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kgj1119

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What’s everyone using on their mowers and snowblowers?


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e.fisher26

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Any 10-30 in newer engines, full syn in older. 5-30 in cold weather engines full syn in older


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Marshy

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I have an older Toro Proline walk behind that has a v-twin 20hp Kohler. I use a 10W30 mineral oil. I tried a synthetic oil but it burns it very quickly. With mineral oil i could go 100 hours without adding any oil, basically between oil changes. With synthetic oil I had to add oil every cut which lasted only 2 hrs. For mowers I believe unless the engine manufacturer broke the engine in with synthetic then you should stick with conventional oil.

I'm not in favor of using a diesel engine oil. The PH is over base to deal with the blow-by combustion byproducts that diesel engines experience. Is the PH bad for a gas engine? IDK that answer.
 

Bilge Rat

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Flat tappet motors need zinc in the oil.
Modern car oil is not the best for splash lubed motors.

We used diesel oil for break in oil in race motors, chevy SBs .
More zinc and sulfur for the valvetrain during the first two 5 min. runs then drained.

The Kawasaki lawnmower oil is good.
 

Larry B

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Either straight 30wt or 10w30 from rural king. I run a mower shop and change oil in about a hundred engines a year. Never had an oil problem. Any SN oil of the proper weight will work fine in 4 stroke OPE.
 

Al Smith

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I've got a Toro Titan 54" zero turn I bought new nearly 6 years ago .It's got a 23 HP Kawasaki .The dealer told me to run the first 20 hours with regular oil during the break in period then if I wanted then synthetic .Which I did and change at 50 hours .It only gets about 25 -30 a year so come nicer weather it will get a filter/oil change .
 

Steve

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I run either kohler or kawasaki oil. Whatever weight the engine manual says.
 

P.M.P.

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I got some Royal purple 5w30 in the snowblower.
 

ucm931

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Winter motors get 5w-30 of whatever flavor I have around. Usually synthetic. Summer motors get either 5W40 in Mobil 1 or Rotella T6, or 15W-40 Delo.

The Honda self-propelled mower always gets the 15w-40. She's a lil bit over-clocked in the RPM department, grass is usually a bit overgrown, and sometimes she ends up doing double duty as a wood chipper or yard toy chipper......but she just won't die! MAYBE it's the oil? :thinking:
 

CR888

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I've found more important than specific oil type/brand min/synth is just to change the oil when it needs changing. I don't do it by hours run time or months on the calander year. Rather I use a very high tech piece of kit, its called a clean white rag. Pull out dipstick and wipe oil onto rag. Take a serious look at it, it'll tell you everything you need to know. FWIW change the oil & keep a clean sealed air filter & the engine will far outlast near every component on the mower. I've got Hondas that have worn 2 decks (commercial thick alloy ones) several hundred sets of blades, wheels, bushes, handle bars, throttle cables, starter assemblies etc. Don't over think it, just change it before it turns dark black/brown. And if its not starting easily off ONE easy pull...fix it. Clean air, half fresh fuel & oil that's not taken tooo far.
 
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Marshy

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I've found more important than specific oil type/brand min/synth is just to change the oil when it needs changing. I don't do it by hours run time or months on the calander year. Rather I use a very high tech piece of kit, its called a clean white rag. Pull out dipstick and wipe oil onto rag. Take a serious look at it, it'll tell you everything you need to know. FWIW change the oil & keep a clean sealed air filter & the engine will far outlast near every component on the mower. I've got Hondas that have worn 2 decks (commercial thick alloy ones) several hundred sets of blades, wheels, bushes, handle bars, throttle cables, starter assemblies etc. Don't over think it, just change it before it turns dark black/brown. And if its not starting easily off ONE easy pull...fix it. Clean air, half fresh fuel & oil that's not taken tooo far.
Oil color alone is not an indication of the oil's health.
 

Larry B

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Have ya'll seen the piece of trash from Briggs & Scrap'em? Their new EXi series engine that says you never change the oil just "check and add". What a piece of crap. The new plastic carb are junk along with the auto choke system. Just another attempt to sell a lower production cost engine as new and improved. These things make the Predator engines look like top of the line. Every one of these things that have come through my shop has had carb issues. I reccomend never adding oil and running then till they seize and then go buy a good mower.
 

Dub11

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Winter motors get 5w-30 of whatever flavor I have around. Usually synthetic. Summer motors get either 5W40 in Mobil 1 or Rotella T6, or 15W-40 Delo.

The Honda self-propelled mower always gets the 15w-40. She's a lil bit over-clocked in the RPM department, grass is usually a bit overgrown, and sometimes she ends up doing double duty as a wood chipper or yard toy chipper......but she just won't die! MAYBE it's the oil? :thinking:

My man I use my mower the same way.
 

FergusonTO35

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Have ya'll seen the piece of trash from Briggs & Scrap'em? Their new EXi series engine that says you never change the oil just "check and add". What a piece of crap. The new plastic carb are junk along with the auto choke system. Just another attempt to sell a lower production cost engine as new and improved. These things make the Predator engines look like top of the line. Every one of these things that have come through my shop has had carb issues. I reccomend never adding oil and running then till they seize and then go buy a good mower.

Yes, I have seen that nonsense. I guess they are just validating how many of their owners would treat them anyway, right? My stepdad bought a pressure washer with one of those engines and it puked gas into the crankcase. Took it back to Lowe's (he doesn't believe any other ope dealer exists) and they swapped him even for a Honda powered one!
 

FergusonTO35

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Every 4 stroke engine I own except my wife's Honda Accord gets Rural King full synthetic 10w30. It's made by Citgo and is excellent oil.
 

Lcfd1124

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In the south and during dealer update schools I was in, we were told by kohler and kawasucky to use 20w-50 with zinc. Briggs and scrap iron said any conventional oil would do. I have had good luck with the kohler 20w50.
 
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