Frequently Asked Questions - Competitor Comparison

1. What's so special about Tellus compared to competitor products?

Through a process of continual research and testing combined with our long association with major equipment manufacturers, Shell is well qualified to identify those features of a hydraulic oil which are critical in modern fluid power systems.

Exceeding the performance requirements of major specifications is not sufficient in our view to satisfy the demands placed on a fluid in many modern applications. For instance no specification calls for anti-wear testing in 'low-load' conditions yet it is known through our own test programme that oils formulated to meet the high load situation can in some cases be totally inadequate in conditions thought to present no challenge to the fluid.

Shell's pump testing programme far outweighs that required to satisfy specifications: there is no specification calling for good filterability in the presence of both water and calcium. Yet it is known that these common contaminants can and often do cause problems with hydraulic oils.

There is no specification calling for anti stick-slip in actuators yet many applications depend on smoothness, in all modes of operation, This quality is not to be confused with the anti stick-slip properties of a slideway oil. (The technology used for slideways does not solve the 'steel-on-seal' stick-slip phenomenon in actuators).

To our knowledge, none of our competitors has claimed to address the problem.

2. I have had a visit from one of your competitors who claims to use Shell base oil and claims to effectively have the same product as you, but it is cheaper. Why should I buy Shell Tellus?

If I watched a television cooking show with a world renowned chef, wrote down the recipe and purchased the ingredients to make the dish I saw. I then had a go at making it, would you believe me if I said that purely by virtue of trying to make the

recipe that I was a world class chef?

3. I used to use premium oil, then I switched to a much cheaper competitor oil without any problems. Why should I switch back?

A small amount of money per litre on oil pales into insignificance when compared to the costs associated with machinery failure and downtime.

Lubricant expenses will typically only be 3-5% of your overall maintenance budget, the balance will be made up of other expenses such as spare parts costs etc. If you are using inferior quality lubricants, you may find that the savings you make on your lubricants are lost in extra spending on replacement machine parts.

Also, it may be that your system is in a period of lower use. Think about your next ‘busy period’. As a result of switching to cheaper oil, you may experience such phenomena as reduced system pressure, increased pump wear, and/or higher electricity expenses.