kubota generator oil

[rayshound]

I recently bought a kubota diesel generator. What type of oil does kubota use. Is it diesel oil like the bus engine rotolla or delo or does it use automotive oil. I had changed oil in a kubota before but bought the oil from kubota tractor.  Thanks Ray

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hello  rayshound,

Kubota will usually specify different oil grades for different applications.

Your best bet will be to look up your model or make genset on the internet or obtain a manual to confirm.

I'm sure it will be either straight 40 or 15/40 but, I would want to be sure.

Good luck
Nick Badame-

[Hartley]

I recently bought a kubota diesel generator. What type of oil does kubota use. Is it diesel oil like the bus engine rotolla or delo or does it use automotive oil. I had changed oil in a kubota before but bought the oil from kubota tractor.  Thanks Ray

I run the same oil in all my Kubota engines that I use in the Bus engine. Rotella 40wt CF-2 rated.
Makes it easier to only need one grade of oil. Of course here in the south the same weight is used
year round. I also run it in my Isuzu diesel and it's actually listed as approved on the list.

I also add a bit of slick 50 on changes on the generator. Helps reduce wear and extend bearing life a little. ( opinion only )

[DrivingMissLazy]

Since everybody seems to be guessing, 15W40 formulated for diesel engines is my guess. The expert would be Dick Wright at WRICO. I would say definitely that 40wt CF2 is not the manufacturers recommendation.
Richard

I recently bought a kubota diesel generator. What type of oil does kubota use. Is it diesel oil like the bus engine rotolla or delo or does it use automotive oil. I had changed oil in a kubota before but bought the oil from kubota tractor.  Thanks Ray

I run the same oil in all my Kubota engines that I use in the Bus engine. Rotella 40wt CF-2 rated.
Makes it easier to only need one grade of oil. Of course here in the south the same weight is used
year round. I also run it in my Isuzu diesel and it's actually listed as approved on the list.

I also add a bit of slick 50 on changes on the generator. Helps reduce wear and extend bearing life a little. ( opinion only )

[JackConrad]

I have a 10 KW PowerTech with a Kubota diesel enginme.  PowerTech manual reccommends 15-40 oil.  Hope this helps, Jack

[OneLapper]

We sell and service Kubota and Deere equipment.  The recommended oil 90% of the time is 15W-40.  If you are in a cold climate during winter, use a straight 30W.  We have rebuilds out there with 4000 hrs plus running on 15W-40 year round.

HTH,

Mark

[TomC]

With the new idling restrictions on the big rig trucks, there are now a bunch of companies making standby power units to be able to sit without the big engine running.  This situation is going to be such a big deal that both Thermoking and Carrier have jumped in on the band wagon and now offer there own unit.  While they look the same from the outside, they use two different theories.  Thermoking uses the engine to power an A/C compressor that feeds a separate 12v powered evaporator under the sleeper bed.  Heat is provided by a Webasto air heater so the engine does not have to be run in cold weather-which I don't like since the APU engine is tied into the big engine for cooling.  The Carrier is basically a generator powering an electric A/C and heat basement type unit also under the bed of the sleeper.  The engine also is cooled by the big engine that will keep things warm in winter.  Problem with a separate cooling system for the APU, ever try to start an engine in winter after running all day and having that sub freezing air slamming against the compartment with the 65mph or so wind chill?  Makes for a very contankerous APU.  I know that my Powertech 10kw (made in 1995) says to use 10W-30 car oil.  I have since changed to 15W-40 diesel oil and you can bet that all the APU manufacturers for the big rig units are making them 15W-40 compatable since that is what all trucks are now using.  It is truly a pain in the butt to have to use Delo 100 straight 40 weight on these old 2 strokers-but that's the price for having conversions that are sometimes pushing over 50 years old-mine is almost 30!  Good Luck, TomC

[TomC]

One more point on oil.  I have a truck driver friend that just sold his KW for a new KW again with a big sleeper with all amenaties.  He had the Powertech 7.5kw three cylinder Kubota with the engine layed over for shorter profile.  The genset had over 23,000hrs on it without the engine ever being apart.  He changed the oil every 150hrs and used 15W-40 in it-pretty much proof positive!  Good Luck, TomC

[DrivingMissLazy]

Well, I guess my guess was pretty well on!
Richard

One more point on oil.  I have a truck driver friend that just sold his KW for a new KW again with a big sleeper with all amenaties.  He had the Powertech 7.5kw three cylinder Kubota with the engine layed over for shorter profile.  The genset had over 23,000hrs on it without the engine ever being apart.  He changed the oil every 150hrs and used 15W-40 in it-pretty much proof positive!  Good Luck, TomC

[rayshound]

Thanks everyone for the input. What is the major difference between the automotive oils and the diesel oil. The majority of the answers were 15w 40. I assume this is automotive oil or you would have referenced dello or rotella, is this correct. Jack you mentioned the 15w 40 from your owners manual did it recommend a good grade of automotive oil or a diesel oil.  I just want to understand and get the correct stuff in the past I had purchased oil from kubota tractor in a blue container with there name and price on it. Ray

[gus]

Ray,

I'm sure they were all talking about 15W40 made for diesel engines. Almost all modern diesel engines use this as you can see on the oil shelves at retail stores. It is usually called Heavy Duty and clearly says for diesel engines somewhere on the label.

WalMart has their own store brand of 15W40 diesel oil at a much better price. I know there will be much screaming and yelling here about using "cheap oil", but nobody has ever proven to me that one oil is any better than any other, same goes for gasoline and diesel brands. It all comes down the same pipeline.

[Ncbob]

Ray, after over 30 years in the generator business I've still not changed my choice in Oils.  Other than the Detroit in my bus I still use Valvoline in every other vehicle and generator I own.  The bus engine gets Rotella T 40W and the Kohler gets Valvoline 15W-40.

Cummins liked it so well they bought the Company!

Bob

[David Anderson]

Ok Ray,

I walked all the way out to the bus to get my manual for you to end the guessing.  From page 13 of my Kubota book it says:

above 77 degrees---SAE 30 or SAE 10w-30 or SAE 10w40
32 to 77  degrees---SAE 20 or SAE "                             "
below 32  degrees--SAE 10 or SAE "                              "

Oil should be MIL-L-2104C or API CD grade or higher.

My Kubota is  model V1505EBG with a 1.59 U.S. gallon capacity.  It turns a 13 kw power plant.  Oil and filter change is recommended every 200 hours.

I buy all my fuel, air and oil filters from Wrico, because Dick Wright is a wonderful help to the bus conversion community and deserves our support as much as possible. 

[Torquester]

I run Mobil 1 (10-30) and Napa Gold filters in mine.

Tq

[busboy]

The tech boys at Wrico told me to use 10W40 Diesel oil.
BTW, you also want to use a Kubota filter...I used a Napa filter and had a problem with the engine shutting down(not sure if it was related but the Wrico guys said that they have seen issues with non-Kubota filters).
Happy Trails,
Brent