Thinning hydraulic oil for winter use

ralph1111 · Nov 16, 2023

Whay is a safe amount of diesel fuel one can add to hydraulic fluid? need to thin for winter use,this would be FOR a 560 International.OR is their a better option??

rustred · Nov 16, 2023

Absolutely no reason to be thinning hyd. Oil. Its hytran oil and it is plenty thin. I use my 560 in minus 30 with a loader. Need to let the tractor warm up then function the hydraulics slowly till the warmer oil gets into the cylinders. You dont want diesel in that oil. At minus 20 things work way better.

John Deere D · Nov 16, 2023

For years my parent feed cattle,often as low as -35 F..

Case 830 CK 8 speed....Loader...

Engine had an electric block heater,Tractor had a HEAT-HOUSER. A True Canvas Tarp over the entire Tractor..

Start Tractor with Exhaust open....
Ran Engine for 20>30 minutes,get with it and feed Cattle...

Never ever made our own winter hydraulic recopies..

North Western Alberta...

Bob..

Janicholson · Nov 16, 2023

As stated, Hytran is a viscosity modified oil that will stay useable with a little slow start. Jim

olgentdc · Nov 16, 2023

Goodness , I am curious where and how that info is a acceptable practice ? ,, and in what application ? . I have heard of using red HEET in hydraulics to remove condensation .

r.w.b. · Nov 17, 2023

certain Orings and diesel fuel dont partner up well

johnofnewhaven · Nov 17, 2023

Is that really a thing? I have never heard of anyone doing that.

BarnyardEngineering · Nov 17, 2023

(quoted from post at 19:59:20 11/16/23) Whay is a safe amount of diesel fuel one can add to hydraulic fluid? need to thin for winter use,this would be FOR a 560 International.OR is their a better option??

The better option is to use quality hydraulic oil and add nothing to it. Anything meeting the hy-tran specification is fine to use in most "normal" cold conditions. It's already an SAE 10 viscosity, which is the viscosity of the engine oil you'd use in extreme cold, so...

Like the others, I have NEVER heard of thinning hydraulic oil with diesel. Around here we see a week or two with nights below zero and days in the teens generally.

If you're somewhere with extreme temperatures the advice to water down you hydraulic oil with

MarkB_MI · Nov 17, 2023

How cold are we talking? Plain old UTF should be fine well below 0°F.

Fixingfarmer · Nov 17, 2023

Two things Ive added to hydraulic and gear oil. Dye to see it. Works great on machines with a lot of compartments. Tractors you have engine oil and hydraulic usually doesnt matter so much. And Anti chatter fluid for brakes on a backhoe rear end. Never ever anything else for any reason ever. Diesel used to clean gear cases if they are nasty yes but for a short period of time and shouldnt be anywhere near hydraulic system those parts are way more intolerant of not having lubrication clearances are tighter in valves even old worn ones

caterpillar guy · Nov 17, 2023

I've heard of thinning oil back when heavier oil was the norm for more things and they would mix like 10w with maybe 30or 40w to thin it up by warming things up in use. Never heard of using diesel fuel for it though. I have heard of using gas in diesels at a pre figured rate for winter fuel antifreeze. Never mixed the gas in diesel fuel either. We get usually about teens nights and warm up some days. Though we have been down in the -20's in the past for a short time in winters.

rusty6 · Nov 17, 2023

(quoted from post at 19:59:20 11/16/23) Whay is a safe amount of diesel fuel one can add to hydraulic fluid? need to thin for winter use,this would be FOR a 560 International.OR is their a better option??

Better option would be to just run straight hydraulic oil. I've used Hy tran plus in most of mine year round. JD Hy-Gard in the 2140 and they have all been fine. John Deere does make an optional Hy Gard "low vis" oil for extreme cold although I have never tried it. Mine are all parked in unheated sheds. The Massey hydraulics will be a little slow on extremely cold days but not a big problem.

Loosehandle · Nov 17, 2023

Maybe let it warm up?

DoubleR · Nov 17, 2023

As long as you are using the modern day hydraulic fluid you shouldn't have to use anything. Just let it warm up a little.

mrslesq · Nov 17, 2023

If you thin the oil for winter, are you going to drain it and replace it with undiluted oil for the rest of the year? I do know when the temperatures got below zero the skid loader went a lot slower just when I wanted to get done faster cleaning the free stall barn every day. Changing the hydraulic filter sure helped the skid loader. The oil probably had some condensation in it.

rustred · Nov 17, 2023

the hydraulic oil on 560's and such ihc tractors use the hytran which is all part of the transmission and differential system. its not a
separate system so you must use the proper hyd, trans, diff oil.

ss55 · Nov 17, 2023

Letting the tractor warm up in a shed might be the best option. If you use an engine coolant heater, some people add a magnetic heater to the side of the transmission to help warm the hydraulic oil too, and a battery charger to warm up the batteries a little.

I would consider thinning the hydraulic oil with a modern low viscosity hydraulic oil, nothing else. If the hydraulic system is due for a fluid change this would be a good time to drain it all and change to something you can leave in all year (at $15 per gallon this is not an inexpensive option).

How do you use the tractor, and what is your region of the country? Do you use it only for snow removal in below zero F temperatures and only occasionally above 85F or mostly for making hay in 100F temperatures and never below freezing, or something in between those extremes. We are not mind readers.

buickanddeere · Nov 17, 2023

ZERO amount . What pray tell are you attempting to accomplish ?

Hemmjo · Nov 17, 2023

You thin your hydraulic oil in winter by warming up you equipment before you use it.

If your climate is extreme you might need special fluid. But dont ruin good fluid by adding diesel fuel.
Hydraulic fluid.

the tractor vet · Nov 17, 2023

NOTHING , like said nows the time to change . Use what is suppose to be in it , Not sayen HY TRAN for Case/ I H/ NEW HOlLAND or what ever they are today , if ya got a Rual King close by they have a close match to the old Hy tran and ya don't need to give up your first born . Also change the hyd. filter and gskt The coldest where we live haws dipped down to -38 degrees and on that day we needed a tractor , my old 706 was NOT happy about it but it started . let it warm up for 15 min or so and everything worked like it should , alot better then i did in those temps . Moisture is you enemy in Hyd. when temps dip down past freezing . SO when you go about a fluid change and ya want to get every last drop of moisture out ya pull ever drain plug ya find in the belly , drain the main hyd line and you steering line and blow them out , water collect in the low spots and like every tractor out there condensation build over time . Work a tractor on a cold day the whole tractor warms up then ya stuff it in a cold building and condensation start to form as it cools an that drip on down to the bottom of any low spot .

Thinning hydraulic oil for winter use

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