Farming equipment undergoes a wide range of field conditions, from driving through dusty and rocky roads, to performing in wet and extremely hot or cold temperatures. It is also frequently exposed to fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals; if the right protection is not guaranteed, this exposure can potentially harm the farming equipment components and eventually cause breakage. Considering the potential damage and associated costs, lubrication plays a fundamental role in protecting and guarding your machinery against a variety of failures linked to corrosion, wear, oxidation, and deposit control, among others.
Experience has taught us that there is a lot to unfold when it comes to determining the type of oil that is best suited for your engine. Your first intuition might have been that any oil of a certain weight would do; or perhaps you are someone who believes that price equals quality, so you play it safe and get the most expensive one on the shelf. The truth is, choosing the best oil for your engine can be tricky if you don’t have all the information, so we have decided to give you a run-down on the difference between conventional and synthetic lubricants in order to help you avoid downtime and expensive repairs linked to lubricant misuse.
Conventional and Synthetic: What’s the difference?
Conventional Lubricants
Conventional lubricants are made with what is commonly referred to as mineral base oils, which come directly from a natural source namely crude petroleum. Producing mineral oil is simpler than the process required to create synthetic, thus making the end product cheaper and more accessible than its synthetic counterparts. This process mainly consists of removing natural contaminants and impurities such as hydrocarbons from the vacuum gas oil feed, which are harmful to the lubricant’s performance.
Overall, these oils perform effectively under regular conditions — those which are not too extreme in terms of temperature or field quality — and are compatible with all vehicles. For optimal performance, it is important to follow the manufacturers’ recommendations and make timely changes of the conventional lubricant you are using on your equipment.
Synthetic Lubricants
Synthetic oils are refined petroleum-based lubricants that have been chemically modified to balance their molecular composition. With a more stable chemical structure, as opposed to the more diverse one found in mineral oils, these synthetic base oils provide improved performance under extremely low or high temperatures while also flowing more freely than mineral oils.
Some of the benefits of using these lubricants include maximizing and improving engine efficiency — resulting in fuel savings — together with extending the overall durability of the engine and providing enhanced protection against deposits. However great the benefits may be, they come with a price tag; to tackle the cost, you can choose between fully synthetic, which tends to be pricier, and semi-synthetic, which mixes mineral and synthetic oils to reduce costs while still offering some of the benefits of using a fully synthetic oil.
The VISCOSITY Oil Alternative
With over 125 years of experience developing products for all manufacturer brands and exceeding industry standards, VISCOSITY Oil offers top quality engine oils to ensure your off-road farming equipment delivers the performance and production you need.
Its UNITEK line offers a series of conventional, semi-synthetic, and synthetic oils purposefully designed and rigorously tested in the field. All products are formulated with highly refined based oils and high shear stability viscosity modifiers. Here, we present three products for each need:
UNITEK™ 3000LS SAE 15W-40 CK-4
High-performance conventional oil formulated to provide enhanced thermal and oxidation stability, offering outstanding protection for low-emission engines. It also neutralizes corrosive acids, offers film resistance, and good dispersion of soot and deposit control.
UNITEK™ 3000K Diesel Engine Oil Semi-Synthetic SAE 10W-30 CK-4
High-performance, low-emission, semi-synthetic oil formulated to provide enhanced fuel economy with low temperature viscosity and protection under extreme mechanical stress. This engine oil also fights high concentration of soot build up, providing excellent wear protection for new and older engines.
UNITEK™ 5000 Diesel Engine Oil Synthetic SAE 0W-40 CK-4
High-performance, low-emission, synthetic oil formulated to offer longer oil life and durability, providing excellent wear protection under extreme conditions of cold weather, and outstanding oxidation control, dispersion of soot, and deposit control.
In the end, choosing between a conventional, semi-synthetic, or synthetic oil will depend on your budget and the field conditions in which you are operating. Before deciding on your purchase, however, you should always check and follow the recommendations of your equipment’s manufacturer to assess oil change frequency and lubricant requirements.
Visit www.viscosityoil.com in order to find details on their product offerings, company history, and much more!