Safe to use ATF instead of regular hydraulic fluid?

If your tractor is a hydraulic drive, then only use the designated transmission oil for the machine, otherwise you may damage the drive motor components.

Most tractors have a 200 hour service time and that include filter changes also.

My small Kubota B2400 has 3800 hours on it and still going strong.

People will sometimes use ATF vs hydraulic fluid and I am sure, for most newer tractors, this is probably a mistake they only care to make once.........

unsquidly: "People will sometimes use ATF vs hydraulic fluid and I am sure, for most newer tractors, this is probably a mistake they only care to make once......... "

Is that because the seals and O rings used in certain parts are designed and made for specific purposes with specific oils and fluids, thus the wrong lubricant or oil can damage those items? Then other parts start to fail as a secondary consequence?

Jim

ATF is a hydraulic fluid, but I would still check to make sure.
What brand is the loader? Does it have it's own hydraulic system or does it run off the tractor hydraulics?

pioneerMan said:

I was using my tractor yesterday and the front bucket would only go so high. I raised and lowered it several times, and it just won't go as high as it used to. I'm guessing I need to check the hydraulic fluid.

My neighbor before he died left a new 5 gallon bucket of automatic transmission fluid. I read somewhere that people will sometimes use that in place of actual hydraulic fluid. Is this safe and/or wise?

Also, how is 800 hours of run time on this small tractor? Is there a certain number of hours that can be expected before it wears out?

Thanks!

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You can get by with Mopar ATF+4 synthetic with J20C for JD and Yanmar. They do this in the EU.

NTSOG said:

unsquidly: "People will sometimes use ATF vs hydraulic fluid and I am sure, for most newer tractors, this is probably a mistake they only care to make once......... "

Is that because the seals and O rings used in certain parts are designed and made for specific purposes with specific oils and fluids, thus the wrong lubricant or oil can damage those items? Then other parts start to fail as a secondary consequence?

Jim

Click to expand...

Most O rings and seals can cope with the different oils used in transmissions, the problem is the what they call the wet brakes, these are like a clutch setup on a motorcycle, steel disc and a fibre covered disc in multiples, the wrong oil will dislodge the fibre covering and render the discs useless and the fibre will clog the transmission filter, the same goes for the hydraulic transmission in my Kubota which also has wet brakes, I have to use specific UHT oil for the transmission.

ATF oil may be able to used in the OP's tractor, but before using, I would want to check the specs of the ATF oil and the specs for the oil required for the tractor.

G'day FredM,

Thanks for the explanation.

Jim

if purely used for hydraulics, there is actually quite a bit of leeway. Its when you start dealing with clutches and meshing gears that can become problematic.

ATF works as a substitute for power steering fluid, and in a pinch it works as chain saw bar oil. I wouldn’t recommend it for any other non-standard uses.

I wouldn't...ATF is too thin IMHO

pioneerMan said:

I was using my tractor yesterday and the front bucket would only go so high. I raised and lowered it several times, and it just won't go as high as it used to. I'm guessing I need to check the hydraulic fluid.

My neighbor before he died left a new 5 gallon bucket of automatic transmission fluid. I read somewhere that people will sometimes use that in place of actual hydraulic fluid. Is this safe and/or wise?

Also, how is 800 hours of run time on this small tractor? Is there a certain number of hours that can be expected before it wears out?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I would not chance it. could eat the seals up