Lubricant specs & equivalents (grease and oil cross-reference)
Search the catalog by product name, brand, LIS / ISO code, or OEM approval. Open a product for full specs, then review performance-equivalent candidates. Equivalent performance does not mean the products are mix-compatible.
Substring match on product name. Tap a result to open specs and equivalents.
Tick Compare on a result, an equivalent, or Add to compare on the product, to pin up to 4 lubricants. Compare opens a side-by-side on this page.
Select a lubricant from the results list.
Why we match by LIS code
Why we match by LIS code. Brand names tell you nothing about what’s actually in a lubricant. An LIS code turns a product’s published specs into one short standardized code, based on ISO’s lubricant classification system (the ISO 6743 family; greases use ISO 6743-9).
- Oil code, e.g. HM-68-MIN-I: the ISO 6743 class (HM is an anti-wear hydraulic oil, CKC an industrial EP gear oil), the ISO viscosity grade, the base-oil type and the base-oil group.
- Grease code, e.g. LX-XBDHB-2-220-M-G1: thickener type, the five-letter ISO 6743-9 symbol (X for grease, then letters for lowest and highest operating temperature, water resistance and rust protection, and EP), NLGI grade, the base oil’s ISO viscosity grade, base-oil type and base-oil group, plus H1 when the product is NSF H1 food grade.
Two products with matching or better codes are built to do the same job, so comparing codes is like comparing the specs line by line, without trusting anyone’s marketing claims. That’s why this works as a starting point for substitutions. It also has limits: the code describes performance, not the additive chemistry, so it can’t tell you whether two products are safe to mix.
Sources: ISO 6743-9:2003 (iso.org) · LIS code format (article, in Spanish).
How matching works
A product is listed as an equivalent only if it is the same kind (oil or grease) and never a step down:
- Never a downgrade: base-oil group the same or higher; if the product you picked is NSF H1, the equivalent must be H1 too; if it is EP, the equivalent must be EP too (for oils, when the data sheets state the additive chemistry).
- Oils: the ISO 6743 class must be the same or better in the same family (HL → HM → HV; CKB → CKC → CKD), and the ISO viscosity grade must be the same (or the 40 °C viscosity within ±10 % when an oil is off-grade).
- Greases: each letter of the ISO 6743-9 symbol must be the same or a better one; the NLGI grade must be the same or within one grade; the base-oil viscosity must be the same ISO VG or the next one.
Products that pass are ranked by how closely they match: same thickener family, same base oil, shared OEM approvals, same product line. Weak matches are dropped. Whether two products can be mixed is shown as a separate badge on each card.
Worked example
Input: search “Mobilgrease XHP 222” and open it. LIS code LX-XBDHB-2-220-M-G1: lithium complex thickener, NLGI 2, ISO VG 220 mineral base oil, API Group I, EP.
Tool output: 24 performance equivalents. The first is Mobilgrease XHP 222 Special (same product line, “likely compatible within product family (still verify)”). Next come Valvoline Multipurpose Complex Red 2, Castrol Molub-Alloy 860/220-2 ES and Bel-Ray Molylube 3% Moly Extreme Pressure Grease LC 2: all lithium complex, NLGI 2, base oil VG 220, “ISO 6743-9 equal or better”, but flagged “often not mix-compatible (cross-brand)”. Mobilith SHC 220 is listed as an “API upgrade” and flagged for a different base-oil chemistry (mineral vs PAO).
The list reflects the catalog on the day you run it.
Frequently asked questions
Does “equivalent” mean I can mix the two products?
No. Equivalent means the published specs meet or beat the product you picked. Mixing depends on thickener and additive chemistry, which the code does not capture. Read the mix badge on each card, and do not top up or blend unless the OEM or supplier confirms compatibility.
Why do I get few or no matches?
The rules never allow a downgrade and keep viscosity and NLGI close, so a product with an unusual mix of specs (a wide temperature range, food grade, a rare viscosity grade) has few peers in the catalog. The brand, food-grade and fire-resistant filters narrow the list further.
Where do the specs come from?
From each manufacturer’s published product data sheet. The LIS code is built from those published specs; a “?” in a code means the maker does not publish that value.
How current is the data?
Each product shows the specs from its data sheet as it was when the product was added or last updated in the catalog. Makers revise products and data sheets, so check the current sheet before you switch.
Can I search by OEM approval?
Yes. Choose the OEM search mode and type an approval or specification, for example a DIN 51825 class or a machine maker’s spec. It searches the approvals listed on the data sheets.