Grease Guide for Heavy Equipment, Fleets, and Industrial Applications
Grease Guide for Heavy Equipment, Fleets, and Industrial Applications
Keeping your equipment running smoothly isn’t just about uptime; it’s about trust and having a partner you can rely on. At Lawson, we don’t just help when problems arise—we ensure you have exactly what you need before you need it. By providing the right products, like premium grease tailored to your machinery’s demands, we help you stay ahead of potential issues. That’s where the right grease comes in.
This grease guide will walk you through choosing the right grease based on your equipment environment and application. With decades of experience across industries—from equipment rental and trucking to mining and food processing—Lawson offers premium branded and national-brand greases that perform under pressure, in heat, and through washdown after washdown.
Understanding Grease and Its Key Characteristics
What is grease, exactly? At its core, grease is made from three essential components:
• Base oil (80–90%): petroleum or synthetic, which provides lubrication
• Thickener (5–15%): materials like lithium or calcium sulfonate that give grease its structure
• Additives (2–7%): performance boosters such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), graphite, or PTFE
The qualities of grease, like how well it can handle heat, resist water, bear heavy loads, and last over time, are what determine how good the grease is for the job. Some equipment needs protection against high heat. Others require washout resistance. And some, like earthmovers, demand all the above.
For technical classifications, the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) sets industry-wide standards. Learn more at NLGI.
Choosing Grease by Environment and Application Type
Every worksite is different. Grease that performs in the Arizona heat may break down in a rain-soaked port. That’s why application and environment matter the most when determining which grease to pick for the job.
Below is a quick reference table to help identify which grease works best depending on your operating conditions:
| Application Category | Recommended Grease | Color | Thickener Type | Temperature Range | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthmoving Equipment | Dyna-Grease LI3 | Gray | Lithium Complex | +23°F to +200°F | CAT spec, extreme pressure, 3% MoS₂ |
| Wet Environments (Dockyards, Food Plants) | Blue Grease HT | Blue | Calcium Sulfonate | 0°F to 500°F | Water washout resistant |
| General purpose industrial applications— plain and roller bearings, couplings, and linkages | Gold Rush | Gold/Brown | Calcium Sulfonate Complex | -25°F to +350°F | Strong wear resistance |
| Food & Beverage Plants | Gencon | White | Fumed Silica | -10°F to +325°F | USDA H1, food safe |
These greases are built to last longer, protect better, and reduce downtime across your toughest applications.
Grease Certifications and Industry Standards
Choosing a high-performance grease is important, but choosing one that meets the right industry standards is essential.
• Caterpillar MPGM Specification:
Greases like Dyna-Grease LI3 meet CAT’s widely adopted spec for earthmoving and heavy equipment. If it’s built for CAT, it’s built for anything.
• USDA H1:
For food and beverage facilities, look for H1-certified greases like Gencon and Lube Ease. These are approved for incidental contact with food. Learn more about food-grade lubricants through the National Sanitation Foundation.
Grease Application Guidelines
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for how often to apply grease. Application schedules vary widely depending on the demands placed on the equipment and the environment in which it operates. Here are a few key variables to consider:
• Operating Environment:
Is the equipment running in a desert mine, exposed to intense heat and dust? Or is it in a food processing facility, where it's constantly subjected to high-pressure washdowns? High heat can cause grease to break down faster, while water exposure can wash it away entirely. Both conditions demand a grease formulated for those specific challenges and may require more frequent applications.
• Load Intensity:
Equipment that operates under extreme pressure, like the pivot points on a wheel loader or the U-joints on a heavy-duty truck, places a greater demand on grease. These components often require boundary lubricants with extreme pressure (EP) additives to ensure lasting protection. The heavier the load, the more critical it is to monitor and maintain your grease schedule.
• NLGI Consistency Grade:
The National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) rates grease consistency on a scale from 000 (very soft) to 6 (very hard). Most industrial and fleet applications use NLGI #2, which offers a balance of stability and pumpability. However, lower grades like NLGI #1.5 or #1 are often better in colder environments where grease needs to flow more freely. Matching the grade to both the equipment and the climate can significantly affect longevity and performance.
One of our field reps recently worked with a maintenance crew in a facility dealing with daily re-greasing on key machinery. The equipment was constantly exposed to moisture and aggressive washdown procedures, which meant the standard grease just couldn’t stay put. After evaluating the environment and application, our rep recommended a premium, washout-resistant Lawson grease. The result? That crew went from greasing every day to once a week, freeing up hours of labor and extending the lifespan of their equipment.
Lawson Grease Product Comparison
When it comes to grease, there’s one detail that tends to confuse: color. While it might seem like the color indicates the type or performance of the grease, it doesn’t. Grease color is primarily used for identification purposes so that technicians can see when an old grease has been flushed out and replaced with a new one. It’s especially helpful during changeovers to avoid compatibility issues, but the color itself doesn’t reflect the grease’s composition or quality.
What does matter are the formulation details: the thickener type, base oil, operating temperature range, and any added solids like moly or PTFE. Those are the attributes that determine how a grease performs under pressure, in heat, or in wet conditions.
Here’s a deeper look at Lawson’s best-in-class grease offerings, designed for the real-world demands of mining, DOT fleets, rental operations, and more.
| Product | Color | Thickener | Base Oil Type | Temp Range | Solids | Best-Use Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyna-Grease LI3 | Gray | Lithium Complex | Mineral | +23°F to +200°F | 3% MoS₂ | Earthmoving, CAT-spec machines, mining, and construction (extreme pressure) |
| Blue Grease HT | Blue | Calcium Sulfonate | Synthetic Blend | 0°F to 500°F | None | Washdown, rotating equipment |
| Gold Rush | Gold/Brown | Calcium Sulfonate Complex | Mineral | -25°F to +350°F | None | General purpose industrial applications— plain and roller bearings, couplings, and linkages |
| EP Red | Red | Aluminum Complex | Petroleum | -10°F to +325°F | None | Water submersion, extreme pressure |
| Gencon | White | Fumed Silica | Synthetic | -10°F to +325°F | PTFE | Food, beverage, pharma |
| Lube Ease | White | Calcium Sulfonate | Mineral | -40°F to +500°F | None | Food plants, bakeries, bottlers |
Get Grease Right
Selecting the right grease starts with understanding your environment, equipment load, and maintenance needs. Whether you’re keeping rental fleets ready to roll or maintaining heavy equipment down in a mine, Lawson’s high-performance greases are built to go the distance.
Ready to reduce downtime and extend equipment life? Our experts are here to help. Contact us today to select the best grease for your operation—and discover how Lawson’s equipment rental maintenance solutions and streamlined Managed Inventory Services can keep you running.