Witham Lubricants featured in Classic Tractor magazine

We were thrilled to see our lubricants featured in Classic Tractor Magazine recently in an article about the restoration of a vintage tractor. A Suffolk Farmer, Johnathan Tunmore had recently purchased a 1985 John Deere 2140 tractor and wanted advice on which lubricants and fluids to use.

Johnathan works with Angus Hamilton, at W, Hamilton & Son who use a large mixture of 80’s and 90’s tractors that are all cared for and serviced in house.

The correct age-related Witham products for Jonathan’s tractor were chosen by our sales executive, Simon Ranshaw, who began by carrying out a check using our lubricant finder. This resource is based on information which ultimately originates from the manufacturers, thus ensuring that the recommended products meet the specific requirements of each machine.

The front axle hubs were replenished using Qualube HD EP80W-90 gear oil. The sump of the 3.9-litre John Deere 4239TL four-cylinder turbo engine in the John Deere 2140 holds 8.5-litres of oil. It was filled with Witham Qualube Endurol 15W-40 during the service. We also supplied 2 x 25L of Qualube WBTO (Wet Brake Transmission Oil) for the transmission.

Simon Ranshaw, centre, spent time with Suffolk Bunch members Angus Hamilton, left, and Jonathan Tunmore explaining the Witham products he had chosen for Jonathan’s John Deere 2140.

“We often carry out an assessment for a farm to find out what oils they require,” explains Simon.  “Many farms prefer to hold just one type of each oil, and where they are typically running a mixed fleet of machinery the oil spec will often be determined by what the youngest tractor requires to keep it simple.  On the other hand, if there is a fleet of classics and just one new tractor, it may be more cost effective to have two types of oil, as the additives needed by the newer tractor may not be required in the older tractors.”

“For Jonathan’s John Deere 2140, I aimed for a cost-effective solution which is right for its era,” he continues. “For example, you could use a semisynthetic oil, such as Endurasyn 15W-40, in the John Deere 2140. It would be fine, but it doesn’t actually need it, so for the engine I chose 8.5-litres of Qualube Endurol 15W-40. It is equivalent to John Deere’s Plus-50, but does not meet the spec of Plus-50 II for the more modern tractors.

“Although super universal would have commonly been used in the engine and back end, for the transmission I went for Qualube WBTO, which is wet brake transmission oil, with 50 litres needed for the John Deere 2140,” he explains. “The front axle requires a heavy duty EP90 gear oil, but I chose Qualube HD EP80W-90 gear oil which also meets the specifications with GL5 additives. It just has a wider temperature range to work from and is slightly thinner when cold.

“Although only universal blue antifreeze is called for, I opted for Qualguard HD5X coolant, which is Witham’s equivalent to John Deere’s Coolguard,” says Simon. “For ease of use I brought it premixed, which is mixed 50:50 with deionised water, so that it’s immediately ready to use and is useful for topping-up systems. We also supplied a couple of cartridges of Qualube Lithium EP2 grease to complete the service.”

As well as catering for brand new machinery still under the manufacturer’s warranty, lubricants suited to classic tractors and machinery are also important products for Witham Oil & Paint Ltd. “We certainly see significant demand for age-related oils going back to tractors like the Ferguson TE-20s and older,” notes Simon. “For example, if a straight 140 is needed with minimal additives for a gearbox for something old, then that can be done. We’ve been blending oils for over 100 years so we just get the old recipe book out!

“Our oils are manufactured at Lincoln using base oils and additives to meet the specifications required by manufacturers and receive their relevant approvals,” he adds. “If a sample of ours was tested by an independent chemist you would not know the difference. Each batch goes through 54 hours of lab testing before it’s signed off and released.”

We offer a free, no obligation Lubricant Survey that provides customers with an easy reference file containing all the recommendations for every type of vehicle in your fleet which you can refer to again and again.  All our products meet the latest and highest OEM approvals and are designed to advance both the performance of the machinery as well as help to reduce emissions, maintenance and wear and tear.

To arrange a free survey please contact your local depot here.