States ban sale of 303 THF

Sounds like the state is protecting me from myself by removing a 50 year old oil from the market.

I go to the store looking for oil for my modern tractor and buy 303 based on its lower price.
This in turn ruins my modern tractor because it is not the correct oil.

What the state forgot to consider is I may have a 50 year old tractor.
 

The term "303" is ambiguous in the way it is being used, and this will force them to put more specs on the label. And since most of these fluids are a modern 10w-30 base instead of the old 20wt base they exceed the old tractor specs by far. It does not take much to exceed type "A" hydraulic fluid, or m2c41 or m2c43a. Red dye color not withstanding.

They will probably simply call it "universal tractor hydraulic fluid" and drop the 303. Got to wonder if JD played a part in this?? 303 fluid actually closely resembles m2c53 fluids in specs.
 

The State’s stop sale order notes that a manufacturer can correct THF 303 product labeling and resume the sale of the products “after such products are validated as meeting the current [John Deere] J20C or J20D performance specifications” or specifications set by OEMs or standards-setting groups such as ASTM and SAE.
 
The 303 from what I was told is for tractors with wet brakes, change the label a little bit, and replace the "303" with "for tractors with wet brakes" if what I was told was true.
 
The original John Deere 303 fluid specification was based on sperm whale oil which was outlawed in the 1970's because sperm whales were put on the endangered species list and John Deere stopped using that specification back then. All of the oil companies that sell products claiming to meet the "303" specification are either lying or they are breaking federal laws by selling products with sperm whale oil in them.

You can read about it for yourself here:

[u:cd9f5f57dc]did_you_know_john_deere_303_thf[/u:cd9f5f57dc]
 


Lots of yellow generic utf's today are a 10w30 base oil today so the viscosity when cold is met. Early on when only straight wt oils were available, this was a problem and sperm whale oil was needed. The original type A fluid was based on a 20wt with red dye. Premium fluids have even a better base oil and more additives.

SAVE THE WHALES....

They will simply have to change the labeling to meets or exceeds.....j20c or m2c53 to get past this. Either way dropping the "303" and calling it utf will fix it. reminds me of the guys who sued because a 2"/4" is not dimensionally a 2/4.
 

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