The State of Missouri announced a ban on the sale of tractor hydraulic fluids (THF) labeled as “303” effective immediately.
The decision came after The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) conducted extensive testing on THFs sold on store shelves across the state. Results showed issues with quality and specification compliance in products sold as low cost 303 THF. No problems were reported in the premium lubricant segment.
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. supports Missouri’s decision to ban 303 THFs as we believe in doing what’s best for equipment. “Our 178-year reputation is built on providing premium specialized lubricants that provide equipment durability for longer equipment life,” says Jim Carroll, vice president of technical services at Schaeffer.
Schaeffer’s products are designed with quality synthetic base oils and advanced performance additives to meet and exceed current equipment manufacturer requirements. Technology used in our THF products yields very light wear and no surface fatigue under extreme testing conditions.
Low cost THFs lack the proper additives and chemical makeup needed to protect equipment in extreme temperature situations. The cost of using less expensive fluids is not worth the time and money lost to equipment repairs, unplanned downtime and shorter equipment life.
While the ban has a direct impact on Missouri residents, all equipment owners should be aware of the THFs they use.
“As appealing as low cost fluids are from a price point, MDA’s findings support what we’ve repeatedly communicated to our customers: not all fluids are created the same,” says Carroll. “With so much money invested in equipment, you need fluids that are formulated to deliver reliable long-term performance and protection.”
Schaeffer’s 315 Simplex Supreme and 115 Simplex Torque Convertor Fluid meet the current John Deere J20C specification and are backward compatible for older equipment.
Learn more about Missouri’s ban on 303 THFs.
