Hydraulic fluid

[boozoo]

Anybody know how I can get ahold of Hydrogear and/or what kind of hydraulic fluid I can use in my Grasshopper G2. The stuff I'm *supposed* to use (according to Grasshopper, to not void my warranty) is about $40/qt and can only be purchased from my dealer, naturally. AND my pump is leaking on one side, so I don't want to spend a bunch on fluid until I get time to take it in for warranty work. Suggestions?

[mowerman90]

I am also in the same situation. I e-mailed Grasshopper about 2 weeks ago to ask for the Spec on their oil but have not heard from them yet. I contacted the Grasshopper distributor in my area and they said that if it's still under warranty you'd better use &quot;their&quot; oil. If it's out of warranty they said that Mobil 1 would work but not to use ordinary hydro fluid because the G2 Trans creates too much heat and reg oil will break down. Hydro Gear is owned by Briggs and Stratton but I haven't got an address for them and don't know how to contact them either. If you find one please let me know. I posted this forum a week or so ago and didn't get many replies, maybe we should all get on Grasshoppers back about giving us the spec for the oil. I'm gonna e-mail them again, you do the same!!! E-mail me at mowerman@atlantic.net if you find anything out.<p>Ed Kreiling<br>Kreiling's Lawn & Landscape Service

[Blackhawk Lawn Care]

Has anyone done there homework and found out the MIL-SPEC number, most all fluids have it and finding it might be a challenge, but getting a cross reference for another product will be easier... If the SPEC numbers are the same from different manufacturers, guess what, its the same product.

[Grasscape Inc]

Are they hydro gear pumps?<br>If so mobile 1 should be fine. Probably, 15-40, or 10-40. Maybe 10-30

[boozoo]

Idea: when I get a chance (I'm busyyyyy - lots of rain here!) I'll take a small sample to the local fuel supply place, and they will send it off (god knows where) for analysis. They should be able to ID it, and I will send you the results, Ed. Maybe we should correspond about some other GH things . . .

[boozoo]

Idea: when I get a chance (I'm busyyyyy - lots of rain here!) I'll take a small sample to the local fuel supply place, and they will send it off (god knows where) for analysis. They should be able to ID it, and I will send you the results, Ed. Maybe we should correspond about some other GH things . . .

[mowerman90]

Boozoo, Sounds great to me! I'll be waiting to here about the analisis. Any other GH questions or problems just e-mail me <br>Ed Kreiling<br>mowerman@atlantic.net

[mowerman90]

boozoo, <br>I just got an e-mail reply from Grasshopper. They say that the spec for the oil is &quot;proprietary&quot;. In other words, go take a leap. It's a pretty sad state of affairs,when after I have boughten 2 grasshoppers, a company like grasshopper feels that their bottom line is threatened by someone who wants to buy something other than their brand of oil. Come on, they don't &quot;make&quot; the oil. They just buy it from some oil company and slap their label on it an then charge 2 or 3 hundred percent more than it's worth! Even though I love my hopper, when it wears out I'm gonna look for a Dixie Chopper or some other brand that the company who makes it &quot;cares&quot; for the person who buys their product.<p>Ed

[Keith]

I agree with Grasscape Inc. If it is Hydrogear....it is most likely motor oil. But that is typical of Grasshopper. I have a 721 and like the machine but I wouldn't buy another. Their support after the sale sucks. It's as if you are dealing with two companies, one who builds them and one on the money end. They left me hangin about three years ago with a burned wiring harness. Rather than help me get the mower running quickly they chose to show their ass. &quot;F&quot; them.

[mowerman90]

Well, I'd better do a little backtracking here. Today I received a call from Grasshopper. They explained the reason that the oil they sell is proprietary. NO, they don't manufacture it but they do add their own additives to it making it more wear resistant. They also told me that I could add Mobil 1 or Mobil DTE 26 Hydro fluid and not void my warranty. Adding either of those fluids would simply &quot;dilute&quot; the fluid already in the trans and not affect the wear characteristics. The single most important thing they told me was that I'd be foolish to change the fluid if the only reason I wanted to change it was for preventative maintenance. It seems that the G2 system was originally intended for the 928 model, meaning that those of us with a 725 that have the G2 trans shouldn't really have too much to worry about because the G2 is overkill on the 725. They told me that Grashopper is considering upping the change interval from 1000 hours to 1500 hours. There is more chance of contaminating the fluid from changing it than just leaving it alone. In other words &quot;if it ain't broke, don't fix it&quot;. Looks like I'll be sticking with my hopper til hell freezes over then buy another. <p>Ed<br>Kreiling's Lawn & Landscape Service<p><p>

[jpiwowar]

I don't know why everyone makes such a big deal about the hydro oil. ...as if there are people out there who know MORE about lubrication than the guy who spends his life in a shop in R&D testing and retesting every oil known to man... It takes quite a bit of labor to FLUSH the G2 system out when incorrect lubricant is run in that system. I got a 725G2 that someone genius ran automatic transmission fluid in it. The system was overheating and the oil broke down. Wear was starting to occur on the swash plates. It takes 5 gallons of Grasshopper fluid to flush after manually turning the wheel motors and flushing with SAE30 to get the ATF out.
Grasshopper fluid is not $40/qt, get your facts straight --> Retail price is $15.50/qt. or $51.25/gal.
I put Grasshopper fluid in my Harley in both the trans and the engine. It actually runs cooler.

I still will never understand why people will spend top dollar on a high-end machine like a Grasshopper and install cheap parts and add oil they know nothing about. There is a reason Grasshopper has the smoothest operating machines on the market (with G2 drives) and it's because the hydro's!

[jpiwowar]

I would also recommend fixing a leak rather than wasting ANY kind of lubricant...