Buying the right Hydraulic Oil

Reviewing Hydraulic Oil Standards 

Do you ever emtpy our jug of hydraulic oil wonder was that the correct product for my application? that is why we have this free guide on what hydraulic oil to buy.
The next time you enter a vender’s shop for some hydraulic oil,  consider your choices first. Any mistake with oil can spell  Danger to your hydraulic system and equipment in general.

The baseline is that if you use any oil with the different standards from what your machine needs, chances are that it won’t serve you as it should. You don’t want that, do you? Now let’s get rolling.

Viscosity is King

Am imagining of a heavy oil, something between solid and liquid. Combine that with the snowfall and you surely know that you’ll be starting your engine forever. My point is that you need to get the right viscosity for your hydraulic system, may it be oil or any other fluid.

Check the manufacturers’ guide for oil application specifications in your equipment. They know what works best with their products. 

ISO grades are another thing to take note of; never ignore them. They mainly indicate the viscosity and temperature range of the hydraulic oils and fluids.

Move with the weatherman. Cold weather will cause the hydraulic fluid to thicken, or rather to grow more viscous. You’ll need some medium thin oil to start the engine in cold weather. In hot weather, the viscosity will reduce, and the fluid will flow more easily. But don’t take it tlightly. A very thin fluid will leak easily through any aperture.

Hydraulic oil viscosity and temperature are one thing. If the hydraulic system gets too hot, the hydraulic oil reduces its viscosity greatly, while low temperatures boost the viscosity. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classifies oils in a VI scale table to show different viscosities depending on the temperature range.

The viscosity and temperature indices are always labelled in the format 10W-40, but the numbers will differ.

Choice of additives           

Additives give hydraulic oil its various properties. The main additives include anti-oxidants which reduce sludge deposits and allow a longer use of the oil; anti-rust additives lessen the formation of rust in the components by forming a protective layer over the metallic parts.

For the winter, cold flow additives allow the use of the equipment under extremely cold weather. Anti-foaming additives cut foaming within the fluid thus reducing the equipment’s risk of damage. Finally, anti-wear additives simply moderate wear and tear in the hydraulic system and components.

Identifying the additives used

Watch out for these descriptions on container labels. They indicate the types of additives used.

HL represents refined mineral oils that have anti-oxidants and anti-rust properties.

HM stands for hydraulic oils with properties same to HL, but with added anti-wear features.

HR represents oils with properties similar to HL, but with additional VI improvers.

In a Nutshell

So when trying to make that decision on what to buy, First of all check your system builder’s manual. Be considerate of what your hydraulic system needs as we  as weather factors when choosing a hydraulic fluid or oil. There are many factors to consider of course, but they all rotate around viscosity and the additives used.