6 John Deere Cool-Gard Alternative for Anti-Freezing!

John Deere coolants are great but there are some other coolants in the market that does more than the JD coolants.

If you’re looking for substitutes for any of these formulas, you have to be careful in choosing the right brand for your vehicle.

The John Deere Cool Gard alternatives come in both premix and concentrate forms. For the Cool-Gard II Premix, you can use Peak Global Extended Life,  Havoline GHC Premix, and Prestone Dex-Cool as alternatives. And if you’re a Cool-Gard II Concentrate user, you can use Zerex G-05 Antifreeze/Coolant, Rotella ELC, or Sierra Full Strength Antifreeze + Coolant as substitutes.

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Check out the whole article to learn the ins and out of these coolants. 

John Deere Cool-Gard Alternative: Quick Overview

The John Deere Cool-Gard comes in two forms – premix and concentrate. I’ve covered substitute coolants for both types in the following segments. Here’s a quick overview of the alternatives of the two types of coolants. 

John Deere Coolants	Alternatives	Unique Feature
Cool-Gard™ II Pre-Mix	Peak Global Extended Life	It provides up to 16 years of proven usage guarantee.
	Havoline GHC Premix 50/50	Contains special ingredients to fight corrosion.
	Prestone Dex-Cool	Perfect for all types of vehicles.
Cool-Gard II Concentrate	Zerex G-05 Antifreeze/Coolant	Works excellently against diesel-engine cavitation.
	Rotella ELC	Contains 12,000 hours of operational capacity.
	Sierra Full Strength Antifreeze + Coolant	Protects the environment when disposed.

Best Alternatives for Cool-Gard™ II Pre-Mix

The Cool Gard II Pre-Mix formula is a blend of John Deere Cool Gard II concentrate and demineralized water.

It provides maximum freeze protection up to -34 degrees F. (-37 degrees C). This coolant can also reduce cavitation in engines and extend water pump life. 

If you’re looking for an alternative to this Cool Gard II Pre-Mix coolant, you can use the PEAK GLOBAL® LIFETIME®.

It has similar characteristics to the John Deere Cool-Gard coolant. Moreover, it comes with some additional features too. 

1. PEAK GLOBAL® LIFETIME®

Guarantee of lifetime usage.

Features:

• Contains a non-2-EH formula that is free from phosphate and silicate.
• Protects the cooling system components from rust and corrosion.
• Provides minimum temperature protection of -34 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Has both antifreeze and coolant properties mixed in a 50:50 ratio?
• Comes in prediluted form, so it doesn’t require additional mixing.  

PEAK GLOBAL® LIFETIME® is the perfect John Deere Cool Gard II Pre-Mix substitute that comes in a ready-to-use format. It’s perfect for American, European, and Asian automobiles. 

Just like the Cool Gard II Pre-Mix, the PEAK GLOBAL® LIFETIME® can also provide thermal protection up to -34 degrees Fahrenheit. But the best part of this coolant is one gallon will give you a lifetime of usage.

I’ve heard many users saying that they’ve been using this coolant for 16 years! 

Apart from longevity, it also comes with diversity. This coolant is capable of changing the top-off colors keeping the characteristics intact. You can change the color as you do, for example, changing the color to green, orange, yellow, blue, red, etc. 

Another great aspect of this coolant is it doesn’t contain any phosphate or silicate components. So, you can count this coolant as a good deal for heavy-duty diesel applications. 

Pros and Cons of PEAK GLOBAL® LIFETIME®

Pros	Cons
Acts against corrosion and cavitation in the engine.Protects characteristics while changing colors. Providing long-lasting performance (up to 16 years). Contains antifreeze properties.	Contains ethylene glycol, which is harmful to kids and animals if exposed.

2. Havoline GHC Premix 50/50

Acts strong against corrosion.

Features:

• Uses silicate and carboxylate inhibitor technologies that protect from corrosion.
• Provides low-maintenance engine boiling through ethylene glucose base.
• Provides freezing protection to components. 
• Doesn’t contain any harmful additives to maintain a safe environment.  

Another John Deere Cool Gard II Pre-Mix equivalent coolant is the Havoline GHC Premix 50/50.

This coolant contains ethylene glycol, which is perfect for different automotive and industrial internal combustion engine applications. 

Though it has many similarities with the Cool Gard II Pre-Mix, it has better characteristics than the Cool Gard II. The Havoline GHC contains carboxylates and silicates to prevent corrosion. 

Moreover, this coolant doesn’t include harmful additives for the cooling system. It’s absolutely free from phosphates, nitrates, and amines. So, there’s a lesser chance of damaging the components of your vehicle. 

You don’t need to dilute it with water or any type of additives. It’s usable right after purchasing the coolant. 

But there’s a small limitation to this cooling agent. The Havoline GHC premix can’t act against freezing the inside of potable water systems. 

Pros and Cons of Havoline GHC Premix 50/50

Pros	Cons
Provides cooling and heat-transferring properties in internal combustion engines.Devoids of any harmful additives. Offers low-maintenance engine boiling features. Applicable for many automotive and industrial engines.	Unable to protect the potable water systems from freezing.

3. Prestone Dex-Cool

Best for any type of vehicle.

Features:

• Capable of protecting engine parts for up to 5 years or 150,000 miles. 
• Doesn’t require mixing any additives.
• Provides anti-freezing and anti-cooling services.

The Prestone Dex-Cool is another John Deere Cool Gard Premix alternative product. It comes already diluted with water. So it doesn’t require any additional mixing. You can use it directly from the bottle to the engine parts. 

It protects the engine components from freezing. It does a good job even when the engine overheats while boiling.

The coolant can also keep the vehicle parts free from corrosion and rust. Overall, it helps in preventing engine part failure.

This Prestone coolant is a great investment for your vehicle. It takes a very small amount per usage.

This formula comes with a 5-year or 1500,000-mile lifetime guarantee service. So, it can be a great substitute for the John Deere coolant.

Pros and Cons of Prestone Dex-Cool

Pros	Cons
Supports all types of vehicles.Saves the vehicle from extreme temperatures. Prevents the cooling system from rusting and corrosion. Can winterize all potable water supply systems. Prevents rust, corrosion, and scale for the cooling system. Only requires a small amount per usage.	Doesn’t offer up-to-the-mark results for industrial usage.

Cool-Gard II Concentrate 

Now, you’ll learn about the Cool Gard II Concentrate alternatives which don’t come in a ready-made form and require manual diluting.

The Cool Gard II Concentrate needs to be mixed with low-mineral or distilled water. It can provide up to 6 years (6,000 hours) of service life. 

It protects against corrosion and rust deposits. Also, it has the capacity to extend the water pump lifecycle. Moreover, the bittering agent in it reduces accidental ingestion.

Most of these characteristics are also found in the Zerex G-05 Antifreeze coolant.   

1. Zerex G-05 Antifreeze

Protects components from cavitation.

 Features:

• Provides freezing protection up to -34F.
• Contains hybrid organic acid that protects all cooling system components from rust and corrosion.
• Helps prevent boiling issues up to 265 degrees F.
• Comes in a yellow concentrate formula that needs mixing with demineralized water or tap water.
• Ensures 5 years or 150,000 miles of protection for freezing and boiling issues. 

Valvoline’s Zerex G-05 Antifreeze is one of the most reliable coolants. It supports automotive engines like Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Chrysler cars, heavy-duty vehicles, and light trucks.

It uses a high-quality virgin ethylene glycol and Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) to protect vehicles from any type of disruption.

This coolant focuses on all of the cooling system failures, including leaking, corrosion, freezing, and boiling. By preventing each of these system failures, it helps to keep the engine safe and well-functioning. 

Unlike the Cool Gard II Concentrate and the premixes described above, this coolant contains nitrites as an additive.

This helps the coolant to prevent diesel-engine cylinder liners from cavitation. It also acts as a safeguard for hard water deposits and scale.

This Cool Gard II Concentrate alternative helps to clean the radiators, water pumps, and other cooling systems. So, if you want the system clean and functional, this coolant is the right option for you. 

However, you can’t mix this coolant with red or blue coolant for BMW, Honda, and Mazda cars. This coolant also doesn’t come with organic additive technology (OAT). 

Pros and Cons of Zerex G-05 Antifreeze

Pros	Cons
Protects against any leaking issues in the engine.Has anti-freezing and anti-boiling technology. Saves diesel-engine cylinder liners from cavitation. Helps in keeping the cooling systems clean.  Safeguards against scale and hard water deposits.	Doesn’t support mixing with blue or red coolants.

2. Shell Rotella ELC

Supreme performance up to 12,000 hours.

 Features:

• Works efficiently for heat transfer operations.
• Prevents the cooling systems from getting corroded.
• Provides up to 965,000 kilometers or 12,000 hours of performance. 
• Reduces water-pump failures.
• Free of harmful elements like phosphate and amines.  

Now, there’s another substitute for the John Deere Cool-Gard, which comes in concentrate form. It has the best heat-transferring properties.

It works so efficiently that you won’t have to worry about expensive maintenance costs too often.

This coolant can provide up to 12,000 hours of life service without the help of Supplemental Coolant Additives (SCAs). This means it’ll provide up to 965,000 kilometers of service. 

Speaking of its characteristics, it has anti-freezing and anti-boiling elements. So, it can protect your vehicle from both freezing and boiling. 

It also improves the water pump seal life as the coolant has low dissolving solids. Worth mentioning this coolant provides pitting protection to wet sleeve cylinder liners. 

Now, the Shell Rotella ELC doesn’t contain any dangerous elements like phosphate and amines. So, your car engine can be safe.

Moreover, it supports all types of cooling systems, including copper, cast iron, brass, solder, and aluminum protecting from corrosion. 

By adding Shell Rotella ELC Correction Fluid, you can enhance its effectiveness. With the fluid added, it can serve for extra 482,000 kilometers. 

Pros and Cons of Shell Rotella ELC

Pros	Cons
Reduces maintenance cost. 12,000 hours of life service. It Shows anti-freezing and anti-boiling characteristics. Increases the life cycle of water pumps. Protects all kinds of metal components of the cooling system from corrosion.  Doesn’t require any additional Supplement Coolant Additives.	Shows slightly poor performance against cavitation issues.

3. Sierra Full Strength Antifreeze + Coolant

Healthy for the environment.

Features:

• Contains a non-toxic ingredient, propylene glycol (PG).
• Provides engine protection against corrosion, boil-over, and freeze-up issues.
• Protects the wildlife and environment using PG instead of ethylene glycol.
• Maintains heat transfer smoothly. 

Sierra Full Strength Antifreeze+Coolant is another coolant concentrate that needs additional water to be diluted.

Unlike the previously described coolants, this product doesn’t contain ethylene glycol. Instead, it uses a safer option in its formula – propylene glycol (PG). 

The reason it uses PG is to prevent the accidental poisoning of pets. So, wildlife and the environment are protected if this coolant is disposed of in the environment.

For engines, it provides anti-freezing services for up to 256F. And a gallon of this coolant can operate at a minimum of -26F. 

It’s excellent in protecting against freeze-up, boil-over, and corrosion issues. Your engine will be able to transfer heat safely. 

Pros and Cons of Sierra Full Strength Antifreeze + Coolant

Pros	Cons
Protects against boiling and freezing.Prevents rust and corrosion. Protects wildlife and the environment. Reduces maintenance costs.	Doesn’t support all types of metal components.

FAQs

What Can I Use Instead of Antifreeze?

You can use windshield washer fluid instead of antifreeze. Though it’s not completely an anti-freeze product, it can help reduce freezing levels.

What kind of Coolant Does a John Deere Skid Steer Take?

John Deere skid steer takes any premix coolants. The best compatible skid steer coolant for John Deere is the Cool-Gard II Premix. It contains a 50/0 formula of water and concentrates. You don’t need to add water or additives to dilute the product. 

Does It Matter What Brand of Coolant I Use?

Yes, it matters what brand of coolant you use for your vehicle. It’s because each brand is specially formulated for a type of vehicle and cooling problems. Each of them has different levels of temperature control. So, you must check the labels of the coolants and see if they can meet your vehicle’s requirements. 

Is It OK to Mix Coolant Brands?

Yes, it’s OK to mix coolant brands. But make sure the coolants are of the same type. Using the wrong type of coolant can damage the radiator of your vehicle. 

Conclusion

So, these are the John Deere Cool-Gard alternatives you were looking for.

Keep an eye on the type of coolant you’re using. Or else, you might risk damaging your vehicle. Stay safe and stay happy.

Best of luck!