'm almost positive that's what took my TA out. That oil got so hot I couldn't touch the main case on the tractor, and the hydraulics quite working. Let it cool down, drained the hydraulic oil and changed a very nasty filter. Replaced with hy-tran and all was well for a short time, then TA started slipping bad. Put in new TA and oil, never had an issue again with the hydraulics heating up or not working properly.
That said, I do use the 303 oil in all my older tractors like Farmall H, John Deere B, and even my 4020 John Deere with no issues at all. The 886 was the only one that gave me fits with that oil.
 

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