What is the best excavator grease? When I grease my excavator and skid steer loader, the lithium grease pumps in easily, yet I don't feel it performs as it should.
I have to grease several times a day to be sure the pins don't wear. Oil bleeds out constantly, running down the boom, leaving my prize machine looking dirty.
Am I using the correct grease or is there greases that last longer and don't make my digger grubby?
Lithium grease is one of the most common lubricants on the market and is used for the toughest of jobs. Manufacturers have responded to rising demands by creating countless varieties of lithium greases. While each claims to be reliable and cost-effective, I know not all products are created equal.
Here we will unlock your understanding of the 5 best lithium greases and how they fit into your situation.
Lithium greases are a type of grease that is made from lithium soap and mineral or synthetic oil. They are used in a variety of applications, including automotive, industrial, and marine. Lithium grease offers superior performance in high-temperature environments and provides excellent protection against wear and corrosion.
Not all lithium grease is equal, and there are many multi-purpose grease products, so it is important to choose the right one for your needs. Here are some of the regular lithium grease properties worth considering.
The type of base oil used is essential for the performance of a lubricant, and it serves as the foundation of the grease. Mineral, synthetic, and vegetable oils are the three primary types of base oils. Synthetic oils provide superior protection, performance, temperature tolerance, and weather resistance, with good shear stability and long lasting lubrication.
Various additives are used to make grease more effective. These can include extreme pressure additives, oxidation and corrosion inhibitors to enhance corrosion protection, polymers for adhesiveness, insoluble solids, and substances that protect against wear and tear or increase heat resistance. Grease can also have dyes or pigments added.
Thickeners are utilized to make all grease ingredients combine better, thus increasing the effectiveness of each grease. Generally used thickeners include simple and complex soaps made of lithium, calcium, aluminium, sodium, and barium compounds. Moreover, specific non-soap thickeners including those from clay and polyurea can give the grease its texture. These non-soap options can have implications when mixed with other types which decrease the grease life or cause failure.
To figure out the level of texture for any lubricating grease, the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) has established a feature called consistency. Every grease is designated an NLGI grade, which varies from 000 to 6. These NLGI rankings are subsequently employed to indicate the magnitude of consistency each grease has. For instance, 00 NLGI grease is totally liquid, a 0 NLGI grease is regarded as very soft, 1 NLGI grease is soft, 2 NLGI grease is normal, 3 NLGI grease is solid while 6 NLGI grease is indicated as extremely hard. The harsh weather conditions in Australia demand grease that maintains consistency regardless of the conditions.
Grease viscosity determines its capacity to stay stable and resist friction. High viscosity delivers extra stability when the grease is exposed to slow and intense loads, while a lower viscosity works best for high-speed contexts. High viscosity grease also improves performance and decreases oil bleed-out, where the temperature range increases to higher levels.
Excavator grease is designed to withstand the high loads and pressures associated with excavator operations. It provides superior protection against wear, corrosion, and extreme temperatures. Pin and bushing grease applications which have high loads combined with high temperatures, benefit from high viscosity lithium grease (1900 cSt at 40oC) which use a synthetic base oil and have a high temperature rating such as a dropping point of 250oC plus.
Grease for Large Loaders and Skid Steer LoadersBulldozers and scrappers work in some of the most demanding situations. In the past operators have used a moly grease to overcome the failure of the mineral base oils. This leads to a problem where grease lines block resulting in pin failure and machine downtime. Modern technology used in the TEXXON XHD Red Grease has voided the need for moly in all but he most demanding mining applications. Even lubrication equipment suppliers such as Graco warn against the overuse of a solid participle such as molybdenum disulfide used in moly grease.
Keeping road trucks looking good is the intent of successful earthmoving contractors. The application of grease is essential but works against keeping them clean as the grease tends to bleed oil and collect dust. Using lithium grease with high shear stability prevent the oil bleeding out even under high temperature grease applications. Greases using synthetic oils provide the best adhesion to the application surface which reduces shackle pin and universals failing prematurely especially when used in high temperature applications.
Light vehicles in mining applications are exposed to high loads and extreme temperatures. The use of a lithium grease with synthetic base oils provides the best protection for CV joints, wheel bearings and universal joints.
1. TEXXON XHD Red Grease is a heavy duty lubricant grease with excellent lubrication characteristics for the range of heavy antifriction and plain bearings, gears and couplings in automotive, marine, agricultural and industrial applications requiring a grease with a high base oil viscosity and weld load. It is based on a lithium complex thickener and synthetic base oils combined with the inclusion of extreme pressure additives and effective rust, oxidation and corrosion inhibitors. It has a base oil viscosity of 1900 cSt @ 40oCand a 4 ball weld load of 500kg.
2. TEXXON Easy Pump Red Grease is an extremely high quality product with excellent lubrication characteristics for the range of anti-friction and plain bearings, gears and couplings in automotive, marine, agricultural and industrial applications requiring grease with a high base oil viscosity and weld load. It is based on a lithium complex thickener and synthetic base oils combined with the inclusion of extreme pressure additives and effective rust, oxidation, and corrosion inhibitors and increased soap content to improve pumpability in cold conditions. It has a base oil viscosity of 1900cSt @ 40oC and a 4 ball weld point of over 500kg. Easy Pump Red is a better grease for bearings especially small bearings in general applications.
3. Mobil grease XHP 222 is a premium lithium complex, extreme pressure grease intended for severe industrial applications. It has a base oil viscosity of 220cSt @ 40oC and a 4 ball weld point of over 315kg
4. Shell Gadus S2 V220 is a high quality multipurpose, extreme-pressure grease based on a blend of high viscosity index mineral oils and a lithium hydroxystreate soap thickener. It has a base oil viscosity of 220cSt @ 40oC and a dropping point of 180 degrees
5. Castrol Premium Heavy Duty Grease is a high performance, multipurpose lithium complex grease developed using an optimised combination of high quality base oils. It has a base oil viscosity of 210cSt @ 40oC and a dropping point of 260 degrees.
In conclusion, it's clear that choosing the right lithium grease is key to prolonging the life of your equipment. Some options like the Texxon products have a viscosity that is so far out in front it can't really be compared yet it operates as a multipurpose grease across most quarry, earthmoving, forestry and agriculture industries. Standing up to the most stressful conditions.
With all the information provided in this article, you now have a better understanding of the types of lithium greases available, their application methods and which properties make a difference. Keeping all these in mind should help when selecting the best product for your application. Whether you’re looking for a waterproof grease, water resistant grease or something to resist heat such as a high temp bearing grease, make sure to consider using high quality lithium grease with an advanced additive package on your equipment, as it may be exactly what’s needed to keep your investment producing a profitable return.
