What Brand Motor Oil do you use in your Lawn Mower?
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Castrol GTX. Don't know why. It's just what I've always used in my mowers.
AMSOIL SEF (Small Engine Formula) 10W30 for all of It. One of the few synthetics you can buy that provides exceptional wear protection for engines that do not use rollers internally. The ZDDP content is good for those flat tappets and machined bearing surfaces. Plus it's made to take the heat an air-cooled engine can dish out.Sam23 said:
I can't think of a good reason to not use 10W30 over a 30wt. They should be a similar viscosity when at operating temps.
I'm using SAE 30 in warm weather and 10W30 in cool weather in my push mower, or a mix in in between weather, as recommended by the manufacturer. (They also have a few synthetic options listed.)
What is "High detergent 30 weight" (HD30), and where can I get it? It was recommended for a riding mower.
What is "High detergent 30 weight" (HD30), and where can I get it? It was recommended for a riding mower.
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@Green You can get Castrol HD30 at the Home Depot.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/CASTROL-32-oz-Heavy-Duty-Motor-Oil-06142/205159567?keyword=motor+oil+hd+30&semanticToken=21040+++%3E++++st%3A%7Bmotor+oil+hd+30%7D%3Ast++cn%3A%7B0%3A0%7D++engine+oil+%7Bproduct%7D30+%7BproductName_nostem%7D++hd+%7Brest%7D+
https://www.homedepot.com/p/CASTROL-32-oz-Heavy-Duty-Motor-Oil-06142/205159567?keyword=motor+oil+hd+30&semanticToken=21040+++%3E++++st%3A%7Bmotor+oil+hd+30%7D%3Ast++cn%3A%7B0%3A0%7D++engine+oil+%7Bproduct%7D30+%7BproductName_nostem%7D++hd+%7Brest%7D+
Unless the manufacturer labels it as non-detergent 30wt, it's got plenty of detergent additive. But in all seriousness folks, modern 10W30 is usually the best choice for viscosity.Green said:
Automotive oils that say "SN" are actually lacking a lot of the additives that are beneficial to small engines. Look for small engine specific oils or "off-road" marketed oils.
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I guess I'm old school. I was always taught that multi viscosity oils are actually the lower viscosity with additives to make it act like the higher viscosity at higher temps; thus, 10W30 is 10W oil with additives to increase viscosity to 30W at higher temps. The problem is air cooled small engines operate at such higher temps than other applications that the additives quickly degrade.
I have been running 30W in my small engines for the last 25 years with no problems whatsoever. I buy whatever is on sale. Note - I do change the oil every year; low oil/"worn out" oil will cause failures.
I have been running 30W in my small engines for the last 25 years with no problems whatsoever. I buy whatever is on sale. Note - I do change the oil every year; low oil/"worn out" oil will cause failures.
You're not too far off, multi-visc oils do in fact have plenty of "viscosity index improvers" blended in to increase their viscosity at temperature.wartee said:
Modern synthetics are more than capable of dealing with the heat found in these engines. But as I mentioned earlier, all modern oils (conv or syn) meeting the SN standard or newer will lack additives that are very beneficial in our small engines.
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I like synthetic oils because they do most of the things that oils do better than non synthetic. Since most small engines only hold one or two quarts it doesn't cost much to use better quality.
I do use straight weight for break in if that is what the manufacturer of the engine specifies. I do observe the engine manufacturers break in interval.
I am not sure the statement that synthetics come from soybeans is correct. I believe synthetics initial feed stock is natural gas. I usually use Mobil One products because they have been around forever. When I bought my current Hustler mower the dealer offered me a deal where I buy Opti synthetic from him and it would double the engine warranty. It probably was a stupid buy because I have never ever had a lubrication related engine failure in 60 years of fooling around with small engines.
I think people worry about this more than is reasonable. Proof is that one of the current lawn mower marketing schemes is "never change your oil" which I have seen at Sears and other big box stores. Any oil meeting American Petroleum Institute standards is going to be more than good enough for the once or twice a week use that most people make of their lawn gear.
Different if you are a turf professional. However I note that there is still non detergent straight weight oil sold for air cooled aircraft engine use. Aircraft engines typically run in the neighborhood of 2000 hours time between overhauls. At high altitude the air has less cooling capacity than on the ground where people are driving their ExMarks. Auto and especially Motorcycle and GoKart racers spend a lot of time and money worrying about engine lube and lube failure but their engines are asked to do things that lawn gear is not in the same ball park with. Lawn mower engines are relatively low compression and low rpm and low power density.
I think the Opti oil I let my Hustler dealer sell me is Snake Oil and I think that most other oil sold by non huge petroleum companies is too. If they had discovered something worthwhile. Exxon/Mobil or BP or Royal Dutch Shell would have coopted it since Petroleum is the largest traded commodity on earth. I used to like Castrol because racers liked it and it had a good magazine article somewhere back in the sixties or seventies and being an airport kid I liked that its name hearkened back to when aircraft and racing oil had castor oil in it. But if you took it into either the chemistry analysis lab or the oil wear analysis lab you would find there is not much difference. I once worked with a machinist who had a job overhauling oil wear testers for Shell's Wood River plant here in St. Louis. This was the mid seventies and he said it hardly made any difference what brand of API approved oil a person used. They were small single cylinder stationary engines.
I do use straight weight for break in if that is what the manufacturer of the engine specifies. I do observe the engine manufacturers break in interval.
I am not sure the statement that synthetics come from soybeans is correct. I believe synthetics initial feed stock is natural gas. I usually use Mobil One products because they have been around forever. When I bought my current Hustler mower the dealer offered me a deal where I buy Opti synthetic from him and it would double the engine warranty. It probably was a stupid buy because I have never ever had a lubrication related engine failure in 60 years of fooling around with small engines.
I think people worry about this more than is reasonable. Proof is that one of the current lawn mower marketing schemes is "never change your oil" which I have seen at Sears and other big box stores. Any oil meeting American Petroleum Institute standards is going to be more than good enough for the once or twice a week use that most people make of their lawn gear.
Different if you are a turf professional. However I note that there is still non detergent straight weight oil sold for air cooled aircraft engine use. Aircraft engines typically run in the neighborhood of 2000 hours time between overhauls. At high altitude the air has less cooling capacity than on the ground where people are driving their ExMarks. Auto and especially Motorcycle and GoKart racers spend a lot of time and money worrying about engine lube and lube failure but their engines are asked to do things that lawn gear is not in the same ball park with. Lawn mower engines are relatively low compression and low rpm and low power density.
I think the Opti oil I let my Hustler dealer sell me is Snake Oil and I think that most other oil sold by non huge petroleum companies is too. If they had discovered something worthwhile. Exxon/Mobil or BP or Royal Dutch Shell would have coopted it since Petroleum is the largest traded commodity on earth. I used to like Castrol because racers liked it and it had a good magazine article somewhere back in the sixties or seventies and being an airport kid I liked that its name hearkened back to when aircraft and racing oil had castor oil in it. But if you took it into either the chemistry analysis lab or the oil wear analysis lab you would find there is not much difference. I once worked with a machinist who had a job overhauling oil wear testers for Shell's Wood River plant here in St. Louis. This was the mid seventies and he said it hardly made any difference what brand of API approved oil a person used. They were small single cylinder stationary engines.
@MasterMech, so Penzoil 10W30 (which actually mentions detergents on the label) would be a good choice for a lawn tractor with Briggs OHV engine?
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@gene_stl remember when Quaker State had the gumming up problem in the 80's where it got dubbed "Quaker Sludge"? My dad used to use that brand religiously until he had to replace a motor that was gummed up in the oil valleys completely with that product. I found out later that apparently it had a higher paraffin content than other oils that were being sold, and they apparently had a problem with this. I guess that's always stuck with me through the years. But then again, dad was pouring oil out of cardboard and metal lidded cans 
A lot has changed since then.
One thing is for sure, oil loyalties are a lot like truck loyalties. People sure get worked up about them!
A lot has changed since then.One thing is for sure, oil loyalties are a lot like truck loyalties. People sure get worked up about them!
Should run that engine just fine.Green said:
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I've been happy with Rotella 15w40.
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@Colonel K0rn
I missed the quaker state problem you mentioned. I didn't use Quaker State back then , in those days I used Castrol. But I always wondered if I was making a mistake because I think the people that owned the Pennsylvania oil fields circulated rumors that their oil was "sweeter" than Saudi crude I am sure to get people to buy it. The carboard cans were lined with foil.
Things do change for sure. I just make sure there is an API symbol on the jug and don't worry about it too much more than that. I do reach for synthetics but I don't think it makes any real difference. And after the break in interval I am pretty flip about change intervals. I do look at what I can see on the dipstick.
I missed the quaker state problem you mentioned. I didn't use Quaker State back then , in those days I used Castrol. But I always wondered if I was making a mistake because I think the people that owned the Pennsylvania oil fields circulated rumors that their oil was "sweeter" than Saudi crude I am sure to get people to buy it. The carboard cans were lined with foil.
Things do change for sure. I just make sure there is an API symbol on the jug and don't worry about it too much more than that. I do reach for synthetics but I don't think it makes any real difference. And after the break in interval I am pretty flip about change intervals. I do look at what I can see on the dipstick.
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Sounds like a discussion over at bobistheoilguy.com. I've always used whatever dino oil is the cheapest, which has been Walmart SuperTech of late. That includes a 20 year old Deere tractor with a Kohler engine and 10+ year old LawnBoy push mower and an Ariens snow blower with Tecumseh engines.
I've always used whatever dino oil is the cheapest, which has been Walmart SuperTech of late. That includes a 20 year old Deere tractor with a Kohler engine and 10+ year old LawnBoy push mower and an Ariens snow blower with Tecumseh engines.
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The Kohler powered orange monster pictured above had a proper oil change at break in time. It has lived outside since 1999 usually under a riding mower cover (not always). It has about 500 hours. It probably has had four oil changes. Runs great. What it needs is a new muffler. It has blown and rusted out all the packing.Actually what it needs is to be replaced with a John Deere X739 or maybe a Hybrid Triplex! :lol: :lol:
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