# What kind of oil are you guys using in your plows?



## Bigrd1

When I got my first plow (used) I changed the oil and put the Blue snow plow oil in it. A couple snowfalls into the season it got really cold out and froze up in the middle of a storm:realmad:. Of course I had to take it back to the shop and heat it up and put new oil in it. Couple months later I talked to an AMSOIL dealer at the MGIA snow in Michigan. He told me I could put AMSOIL trans fluid in it and that it had a lower pour point than the blue oil. I tried it out and have been hooked ever since.

So my question for you guys is what oil do you put in your plows?


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## SnowMatt13

In my Westerns I run Western Hydraulic Oil (blue).
They will run on standard ATF but when temps get cold they slow down a bit but no matter what you run, keep the fluid changed and the filter clean and you should be good.
I change all mine 2 times a year, beginning and end of the season....cheap insurance.


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## tuney443

Boss plow oil--as stated--ATF will work in a pinch but when it gets real cold it's much more thick than a reputable plow specific hydraulic oil.


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## Hunter9

Boss branded fluid. Change it every season.


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## superdog1

If my memory serves me correctly, you will void your warranty on a Meyer plow unless you use THEIR brand of plow oil? I am sure that if you use another brand/type of oil in it, Meyer will be able to tell, even if it is blue?


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## Bigrd1

I've never really had a problem with my plow moving slow when its really cold out except for when I first got it and put the blue oil in it. Its never really gotten much colder than 10-15 below so that could be part of it.


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## suzuki0702

dexron 3 ATF for the last 5 years. last year it got down to -10 one night. Never ever had an issue with temperature affecting the operation of the hydros.


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## hunt 444e

i use dex atf also never had a prob in the extreme cold in nh. by rights atf is the best hydraulic fluid you could use, my reason is every year on truck service day we switch out the juice on the plows and there is always a couple spare qts kicking around. I heard a rumor that transmission fluid is the thinnest oil out there ?


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## swtiih

I use manufacturer recommended oil. I would use the ATF in a pinch if it was needed but not as regular maintenance.


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## Bigrd1

I don't know if ATF is the thinest oil out there but in the plow world it's the colder pour point that did it for me.


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## racer47

buyers blue in meyers pumps never had any problems...i change begining and end of season every year.... if your ram or angel cylenders are pitted up you might want to change again in middle of season


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA

I used Amsoil Universal ATF and sometimes Torque Drive for years then switched to Amsoil ISO 22 four or five years ago. The stuff pours like water.


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## herb1001

I use the Sam blue fluid.


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## Bigrd1

NICHOLS LANDSCA;1403477 said:


> I used Amsoil Universal ATF and sometimes Torque Drive for years then switched to Amsoil ISO 22 four or five years ago. The stuff pours like water.


I've always had good luck using AMSOIL as well. Never had it freeze up on me either.


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## BUFF

Guess I'm narrow minded but I use/suggest using the manufacture's oil for the pump.On the flipside I've been doing the Amsoil oil thing for about 15yrs.


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## holstonsnow

I'm running Dex3 ATF and it has worked great, maybe a little slower on the extreme cold days, but you wouldn't notice unless you were watching specifically for that. I also clean the filter and exchange the fluid twice a season


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## adksnowo

herb1001;1403486 said:


> I use the Sam blue fluid.


I use the SAM blue stuff as well, they have it every day at NAPA. Never had a freeze up problem ever, it is much thinner than any ATF IMO. If you are having a freeze up problem it might be moisture in the fluid, you change the fluid away goes the moisture.

BTW It does get cold here, how many times is Saranac Lake, NY the coldest spot in the in the U.S.? Saranac Lake is about 10 miles from here and I am at a higher elevation. 30 plus below last winter. Already been 15 below this season here.


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## Lynden-Jeff

Esso Univis, best there is.


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## NFDDJS

This is what I have run for 3 years now it it working great on my 9"6 fisher V-Plow

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atf.aspx


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## Bigrd1

NFDDJS;1406083 said:


> This is what I have run for 3 years now it it working great on my 9"6 fisher V-Plow
> 
> http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atf.aspx


That's the same stuff I use. I liked it so much I became a dealer for AMSOILThumbs Up


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## bossman34

I work in a tractor truck dealership on the leasing and maintance side, we have lift gates on about 50 trailers and through the years we have tried every type of oil in those to get them to work well in very cold temps. We ended up using Aero-Hydro fluid. Its the fluid they use in avaiation hydrolics. Its about 35 bucks a gallon, but it has a no freeze ups and pour point past 45 below zero. Every large professional plowing service I know in western WI use it and have never had a freeze up or fluid issue. FYI the liftgate pump assemblys are the exact same type of setup that most plows like BOSS use now.


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## NickT

Sam blue, he needed the money ohhh. Seriously, I flush my meyer at the end of the season and put new sam blue fluid in the beginning no bubbles no troubles


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## ChicagoSnow

That's very good to know about the Amsoil ATF. I will make the switch to Amsoil ATF when I run out of the "blue oil". Is there any other Amsoil product that will perform better for plow related equipment over their ATF? Just wondering about the other hydraulic oils they offer. 

Speaking of the Amsoil ATF.................... here is a great shop experiment for those that are leary of the Amsoil ATF in particular. This will make you a believer!! Take a cutting torch(hottest flame you have access to) and try to burn Amsoil ATF and then conventional ATF. The torch just pushes the Amsoil ATF like a finger, but the conventional ATF just evaporates and/or starts on fire.


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## Bigrd1

ChicagoSnow;1407833 said:


> That's very good to know about the Amsoil ATF. I will make the switch to Amsoil ATF when I run out of the "blue oil". Is there any other Amsoil product that will perform better for plow related equipment over their ATF? Just wondering about the other hydraulic oils they offer.
> 
> Speaking of the Amsoil ATF.................... here is a great shop experiment for those that are leary of the Amsoil ATF in particular. This will make you a believer!! Take a cutting torch(hottest flame you have access to) and try to burn Amsoil ATF and then conventional ATF. The torch just pushes the Amsoil ATF like a finger, but the conventional ATF just evaporates and/or starts on fire.


Their actual hydraulic oil has a higher pour point than the trans fluid. Hydraulic at -51 degrees F, ATF at -63 degrees F, and the SAM blue snow plow oil at -50 Degrees F.


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## JCByrd24

bossman34;1406247 said:


> We ended up using Aero-Hydro fluid. Its the fluid they use in avaiation hydrolics.


+1, it is my understanding that plow fluid is aviation hydraulic fluid, as you said, designed for very cold temps, very thin. Looks like the amsoil stuff is pretty thin too.


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