Agricultural Equipment Lubrication Guide
Industry guide
Lubricants for farm and forestry equipment
Tractors, combines, sprayers and grain handling equipment work through dust, chaff, rain and prairie winters, with loads that swing from idle to full draft. Most tractors share one oil across the transmission, hydraulics and wet brakes, so the right fluid matters.
01 · Operating conditions
What the lubricants have to handle
- Shared oil systemsOne UTTO fluid lubricates the transmission, hydraulic lift, wet brakes, PTO clutch and final drives in most modern tractors.
- Wet brakes and PTO clutchesFriction modifiers that stop brake chatter, squawk and clutch slip.
- Prairie wintersUTTO 10W-30 with a −46 °C pour point, and multigrade engine and gear oils for cold starts at seeding and in the yard.
- Dust, chaff and waterRust protection and water separation for machines that work in the field and sit outside between seasons.
- Harvest hoursOxidation stability for combines and grain dryers that run around the clock in the fall.
- Simple stockingUTTO, CK-4 engine oil, GL-5 gear oil and EP grease cover most of the farm.
02 · By equipment
Lubrication points and recommended products
Standard covers normal duty; Premium is for severe service or longer drain intervals.
Tractors
4WD & articulated tractorHigh-horsepower tractors for tillage, seeding and grain carts
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | TULUX T700 | T700 10W-30 |
| Transmission, hydraulics & wet brakes (shared sump) | UTTO 10W-30 | STOU super tractor oil |
| Axles & planetary final drives (separate sump) | GL-5 80W-90, GL-5 85W-140 | GL-5 75W-90, HD Final Drive 460 85W-140 |
| Cooling system | FD coolant | YF coolant |
| Pins, bushings & grease fittings | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | Moly lithium grease |
Row-crop & utility tractorMFWD tractors with three-point hitch and PTO
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | TULUX T700 | T700 10W-30 |
| Transmission, hydraulics, wet brakes & PTO clutch | UTTO 10W-30 | STOU super tractor oil |
| One oil for engine and transmission (older tractors specifying STOU) | STOU super tractor oil | – |
| Front axle & hubs (MFWD) | UTTO 10W-30, GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 75W-90 |
| PTO shaft U-joints, hitch pins & loader pins | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | Moly lithium grease |
Harvest
Combine harvesterGrain, canola and corn combines
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | TULUX T700 | T700 10W-30 |
| Hydrostatic drive & hydraulics | UTTO 10W-30 | AE 5000 |
| Feeder house, header & unloading gearboxes | GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 75W-90 |
| Drive axle & final drives | GL-5 85W-140 | HD Final Drive 460 85W-140 |
| Bearings, chains & grease fittings | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | 7036 grease |
| Cooling system | FD coolant | YF coolant |
Round & square balerHay, straw and silage balers
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Main drive gearbox | GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 85W-140 |
| Tailgate and pickup hydraulics (from the tractor) | UTTO 10W-30 | – |
| Bearings, rollers & grease fittings | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | 7036 grease |
| PTO shaft U-joints and slip clutch | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | Moly lithium grease |
Seeding and spraying
Air seeder & drillAir carts, air drills and planters
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Fan drive and hydraulic cylinders (from the tractor) | UTTO 10W-30 | – |
| Metering and drive gearboxes | GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 75W-90 |
| Wheel bearings, opener pivots & packers | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | Moly lithium grease |
Self-propelled sprayerHigh-clearance crop sprayers
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | TULUX T700 | T700 10W-30 |
| Hydrostatic drive & boom hydraulics | UTTO 10W-30 | AE 5000, L-HV |
| Wheel motors & planetary hubs | GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 75W-90 |
| Boom pivots, axle legs & grease fittings | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | Moly lithium grease |
| Cooling system | FD coolant | YF coolant |
Yard, grain handling and irrigation
Telehandler & farm loaderTelehandlers, wheel loaders and skid steers
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | TULUX T700 | T700 10W-30 |
| Hydraulic system | UTTO 10W-30, L-HM | AE 5000, L-HV |
| Transmission | UTTO 10W-30 | TO-4 Heavy Duty Transmission Fluid |
| Axles & planetary hubs | GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 75W-90 |
| Boom pins, carriage & grease fittings | Moly lithium grease | – |
| Cooling system | FD coolant | YF coolant |
Grain handling & dryerAugers, conveyors, bucket elevators, aeration fans and dryers
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Auger and conveyor gearboxes | GL-5 80W-90 | L-CKD industrial gear oil |
| Bucket elevator head drives and enclosed reducers | L-CKD industrial gear oil | L-CKT synthetic gear oil |
| Electric motor, fan and conveyor bearings | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | 7036 grease |
| Drive chains | L-CKC moderate duty gear oil | – |
Centre pivot irrigationCentre pivot and linear move systems
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel gearboxes | GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 85W-140 |
| Centre drive (tower) gearboxes | GL-5 80W-90 | GL-5 75W-90 |
| Pivot point and drive shaft U-joints | EP lithium grease NLGI 2 | – |
Forestry
Skidder & forwarderCable and grapple skidders, forwarders and harvesters
| Lubrication point | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | TULUX T700 | T700 10W-30 |
| Hydraulic system | L-HV | AE 5000, L-HS ultra low temperature hydraulic oil |
| Transmission | TO-4 Heavy Duty Transmission Fluid | UTTO 10W-30 |
| Axles, bogies & final drives | GL-5 85W-140 | HD Final Drive 460 85W-140 |
| Winch gear | GL-5 80W-90 | – |
| Articulation joint, grapple & boom pins | Moly lithium grease | EP lithium grease NLGI 1 |
| Cooling system | FD coolant | YF coolant |
Linked products are on our online store. Grey items are part of the Sinopec range and available to order; ask us for lead time. Always confirm the grade against your equipment manual.
03 · Key products
Sinopec products for this industry
Hydraulic Transmission Multifunctional Fluid 10W-30 (UTTO)
One fluid for the transmission, hydraulics, wet brakes, PTO clutch and final drives of tractors and other farm and forestry machines with a shared sump.
TULUX T700 CK-4 15W-40 Diesel Engine Oil
For Tier 4 Final tractor, combine and sprayer engines with DPF, SCR and EGR. Backward compatible with the CJ-4 and CI-4 oils older machines call for.
GL-5 85W-140 Heavy Duty Gear Oil
For heavily loaded drive axles, planetary final drives and combine chassis gearboxes.
View product →GL-5 75W-90 Heavy Duty Gear Oil
Semi-synthetic gear oil for header, auger, irrigation and hub gearboxes that start in sub-zero weather.
L-HV Low Temperature Hydraulic Oil
High viscosity index hydraulic oil for skidders, loaders and sprayers with their own hydraulic tank, working through Canadian winters.
View product →EP Lithium Grease NLGI 2
Multipurpose extreme-pressure grease for wheel bearings, PTO shafts, pivots and grease fittings across the farm.
View product →Molybdenum Disulfide Lithium Grease
Moly grease for loader, boom and hitch pins, articulation joints and other slow, heavily loaded pivots.
View product →Pack sizes: 18 L pails, 200 L drums and 1,000 L totes for oils; 17 kg pails, 54 kg kegs and 180 kg drums for grease, all available to order. Grey items in the charts, including STOU super tractor oil and HD Final Drive 460, are part of the Sinopec range; ask us for lead time. See the full range in the Sinopec product catalogue.
04 · Approvals
Specifications tractor and combine makers ask for
Tractor and combine manuals list the oil by specification. These are the OEM approvals each product holds and the specifications it meets, as published by Sinopec Lubricant Co.
| Product | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Hydraulic Transmission Multifunctional Fluid 10W-30 (UTTO) | ApprovedZF TE-ML 03E, 05F, 06K, 17E, 21F, Volvo WB101 (97303)MeetsAPI GL-4, John Deere JDM J20C, CNH MAT 3525, MAT 3540, MAT 3541, Case MS-1207, MS-1210, New Holland / Ford ESN-M2C134-D, Massey Ferguson M1135, M1141, M1143, AGCO CMS M1145, Kubota UDT, Caterpillar TO-2, Allison C-4 (agricultural applications) |
| STOU super tractor oil (10W-30, 15W-40) | MeetsAPI CG-4, GL-4, ACEA E3, John Deere JDM J27, New Holland 82009201/2/3, Massey Ferguson CMS M1139, M1144, M1145, Ford M2C 159B/C, ZF TE-ML 06A/B/C, 07B, Caterpillar TO-2, Allison C-4 (agricultural applications) |
| TULUX T700 CK-4 15W-40 diesel engine oil | MeetsAPI CK-4 / CJ-4 / SN, ACEA E11 / E9, Cummins CES 20086 / 20081, Caterpillar ECF-3 / ECF-2, Deutz DQC III-10 LA, MTU Category 2.1, Volvo VDS-4.5, Mack EO-S 4.5, Detroit DFS 93K222 |
| GL-5 heavy duty gear oil (80W-90, 85W-140, 75W-90) | MeetsAPI GL-5, MIL-L-2105D, MB 235.6 (75W-90) |
| HD Final Drive 460 85W-140 | MeetsAPI GL-5, ISO VG 460 |
| TO-4 Heavy Duty Transmission Fluid | MeetsCaterpillar TO-4, ZF TE-ML 07F, Allison C-4 |
Source: Sinopec Lubricant Co. lubrication manual for agricultural machinery and equipment, and product data sheets. “Approved” marks formal OEM approvals; “Meets” means the product meets the performance requirements of that specification. Always follow your equipment manual.
05 · FAQ
Farm lubricant questions
What is UTTO and when do I use it?
UTTO (universal tractor transmission oil) is one fluid for a tractor’s transmission, hydraulics, wet brakes, PTO clutch and final drives, which share a common sump in most modern tractors. Use it wherever the manual calls for a tractor hydraulic or transmission fluid such as John Deere JDM J20C or CNH MAT 3525. It is not an engine oil.
What is the difference between UTTO and STOU?
STOU (super tractor oil universal) also lubricates the diesel engine, so one oil covers the engine, transmission and hydraulics. It suits older tractors whose manuals allow it. Modern Tier 4 engines need a CK-4 engine oil such as TULUX T700, with UTTO in the transmission.
Can I use hydraulic oil instead of tractor fluid?
Not in a shared transmission and wet brake system. Plain hydraulic oil lacks the friction modifiers the wet brakes and PTO clutch need, which leads to brake chatter, squawk and clutch slip. Use UTTO in the tractor, and L-HM or L-HV only in machines with a separate hydraulic tank that call for it.
Which tractor fluid is best for a Canadian winter?
Sinopec UTTO 10W-30 has a pour point of −46 °C, so it flows and pumps on cold starts across the Prairies and Northern Ontario. Let the tractor warm up before loading the hydraulics, and use 75W-90 gear oil in gearboxes that start outdoors in the cold.
What gear oil goes in combine gearboxes and pivot gearboxes?
Most header, feeder house, unloading and centre pivot wheel gearboxes call for an API GL-5 80W-90 or 85W-140. Heavily loaded final drives often call for 85W-140. Check the plate or manual, since some worm gearboxes specify a different oil.
Need help choosing?
Send us your equipment list
Tell us your tractor, combine and sprayer models, or send a photo of the lubrication chart, and we will list the Sinopec product for each point.
General guidance only. Recommendations are based on Sinopec Lubricant Co. product literature; always follow your equipment manufacturer's specification.