Viva Energy Australia, the Shell Lubricant Macro Distributors in Australia are ready to keep farmers in the field with machinery operating at its best
Australian farmers regularly operate in extreme conditions, across all seasons with the pressure of maintaining food security for the nation.
This is why selecting the most appropriate lubricant for the machinery plays a vital role in maximising operational efficiency across the nation’s agricultural sector.
The right engine oil lubricant can improve a machine’s performance and ensure operations run smoothly.
Conversely, choosing the wrong lubricant for your machinery and equipment can cause breakdowns and accrue costly repairs and maintenance, quickly putting the machinery out of operation and causing costly and unnecessary downtime on the farm.
Shell is one of the most well-recognised oil and fluid brands in the world, and as the exclusive distributor of Shell brand lubricants in Australia, Viva Energy has streamlined the process of selecting the right lubricant for your machinery and equipment.
Whether it is for a tractor, harvester, plough or seeder, Shell has developed a unique product range that assists farm machinery operators in ensuring careful management of their engines.
The Shell Rimula R4 range are key products for protecting the integrity and efficiency of agricultural machinery engines to ensure their performance and longevity.
When developing a new product, Shell lubricants undergo rigorous rounds of tests, in the widest possible range of conditions to ensure it is developed for the real world.
As part of the development process for today’s Shell Rimula R4 L, based on the API CK-4 engine-oil specification, over 160 million kilometres of road tests were run across multiple markets including Australia, along with the United States, Europe and China.
“During the development process, Shell tests its engine oil formulas exhaustively,” Shell’s global technology manager for heavy duty engine oils, Jason Brown, says.
“We use these tests to improve and refine the additive package and enhance oil performance across its lifetime so that it delivers industry-leading protection from the moment of top-up right through to the next oil drain.”
What farmers need
As a brand which operates on a global scale and dealing with everything from passenger cars to trucks, along with agricultural equipment, Shell Lubricants are either approved by, or meet the specifications of, more than 3,000 OEMs around the world including the largest-selling tractor brands in Australia.
There are five key areas in which Shell Lubricants can enhance the operation of tractors and other farm machinery: greases; transmission, gear and axle oils; diesel engine oils; hydraulic oils; and coolants.
The specific nature of these, plus the depth of product range, means farmers can trust in a product designed for their requirements.
Shell Rimula heavy-duty diesel engine oil uses the most advanced technology and is developed with Shell’s Dynamic Protection Plus Technology to create exceptional resistance to corrosion, wear and oxidation while producing lower vehicle emissions.
This technology is also versatile in a wide range of environments, providing protection against acid and deposit build up to keep engines working harder and longer.
Protecting the performance of exhaust emissions control systems is not only important to ensure that machinery complies with legislative requirements, but it also ensures efficient operations.
For example, blocked diesel particulate filters (DPF) can increase a machine’s fuel consumption.
Shell Rimula R4 L is formulated with reduced levels of ash and sulphur to help maintain the efficiency of the latest technology DPFs.
The benefits of using Shell Rimula oils also translate to the wallet, through increased reliability of machines and lower downtime, along with reduced maintenance costs.
The Shell Rimula R4 range allows farmers to plan for engine maintenance cycles with confidence, knowing that the highest quality lubricants are being used to optimise engine performance in line with OEM requirements.
Operators should refer to OEM product manuals to understand recommended service intervals, as some equipment may have a service interval of 200 hours while others may be up to 500 hours.
Regardless, it is best practice to keep ahead of service intervals to ensure equipment is operating at peak performance levels all year round.
Businesses seeking real time support can receive a free consultation on which lubricant is optimal for their engine through the Viva Energy Technical Help Desk (Shell Lubricant Specialists).
For the more digitally savvy, the Shell LubeMatch and Shell LubeAnalyst digital tools allow customers to input the details of their equipment and access detailed lube matching information, as well as survey and monitor their engine health.