Cub Cadet Hydrostatic Transmission Fluid

: What is Cub Cadet Hydrostatic Transmission Fluid? I am really getting tired of paying $7 per quart for what I suspect is ATF or hydraulic fluid. If anyone knows, please contact me. My dealer has understandably been less than helpful here!

I personally think a transmissions worst enemy is water! More bearings go from rust and flaking bearings. The dirt is not good, but generally has destroyed far fewer gears, bearings, and hyd pumps than uncontrolled moisture. I've overhauled a number of larger Hydro tractor transmissions, and always liked doing it, because the Hytran on my hands would make my skin as soft as my wife's and the dirt and oil would be lifted out of the cracks in surface skin. I've seen Hydro's destroyed in very short times by oils that had a crafty salesman, but not even a fraction of the quality of Hytran.

Hytran is a 10wt. hydraulic transmission fluid, built to control moisture and bubbles in hydraulics. I've never seen one that will do better. A farmer with good maintenance habits can get good service from his Hydro as his reward. Never use a heavier oil in a Hydro. It will cause much more heat! A hydro has much higher oil pressures, and this can really cas foaming in some lesser oils! You could buy Hytran from the CASE-IH dealership where I work, for $5 a gallon. They buy it in a bigger bulk tank, for the better price.

I agree that using the manufactures brand is the safest bet when it comes to the different oils & Fluids for that manufactures tractor.
I also agree that HYTran is a very good fluid!

Its very common to move the plow, disk, harvester, planter and other hydraulically operated implements from tractor to tractor - International to John Deer to Ford to Oliver.

So, at the end of the season what oil is in what tractor? My guess is some of the oil from every tractor that shared any implement.

The fluid used on my dad's farm was HYTran most of the time. But on occasion we used other brands (Wolf's Head comes to mind as one) that specified that it met or exceeded the IH Hytran Spec, Dextron II Spec, Dextron III spec, Mercon Spec, and John Deere's Spec. Also, I do remember the white 5 gal HYTran bucket from IH that said it was Dextron II in the pre Tenneco days.
I've got to believe that once an oil company took control of IH that it had a good business reason to discourage the owners from using anything but their oil.

Although Bill is correct in recommending HYTran (Tenneco's marketing materials worked here) there are alternatives that meet or exceed the HYTran spec.

Of interest, Peereless or Eaton manufactured a large percentage of the HYDRO unit's for the Cub Cadet in the IH years.
Peereless and Eaton also manufactured HYDRO units for other Garden Tractor manufactures who I'm sure do not promote the exclusive use of HYTran.

: : Hy-Tran is the only transmission fluid to use!! : Hy-tran is not even close
: : to Dextron. No other trans. fluid meets all Hy-tran
: : specs. The big one is water retention ability, Hy-tran
: : will take up to 1 percent which prevents rusting and
: : sludging. Some of these fluids have zinc which is
: : not good for the special brass metals in the hydro.
: : These Hydros are very durable and last for ever if
: : you use Hy-tran.; no other fluid is worth testing since
: : parts are a lot more expensive than Hy-tran.

: I personally think a transmissions worst enemy is water! More bearings go from rust and flaking bearings. The dirt is not good, but generally has destroyed far fewer gears, bearings, and hyd pumps than uncontrolled moisture.
: I've overhauled a number of larger Hydro tractor transmissions, and always liked doing it, because the Hytran on my hands would make my skin as soft as my wife's and the dirt and oil would be lifted out of the cracks in surface skin.
: I've seen Hydro's destroyed in very short times by oils that had a crafty salesman, but not even a fraction of the quality of Hytran.

: Hytran is a 10wt. hydraulic transmission fluid, built to control moisture and bubbles in hydraulics. I've never seen one that will do better. A farmer with good maintenance habits can get good service from his Hydro as his reward. : Never use a heavier oil in a Hydro. It will cause much more heat! A hydro has much higher oil pressures, and this can really cas foaming in some lesser oils!
: You could buy Hytran from the CASE-IH dealership where I work, for $5 a gallon. They buy it in a bigger bulk tank, for the better price.

IH HYtran Fluid
Dextron II -- I believe was how the label read back in the late 70's.

The filter should pick up dirt and no matter what fluid you use, dirt is your transmissions worst enemy.

IH used this in the 504, 826(Hydrostatic), 966, and 686 tractors my dad owned and served not only as transmission fluid but also as the hydraulic fluid. The 826 has the identical transmission only bigger (80hp vs the 12-22 of a Cub Cadet) so I don't Believe their will be a problem.

A Hydrostatic transmission is nothing more that a hydraulic pump and motor with a control lever that regulates the speed through increasing/decreasing the amount of piston travel in the pump.

Hydraulic fluid and ATF fluid have additives to prevent foaming of the oil. Foaming will prevent the pump from pumping and your ability to regulate speed. So stay away from the standard engine oil as it will foam up in the transmission.

: What is Cub Cadet Hydrostatic Transmission Fluid? I am really getting tired of paying $7 per quart for what I suspect is ATF or hydraulic fluid. If anyone knows, please contact me. My dealer has understandably been less than helpful here!

: What is Cub Cadet Hydrostatic Transmission Fluid? I am really getting tired of paying $7 per quart for what I suspect is ATF or hydraulic fluid. If anyone knows, please contact me. My dealer has understandably been less than helpful here!

Hi

Cub Cadet Hydrostatic Transmission Fluid is, at a basic level, a 10 wt, non-detergent, oil. It has additives to prevent foaming (cavatation can ruin a hydrostat in short order), retard free moisture and maintain a stable viscosity over a wide range of operating temperatures. Temps of 180F are not uncommon in hydrostats. Most fluids have additional ingredients deemed useful by the manafacturer of the equipment it's being used in.

The fact that you are purchasing fluid in such small quanities tells me that you have leaks in your system. My advice - for what's it's worth - is: (1) That you check your lines, fittings and shaft seals for leaks, and repair them.

(2) Stay with Cub Cadet Fluid, after all, the engineers that recommended it are the same ones that specified the material to be used to build the hydrostat, and chances are, they know what properties the fluid should have in order to provide you with a quality product. If you are going to change anything, it should be the supplier, you are being overcharged.

Should you decide to ignore the excellent advice given by the preceding responders, be advised that the generic hydrualic oils that are on the market (The 5 gallons for 13/14 dollars, off the shelf stuff) are of inferior quality. Most of these oils have been poorly processed and have an abundance of lint and wax in them. (Vane and gear pumps can handle these oils, but the tolorances
in a hydrostat dictate that you refrain from the use of such fluids.)