Aftermarket Coolant vs. Kubota

GeoHorn · Jan 18, 2026

In 1964, intersection of Bellaire and Park, the Sinclair station finally gave the “bird” to the Humble station (later ENCO) across the street when, during the gas-war, they dropped the price to 8-cents per pallon!

Cars were lined up 3 deep buying gas… every day….even-tho they’d already filled up the day-before..…and could only take one gallon or maybe two.

Back to Coolant: FORGET COLOR! Forget it!

THERE IS NO COLOR-STANDARD in the anti-freeze industry. None! COLOR is MEANINGLESS and will NOT guarantee you are getting the same stuff you Think you are. No kidding!

Color was introduced by some auto-makers in order to create “brand loyalty”… But NO automaker manufactures anti-freeze….or engine oil. They BUY it from established mfr’s who bottle it for the automaker.
Result: Antifreeze mfr’s add Color to attract buyers to match those products for those cars….but Color is NOT a specification of antifreeze.

Find out what specific TYPE of coolant your vehicle uses…and buy that TYPE based upon the Label….NOT the “Color”.

Example: (CHrysler/Fiat/Stellantis has changed the Color of their coolant 3 times…. but has changed the TYPE Twice in the 2009-present period. The Only Way to make certain one doesn’t create a conflict and maintenance issues (corrosion, gelling and heater-core problems) is to Read the Owners Manual AND the coolant Label.

The Evil Twin · Jan 18, 2026

I stick to green or red motor oil. Purple oil does not taste like grape

lmichael · Jan 18, 2026

Oh I know color is not a "standard" I pay attention to the formulation and what the mfgr wants in their engine(s). And I've assumed and I guess correctly Kubota's formulation needs are very similar to many other Japanese mfgrs i.e. Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Mazda.

TheOldHokie · Jan 18, 2026

lmichael said:
Oh I know color is not a "standard" I pay attention to the formulation and what the mfgr wants in their engine(s). And I've assumed and I guess correctly Kubota's formulation needs are very similar to many other Japanese mfgrs i.e. Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Mazda.

Lets not conflate "needs" with "preferences"

For example, Europe has hard water so their engineers eschew silicates, nitrates, phosphates, and amines which dont play nice in that environment. Doesnt mean the engine or cooling system actually cares.

Asian engineers dont worry about hard water. Instead they focus on protection of aluminum, improved heat transfer, and extended service life. As a result they come up with a hybrid cocktail that allows low levels of phosphates and a longer service life. Doesnt mean it wont perform acceptably in my BMW.

In other words these are not life or death differences.

TOH

lmichael · Jan 18, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
Lets not conflate "needs" with "preferences"

For example, Europe has hard water so their engineers eschew silicates, nitrates, phosphates, and amines which dont play nice in that environment. Doesnt mean the engine or cooling system actually cares.

Asian engineers dont worry about hard water. Instead they focus on protection of aluminum, improved heat transfer, and extended service life. As a result they come up with a hybrid cocktail that allows low levels of phosphates and a longer service life. Doesnt mean it wont perform acceptably in my BMW.

In other words these are not life or death differences.

TOH

Maybe not BUT by the same token the last thing you'd want to do is put GM Death Cool in your BMW or in my case my Kubota. Both my cars are Toyota (a low mile bought new by use 2020 RAV4 Hybrid) and our 2024 Toyota BZ4X which also uses Toyota pink cocktail juice but also a very curious coolant for the electrical system with very low conductivity or some such thing.
In any case I pay attention to what a mfgr would like. But having been to Europe MANY times I found their water not nearly as hard as when we get here which without a softener would be like taking a shower in pea gravel. I saw no water conditioners of any kind in Germany, Switzerland, Italy.. And I remembered an old Hogan's Heroes episode where Hogan and Klink are supposed to steal a P51. And while in England shaving Klink laments how terribly hard the water is in England vs their nice soft water in Germany.
Anyway I digress. IDK how mfgrs go about spec'ing their fluids. I know I simply pay attention to what they spec. The only one I honestly ever questioned was GM.

TheOldHokie · Jan 18, 2026

lmichael said:
Maybe not BUT by the same token the last thing you'd want to do is put GM Death Cool in your BMW or in my case my Kubota. Both my cars are Toyota (a low mile bought new by use 2020 RAV4 Hybrid) and our 2024 Toyota BZ4X which also uses Toyota pink cocktail juice but also a very curious coolant for the electrical system with very low conductivity or some such thing.
In any case I pay attention to what a mfgr would like. But having been to Europe MANY times I found their water not nearly as hard as when we get here which without a softener would be like taking a shower in pea gravel. I saw no water conditioners of any kind in Germany, Switzerland, Italy.. And I remembered an old Hogan's Heroes episode where Hogan and Klink are supposed to steal a P51. And while in England shaving Klink laments how terribly hard the water is in England vs their nice soft water in Germany.
Anyway I digress. IDK how mfgrs go about spec'ing their fluids. I know I simply pay attention to what they spec. The only one I honestly ever questioned was GM.

Hogans Heros not withstanding the mineral issue as regards coolants is well established

GM Dexcool chemistry is the fundamental basis for ALL of those other formulations and as an LLC satisfies the very broad Kubota specification in my owners manual. The only thing Kubota seems to rule out is an old school IAT coolant.

Its internet forums that like to complicate things with a lot of speculative hand wringing doom and gloom.

Dan

The Evil Twin · Jan 18, 2026

WOLVERINES!!!!!!

TheOldHokie · Jan 19, 2026

The Evil Twin said:
WOLVERINES!!!!!!
View attachment 168468

Thats not funny!! I have found myself in situations were I considered that technology. Lack of volume made it impractical

Dan

lmichael · Jan 19, 2026

Many years ago, had to do that in lieu of windshield fluid on my 65 Corvair. Had gotten it stuck in mud when we went out to some old farm in McHenry IL to do some trap shooting. Same kind of thing but different part of the car

Trash Panda · Jan 19, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
Hogans Heros not withstanding the mineral issue as regards coolants is well established

GM Dexcool chemistry is the fundamental basis for ALL of those other formulations and as an LLC satisfies the very broad Kubota specification in my owners manual. The only thing Kubota seems to rule out is an old school IAT coolant.

Its internet forums that like to complicate things with a lot of speculative hand wringing doom and gloom.

Dan

Dex Cool got a bad rap from the guys who followed the hype when it came out, and ran the stuff simply too long.

There are an awful lot of GMT800’s on the road with absurd miles on the clock, that have ran dex their entire lives without an issue. I have one of them.

Same issues with the new fancy HOAT mopar coolant that they say lasts 15 years. Nothing lasts 15 years, change the shit and live a happy life.

Old Machinist · Jan 19, 2026

I haven't looked into changing the coolant in my Kubota. For my other diesel use I have been using Peak Fleet Charge concentrate and distilled water.

William1 · Jan 19, 2026

The Evil Twin said:
WOLVERINES!!!!!!
View attachment 168468

I used beer once.

TheOldHokie · Jan 19, 2026

Old Machinist said:
I haven't looked into changing the coolant in my Kubota. For my other diesel use I have been using Peak Fleet Charge concentrate and distilled water.

The product description lacks any details on additive chemistry but the mere mention of SCAs suggests that is not a LLC. Keep that in mind when scheduling coolant change intervals.

Dan

hagrid · Jan 19, 2026

So, which color coolant is the bestest?

TheOldHokie · Jan 19, 2026

hagrid said:
So, which color coolant is the bestest?

The one that matches the paint. It wont leave a stain when you spill it

Dan

GeoHorn · Feb 9, 2026

The PROBLEM remains that coolant labels are not sufficiently descriptive, and many times self-contradictory.

Color or Region (“Asian” or “European” is neither accurate nor specific…. Lots of Toyotas and VWs are made in the SouthEastern U.S., and the most famous Japanese pickup-truck is made in San Antonio…. a definite Latino area, …while Rams are made in Mexico (famous for failure to receive or pay the invoice on a wall and where the hard-water is sourced from a little (Chico) molehill (Topo) made into a mountain (Montana) by Coca-Cola.)

Prestone or SuperTech will work just fine in a Kubota tractor.

Blue2Orange · Feb 9, 2026

Old memory popped up in the old brain. When first looking for an alternative to the NH branded coolant years ago I think I remember that a coolant specific for diesel engines is required due to the higher compression, temperature...... Coolants for diesels are formulated to minimize or eliminate corrosion, erosion, cavitation that might happen if using coolants designed for gasoline motors.

Opinions? Color of the coolant is the last factor I would consider. IIRC, the NH branded was green. The Yanmar ELC diesel specific coolant was red. Rotella diesel specific coolant might have been purple or green or red. Foggy memory.

No plans of saving a few $$s. Sticking with Kubota branded coolant until warranty has expired. Then sticking with a "name" brand of diesel specific coolant. What I did with the NH for close to 25 years. That and proper flushing of the system before replacing with fresh coolant routinely kept Baby Blue happy. Also, me.

TheOldHokie · Feb 9, 2026

Blue2Orange said:
Old memory popped up in the old brain. When first looking for an alternative to the NH branded coolant years ago I think I remember that a coolant specific for diesel engines is required due to the higher compression, temperature...... Coolants for diesels are formulated to minimize or eliminate corrosion, erosion, cavitation that might happen if using coolants designed for gasoline motors.

Opinions? Color of the coolant is the last factor I would consider. IIRC, the NH branded was green. The Yanmar ELC diesel specific coolant was red. Rotella diesel specific coolant might have been purple or green or red. Foggy memory.

No plans of saving a few $$s. Sticking with Kubota branded coolant until warranty has expired. Then sticking with a "name" brand of diesel specific coolant. What I did with the NH for close to 25 years. That and proper flushing of the system before replacing with fresh coolant routinely kept Baby Blue happy. Also, me.

You are refering to a problem with cavitation erosion on wet sleeve diesels. Coolants treated with nitrites are effective at reducing that cavitation. Not applicable to Kubota engines.

We have beat this topic to death. Kubota has clear and easy to understand guidance in their current manuals - no requirements for any particulsr formulation including their own. They tell you to use any ethylene glycol based LLC coolant. The only thing that rules out is propylene glycol based and IAT (old school "green") products.

Why is that so hard to accept or execute?

Dan

GeoHorn · Feb 9, 2026

TheOldHokie said:
…. They tell you to use any ethylene glycol based LLC coolant. The only thing that rules out is propylene glycol based and IAT (old school "green") products.

Why is that so hard to accept or execute?

Dan

It’s Not hard to accept….it’s just complicated to execute….because coolant-mfr’s Don’t Label or properly Identify what’s in the jug…. but they happily say it‘s “compatible” or “colored” to “meet” Asian/European/Japan vehicles.

My goofy friends in Austin simply won’t believe me when I tell them they should only buy Orange (for Univ. of Tx) Dex-Cool for their Teslas.

TheOldHokie · Feb 9, 2026

GeoHorn said:
It’s Not hard to accept….it’s just complicated to execute….because coolant-mfr’s Don’t Label or properly Identify what’s in the jug…. but they happily say it‘s “compatible” or “colored” to “meet” Asian/European/Japan vehicles.

My goofy friends in Austin simply won’t believe me when I tell them they should only buy Orange (for Univ. of Tx) Dex-Cool for their Teslas.

Every jug of coolant in my shop says ELC or LLC ethylene glycol on the label. You will be hard pressed to find anything else in an auto supply store.

Dan

Aftermarket Coolant vs. Kubota

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