303UTF oil being pulled off the shelves

So I was going to pick up another bucket of the 303 UTF at Orscheln's yesterday but they told me they had to pull if off the shelves and could not sell it at this time. I was also told at O'Reilly's they also where told to do that. So what is going on with the 303 fluid??

I think they changed suppliers and it is being called something else now. Not too long ago my local farm supply still had the 303 fluid in the yellow buckets, but the same store in the next town over has universal hydraulic fluid in white buckets. Probably is the same stuff.

My guess would be that JD finally got around to going after them, as "303" WAS their trademarked name that became a sort of generic (like calling a facial tissue a "Kleenex"). The 303 fluid was the older standard for additive package, the better fluids meet the "Hy-Guard" spec. I always check to make sure the bucket says it meets Hy-Guard, or CNH Hy-Tran Ultra, or AGCO Massey Perma-Tran III.

(quoted from post at 11:26:31 11/09/17) My guess would be that JD finally got around to going after them, as "303" WAS their trademarked name that became a sort of generic (like calling a facial tissue a "Kleenex"). The 303 fluid was the older standard for additive package, the better fluids meet the "Hy-Guard" spec. I always check to make sure the bucket says it meets Hy-Guard, or CNH Hy-Tran Ultra, or AGCO Massey Perma-Tran III.

Click to expand...

Yes, "303" is a John Deere thing.

My local tractor supply recently switched brands on the 303 fluid. It was from Super S, now its from a company called Cam2.

303 utf fluid's viscosity is comparable to a 10W/20 fluid. It is formulated to provide the desired performance in various pieces of equipment, including the following:
Massey Ferguson M-1129-A
Massey Ferguson M-1135
Massey Ferguson M-1141
Massey Ferguson Perma Tran III
Minneapolis-Moline, Oliver Type 55
Kubota H/T
Kubota Super UDT
Long Universal
Landini
Leyland
J. I. Case JIC-143
J. I. Case JIC-144
J. I. Case JIC-145
J. I. Case MS-1206
J. I. Case MS-1207
New Holland
FNHA-2-C-200
FNHA-2-C-201
White Farms Q-1766
White Farms Q-1705
White Farms Q-1802
White Farms Q-1826
White Farms UHTF
White Farms Type 55
White Farms 821XL
Versatile
Renk, Bus Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Renk-Doromat 874B
Steiger
Steiner
Valmat
API GL-4 High Torque Requirement
HYDRAULIC PUMPS
Denison HF-0, HF-1, HF-2
Vickers I-286-S
Vickers M-2950-S
Sauer-Danfoss
(Sundstrand)
MAG Cincinnati Machine
AGCO-ALLIS 821XL
AGCOSTAR 821XL
Belarus
Caterpillar TO-2
Claas
Deutz
NEW HOLLAND (Ford)
ESN-M2C-86-A
ESN-M2C-134-A
ESN-M2C-134-B
ESN-M2C-134-C
ESN-M2C-134-D
ESN-M2C-77-A
ESN-M2C-41-A
Heston-Fiat
John Deere Quatrol®
JCB Special Gear Oil Plus
John Deere Hy Gard J-20-A
John Deere 303 J-14-B
John Deere 303 J-14-C
John Deere J-20-C
Allis-Chalmers-PF-821
International Hy Trans B-6
Kioti
Massey Ferguson M-1110
Massey Ferguson M-1127-B

303 is not a high enough spec for new equipment. Some people think it is the same as Hy-Gard.

I don't think JD cares about their old 303 spec, they make their money on selling their own Hy-Gard. My Ford 4500 industrial, and the other Ford tractors we have that has has wet disk brakes we use 303 UTF in them.

303 spec is common listings on the can and some cans are named 303 (WW carries such in the 5 gallon pail), even though my Fords brand is 134A....same stuff as I see it. It's for
pre hydro-wet brake- this and that found in today's tractor applications. Going to bet the shelf pulling is the result of mis application of the product by a user that either didn't pay
attention to what he was buying or thought he'd get by using the cheap stuff!!!!!!!!

J20C is the spec that appears if any, on the premium fluid used with the newer amenity tractors, that I look for, to use in my newer tractors with the amenities. I guess rather than
list 20-30 different mfgr. specs on the back of the tub, some suppliers just put on one that should cover them all. Makes sense.

At least that's the way it is around here.

Have hydro steering (not power with a fan belt driven external pump; hydrostatic) or tranny too?