Best Grease for Tractors, Excavators, and Chippers...

[volmistral]

I am curious if there is a grease everyone likes for all-around use on their heavy equipment.

I have a Case 570 skip loader, Kubota KX057-5 excavator, and a Bandit 18xp chipper.

Seems like a lithium-based grease with moly - NLGI #2 is maybe the best?

Any thoughts on this or specific recommendations?

Lucas Red n Tacky? Case or Kubota OEM? Chevron?

 

[Simon C]

Some greases with 5% moly last longer on bushings and pins, but not sure about high speed bearing applications. They probably require NLGI#1 Or 2 from what I've heard.
Maybe someone else will chime in with some concrete on paper info.
Simon C

 

[volmistral]

The Bandit chipper manual says to "use an EP-2 Lithium type grease only for all bearings" so might be ok overlapping with the other two machines?

 

[Simon C]

I have a grease gun for u-joints, and my moly grease for pins and bushings. EP-2 will work but I find the 5% moly lasts longer on bucket pins.
Simon C

 

[HarleyHappy]

I actually prefer Schaeffer if I can find it, for everything that’s not high speed. Their chain spray is the best in the market but hard for me to find.

 

[Acoals]

I use 5% moly grease for everything except high speed bearings.

 

[Coaldust]

A grease thread. Okay, I’m in.

 

[LCA078]

As it's been said before here, the best grease is the one that is used often.

 

[Shimmy1]

Need a grease gun and grease recommendation.

I have been working on and off all winter working on my Cat 426 backhoe. Soon I will be able to use her to start clearing my land to build a house and barn. I am at the point where I need to start greasing everything via the zerk fittings. Pistol grip type guns aggravate my carpal tunnel. The...

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Best grease?

Ok so I'm wondering what is the best grease for real heavy duty use for arms and bucket? I'm using a 3% moly grease from tractor supply right now and just curious if there's better? When the arms get a little sloppy with some play in them...are the pins the only thing worn..or the sleeve on...

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Best Grease for Heavy Equipment (Graders, Loaders, Dozers)

Hey, I seen there was an older post about this but the last post was from 2014. I wanted to see what everyone views as a great grease brand for their heavy equipment and why. Thank you

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Best Grease for Swing bearing

I have a 304e2 with about 2300hrs. Bought used from cat at 2000hrs. I’m coming up on my 3rd swing gear and bearing grease (every 100hrs) and debating on what grease to use. I would typically not use moly grease on ball bearings, but this is a very slow moving bearing. Manual says to use 5% moly...

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Republic Oil 5% Moly #1 Heavy Duty High Temp Grease

I've been meaning to try this grease for a while and finally got around to ordering it. It looks like good thick grease that should stay in the pins well. Being #1 grade I should be okay using it here in FL. I messaged them before and was told they put protective caps on the aluminum pop top...

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Is there a best grease or is it all the same

I was greasing my 345bl today and I've always bought the grease from Empire. This isn't a big deal except it requires me going to the store. Is there an online source/brand that is a good go to?

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Moly Grease. Lucas vs Valvoline

I've been buying Lucas Construction and Mining Grease for my 310L backhoe. It's a moly grease, and was recommended for pins and bushings. I went to buy another case of it to have on hand just in case the supply goes belly up, and Lucas warned me that the shelf life of the product is only two...

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Grease Selection

It is a common question for someone to ask what the correct grease is for a particular application. Of course there's no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to grease. Hands up, how many people can say that they can look at a manufacturer's data sheet and compare one product to...

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What grease are you guys using for bucket pins, pivots, etc?

Figure I might see what you guys like? I was considering making a switch to something with more tackifiers to keep in place longer. But I am not sure the excavator slew will appreciate that. Usually tackifiers are not great for bearings. I would prefer to use only one grease.

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Best pin grease

Hi , what u guys useing to grease your excavator -dozer pins/bushings . I used to use just whatever I found , and my pins did not last , now I use a Schaefer 238 . It’s seams to work way better . I also use 274 for smaller pins etc , and the new green 219 for bearings . The 238 meets cat pin...

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Need a grease gun and grease recommendation.

I have been working on and off all winter working on my Cat 426 backhoe. Soon I will be able to use her to start clearing my land to build a house and barn. I am at the point where I need to start greasing everything via the zerk fittings. Pistol grip type guns aggravate my carpal tunnel. The...

www.heavyequipmentforums.com

Grease for grease gun - CAT 259D

Newer CAT259D track loader owner here. What type of grease are most of you using for daily/routine maintenance via grease gun?

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https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/best-extreme-pressure-non-molly-grease-for-slew-bearing.81917/post-874233

Is there a grease that won't separate?

I'm getting really tired of the mess in the grease gun storage. Seems like every grease separates into thick goo and runny oil...which leaks out of the grease gun. I need to buy some more cartridges of grease, so can anyone recommend a brand of grease that does not break down?

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https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/excavator-grease.78019/post-824911

Moly grease differences?

This received no responses in the Lubrication forum so I will try it here: My local CAT store has Cat Ultra 5 Moly Part #183-3424 and Cat Extreme Application Grease #452-6001. They both have 5% moly and a Calcium Sulfonate Thickener. So are they the same thing with a different label? Confusing...

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Winter grease.

Just wondering at what temperature does everyone switch to winter grease. Do you switch because it's easier to pump. Or does it lubricate better?

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https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/year-round-grease.59059/

best grease?

Just wondering what brand/type of grease everyone finds to work the best for pins and bushing to prevent wear on there heavy equipment.

www.heavyequipmentforums.com

 

[volmistral]

I realize there are a lot of grease threads and I read many before posting. Thank you for compiling these though - I have indeed now read them all. Nice to have all of these gathered in a 2025 post.

1) I am still wondering if people ever use the factory recommendations and OEM products (I read a lot of CAT but not much else)

2) Maybe to be more specific in my case, wondering how you guys might approach my setup. To have the right stuff but possibly one grease? Or two? Trying to hone this list down, and honestly not sure how all of these greases relate to each other. Will apply with electric gun.

Here are the factory recommendations:

Kubota KX057-5 Excavator
Shell Alvania EP2
or Mobilux EP2

CASE 570N XT Skip loader
Most everything:
Tutela Multi-Purpose EP 251H, GR-9
Bucket pivots:
MOLY LUBE 251 EP-M

Bandit 18xp Chipper
"Use an EP-2 Lithium type grease only for all bearings."

 

[Coaldust]

Using one grease will be a compromise. I’d use a lithium complex w/moly for your pins and a lithium complex without moly for your u-joints and ball bearings.

I used to get paid to wear a Chevron hat.
Delo ESI EP2 would be a great choice for all -around use and ESI HD Moly 5% for pins and bushings.

Mystic JT6 is another great choice. And, whatever the moly version is.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Just as long as you don’t grease like LMM? Too soon?
Just get something that smells good and the color works for you because if you’re like me and it’s grease time, I can wear all the PPP I want, there are not many times I don’t get grease on me, in me, all over me, especially if I have to change a tube.
Happiness, is when you go to the wall and find all your grease guns charged.
What sucks is when it’s 110 degrees out and the grease has melted out of the tip and you lost your prime.

 

[Acoals]

Humans don't belong anywhere it's 110° . . .

 

[volmistral]

Using one grease will be a compromise. I’d use a lithium complex w/moly for your pins and a lithium complex without moly for your u-joints and ball bearings.

I used to get paid to wear a Chevron hat.
Delo ESI EP2 would be a great choice for all -around use and ESI HD Moly 5% for pins and bushings.

Mystic JT6 is another great choice. And, whatever the moly version is.

That is really helpful. I grew up on a farm in a “Chevron household” myself but wasn’t sure which to get.

Curious, last week before posting I had ordered a 10pack of Lucas red n tacky but wonder if it should have actually been Lucas X-tra heavy duty (to match the EP Delo) for the all-around grease on these equipment for now?

Will get some 5% moly for the bucket etc.

 

[Coaldust]

I don’t have much good to say about Lucas grease, other than it’s easily available. Separability is a thing and you’ll see the grease cartridges start leaking oil as it sits on the shelf.

 

[cuttin edge]

We have a seacan where all our lubricants are stored. Only different grease on the shelf, is winter and summer. They used to buy whatever was cheapest, but since not all operators are dedicated greaser. They buy Lucas products. Seem to last longer. We do have a different assortment of equipment, and it wouldn't be practical to use different grease for each. Only bad grease is no grease. Unfortunately, the so called adults that run things on both sides of the border, are making it difficult to buy American products, so we might end up using whale blubber

 

[volmistral]

I don’t have much good to say about Lucas grease, other than it’s easily available. Separability is a thing and you’ll see the grease cartridges start leaking oil as it sits on the shelf.

Thx for the suggestions. Btw It looks like they have renamed these greases from Delo to Starplex.

 

[Coaldust]

Thx for the suggestions. Btw It looks like they have renamed these greases from Delo to Starplex.

October 23 is when the new branding came out. Something about combining the Texaco and Delo branding.

 

[volmistral]

October 23 is when the new branding came out. Something about combining the Texaco and Delo branding.

Ah. Picked up some Starplex Ep2. The 5% moly has actually been pretty hard to find. Mfg out of stock issue they think. If I start with 3% moly and then go to 5% when it's back in stock does that create any issues?

 

[Coaldust]

No. That’s fine. The grease market is still trying to recover from the 2021 Chemtool disaster.