Petroleum Technical Services Department

Overview

Farm-Oyl® maintains a Technical Service Department for assisting the local dealers regarding the use of fuels and lubricants purchased from Farm-Oyl. A variety of useful publications and services are available.

Lubrication Guides

It is extremely important to have the latest reference sources for making sound lubricant recommendations to your customers. We urge all local dealers in the petroleum business to obtain the Farm Tractor Lube guide, the Truck Lube Guide, and the Car Care Guide each year. These guides detail which lubricants are to be used in particular locations on a machine, under what conditions (i.e. year-round, only at certain temperatures, etc.), and at what change interval. The guides list what the equipment manufacturer’s recommendation is, and which Farm-Oyl product meets that particular application. These Lubrication Guides are updated yearly and may be ordered through Lubricants Marketing.

Lubrication Samples

The Technical Services Laboratory will test samples of lubricants purchased from Farm-Oyl to assist in problem-solving, trouble-shooting, and other needs. We will provide clean, one pint, metal containers in a cardboard shipping box along with a questionnaire form at a very moderate price that covers our shipping costs.

When a sample is submitted, the questionnaire form must be filled out completely and returned with the sample to our laboratory where our analysis will be performed. Samples are logged in as received and tested in the order received. When analysis is completed, a written report will be mailed to the local dealer. The majority of the Technical Services samples are reported back within two weeks.

Testing costs and time limitations prevent us from analyzing many competitive products and tune- up dopes or other additives. Reports on samples submitted by patrons of a local dealer will be sent to the local dealer.

LubeScan® Used Oil Analysis

This comprehensive used oil analysis program is a tool to be used in a preventive maintenance program to help diagnose the condition of the customer’s oil lubricated equipment.

The LubeScan oil analysis program uses sophisticated instrumentation to measure small amounts of contaminants such as dirt, wear metals, coolant and fuel dilution in a representative sample. By performing this analysis on a regular basis, a baseline or historic trend is established. Corrective actions can be taken before catastrophic damage occurs if abnormal levels are found. This testing is done on a contract basis with CTC Analytical Services, which also does used oil analysis for many other large companies.

Oil testing is only part of the LubeScan program; another equally important part is interpretation of the test results and this can be done only when complete information is provided with the sample. It is imperative that the information questionnaire provided in the kit is filled out completely.

Samples for the LubeScan used oil analysis program must be sent to the laboratory in the prepaid mailer sample kit that is available for a modest cost. The test work will be completed and a report issued to the customer within a short amount of time after the sample is received. Should any abnormal conditions that could harm the equipment be detected, an immediate telephone call will be made to the customer, if so indicated.

The reverse side of the report that is issued to the customer will detail various sources of the many wear elements and contaminants LubeScan may detect. The report can be used to help determine which parts are wearing and possible causes of contamination.

Recommendations and References

The Technical Services Department maintains an extensive library of information on equipment suppliers and their products, competitive oil companies and their products, and the petroleum industry with all of its current specifications in order to assist in recommending the correct Farm-Oyl® product for each application. It is most accurate to base our recommendations on the actual machine application when possible; therefore, we recommend obtaining that information when calling for assistance. The next most accurate method of recommending lubricants is to cross-reference the lubricant currently being used. The least accurate method, but all too often the only one available, is to base the application recommendation on a description of general use. In all cases, Farm-Oyl recommends using the type or style of lubricant that is recommend by the manufacturer; and we will assist the local dealer in finding the proper product to meet their needs.

Health and Safety: A complete safety and data sheet is available by calling 1-651-355-8186 or by visiting our SDS library.