I have used Shell Rotella T 15w40 since about 1985. Used Delo 400 for a short time in my first diesel pickup but quickly switched to Rotella T because of better availability. Sold my last diesel pickup this year but still have a diesel Kubota tractor and diesel Kubota RTV X900 UTV.

Right after changing oil in the UTV the first time using Rotella T, I noticed a smell like I had spilled some oil on the exhaust manifold. I never could find any and in a few hours, the smell went away. Later, I found a comment on the internet about the smell of new Rotella T. Last time I changed the UTV oil, I used Chevron full synthetic 5w40. There was no smell at all. I've never noticed this odor with any tractor or pickup.

Has anybody experienced this smell ?

What is your favorite diesel oil, especially in tractors? I'm considering Mobil Delvac, Chevron Delo 400 and Rotella T.

I use Mobil Delvac in one diesel tractor, and Rotella in the other. No problems with either. The only reason I'm using the Rotella is because that's what the previous owner used, and I didn't want to switch.

Conoco 15-40

Never owned anything diesel, if I did I would run Rotella.
$22 a jug at Walmart, available at any Walmart(everywhere) and a quality product.

I run T6 in my BMW 325i.

I used to worry about switching oil brands but don't now. Any odor with the Rotella T? I think it has to be coming from the crankcase venting. Not sure either of my engines even vent to the atmosphere anymore. That is probably against some Federal regulation.

Well, Conoco wasn't on my radar. I'd rather stick with something I can order from Wally World. Does Conoco make their own oil?

Do you ever use 10w30 up there in the cold? My Kubota tractor says 15w40 down to 14, then 10w30. We get below zero here some but most starts are probably above 14 degrees.
The tractor has a block heater and I plug it in if it's below freezing or so. Still, that doesn't warm the oil.

I put synthetic in the Ute because it doesn't have a block heater and gets started in the cold way more than the tractor.

if you got a block heater in the Kubota 15w40 dino will suffice ...I prefer Delvac


I use 5w40 synthetic in anything that gets started during the winter in these parts

Rotella in my JD x495, it's the only diesel I own.

I used Rotella T6 for a long time with good results. The last few oil changes I've used the Chevron 5w40 synthetic and noticed no change. It's a coupla bucks cheaper per gallon and available at WM.

Use to run Mobil One but recently switched everything to Schaeffer's..

Haven't gone with 10-30 yet.

Did try some Rotella last winter. It was 5-40 or some such thing.

Rotella.

Delvac would suit me, but availability isn't good.

Honestly, I would feel safe with any oil properly rated,
But don't have to do that.



Now a question.
How could any one person not running a fleet of dozens of constant
running engines honestly judge?


And, does anyone really think in today's connected/litigious society,
That any company could get away with substandard oil?

I use Rotella T 15w-40 in my Dodge Cummins. My Kubota tractor calls for 10w-30, and I use Rotella in that too, harder to find though.

Years ago Rotella T was kind of famous for an oil stink right after oil change, but they changed something to stop it.

Ran Rotella T in the Volvo L90 loaders when I was working. The highest hours for any of the five loaders, 32000 hours using Rotella T. She'll oil wanted to use our machines in advertisements, we declined! The other loaders averaged 26000 hours before rebuilding. Prior to using Rotella T 20000 hours was the longest we got! That was changing oil weekly! That said my experience with other oils is limited. Each oil change, from each machine was sampled and sent to the shell lab, to be analyzed! As the machines got older the samples gave great information about what was happening to the machines! All oil companies make good oil, and not many run there machines 24 hours a day, six days a week! Delo is what I run in my duramax, because that's what the prior owner used. The smell I never noticed from Rotella T!

I have used Rotella T6 for several years and never noticed any weird smell. I have not bought it in about 1 yr however. I use the T6 all the time in My Duramax and it is easy to find.

Shell Rotella or Mobil Delvac 1. Delvac 1 is “not” easy to find! memtb

What was the previous oil used? How many hours between oil changes on Rotella T?

Good info, thanks.

I use Rotella in my Dodge Cummins

One other question....My Kubota M6-131 calls for the first oil change at 50 hours. I've done that and now have about 140 hours total time. That's in a little over 2 years. Next change is due at 400 hours. Nothing is said about time. That would be years from now. How long, time wise, would you go between oil changes?

Not a bad idea to go at least yearly.


The diesel today has low sulfur, but its still a good idea to get the water out of the crankcase once in a while.

Anson, we have good luck with Rotella but like Dillonbuck mentioned it would be hard to tell any difference between brands.



Main thing for us is the weight of the oil.

I think there are about 12 diesels on the farm and depending on the machine and temps we run 15w-40 all the way through 0w-40.


Regarding weight I would just use whatever your machine calls for.

Thanks Sam. What machine gets 0w40 and is it synthetic? Ever notice an unpleasant odor after an oil change?

Lots of refs online about "Rosmella" . Lots of them from Dodge Cummins applications. Apparently crankcase fumes getting into the cab somehow.

Anson, last winter(when it got down to -40F) we had trouble starting a JD 6430(2008 model). The older JD's(7510 and a 7610) would start but the newer one was a no go.


Bought a brand new high dollar JD labeled battery but it still wouldn't spin over fast enough to take off.

The owners manual said try 0w-40 and that made enough of a difference to get it starting way faster. We had recently bought the tractor and I'm not sure what weight oil was in it before the change.

Full synthetic oil from JD, insane price, can't remember, $35 or 40/gallon?


It's a funny little engine(tractor), made in Germany...




I am a big fan of 5w-40 in the 6.0 and 6.7 Ford diesels(year round) and in the tractors that we use this time of year.


15w-40 for summertime tractors and irrigation pump engines.

Oddly enough, my 2003 Cummins would smell strange in the cab after changing oil when I was using Chevron Delo 400. The smell went away when I switched to Rotella, not for any reason other than availability. My 2014 now has 137k miles and I’ve used Rotella in it since new. No engine issues, not that expect any for a long time. The ‘03 had right at 300k when I sold it with no problems.

Pop is an old school diesel guy. When clients would pay for it, he swore by Royal Purple.

Always used Rotella 15w40 In my previous diesels. Ford now recommends 10w30 for the 6.7 according to my dealer...

Most of the major hd diesel oils are great. I think you woukd be hard pressed to tell the differance between Delo, Rotella, or Delvac.

Agree.

I just discovered that Rotella T T-4 no longer carries the gasoline use API code. Delo, and DelVac still carry the most current SN code for gas engines.

I've been using Rotella T in everything, including my zero turn mower. I wonder what changed?

Maybe too much zinc?

Rotella has a pretty bad odor and their are many claims of it on the www.

Delo 400 is what I prefer in my junk.

I use Rotella 15-40 in one tractor and Mystic 15-50 in my 2 other. We run Rotella 15-40 in everything from a d7 dozer to our Ford 6.7 Diesel’s at my job. Even run it in our gas engines. Every one has a smell for a while after we change the oil with Rotella. The mystic doesn’t have any smell. I finally quit paying attention to it after searching and never finding a leak. I use Rotella t6 in my ford 6.0 and have never smelled anything. Not real sure what is causing the smell but you’ll get used to it.

I’ve been switching all the Diesel engines to Kendall. So far the JD dozer and international with the Cummins are not complaining.
Ronnie

I'm still working through a drum of CITGARD 500 SAE 15W-40, API CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF/SL. I use it in everything that doesn't have a DPF. Engines with DPFs get a DPF approved synthetic, usually Mobil 1.

Rotella T. We ran a fleet of Mack, Cummins and Detroit engines on it for a combined mileage of easily in the 10s of millions without an oil related failure. I remember a dealer pulling down a series 60 for a "scheduled" rebuild at 962k miles and telling us it still had crosshatch marks on the cylinder walls. Good enough endorsement for me to be still running it today in my Cummins powered 03 Dodge.

I run delvac for years in my Dodge trucks then went to TRC pro-blend but it would smell like hot oil in the cab after an oil change. Went back to delvac after finishing the drum of TRC smell went away after the second change.I run 15-40 year round in my two Dodges. I've got 450k on my 06 and 200k on my 03 without any problems.

Rotella 1540 all summer than thier t6 stuff all winter...every 3500 miles ,chevy duramax.....never mis a beat !

In our Northern Lights gensets here at the house Delo 400 15-40 year round, my landing craft has 2 4-71's that take Delo 100 40wgt. On my Bristol bay boats straight Delo 400 30 weight for all. I guess you could say that Delo is whats available in my neck of the woods. It's plentyfull and expensive!!!

10w30 is what's in my book for my '11 6.7L diesel.

I can's say t the best, but Jake uses Sinclair 15-40 in warm weather. Before that we used Cenex in the same grade.

Used Drydene products for many years in my Diesel engines and power shift transmissions.

Just off the phone with Keith at Shell. Reason for the drop of the SN rating is because of Rotella T 15w40s high levels of zinc and phosphorous (800 PPM). I think he said 1100 PPM zinc. Not compatible with catalytic converters if used in a vehicle that has one. He said that Delvac and Delo 400 have less of these chemicals so can still carry the SN label.

I asked about smell issues with Rotella T. He said he'd never heard of it! Not sure I believe that.

I plan to stick with Rotella T but may try 10w30 for better winter startup flow, or some weight of T-6 synthetic.

Shell 1 800 237 8645

google www.bobistheoilguy.com and get ready to learn

Oil is federally regulated...there is no best...only the best for your needs and wants

In my conversation with Shell, Keith mentioned that Ford had instituted a new oil requirement for the 6.7 diesel and that Rotella T was approved but some popular oils were not.

Here is some interesting info on that as well as a list of approved oils. Not everybody has a new Ford diesel but it couldn't hurt to use an oil that is good enough for one.

http://fordauthority.com/2017/03/ford-launches-new-oil-spec-for-6-7l-power-stroke-diesel/

https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubricants.com/main/additionalinfo/dieseloilsWSSM2C171F1.pdf

This^^

I use Rotella 15W-40 in all my stuff because it’s cheap & easy to find but I think Delo & Delvac are great too, just pick one and stick with it. My 99 dodge/Cummins has almost 400k on it & runs great, still barely uses any oil. I don’t get real cold weather though, that’d get me looking to a synthetic in the winter probably.

My father in law and I always used bulk Mobil 15-40 diesel oil. He farmed for about 60 years and I for about 25. Had diesel everything up to 535 horsepower. Never an engine failure. Are some oils better? I don’t know but some of our stuff had over 7000 hrs of hard use. Ed k