CK-4 (Current Standard): This is the current API (American Petroleum Institute) standard for high-speed four-stroke diesel engines. It is backwards compatible with previous standards (CJ-4, CI-4).
Common Viscosities:
15W-40: The industry standard for most excavators in temperate and warm climates. It provides the best protection for high-hour engines.
10W-30: Often used for colder climates or newer machines with stricter emissions systems (DPF/SCR) where fuel economy is a factor.
5W-40: A synthetic option that offers easier cold starts while maintaining protection at high temperatures.
Caterpillar (CAT): Look for CAT ECF-3 (for emissions engines) or CAT ECF-1-a (for older engines).
Komatsu: Look for Komatsu KES 07.868 or KOMATSU DEO (Komatsu Genuine Oil).
Hitachi / John Deere: Look for John Deere PG-2 (for Tier 4 engines) or JDM J20C.
Volvo: Look for VDS-4.5 or VDS-3 (Volvo Drain Specification).
Conventional (Mineral): Suitable for older machines (pre-Tier 4) with high hours. It is cheaper but requires shorter drain intervals.
Synthetic Blend / Full Synthetic: Required for modern Tier 4 Final engines equipped with DPF (Diesel Particulate Filters) and SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). Synthetic oil has lower SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus, Sulfur) . High SAPS oil will clog the DPF quickly. If your machine is 2015 or newer, you likely must use a low-ash, synthetic CK-4 oil.
Standard Interval: 250 to 500 hours.
Extended Interval: If using synthetic oil combined with an oil analysis program, intervals can extend to 1,000+ hours, but this is only safe if you are testing the oil (checking TBN, viscosity, and wear metals).
