Aftermarket Coolant vs. Kubota

Chanceywd · Jan 17, 2026

I'm feeling old today. I was checking my tractor over and noticed the coolant overflow was down near the low mark.
I stopped at the dealer yesterday and picked up a gallon of premixed, $24 out the door.
I remember days of about $2 a gallon for automotive concentrate.
I also remember a time I think in the 70's when there was a shortage of antifreeze and the price soared then.

Well at least I know I have the right stuff to add on hand, no grabbing the dexcool or Subaru stuff in the garage now.

Old Bill

lmichael · Jan 17, 2026

What does the Subaru use? Is it an Asian blend? Seems other than color the Asian ones (at least the Japanese) all use the same formulations. Just that Honda is blue and Toyota is pink (yes I know about the red but that is older ones and AFAIK the pink is backward compatible.

TheOldHokie · Jan 17, 2026

Chanceywd said:
I'm feeling old today. I was checking my tractor over and noticed the coolant overflow was down near the low mark.
I stopped at the dealer yesterday and picked up a gallon of premixed, $24 out the door.
I remember days of about $2 a gallon for automotive concentrate.
I also remember a time I think in the 70's when there was a shortage of antifreeze and the price soared then.

Well at least I know I have the right stuff to add on hand, no grabbing the dexcool or Subaru stuff in the garage now.

Old Bill

When I was in college a gallon of regular gas cost 19 cents.

Dan

Chanceywd · Jan 17, 2026

lmichael said:
What does the Subaru use? Is it an Asian blend? Seems other than color the Asian ones (at least the Japanese) all use the same formulations. Just that Honda is blue and Toyota is pink (yes I know about the red but that is older ones and AFAIK the pink is backward compatible.

I thought it might be the same but still wasn't sure. I haven't compared labels yet today.
I got Beck/arnley from Rock Auto. I bought a case when i did my older subaru head gaskets.
I think that is a blue color.

Since it was a different color too I didn't want to mix.
So the reason for the genuine Kubota.

Bill

Chanceywd · Jan 17, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
When I was in college a gallon of regular gas cost 19 cents.

Dan

There was a gas war here in central ny in the early 70's where it was $.25 a gallon for regular That is the cheapest I remember. I was just out of high school .
All the gas stations were dropping their price and the long lines would be at the cheapest one.

lmichael · Jan 17, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
When I was in college a gallon of regular gas cost 19 cents.

Dan

I haven't seen .19 gas since around 1961 or 62! You old bro!

Didn't go to college but if I had at that time (at least here in Chicago area where I lived) back then it varied from 23-29 depending on grade and time of year

TheOldHokie · Jan 17, 2026

lmichael said:
I haven't seen .19 gas since around 1961 or 62! You old bro! Didn't go to college but if I had at that time (at least here in Chicago area where I lived) back then it varied from 23-29 depending on grade and time of year

It was 1972 in Blacksburg VA and I was 21. Esso was a few pennies more and the wildcat stations a penny or two less.

Dan

Botamon · Jan 17, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
When I was in college a gallon of regular gas cost 19 cents.

Dan

Yup! Back in 1973 I was able to drive a Ford Econoline van - 13 mpg - from Pennsylvania to Nevada (about 2700 miles) for $90.11. I still have the log book I logged all that data in. Wasn't that long ago when I filled my pickup's tank and it cost $126!!!!!

DONLI · Jan 17, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
A total pig in a poke but the label does say it contains the evil 2-EHA. So expect all the gaskets, plastic parts, and hoses to melt and turn the cooling system into a gelatinous goo.

TheOldHokie said:
When I was in college a gallon of regular gas cost 19 cents.

Dan

When I was in school I could push a Model A into the only gas station in town and fill it uo (10 gal) on TWO (2) dollars, thats $0.20 a gal.
Those days are gone forever!

Don

TheOldHokie · Jan 17, 2026

DONLI said:
When I was in school I could push a Model A into the only gas station in town and fill it uo (10 gal) on TWO (2) dollars, thats $0.20 a gal.
Those days are gone forever!

Don

In 1973 I was driving a 1965 Olds F-85 with a 20 gallon tank. Five dollars would fill it up from dry and get you change.

Staying on topic - the radiator on that Olds leaked like a sieve and I kept a good supply of this in the trunk

Verifying Connection

Dan

North Idaho Wolfman · Jan 17, 2026

I was 8ish and would ride my mini bike to town and pick up a couple quarts of gas in an ERA soap bottle and fill the mini bike, so another couple quarts, and it was always less than a quarter.

lmichael · Jan 17, 2026

Must be the Illinausea road taxes and such as by that time even regular was more WAY more than that here. Of course now with most of the country beginning to enjoy gas at under $2 a gal here in most places we're LUCKY to see it under $2.90! But 12 miles north in WI low $2's Usually .60 or more cheaper.

Blue2Orange · Jan 17, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
When I was in college a gallon of regular gas cost 19 cents.

Dan

35 cents is a distant memory during the undergrad years. Good thing. Didn't own a car. Borrowed my Dad's car. AMC Matador. Had to fill it up. Thing got maybe 12-13mpg. His Fiat 128 was sweet in terms of mpg. Borrowed it for a road trip to ski a few mountains in MT. My ski buddy and I thought the fuel gauge was not correct. We would have run out of $$s before getting to eastern MT driving the AMC.

Pre-recession we figured out we were paying ~5cents/ liter down in Margarita. State subsidized fuel. Beer was also cheap. ~50cents/bottle at our favorite beach bar.. Considering Hugo wasn't a fan of Polar, the national beer I doubt if it was subsidized. Factor in street exchange for US$ was 3-4x official currency exchange the beer was closer to ~10 cents/bottle.

Chanceywd · Jan 17, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
In 1973 I was driving a 1965 Olds F-85 with a 20 gallon tank. Five dollars would fill it up from dry and get you change.

Staying on topic - the radiator on that Olds leaked like a sieve and I kept a good supply of this in the trunk

Verifying Connection

Dan

My older brother had one of those in 69 when he got out of the service. I remember it being a very fast v8 4 speed.

TheOldHokie · Jan 17, 2026

Chanceywd said:
My older brother had one of those in 69 when he got out of the service. I remember it being a very fast v8 4 speed.

Essentially a Cutlass and came in nultiple configurations. This one was a 250 HP/330 CID V8 with 2bbl and automatic transmission. The 442 edition had a lot more muscle.

Dan

lmichael · Jan 17, 2026

Right at the first Arab Oil Embargo I was driving a 69 Caddy Coupe De Ville (loved that sled). 6 MPG on a good day I could not get enough gasoline for it to get to work a couple times. For you youngsters the first embargo was 73

The Evil Twin · Jan 17, 2026

I believe I used the Zerex Blue Asian coolant last time. It met all the K requirements and I had a gallon left over from the wife’s car.

lmichael · Jan 17, 2026

I'm quite sure from everything I've read the Asian (at least for Honda/Toyota) are the same formulations only different colors. I'm unsure what Hyundai/Kia specs, and as for Subaru I would not doubt its the same as what Toyota and Honda call for. And given that Mazda and Subaru are so tightly entwined with Toyota wouldn't surprise me to see same formulations there either

Chanceywd · Jan 18, 2026

lmichael said:
I'm quite sure from everything I've read the Asian (at least for Honda/Toyota) are the same formulations only different colors. I'm unsure what Hyundai/Kia specs, and as for Subaru I would not doubt its the same as what Toyota and Honda call for. And given that Mazda and Subaru are so tightly entwined with Toyota wouldn't surprise me to see same formulations there either

I gave a quick look at both labels yesterday and they read about the same, both long life too.

Even the jugs are identical except for color.
Always good to have a backup plan.
Got to remember to look it over for a loose hose clamp etc when I get back up there to add it.

I'm working on extending the exhaust when I see it was low.
Driving slowly thru the woods and it blowing on the tire seems to make it roll back up to me and gets me coughing. I will start a thread if it works any better.

Bill

Runs With Scissors · Jan 18, 2026

I am admittedly/embarrassingly a “serial procrastinator” when it comes to changing coolant.

I hate trying to get rid of that crap.

It might be easier to get rid of "spent plutonium rods”.

Truck and van get “Wally World Whatever” brand.

Boat uses “distilled lake water"

But for the record, I will just “pay the man” and get K brand….. (when i get around to doing it

)

{Oh, and gas was .89 when I was in high school, Marlboro cigarettes were 90 cents a pack, and minimum wage was $3.36/hour…..I remember working my ass off for a 100 dollar check…and then promptly pissing it away on Booze, Broads, Smokes and gas…………….If I had known I was gonna live this long, I would have taken better care of myself

}

Aftermarket Coolant vs. Kubota

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