By Julie Minge | June 4, 2019
Recently John Bateman, a representative from John Deere Lubricants conducted online training for staff about John Deere’s superior oil range. For more than 20 years John Deere has worked with some of the largest oil manufacturing companies in world to design, develop and produce their exclusive range of John Deere lubricants and ensuring that John Deere Plus 50 II is the best off-highway engine oil available.
Right from the start John Deere recognizes and makes the distinction between the requirements of an “on highway” & “off highway engine”. In short, tractors need more from an engine oil than Trucks do. Off Highway equipment such as Agricultural & Construction equipment have a much higher duty cycle and hourly fuel burn than “on highway” equipment, like trucks. In fact, the demand is typically double or more in off highway equipment. However, the clear majority of heavy-duty diesel engine oil on the market is primarily designed for “on highway” applications. Because of this, over 20 years ago John Deere John Deere decided to develop an oil specifically to protect its engines from this higher work load.
All engine oil starts with the same crude oil and depending on the company they then choose a refined grade of this base fluid. To complete their oil, the company then selects their own combination of additives to be blended with the base oil. The combination of additives that the manufacturer chooses, separates the poor-quality oil from the great oil. Many oil manufactures put the bare minimum of additives in their oil (around 10-15%) to reduce cost – yet because they do this they reduce the quality of their oil and ultimately their oil fails to protect their customer’s machinery. John Deere’s engine and transmission oils are made with superior additive packages which are also generally 25% to 30% larger than other market brand oils, making their oil the best in the agricultural market, never failing to provide superior protection.
Some critics argue that these extra additives make John Deere oil more expensive. However, whilst it is more expensive to purchase initially (because of its higher quality) it can protect much longer than any other oil on the market, allowing customers to benefit from extending service intervals and therefore cheaper maintenance in the long run.
Use the John Deere calculator to compare the cost of Plus-50 II with the rest.
Because John Deere lubricants are capable of such long lifespans without oxidizing, it can protect your machines for not just the standard 250 hours, but 30%, 50% and even as much as 100% longer (that’s 500 hours!) than any other oil on the market!
This makes it in fact LESS expensive, not more expensive to use.
All oils in the market are subject to minimum testing programs, however John Deere does not do the bare minimums when it comes to protecting your machinery. Instead, John Deere thoroughly test their oil by developing their own tests & standards that no other oil on the market has managed to pass. One of these tests is the most severe off-road test available, the JDQ-78X, where oil is run for 500 hours straight, with no rest or additional oil added to the machine. After 500 hours the oil is then removed, and its viscosity analyzed. Viscosity the most important feature of oil, when the viscosity changes the ability to protect the machine it sits within is jeopardized. The oils viscosity begins to change from the moment it is exposed to oxygen. Preventing oxidation is essential as the more the lubricant is oxidized, the thicker its viscosity becomes, and the less it protects your engine.
The JDQ-78X is the most extensive test available to date and John Deere oil is the only oil on the market that manages to pass such an intensive and demanding process. This is a testament to John Deere products built to last the test of time. During this process the viscosity of John Deere did not change, still running at the same viscosity as when it first entered the engine, guaranteeing that John Deere oil will always protect your machinery.
John Deere is so confident in its product that it offers an exclusive 500 hour Engine protection warranty on its John Deere Plus 50 II engine oil. By using John Deere Plus 50II engine oil and John Deere genuine oil filters, John Deere guarantee that your engine is covered from Engine oil related failure. For more details, speak to your dealer.
John Deere oil and lubricants are designed and built with one main goal in mind, to provide superior protection of your John Deere machinery, and after 175 years John Deere knows a thing or two about quality products. Why would you want anything else protecting your machinery?