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SUNOCO LUBTEST is a money-saving program for farmers

For a farmer, equipment is what helps him to do his job and generate income, and in fact, it is his main tool. And it’s also one of the major expenses – machinery must be purchased, serviced to keep it functioning, or repaired when it unexpectedly breaks down. And for many, the question constantly arises how to reduce the cost of maintaining tools, and at the same time do not harm their technical condition.

Lubricants, among the components of maintenance costs, take a rather small share, but their quality and timely replacement significantly affects the performance and durability of machinery components. Therefore, is it worth saving on them and, if there is such a desire, how to do it correctly? This question has a clear answer by the technical department of the company «Sunoco Trading» – the official and exclusive importer of oils of the American brand SUNOCO, which has more than 130-year history of existence and is known all over the world.

“Modern diversity of brands and models of machinery requires for maintenance many different kinds and types of oils, which, at certain intervals of replacement, guarantee high performance of the machinery itself. Therefore, for us, as specialists of the technical department of the lubricants supplier, the main task is, first of all, qualified support of our partners in selection and application of lubricants according to the requirements of machinery manufacturers, – says the head of the department Maxim Kozyr, – Besides, the use of modern Sunoco oils and laboratory methods of their condition assessment allows to optimize maintenance practices of machinery, which in general contributes to the reduction of costs for its operation.”

Each unit of agricultural machinery is unique and, of course, competent recommendation of this or that oil almost 100% guarantees that during the service interval the oil will fully fulfill the tasks assigned to it – lubrication, cooling, sealing, etc. Saving money by using cheaper and, therefore, lower quality oils is a wrong way, which, as a rule, leads to negative consequences. Quality oils from a well-known and trusted manufacturer in most cases have a sufficiently large safety margin, which allows to optimize the practice of use and, consequently, increase the service interval, but this should be done under the supervision of specialists. SUNOCO LUBTEST program, which has been proving its effectiveness for the second year in a row, is just such a service.

SUNOCO LUBTEST is a field test program for Sunoco lubricants. Its main purpose is to evaluate in a controlled manner the protection of the assembly by the oil used in certain conditions, its contamination, and the possibility of optimizing the service interval of oil change. This approach allows for a rational expenditure on consumables without sacrificing the high level of protection of oil lubricated equipment components. Moreover, in some cases, thanks to this program it is possible to prevent equipment failure in advance, which is a completely different order of expenses.

The program consists of several steps:

1. Selection of equipment to participate in the program and selection of Sunoco lubricants.
2. Fixing of data on technical condition of the selected equipment and oil, coordination of testing methodology, sampling schedules and access to the equipment, if necessary – signing of the Testing Agreement as a guarantee of our responsibility.
3. Oil filling process itself, which takes place in the presence of both Sunoco Trading representatives and interested parties from the owner of the equipment.
4. Pre-agreed oil sampling and sending them to the certified and independent laboratory OELCHECK in Germany, which excludes the possibility of biased conclusions.
5. Conducting analyses in the laboratory, interpreting them, and providing recommendations.

Behind the rather simple appearance lies the hard and responsible work of Sunoco’s technical specialists. However, the results achieved are worth the time and effort devoted to this program.

For example, during the 2022 SUNOCO LUBTEST program at several agricultural enterprises, the standard interval of 250 motor-hours was confirmed in John Deere JD 8335R tractors, which was then reasonably extended to 300 motor-hours. As a conclusion – Sunoco Super C SAE 15W-40 (API CK-4) and Sunoco Heavy Duty Super HPD SAE 15W-40 (API CI-4) oils poured into the engines of these tractors have sufficient reserve of operational properties for operation at extended service intervals. This, in turn, will increase the useful life of tractors and save money on their operation.

For detailed consultation on SUNOCO LUBTEST program, you can contact the technical department of Sunoco Trading company by phone +38 (044) 33-44-556 or by writing an e-mail to kozyr.maxim@sunocoukraine.com