[Bat]

Hi guys,
What would be the best alternative for Polaris AGL and Demand drive fluid? Help and suggestions will be much appreciated.
Thanks, Bat

 

[JSMetalcraft]

What is best is a long debate with no real answers that I can find. A lot of peeps are using Amsoil and swear by it. A JD20c hydraulic oil can be used in front by Hillard's recommendation. TSC carries it in gallons to last you a long long time. Some use Mobile 1 75/90 synthetic gear oil in place of AGL.

I have been using Amsoil but through hours of research I am going to use the Shaffer's synthetic hydraulic fluid I have in drums for both front and rear. JD20 rated and if it keeps tractor gears running good it will work in the Polaris gear case. Only down side is it's GL4 instead of GL5 specification.

 

[bobx2]

Lol. This discussion always drives me crazy. 1 quart of Demand Drive fluid will do 3+ changes, and it takes less than 1-1/2 quarts of AGL to do the transmission. You change it once or twice a year. Why would a person even bother experimenting with any other fluids? Is the risk worth the $5-$10 you "might" save? Not to me.

 

[Pirate]

For the Hilliard front differential its the Polaris Demand Drive fluid. For the internals of that diff...I've stuck with the Polaris lube for 10 years because I don't really know what the critical aspects are for that lube. So why mess other lubes?

In the RZR 800 I started running Valvoline 75-W90 synthetic gear lube. I got that from Hawk Engineering when they did the "fix" on the pinion shaft and the CNC cases. Worked just excellent. I began running in the transmission about 2013. Never had a problem and using a laser temp gauge, my diff ran 10 degrees or so cooler than a friends with OEM AGL lube.

The Valvoline is less expensive...and you can get it just about everywhere!

I purchased the 5 year warranty from Polaris, so I'll probably stick with the OEM lubes until it expires. After that, well....

Just thoughts,

Pirate

 

[Z15]

For years many OEM’s (and their dealers) have advanced the belief that people must use OEM brand of lubricants in their vehicles and equipment to maintain their new vehicle warranties. Not only is this a scare tactic meant to boost sales of the OEM’s lubricants, it’s illegal unless the OEM provides the lubricants free-of-charge. It’s a big revenue stream for the OEM’s because owners think it’s the best product (and the dealers push it) when in reality it’s no different and no better than the lowest cost lubes for sale anywhere. No more than Walmart "Honey Nut Spins" are better than "Cherrios".

AMSOIL makes Polaris dedicated replacements for the AGL and Demand Drive Fluid and that's been in my RZR.

 

[tracymshepard]

I recently changed rear Polaris AGL fluid and front Demand drive fluid in my Brutus HD. I used Mobile 1 100% synthetic ATF in the rear, Polaris Demand Drive Fluid in the front. The Brutus ran well after the fluid change, actually better; the old fluids were a little dark and maybe low.

I used a 1/2" OD tube with a small funnel for the front and rear. The drain plugs and filler plugs come out with a 5/16" hex key.

 

[rosbrughjb]

Lol. This discussion always drives me crazy. 1 quart of Demand Drive fluid will do 3+ changes, and it takes less than 1-1/2 quarts of AGL to do the transmission. You change it once or twice a year. Why would a person even bother experimenting with any other fluids? Is the risk worth the $5-$10 you "might" save? Not to me.

I came across this while searching for alternatives and thought it might be important to consider some folks (like me) are in desperate need of alternatives not for the typical thought of cost but we reside in regions you simply cannot obtain Polaris fluids. The closest place I may be able to find Polaris fluids is over a six hours by car and hard to justify a crazy treacherous run to San Jose for some oil/fluid.

 

[deanrowski]

Amazon?

 

[Mountain Man]

I came across this while searching for alternatives and thought it might be important to consider some folks (like me) are in desperate need of alternatives not for the typical thought of cost but we reside in regions you simply cannot obtain Polaris fluids. The closest place I may be able to find Polaris fluids is over a six hours by car and hard to justify a crazy treacherous run to San Jose for some oil/fluid.

you can order it online

 

[Lscmark]

Amazon or Rocky Mountain ATV

 

[rosbrughjb]

you can order it online

Thanks! Unfortunately delivery out here is all but impossible. I’m best muling in from US on the next trip. Would love to find alternatives for all of the main components though.

 

[rockman]

Thanks! Unfortunately delivery out here is all but impossible. I’m best muling in from US on the next trip. Would love to find alternatives for all of the main components though.

Where are you?
If you are so far out you won't drive to get it and you can't receive shipments how are you going to get an alternative lubricant?

 

[rosbrughjb]

Where are you?
If you are so far out you won't drive to get it and you can't receive shipments how are you going to get an alternative lubricant?

I live in a remote part of Costa Rica on the pacific shoreline. We actually have a Honda dealer (already discussed w them but they won’t order from Polaris in San Jose) and have many different outlets for alternatives. Repsol and Bel-Ray are the two higher end lubricants available here. I have tried to get a motorcycle shop I know the owner to order from Polaris in SJ and he came up empty- now I don’t know exactly how hard he tried - but no Bueno thus far.
finding an alternative would be very helpful. I am trying the Bel-Ray gearsaver fluid in the trans and so far all seems fine. I have a quad (2012 Polaris sportsman 850 ho eps with 1644 kms ) I recently purchased after it had been stored for over 8years in a warehouse. I want to ride it and super excited about it but that is tempered by the likelihood it had the original fluids! Scored a filter and put some Motol full synthetic oil (definitely original filter) changed trans to GearSaver and read diff to good GL4 but front axle seems to really need the Polaris Demand Drive, but not available. I purchased a quart of Castro full synthetic TransMax for Toyotas and may try it. The hose between axel and reservoir had crystallized so I was able to replace it -shocked I could find hose that worked!
open to all suggestions. I’ll mule in the right stuff in a few weeks when I return to the US for a short bit.
Pura Vida!

 

[lueck89]

Where are you buying these polaris vehicles? That place is of no help to get OEM fluids?

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[Papermaker]

I live in a remote part of Costa Rica on the pacific shoreline. We actually have a Honda dealer (already discussed w them but they won’t order from Polaris in San Jose) and have many different outlets for alternatives. Repsol and Bel-Ray are the two higher end lubricants available here. I have tried to get a motorcycle shop I know the owner to order from Polaris in SJ and he came up empty- now I don’t know exactly how hard he tried - but no Bueno thus far.
finding an alternative would be very helpful. I am trying the Bel-Ray gearsaver fluid in the trans and so far all seems fine. I have a quad (2012 Polaris sportsman 850 ho eps with 1644 kms ) I recently purchased after it had been stored for over 8years in a warehouse. I want to ride it and super excited about it but that is tempered by the likelihood it had the original fluids! Scored a filter and put some Motol full synthetic oil (definitely original filter) changed trans to GearSaver and read diff to good GL4 but front axle seems to really need the Polaris Demand Drive, but not available. I purchased a quart of Castro full synthetic TransMax for Toyotas and may try it. The hose between axel and reservoir had crystallized so I was able to replace it -shocked I could find hose that worked!
open to all suggestions. I’ll mule in the right stuff in a few weeks when I return to the US for a short bit.
Pura Vida!

So you want demand drive hub fluid for a sportsman 850?

 

[rockman]

For your Sportsman 850 rear differential unit Polaris specifies GL5 80-90 as an alternative.
Like JSMetalcraft says above "A JD20c hydraulic oil can be used in the front Hilliard unit". But I personally would use Demand Drive fluid when you can get it.
Again for me personally if I couldn't get AGL and had to have some lubricant I would use the JD20c in the transmission too, but only as a stop gap until I could replace it with AGL.
JD20c is John Deere tractor transmission hydraulic system lubricant.

 

[rosbrughjb]

I purchased this Polaris 850 from the original owner who is part of the Dole family - fruits and juices. They apparently purchased a few of them in 2012 and never used them.

 

[rosbrughjb]

So you want demand drive hub fluid for a sportsman 850?

I would love to find demand drive fluid. Probably won’t happen until I get back to the states. So it comes down to what is the best alternative I can find locally. Figure something has to be better than nothing.

 

[Papermaker]

I would love to find demand drive fluid. Probably won’t happen until I get back to the states. So it comes down to what is the best alternative I can find locally. Figure something has to be better than nothing.

The old hubs we used ATF…not sure how they work now.

 

[deanrowski]

I have read in many posts in RZR forum that Mobil 1ATF synthetic is a viable alternative to DDF.
Might get you by in a pinch, I don't know that it would be any easier to find than Polaris DDF.