Costco Motor Oil

[Ben]

My van meter just pinged at 5800 miles and about 10 months. Seems legit.

Yeah, I think the only "clock" they use (vs monitoring driving/engine activity or actual oil) is the one year clock, since I think pretty much every manufacturer says not to go beyond 12 months without an oil change. So pinging at lower than 7500 miles (which I think is also the new "average" for a change now) but at 10 months, sounds reasonable, especially if there was a lot of city driving.

[Ben]

Check out this guy's oil tests:  Project Farm, 888K subscribers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9DWGtXpYUc&list=PLjT3B9r2z3fXlvbP3tb9e056Q8O5krrCW

That was an informative video for me. The "SN Plus" is I believe what the oil geeks at the F150 forums were talking about regarding not recommending regular Mobil 1 in the Ecoboost engines.

EDIT: Also, that cold weather flow test got me to thinking I'm an idiot. On my first 50 hour tractor oil change, I just used the regular Tractor Supply brand 15-40wt that everybody around here uses, but I notice I seem to be one of the only guys using his tractor for stuff in the Winter. Next scheduled oil change is not due until 500 hours, and I'm seriously thinking of draining what I just put in and replacing it with synthetic.

I only use synthetic in my vehicles. I don't know what I was thinking putting dino in the tractor, especially since the vehicles are garaged where it never gets below around 35, and the tractor is exposed to singe digits outside, and even in my shop it can get into the teens in the coldest weather.

[brimic]

Yeah, I think the only "clock" they use (vs monitoring driving/engine activity or actual oil) is the one year clock, since I think pretty much every manufacturer says not to go beyond 12 months without an oil change. So pinging at lower than 7500 miles (which I think is also the new "average" for a change now) but at 10 months, sounds reasonable, especially if there was a lot of city driving.

Probably a one year clock, which counts faster with short trips, stop and go driving, driving in extreme conditions, etc...

[K Frame]

You can put an oil pan heater on your tractor and keep in in the shop. Those generally do a pretty good job of keeping the oil warm and fluid down to very low temperatures.

[Ben]

You can put an oil pan heater on your tractor and keep in in the shop. Those generally do a pretty good job of keeping the oil warm and fluid down to very low temperatures.

Yeah, I did actually by an oil pan heater already. I haven't used it yet. So far when I've used the tractor this Winter it hasn't been a "gotta do it now" thing, and I wait till the afternoon when it gets into the 30's or more, or else run the torpedo heater in the shop if the tractor is in there to warm that space up a bit first.

If I expect to have to do something like clear snow at 0800 and 20 deg though, I'll definitely crank up the pan heater the evening before.

[K Frame]

Be careful with the pan heater, though. Some of them don't have a temperature limit on them, and will just continue to heat the oil pan continuously, depending on metal mass of the tractor itself to prevent the oil from overheating. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

[Ben]

Be careful with the pan heater, though. Some of them don't have a temperature limit on them, and will just continue to heat the oil pan continuously, depending on metal mass of the tractor itself to prevent the oil from overheating. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

Mine has a thermostat, but your point is taken. I also didn't think about it when I bought it, but I have a split oil pan, so I should probably buy at least another smaller one so I have both pans covered.

[Brad Johnson]

Google says Kirkland oil is made by Warren Oil Company, Inc. also.

Did some poking around and it looks like Warren Oil is to lubricants what MGP Ingredients is to distilled spirits. They are a big house-brand and custom-label producer.

Brad

[Kingcreek]

Your pan heater will work fine if you just plug it in 30 minutes or so before you want to use it. I wouldn't leave it on all night. (That's what inline radiator hose heaters and block heaters are for.)

[Ben]

Your pan heater will work fine if you just plug it in 30 minutes or so before you want to use it. I wouldn't leave it on all night. (That's what inline radiator hose heaters and block heaters are for.)

How about for split pans? Will using a heater on just one side do okay?

[charby]

How about for split pans? Will using a heater on just one side do okay?

Diesel farm tractors turn over in sub zero temps with no heaters, I think you'll be okay warming one reservoir of oil on your tractor.

I did tillage this fall with a tractor just like this one below, it fired right up at -2F sitting in a field for 10 hours after I shut it off the night before.



snow too...  

[Kingcreek]

How about for split pans? Will using a heater on just one side do okay?

Yeah you'll be fine. I recommend atleast synthetic blend if not full synthetic diesel motor oil. Cold starting is where you'll see the biggest difference. I just bought rotella T5 because it was on sale and I use a block heater and the tractor is kept in the barn. If it was colder winter use only or it sat outside I would use T6.
I don't bother plugging in the heater above 10f.

[K Frame]

"but I have a split oil pan, so I should probably buy at least another smaller one so I have both pans covered."

Don't know for sure, but my gut tells me you'd be fine with a heater only on one side.

[brimic]

Yeesh. You haven't lived in cold cold, until you've slid a hibachi grill with some burning charcoal under your oil pan. 

[charby]

Yeesh. You haven't lived in cold cold, until you've slid a hibachi grill with some burning charcoal under your oil pan. 

I was going to post about building a small fire under the oil pan of a big block diesel/gasoline.

[bedlamite]

Yeesh. You haven't lived in cold cold, until you've slid a hibachi grill with some burning charcoal under your oil pan. 

A long time ago when I lived in Minnesota I discovered  under similar circumstances that propane heaters don't work when it gets really cold.

[Kingcreek]

Yep. Years ago it was charcoal briquettes in a galvanized hog pan under the oil pan.

[K Frame]

Yeesh. You haven't lived in cold cold, until you've slid a hibachi grill with some burning charcoal under your oil pan. 

A friend's Dad had an old 2 cylinder John Deere that was notoriously hard to start when the temperature got below 40 degrees. On really cold days when we had had snow and it was really cold we would build a fire in a half oil drum and when it had burned down pull it under the engine. Give that about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how cold it was and how long the tractor had sat unstarted, and we'd give it a try. If it still needed a little help we'd aim an electric heat gun into the air intakes.

[Ben]

I did tillage this fall with a tractor just like this one below, it fired right up at -2F sitting in a field for 10 hours after I shut it off the night before.

Good to know. I haven't experienced negative temps yet.

On the propane heaters, yeah, I learned that lesson in October. I keep a 20lb tank with one of those "screw on the tank" heaters in the wellhouse for emergencies, and trying it out in the single digits got me to go buy a kerosene heater at Tractor Supply. 

[charby]

A friend's Dad had an old 2 cylinder John Deere that was notoriously hard to start when the temperature got below 40 degrees. On really cold days when we had had snow and it was really cold we would build a fire in a half oil drum and when it had burned down pull it under the engine. Give that about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how cold it was and how long the tractor had sat unstarted, and we'd give it a try. If it still needed a little help we'd aim an electric heat gun into the air intakes.

I had better luck starting those Johnny Poppers when it was below freezing. Turn the flywheel until you feel the intake valve open and then give it a very snappy but firm turn, as soon as it fired, shut the decompression valves. 1936 John Deere B, no electric start on the older ones.

[K Frame]

This was one of the older ones.

We did exactly what you said.

It needed to be heated up before it would start.

[Brad Johnson]

My paternal grandfather had a Farmall H we used for digging post holes and shredding. We'd set up a branding iron heater under it (essentially a small butane-fueled open face forge), then lean barn tin against the sides to hold heat. It would get the tractor surprisingly warm.

Brad