Backhoe Loader (JCB), Excavator and Crane Engine Oil Price in India

The price of engine oil for a backhoe loader, excavator or hydra crane in India is set by four things: the oil’s performance level, the pack size, whose label is on the bucket and where you buy it. Most of these machines run a 15W-40 heavy-duty diesel engine oil. One oil change on a backhoe loader takes 8 to 15 litres depending on the make, and a 20 ton excavator takes 16 to 25 litres on most models, so the fill decides how many buckets you buy.

Most people in India call a backhoe loader a JCB, and many search “JCB engine oil” whichever make they own; some of them mean JCB’s own-label oil, sold through its dealers. This guide covers the whole category: the oils sold for these machines, the grade the machine makers name, how many litres each backhoe loader, excavator, crane and loader make takes, what moves the price of a bucket and how to get a price for an oil change.

Which engine oils are sold for backhoe loaders and excavators?

All of these are 15W-40 heavy-duty diesel engine oils, the grade most construction machines in India are filled with, in the pack sizes sellers list them in.

Castrol, Servo, HP Lubricants and Gulf also sell 15W-40 heavy-duty diesel oils for these machines. The same bucket is listed at very different prices by different sellers and cities, and the smaller the pack, the more you pay per litre. For the grade and pack your machine needs, ask the dealer for a quote and check whether GST is included.

How many litres of engine oil does each backhoe loader make take?

49 of the 51 backhoe loader models we track publish their engine oil fill. The makes differ more than most owners expect, because they use different engines.

So one 15-litre bucket covers one change on every backhoe in this table, with a few litres left for topping up on the smaller sumps. The backhoe loader capacity guide lists the fuel, hydraulic and transmission fills for each model too.

How much engine oil does a 20 ton excavator take?

Excavators in the 20 ton class, the size most contractors in India run, hold 11 to 32 litres of engine oil, and most sit between 16 and 25 litres. That is one full 15-litre bucket plus part of a second, or one 20-litre bucket on the smaller sumps.

Larger excavators take far more: 25 to 42.5 litres in the 30 to 50 ton class and 50 litres or more on mining machines. The excavator oil capacity guide lists every model we cover.

How much engine oil do other machines take?

The fills below come from the service capacities each maker publishes. To cost one oil change, multiply the fill by the per-litre price on your dealer’s quote.

Add the oil filter, which is changed at the same time, and a little extra oil for topping up between services. The exact fill for each model is in the capacity guides for hydra cranes, wheel loaders and motor graders.

Which engine oil grade do the machine makers name?

Most backhoe loaders, hydras and excavators working in India are filled with a 15W-40 heavy-duty diesel engine oil. “15W” is how easily the oil flows when the engine is cold, and “40” is how thick it stays when the engine is hot. The letters after it, such as API CI-4 or CK-4, are the performance level: a higher level is made for newer engines and longer drain intervals.

Two of the makers publish their own engine oils openly. JCB sells JCB Engine Oil EP 15W-40 and, for its newer engines with exhaust after-treatment, JCB Advanced Engine 15W-40, rated API CJ-4/CK-4 and ACEA E9/E7. Caterpillar sells Cat DEO-ULS in 15W-40, rated API CK-4 and made for engines with after-treatment devices. The other makers state the grade in each model’s operator manual rather than on the public spec sheet, so check the manual for your machine.

Newer engines built to the CEV Stage V emission norms often call for a low-ash oil of this CK-4 type, which protects the exhaust after-treatment, and an older grade can shorten the life of that equipment. Our blog on engine oil, hydraulic oil and grease for construction machines explains grades and change intervals in more detail.

This is a general guide based on machine size class. Always confirm the fit with your machine’s operator manual or the manufacturer before buying or fitting.

Why does the same grade of engine oil have different prices?

• Performance level. A CI-4 Plus or CK-4 oil costs more than an older CF-4 oil of the same 15W-40 grade.
• Pack size. Per litre, a 210-litre drum is cheapest, a 15 or 20-litre bucket is in the middle and a 5 or 7.5-litre can is the most expensive.
• Machine maker’s label or lubricant company’s label. Machine makers’ own-label oils are usually blended for them by a lubricant company and sold through their dealers, often at a higher price per litre.
• City and seller. The same bucket is listed at different prices in different cities, and some prices include GST while others do not.
• Copies. A bucket offered far below the usual price may not be what the label says. Check the seal, the batch number and the printing, and buy from a seller you can go back to.

Veedol, for example, sells its Max-Pro 15W-40 CI-4 Plus for heavy-duty diesel engines, and other lubricant companies offer similar grades; compare the performance level on the label before the price.

Which other oils does a machine take?

The engine takes only a small share of the oil in a machine. The hydraulic tank holds far more, and it is filled with a hydraulic oil, commonly ISO VG 68 in Indian heat. Servo System 68 is one widely sold example, in 20-litre buckets.

Axles, the transmission and the brakes each take their own oil named in the manual, and they are not interchangeable with engine oil. The backhoe loader brake oil guide covers what goes into the brakes, and the capacity guides above list how much each compartment holds.

How should you buy engine oil for a machine?

• Buy in the pack that matches your fill. A 15-litre bucket suits a backhoe loader; a 20 ton excavator needs one 20-litre bucket or more; a fleet of machines is cheaper to run on 210-litre drums.
• Keep one brand and grade in the engine. Mixing oils between changes is not dangerous, but it makes it harder to judge the oil at the next change.
• Store buckets closed and out of the sun, and use a clean jug and funnel. Dust in fresh oil does the same damage as dust in old oil.
• Change the oil filter with every oil change, and record the hour meter reading on the invoice. That record helps at resale.

Engine oil sits alongside tyres and batteries as the running costs owners pay most often. The service schedule guide shows when each oil is due, and the parts and running costs guides cover the rest of the machine.

The difference between VG 46 and VG 68, and how much a full refill takes on each machine, are in the hydraulic oil price guide.

The grade and capacity of the gearbox oil are in the transmission oil guide.

Oil capacities are as published by each machine maker and can change between variants. Prices, specifications and features are indicative, vary by variant, location and date, and should always be confirmed with the official OEM or authorised dealer before any purchase decision. DesiMachines is not liable for decisions taken on the basis of information that may have changed after publication.