Honda use a multigrade 20/50 and thats all i've ever used in all my small engines including briggs . I've never had any problems with premature wear or anything else .....
I have always run the same oil in my autos and lawn mowers and have had real good luck with both. The secret is to change mower oil at least once a year My current mower is 10 years old.
Also any clean oil is better than dirty oil. I've always used whatever clean oil I have left over from the cars to change the oil in my mowers. They run forever.
@@johndallis9901 I use mineral 20w50, Sae 40, 15w40 and semi synthetic 10w40 motor oils in my petrol water pump and generator .I do the oil change at 50 hours than the recommended 100 hours, no problem though
What an education about lawn mower oil and car motor oil with logic. They say when you explain something with logic it will make sense and stays in people's mind. Great job and you have gained a subscriber for your dedication and knowledge. Thank you!👍
For years mowers said in the manual to use sae30 but that was before they finally got around to printing new manuals. The new manuals say use 5w-30. I use a 5w40 diesel oil because it has more ZDDP than automotive oil and lawnmower engine have a flat tappet cam so the zddp is much better for it. I have a John Deere with Kawasaki engine got it new in 1986 38 YEARS and it is still going. 🤪
@@classicjay7786 Same from all engines, hours is always best to know. A car crawling along in high traffic with traffic jams will need service long before, known hours is critical.
If the engine uses less fuel to do the same work, it is usually a good thing. So for the break in did use a single grade,. When it was time to replace it. Had some left over 5W30. Immediately noticed it used less fuel. less fuel means less heat. Used 10W 40 in a 600cc sport cycle. It was not recommended. At 70,000 miles started looking into rebuilding it. But the big problem was could not get a shop to work on it for tuning and general maintenance when it hit 50,000. Still had the original clutches in it. Oh and when it was 120F (48C) I still rode it. I also still wore leathers with a water soaked sweatshirt under it. Works like a swamp cooler. Friction and heat are not combustion engine friends
Great video, very informative!!! Number one rule, oil level. Number two rule, clean oil. Just about everything else is up for debate. I've never heard of a mower self destructing because of the wrong oil, I have seen many destroyed from low, or worn out oil. I try to stick with a straight 30 weight, but have used just about every other option the past 50 years with zero issues.
Very Well Explained, My Grandfather Worked for Texaco His Entire Working Life, ( Except for Two Wars. WWII, & Korea ) as An Lubrication Engineer. And He Primarily did Field Evaluation of Company Equipment ( End User ) Evaluation Sampling Colection and Testing, To Report to Company Headquarters Performance, & Failure Evaluation. He Used to Tell Me The Tests Performed on New Formulations. Truly Incredible The Money Spent on Testing. As a Side Note, as I Was Getting My A&P/ Engineering Degree. The Story of One of My Teachers Recount of a Bombing Missions in Germany as A Captain of A B-25 and There 5 Hour Return Flight With 0% Oil in Either Engine, Solely Relying on Residual Film Strength. After Crossing The English Channel, Bellied it in The First Comparable Farmers Field. And Waited for The Farmer To Take Him to The nearest US Military Base. All That Was Salvageable On That B-25 was the 50 cal Machine Guns and the Norden Bomb Sight.
Most push mowers sold today in the US recommend a multigrade 10w/30. Mowers of many years ago often used a straight weight sae 30 weight oil that was low foam formula because it is usually a splash lubrication system. Most mower oil will say low foam 10w/30 small engine oil.
I worked my way through college as a mechanic on a golf course working on everything from small engines to bulldozers. The greens mowers used 16hp Kohler engines lubricated by splash from a dipper on the end of the connecting rod, and they worked hard and ran hot. The recommended oil was 10w30 and I would get about 800 hours service. Changing to straight 30 oil for diesels extended the life to 1600-1800 hours.
I might have miss understood something here 🤔 .As iv never seen a ride on mower recommendation. For a variable weight engine oil . Nor have I seen a single weight Diesel engine oil for sale in stores . That’s why I think I might be miss understanding your comment ? Unless it’s because I’m in Australia and the engine oil’s are different due to our generally warmer weather conditions ? Can you set me straight please , thanks 👣🦘
A very good explanation based on oil grade. However, grade is not the issue, film strength is. Since I switched to M1 full (base stock 5) synthetic oil I have never had an oil related engine failure, auto or small air cooled single cylinder. Small air cooled engine temperatures rise dramatically when they lug down and work hard with less air flow because of lower RPM (a thermal gun reading on the head can show a 200 degree rise), e.g. my wood chipper branch after branch or my rototiller workin for hours with little letup, this is where film strength rules and synthetics are much better. Because of its far superior film strength and I use my equipment hard I use M1 0W 40.
Very good explanation on oil for the small engine, though most failures on small engine are not due to incorrect oil but lack of oil!, a lot of people seem to think these engines do not need any maintenance and just run forever without attention, if it fails, then off to the big box store for another lawn mower, they think putting fuel in it is all it needs.
22yr old Eager-1..never changed the oil. Just topped it off with whatever is in the garage. Figured now is a good time to change the oil if I'm gonna sell lol. Runs like a champ..
When starting small engines that have sat for more than a couple of days, give it a couple of pulls with the on switch in the off position. This eliminates dry starts, most of the wear occurs during dry starts. A little tip that works if you can remember.
@@barrygrant2907 you are wrong! When you pull the cord, it cycles the the piston which cycles the “Splash” lubrication system, which spreads oil internally. Understand?
I have an OLD lawnmower. I used synthetic 10w30 in it for the last few years. I have noticed I have more old seeping through the gaskets than with 30w conventional oil. I believe the synthetic oil cleaned everything better and exposed micro leaks in the old gaskets.
A manual will state that you shall use oil according to ambient temperature. My mower can handle SAE 10W to 40 (single) and 10W30 to 20W50 (multi). It all depends on ambient temperature. A 10w30 works from -20 degrees C and up to 32 degrees C. A 10w40 works from -20 degrees C and to above 40 degrees C. In hot areas I would go for a 10W40, 20W40 or a 20w50. A single 30 will work from 10 degrees C to 32 degrees C and a 40 will work from 25 degrees C to above 40 degrees C.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information about choosing the right oil for a small lawnmower based on ambient temperature. Your detailed explanation is incredibly helpful for maintaining our lawnmowers properly, and I appreciate you taking the time to provide these insights. It's clear you have a good grasp of the topic, and your contribution is greatly appreciated. Cheers to a well-maintained lawnmower and happy mowing! Craig
I use a straight SAE 30 wt in my Briggs 6HP Toro walkbehind. It's about 25 years old. Bought it recently and gave it an extensive service. Changed the oil 2X immediately with a few oz of Marvel Mystery Oil. I found that the MMO helped it run smoother and also helped clean the accumulated crud out of the engine. Use 10W30 in my Honda GCV 160 with a splash of MMO. Snagged this Craftsman off a tree lawn last Fall and serviced it. Runs very smooth and always starts on the first pull.
My 3 year old cub cadet 24 hp twin cylinder Kohler. This uses a oil pump full flow system with a oil filter and I use shell rotella 10w-30 t-4, for heavy duty use, contains zinc to reduce wear. I like it cause it works hard and I like the best, so I feel spend a little extra and it will serve you well for years to come. Note the rotella t-4 is used in diesel engines. I hope this helps someone with an engine that's using oil.
Most people will say: _"Oil is oil"_ -- Unless they understand how oil is engineered for specific purposes, with viscosity modifiers that change the oil's viscosity according to temperature. I used to think the same until I researched oil, and all the complexities that come with it. EDIT: It's akin to those people who think that WD-40 is the fix-all "oil" to lubricate literally everything. Now I understand it's simply to displace water, and if I want long-term lubrication of cold-temperature joints, I need a high viscosity oil/grease, not WD-40. And thanks for the video. Very informative!
Absolutely correct and another great explanation! (I'm a mechanical engineer with some background in tribology.) I've subscribed. Some folks say that car oils may have too low of a zinc content for small engines, but one also must consider that small engine valve spring tension isn't all that high, so the force of the tappets on the camshaft is no where near what it is in an flat-tappet automobile engine...so car-levels of zinc should be fine...and my 23 year old Kohler CV12.5 in my Deere lawn mower agrees! :) Can't believe with such high-quality content you're only at 45k subscribers.
Wow. Thank you so much for your nice comment with such detail. Its comments like yours from skilled professionals like yourself that motivate me to continue to make these videos. Thanks again. Craig
Ya...the engine manufacturers say that...this is why we mechanics can't stand engineers when it comes to what happens to the product outside of a lab...you absolutely need the zinc in your air cooled engine...
Yeah, I've used Mobil1 in my 1997 22hp Kohler V-twin 50" cut Garden tractor. Only the Good Lord knows how many hours are on it. Used on a ranch, year round. Still doesn't require any oil adds between changes.
@@TheRepairSpecialist dude, your video miss some of the crucial information about the ambient temperature where the mower is used. Maybe in the US, the 30 w oils are a standard but for the rest of the world, its the 40w which dominates. Of course in a cool climate, you can use a 30w engine oil but in a warm climate where the temperature barely goes under 21 degrees, a 20w50, Sae 40 or a 15w40 is recommended for better heat dissipation and better film strength
I've always used 10W-30 in my snowblower. Helps for the cold starts. Always run it out of gas in spring for storage. I don't need to measure out and pay for stabilizer. This winter only used it three times. Usually it's more. We bought it in 1985 and still runs great.
I use supertech 10w30 full synthetic (Walmart brand) in my 19.5 hp Briggs & Stratton powered Poulan Pro rider. It has over 900 hrs on it and it runs as good now as it did when it was new.
@@Hamza-ek8xy i have not had any issues with mine running noticeably hot with the supertech oil. I wonder if yours could be running a little too lean? Or possibly blocked air flow?
2 yrs later, this video made the most sense, I'm needing to change my moped oil, but its 12:30am, cold as hell outside and I have PLENTY of 5W-30 for my Truck inside now, however my moped uses SAE 30. So... Vavoline 5W-30.. it is!! :D Great explanation out of all the videos I've seen so far! :)
What an amazingly informative video. Thank you so much for explaining everything instead of just giving a "I've done this for years with all my small engines and I've never had a problem." Now I'm going to just use the left over 5w-30 that I have instead of going out and buying a dedicated bottle of SAE 30.
Have a over 30 year old mower burns no oil. And iv always used car oil or whatever I have. 5w30 10w30. Even put atv 10w40 0w50 in it. main thing is just regular changes and it's all good.
I've always used 10W-40 in my older engines, and 10W30 in my newer engines. I just look for the "SN" API classification, because air cooled engines tend to get hotter than liquid cooled engines, particularly when ran at or near full load. I don't bother with the expensive synthetic or other premium oil, since it has to be changed too often to take advantage of the better sheer viscosity breakdown or thermal breakdown properties of the better oils. These engines have no oil filter, and will contaminate the oil, no matter how good it is.
i would have agreed with you 4 months ago but not now. i bought a used snapper rer with a 12.5 briggs intek. someone had changed the oil before i bought it and i didn't realize it was fresh oil when i drained it. i replaced that oil, which i'm positive was sae 30, with 10w30 amsoil small engine oil. that was back the middle of May. i've been mowing every week since then except for a couple of times i went two weeks, but that just means i had to mow slower and the engine worked harder and longer, and i shit you not, no lie, the oil has not changed color AT ALL. i mean its clear. i just assembled a woodchipper this evening from amazon and when i filled its crank case i used the left over oil and put it in the snapper. i checked the snapper and the oil was still clear. i've got atleast 10 hours on that oil. its clear. its barely amber and looked like it came out of the bottle. usually oil starts browning immediately especially in a small air cooled engine. not this one. i dunno if its this motor or if its the oil. i'll find out eventually but i'll be dammed this oil is not breaking down at all.
@@MrSGL21 Your used Snapper mower engine is broken in. If it has a good air filter, and the fuel/air mixture is right, oil can look pretty good for a pretty long time. The engine isn't putting much contamination into the oil to filter out in the first place. When an engine reaches that point, I just recommend changing the oil each season, knowing that the engine will likely out-last the mower.(unless the mower is used in commercial service)
@@MrSGL21 One function of oil additives is to keep contaminants suspended (ie mixed with the oil) until it can be removed either by a filter or by an oil change. If oil is used to long the additives get used up. The oil then runs clear again because the additives are shot. Guess what happens to the contaminants.
@@km4hr I have a Kawasaki engine on a twenty plus year old John deere push mower. I change the oil yearly and check the oil every time before I use it. The oil has always been clear, even when I change it. It's definitely not "shot". I've owned lots of small engines and this is the only one that didn't have the oil turn black after a couple hours of use. The engine still runs great, doesn't burn any oil, doesn't smoke, even when I start it .
@@MrSGL21I’ve been changing mine a lot on my newer machines and getting all the breakin gunk out seems to yield very clean oil. On my Honda mowers and on my Yamaha golf cart this seems to hold true.
As a mechanic for over 40 years I can give you this tip , ANY oil is better than NO oil. Its that simple . Dont believe me drain it and run it see how long it lasts.
@@jamese9283 And he never seen the oil light illuminated or the oil gauge at 0 and the rattling coming from the engine. ? He may think there was no damage but I can assure you he certainly reduced the life of that engine overall.
@@coopercruse5867 Yes, likely unseen damage, but he drove the car for a looong time after that, 10 years?, and the engine was still going. He had just rebuilt the engine and forgot the oil. Absent minded to not see the guages and rattling. Yes, a terrible thing to do, would normally trash the engine. A crazy story, maybe a miracle. EDIT: Not 10 years...just found out it was sold shortly after that. Likely had some damage.
Looks like my Honda mower will be getting the same 0w30 oil as my Honda car from now on. Car uses 6 litres and it's more cost effective to buy 2 x 4 litres than a 4 litre and two 1litre bottles. Thanks for the clear information.
I always have leftover from my car oil changes. I buy a 5liter bottle of 5w-30 and my car takes about 4.3liters, that leaves 700mL for either topups(which I do not need as my car does not burn oil) so may as well use that 700mL of oil on the mower.
Most( but not all) lawnmower engines are air cooled, not liquid cooled. So automotive engine oils are not meant for the higher temperature. Small engine oils have ZDDP, or some other additive. Always go by the manufactures recommend oil.Machining tolerances are much different today than fifty years ago.
I have a snapper mower and have used Castrol GTX or EDGE synthetic 5w-30 for over 19 years, and it still runs well. My front yard is about 1/5 of an acre, and I have mowed it nearly every week for over 19 years, changing the oil every two years and the spark plug and air filter every three. If the engine is made with quality parts, then you should have no issues changing the oil with a multi-weight motor oil.
Excellent video, I knew none of this. I purchased oil today with this question in mind, seeing the 5W , wondering the difference. Stumbled across this video, doing an oil change search on mower. Very informative. Thanks
Great education video never found a video quite in detail that explains things like this one I think I’m gonna stick to this channel to get more explanation on different items this gentleman is very detail and what he explains and that’s what some people need if you are not mechanically inclined. And by the way yes I’m very mechanically inclined I don’t need it but it’s great to just hear how detail he is take my word great channel to stick with God bless you all brothers and sisters I love you✝️✝️✝️
Hello! First of all I'd like to say that watching this video gave me a much better understanding about how oils work and why there are different numbers on each container. The viscosity change information was invaluable! What I'd like to ask, is if my Amsoil 10W-30 Full Synthetic MOTORCYCLE OIL will work in my push mowers. One is powered by a 223cc Briggs & Stratton and the other is powered by a 160cc Honda. The container states that this is a High performance engine and transmission lubricant. There are of course API and GL numbers on the back. Not sure if you need that information to answer my question. I've wanted to go to a synthetic from the regular SAE30 since I bought the mowers but want to make sure I do not do any damage to my engines. Amsoil does of course make a 10W-30 100% Synthetic oil specifically designated for small engines but will it make a difference? I have 5 or 6 quarts of the motorcycle oil on hand which is another reason I'm asking. Thank you very much for your time and your informative content! Ken aka The Lawn Ninja! ;)
Use whatever the owners manual/manufacturer instructs you to use. Are you trying to reinvent the wheel? Do you think these TH-cam experts know more than the manufacturer?
In all fairness, I know a lot of people like you who have never had a problem. I had to go with manufacturers recommendations for the video. Thank you for your feedback.
Great video. As an exception to typical small engines, my Honda equipment (HRX2176HZC and HHT25SLTC) calls for SAE 10W30 API service classification SJ or later.
Yeah exactly - I've just bought a Mountfield lawnmower with the new Honda GCV X 170 engine which specifically tells you to use Mobil 1 esp 5w - 30 fully synthetic because of the emission system. This advice might be ok for some average piece of junk from B&Q but not for equipment costing thousands. It's all becoming very specific & specialised nowadays - I wouldn't like to risk that "linked" Oregon oil just to save a few pounds.
He does explain it doesn’t matter about the 5w or 10w if it goes into your lawn mower engine only. 10-30 in a Honda engine is recommended by Honda as it will cover lawnmower usage in areas below 32F as the cold weather effects oil so a thinner oil is recommended for start up when hot it will run at 30w ( this applies to most manufacturers of small engines) check your manual.
The oil I use is what came out my car after 6k miles and every lawnmower I've owned I got on cleanup so to me it's not an issue never had an engine fail .
Hi, thanks for your video. Actually in my case car oil is cheaper. I buy 5L 5w-30 castrol for $15 Canadian which normally 1L of small engine oil is about $5 to $7.
Some air-cooled motorcycle engines, such as Harley Davidson, use a heavy grade, multi viscosity oil, like 20 w 50, 60. This is because these are roller - bearing engines.
I use royal purple in my lawn mower. I always ordered cases of motor oil for my infiniti m56 so when I sold it and switched to a tesla I had 5 qts left which I use in my riding mower. 1st thing I noticed was it runs a little quieter when I changed it after a year it still looked good and felt like the new oil I put in.
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“Runs quieter”? How? Your new oil acts like a muffler? It’s “smoother”? The purple part has “specialness” to it? Your mower thinks it’s an Infinity? Let me guess…. You like SeaFoam also?
@ why don't you experiment there's only a few dollars difference in the price. My rider runs smoothly and quieter than before. My neighbor tried it in his craftsman push mower and noticed the same. I just finished my second mowing season and the oil still looks and feels good compared to past yearly changes.
I've used Mobile One 0-40W for years for all my 4 stroke lawn equipment and there has never been any issues and have lasted longer that ones that use 30W or 10w-30. You always want to use the lowest cold temp oil weight as it will make it's way to the parts quicker. I never go about 10 points on the hot oil thickness. To be honest I think 0w-30 is the best. Also with the lowest cold oil weight, the easier it will start.
@@Monza62000 you can't hardly buy non synthetic oils now. i was in walmart tonight and all they had for car oils were synthetic and synthetic blends, no conventional except for straight weight 30.
Wow.. I never thought I'd getting mechanical tips from Phil Collins! I did though and turns out hes GREAT and the video presentation was AWESOME! Thanks you.. I'll be back
There are variables here. Air cooled engines tend to run hotter than liquid and straight 30 weight won't thin out like multi weight. In warmer temp areas 30 weight is better. In moderate temp areas 10W30 is fine. Small engine oil has different API classifications and generally has more zinc anti wear additive among other things than auto oil. Small engine oil is readily available every in hardware or home store. Why not just use what you're suppose to?
@@doctorboy5892 I didn't mean to slam the video, just saying. A lot of guys put their favorite auto oil in their small engines when there's small engine oil available in the same store.
The W stands for winter. Meaning that at, in your example, a 30 weight (30 SAE) oil at 5 degrees celcius has viscosity stabile to it's weight. In short, the flow ability at a determined temperature. I have used multigrade for many years as there's always some around from doing vehicle oil changes and lawn mowers only hold about a pint. I've had no issues what so ever.
In my area (suburban USA) a quart of Walmart multi-grade car oil is cheaper than Briggs and Stratton or Kohler mower oil. In fact the mower oils are usually pints not quarts. I have always wondered if the multi grade oil is too viscous and splashes too much to get to the passage ways in the small engines
The best advice you gave was to check the owner's manual. The manuals for my riding mower, push mower, snow thrower and edger list 5w-30, or either 30 or 5w-30.
To add two more points why the car engine needs a multigrade oil and the lawnmower does does, 1) the bottom end, main bearing and big end bearings, in the car they receive pressurised oil and that oil needs to flow across the bearing surface and back out to the sump. It needs to flow the right amount, too much and oil pressure will be too low, not enough and heat transfer is reduced. The viscosity of the oil needs to be matched to the bearing clearances, hence the desire to have an oil where viscosity is more consistent over a wide temperature range. Small engines on the other hand do not have a pressurised oil system and oil is not forced between the bearings and the crankshaft, they use oilite bearings. 2) the car needs to be started by a relatively small 12 volt starter motor in all temperatures including below freezing, if a lawn motor needs to be started in extreme cold use just have to pull a bit harder.
My 24 year old JD 15.5 single has run on Rural King or Wal-Mart SAE30 oil since. My Husky with 24 HP Briggs twin has Mobile1 15-50, so does my Murray with a 16 hp opposed flat head. All other engines are running SAE30. My 35 year old 60gal Sanborn compressor has run store brand 30W non detergent oil since new. All in Fl. heat going year round.
Thank you very much for this excellent video. It's one of a very few on here that actually makes sense. Question. I have ride on tractor mowers and it has been said to use oils with detergents, high zinc and phosphorus for better wear protection. Some have even resorted to using diesel oils which have all these properties. if I use a diesel formulation 5W-30 would this then be the ultimate oil to use ? The engines I have are both Kohler engines. One is a Command 17.5 Hp and the other is a 25Hp Courage (SV-730). My Courage engine recently found with one bent pushrod. Not sure why. Am Still waiting for new parts to arrive and then do a full investigation.
Just thought I'd share, Downunder where the price gouging is real. For my whole adult life "Mower" oil has been a specialty product. And so by way of it's lower shelf profile and the economies of scale, it can routinely cost 4x that of any 30 weight multigrade on special at your local discount auto place. So a lot of Aussies use cheap car oil in small engines against the insistent advice of people who sell boutique single grade oil for outrageous prices.
Do small engines experience wear mostly on starting? If yes, then wouldn't a lower viscosity cold rating (the first number in a multi-viscosity oil) be preferred to single-weight oil because the small engine could theoretically last longer. Here in the USA, 5w-30 oil is often less expensive than a 30-weight oil because multi-weight oil goes on sale on Amazon so often.
My push and riding mowers (Honda, Deere) have always required 10w-30 for 0-100F temps. Straight 30 weight is only listed for 50-100 degrees. All manufacturer maintenance packages have multi-grade.
I have used 50 weight oil on a lawn mower it will work it's just a lubrication you are right what you're saying but you can use a thicker oil cuz I have done it before it was too far to drive to the auto parts so I use 50 weight oil off of my motorcycle and it worked
I've a Briggs 3.5hp mower, probably 15yrs old and it's starting to drink oil. I know it's probably the valve seats but I couldn't be bothered of going to the hassle of trying to fix it myself. Have been running it on sae30 but that's expensive so gonna put 10w40 in it instead cause I can get it cheap. Hope it lasts the summer...
The lower the first number, the lower the temperature at which the oil reaches its working viscosity. Basically the lower the first number, the wider is the temperature range of the oil in which it has a the viscosity of the second number. And synthetic is always better, it last far longer ( less oil changes), has better “detergency” ( maintains the engine clean). In conclusion: always match the second number with what the engine manufacturer says, and get the lowest first number (w), and get the synthetic ( if you can afford it). ** I believe “multigrade” means it has a constant ( almost) viscosity ( given by the second number, for example 30) at a wide range (“multi”) of temperatures, not only at 100 C. “Single grade” means it has the viscosity of 30 only at 100 C ( the stable temperature of the engines).
This is nice….however I have used 10W 40 rotella with an annual change. B&S 5 HP engine is still running after 20 years. I do use 100LL AVGAS to avoid ethanol.
My Grandpa told me to use the recommended oil which is mostly SAE30 and also to get non-detergent oil because it would foam up in the crank case and not allow the oil to splash up to lubricate properly. We used 10W-30 and had nothing but problems like oil smoke coming out of the exhaust, but no problems with SAE30, even on older engines. The exception I have is a 4 cycle snow thrower that requires 5W-30 multigrade oil. I think the 10 weight stage of multi-grade allows oil to blow past the piston rings and will make it worse, fouling up parts, as time goes on. Do what you want, but I'll stick with the tried and true!
Not trying to be rude but, NEVER NEVER NEVER, use a NON detergent oil in ANY engine! Non detergent oil is used in air compressor pumps! Since air compressors are not burning fuel, there is no need for detergent. Detergent oil does foam a little so it is not recommended for air compressors. Engines need detergent oil to keep it clean and help keep carbon from building up.
Very good explanation and true. Also, if used like a 5 or 10w40 most likely would do no harm. Won't flow as fast as a SAE 30 when hot, but as multi-grade should flow alot better than SAE 30 at cold, and if the engine is ready for SAE 30 as cold which has a viscosity much higher to the SAE 40 when hot, no harm will be done. Will have a bit more resistance to move, and probably less fuel efficient because of that. But probably will protect the engine as good, or better than a simple SAE 30. If we start to upper than w40, like 10w50, or 10w60, then it will be less recommended, because it will start to be much more slow to flow when hot, and never reach the desired operating flow when hot, when the engine should spend the most of its time when running. Basically it's a bit relative, we have to take account the environment temperature, the SAE indicated in the manual, the API (which indicates a bit the oil quality/tests/requirements, and usually the SJ is the minimum for the lawn mowers), and we can move a bit on the SAE with multi-grade oils since they perform better in different temperatures/conditions.
@@tommak6516 Whether or not they are honest, (cough* VW) or not, is not the point. It's never bad to be an informed consumer. The number the manufacture provides is the simple answer for simple consumers. It's the number they have decided will cover most of the units sold. And it's a business model that "expects" a certain amount of warranty return. It's a one size fit's all solution. If that's the size you're looking for, then great :)
Have to agree I've noticed in the manual for my 8hp mulcher it specifies sae 30 between 10 and 40 degrees c and sae w5 or w10-30 between negitive 15 to 40c And then in the instructions it suggests you use a w10 30 or a 10w 40. Straight from the manufacturers mouths.
A very good video, but.... A 5w 30 oil has the viscosity of a sae5 oil when cold, but the protection of a sae30 oil when at operating temperature. A 5w 30 oil will always be thinner or less viscous than a sae30 oil.
Not sure about the sae 30 being cheaper??? The cheapest I've found 5litre =£17.95 Been picking up Car oil 5litre £8-£10 .. .... so I just use car oil ..
Lawn equipment your fine I've been doing it forever. But an air compressor don't even try it you'll get oil in your hoses and air filters. My compressor uses a straight 30 weight and works perfectly on it. In the winter I'll pop the breaker a few times until the oil warms up a little a fair trade.
I have used automotive engine oil in my push mower for years never had any issues from using it
Same here, Mower is 14 years young NO problems, ALWAYS ask for MSDS and spec sheets!
Great to see Phil Collins doing mower maintenance videos
I stick whatever oil i have left in the garage for my mowers. No problems.
Honda use a multigrade 20/50 and thats all i've ever used in all my small engines including briggs . I've never had any problems with premature wear or anything else .....
I have always run the same oil in my autos and lawn mowers and have had real good luck with both. The secret is to change mower oil at least once a year My current mower is 10 years old.
Lawn mower engines don’t care what oil they have as long as they have oil I run what ever I got on hand and never any problems
I am glad to see your comment, and I agree (unless it is some extreme condition). This youtube seems to overly complicate a simple thing.
All I needed to know!
Just remember ANY oil is better than no oil. Always check oil level before starting.
Also any clean oil is better than dirty oil. I've always used whatever clean oil I have left over from the cars to change the oil in my mowers. They run forever.
@@km4hr clean or not use what you can better than nothing
@@johndallis9901 I use mineral 20w50, Sae 40, 15w40 and semi synthetic 10w40 motor oils in my petrol water pump and generator .I do the oil change at 50 hours than the recommended 100 hours, no problem though
I use Castrol edge advanced full synthetic 10w30 in my push mower it has done really good.
What an education about lawn mower oil and car motor oil with logic. They say when you explain something with logic it will make sense and stays in people's mind. Great job and you have gained a subscriber for your dedication and knowledge.
Thank you!👍
For years mowers said in the manual to use sae30 but that was before they finally got around to printing new manuals.
The new manuals say use 5w-30. I use a 5w40 diesel oil because it has more ZDDP than automotive oil and lawnmower engine have a flat tappet cam so the zddp is much better for it. I have a John Deere with Kawasaki engine got it new in 1986 38 YEARS and it is still going. 🤪
My 16 and 22 year old push mowers say..... Yes you can, no problem.
Years don’t matter hours is what you want out of a lawnmower
What engines?
@@classicjay7786 Same from all engines, hours is always best to know. A car crawling along in high traffic with traffic jams will need service long before, known hours is critical.
If the engine uses less fuel to do the same work, it is usually a good thing. So for the break in did use a single grade,. When it was time to replace it. Had some left over 5W30. Immediately noticed it used less fuel. less fuel means less heat.
Used 10W 40 in a 600cc sport cycle. It was not recommended. At 70,000 miles started looking into rebuilding it.
But the big problem was could not get a shop to work on it for tuning and general maintenance when it hit 50,000. Still had the original clutches in it.
Oh and when it was 120F (48C) I still rode it. I also still wore leathers with a water soaked sweatshirt under it. Works like a swamp cooler.
Friction and heat are not combustion engine friends
Great video, very informative!!! Number one rule, oil level. Number two rule, clean oil. Just about everything else is up for debate. I've never heard of a mower self destructing because of the wrong oil, I have seen many destroyed from low, or worn out oil. I try to stick with a straight 30 weight, but have used just about every other option the past 50 years with zero issues.
👍
Very Well Explained, My Grandfather Worked for Texaco His Entire Working Life, ( Except for Two Wars. WWII, & Korea ) as An Lubrication Engineer. And He Primarily did Field Evaluation of Company Equipment ( End User ) Evaluation Sampling Colection and Testing, To Report to Company Headquarters Performance, & Failure Evaluation. He Used to Tell Me The Tests Performed on New Formulations. Truly Incredible The Money Spent on Testing. As a Side Note, as I Was Getting My A&P/ Engineering Degree. The Story of One of My Teachers Recount of a Bombing Missions in Germany as A Captain of A B-25 and There 5 Hour Return Flight With 0% Oil in Either Engine, Solely Relying on Residual Film Strength. After Crossing The English Channel, Bellied it in The First Comparable Farmers Field. And Waited for The Farmer To Take Him to The nearest US Military Base. All That Was Salvageable On That B-25 was the 50 cal Machine Guns and the Norden Bomb Sight.
Most push mowers sold today in the US recommend a multigrade 10w/30. Mowers of many years ago often used a straight weight sae 30 weight oil that was low foam formula because it is usually a splash lubrication system. Most mower oil will say low foam 10w/30 small engine oil.
Ok. Thanks.
I worked my way through college as a mechanic on a golf course working on everything from small engines to bulldozers. The greens mowers used 16hp Kohler engines lubricated by splash from a dipper on the end of the connecting rod, and they worked hard and ran hot. The recommended oil was 10w30 and I would get about 800 hours service. Changing to straight 30 oil for diesels extended the life to 1600-1800 hours.
I might have miss understood something here 🤔 .As iv never seen a ride on mower recommendation. For a variable weight engine oil . Nor have I seen a single weight Diesel engine oil for sale in stores . That’s why I think I might be miss understanding your comment ? Unless it’s because I’m in Australia and the engine oil’s are different due to our generally warmer weather conditions ? Can you set me straight please , thanks 👣🦘
A very good explanation based on oil grade. However, grade is not the issue, film strength is. Since I switched to M1 full (base stock 5) synthetic oil I have never had an oil related engine failure, auto or small air cooled single cylinder. Small air cooled engine temperatures rise dramatically when they lug down and work hard with less air flow because of lower RPM (a thermal gun reading on the head can show a 200 degree rise), e.g. my wood chipper branch after branch or my rototiller workin for hours with little letup, this is where film strength rules and synthetics are much better. Because of its far superior film strength and I use my equipment hard I use M1 0W 40.
My car takes about 4.4L of oil.
So the remaining is just enough for the lawnmower. Otherwise it would be wasted.
Thanks for the great video.
Thank you👍
Why was this the fourth video in my results list? This is top-tier knowledge in a clean, concise format. Bravo.
Thank you for your awesome feedback 👍👍
Very good explanation on oil for the small engine, though most failures on small engine are not due to incorrect oil but lack of oil!, a lot of people seem to think these engines do not need any maintenance and just run forever without attention, if it fails, then off to the big box store for another lawn mower, they think putting fuel in it is all it needs.
22yr old Eager-1..never changed the oil. Just topped it off with whatever is in the garage. Figured now is a good time to change the oil if I'm gonna sell lol. Runs like a champ..
Nice one 👍
When starting small engines that have sat for more than a couple of days, give it a couple of pulls with the on switch in the off position. This eliminates dry starts, most of the wear occurs during dry starts. A little tip that works if you can remember.
It's the movement that cycles the oil, not the ignition, so "Off" pulls do nothing to prevent wear.
@@barrygrant2907 you are wrong! When you pull the cord, it cycles the the piston which cycles the “Splash” lubrication system, which spreads oil internally. Understand?
agreed. especially on a fixed speed machine that is set to only run at full throttle.
Wow thank you
I have an OLD lawnmower. I used synthetic 10w30 in it for the last few years. I have noticed I have more old seeping through the gaskets than with 30w conventional oil. I believe the synthetic oil cleaned everything better and exposed micro leaks in the old gaskets.
Ok good. Thank you for contribution 👍
There is no such thing as 30W oil.
Very true. I assumed he meant SAE 30.
A manual will state that you shall use oil according to ambient temperature. My mower can handle SAE 10W to 40 (single) and 10W30 to 20W50 (multi). It all depends on ambient temperature. A 10w30 works from -20 degrees C and up to 32 degrees C. A 10w40 works from -20 degrees C and to above 40 degrees C. In hot areas I would go for a 10W40, 20W40 or a 20w50. A single 30 will work from 10 degrees C to 32 degrees C and a 40 will work from 25 degrees C to above 40 degrees C.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information about choosing the right oil for a small lawnmower based on ambient temperature. Your detailed explanation is incredibly helpful for maintaining our lawnmowers properly, and I appreciate you taking the time to provide these insights. It's clear you have a good grasp of the topic, and your contribution is greatly appreciated. Cheers to a well-maintained lawnmower and happy mowing! Craig
Recommendation from 40 + temperature’s please 👣🦘 🥵
I'm glad you took a bit more time so that I leave this video with an understanding (as opposed to just an answer). Great explanation.
I use a straight SAE 30 wt in my Briggs 6HP Toro walkbehind. It's about 25 years old. Bought it recently and gave it an extensive service. Changed the oil 2X immediately with a few oz of Marvel Mystery Oil. I found that the MMO helped it run smoother and also helped clean the accumulated crud out of the engine. Use 10W30 in my Honda GCV 160 with a splash of MMO. Snagged this Craftsman off a tree lawn last Fall and serviced it. Runs very smooth and always starts on the first pull.
Wow. Awesome. Thank you for letting us know. I really appreciate it. Craig
I normally mow my yard when it is -40C/-40F so I prefer to use 0W-30
Where do you live?
Twin cylinder engines with full pressure lubrication in larger equipment should absolutely used multi- grade oil'
My 3 year old cub cadet 24 hp twin cylinder Kohler. This uses a oil pump full flow system with a oil filter and I use shell rotella 10w-30 t-4, for heavy duty use, contains zinc to reduce wear. I like it cause it works hard and I like the best, so I feel spend a little extra and it will serve you well for years to come. Note the rotella t-4 is used in diesel engines. I hope this helps someone with an engine that's using oil.
Most people will say: _"Oil is oil"_ -- Unless they understand how oil is engineered for specific purposes, with viscosity modifiers that change the oil's viscosity according to temperature.
I used to think the same until I researched oil, and all the complexities that come with it.
EDIT: It's akin to those people who think that WD-40 is the fix-all "oil" to lubricate literally everything. Now I understand it's simply to displace water, and if I want long-term lubrication of cold-temperature joints, I need a high viscosity oil/grease, not WD-40.
And thanks for the video. Very informative!
Absolutely correct and another great explanation! (I'm a mechanical engineer with some background in tribology.) I've subscribed. Some folks say that car oils may have too low of a zinc content for small engines, but one also must consider that small engine valve spring tension isn't all that high, so the force of the tappets on the camshaft is no where near what it is in an flat-tappet automobile engine...so car-levels of zinc should be fine...and my 23 year old Kohler CV12.5 in my Deere lawn mower agrees! :) Can't believe with such high-quality content you're only at 45k subscribers.
Wow. Thank you so much for your nice comment with such detail. Its comments like yours from skilled professionals like yourself that motivate me to continue to make these videos. Thanks again. Craig
Ya...the engine manufacturers say that...this is why we mechanics can't stand engineers when it comes to what happens to the product outside of a lab...you absolutely need the zinc in your air cooled engine...
Yeah, I've used Mobil1 in my 1997 22hp Kohler V-twin 50" cut Garden tractor. Only the Good Lord knows how many hours are on it. Used on a ranch, year round. Still doesn't require any oil adds between changes.
@@TheRepairSpecialist dude, your video miss some of the crucial information about the ambient temperature where the mower is used. Maybe in the US, the 30 w oils are a standard but for the rest of the world, its the 40w which dominates. Of course in a cool climate, you can use a 30w engine oil but in a warm climate where the temperature barely goes under 21 degrees, a 20w50, Sae 40 or a 15w40 is recommended for better heat dissipation and better film strength
I've always used 10W-30 in my snowblower. Helps for the cold starts. Always run it out of gas in spring for storage. I don't need to measure out and pay for stabilizer. This winter only used it three times. Usually it's more. We bought it in 1985 and still runs great.
I use supertech 10w30 full synthetic (Walmart brand) in my 19.5 hp Briggs & Stratton powered Poulan Pro rider. It has over 900 hrs on it and it runs as good now as it did when it was new.
Does it have special additives. I used Castrol edge full synthetic on my husqvarna and I think it’s overheating due to the additives.
900 hours ?? That's phenomenal ..... usually at 550 hrs. They are about worn out !! 🙂👍🏻
@@Hamza-ek8xy do you run it at full throttle? Air cooled mower engines will tend to run hotter at less than full throttle.
@@rayowens4355 yes I do
@@Hamza-ek8xy i have not had any issues with mine running noticeably hot with the supertech oil. I wonder if yours could be running a little too lean? Or possibly blocked air flow?
2 yrs later, this video made the most sense, I'm needing to change my moped oil, but its 12:30am, cold as hell outside and I have PLENTY of 5W-30 for my Truck inside now, however my moped uses SAE 30. So... Vavoline 5W-30.. it is!! :D Great explanation out of all the videos I've seen so far! :)
Thank you for letting me know and for your awesome feedback. Craig 👍👍
20w/50 fixes the big knock on my Brigs. Been good for many years now.
What an amazingly informative video. Thank you so much for explaining everything instead of just giving a "I've done this for years with all my small engines and I've never had a problem." Now I'm going to just use the left over 5w-30 that I have instead of going out and buying a dedicated bottle of SAE 30.
Have a over 30 year old mower burns no oil. And iv always used car oil or whatever I have. 5w30 10w30. Even put atv 10w40 0w50 in it. main thing is just regular changes and it's all good.
I use castrol edge 5w 30 in honda mower engines for commercial use.They run so clean and so smooth and rarely need topping up.
I have the craftsman T240 with Kohler KT725 22 horsepower 725cc V Twin Engine I use Castrol Advanced full Synthetic oil the craftsman loves it
I've always used 10W-40 in my older engines, and 10W30 in my newer engines. I just look for the "SN" API classification, because air cooled engines tend to get hotter than liquid cooled engines, particularly when ran at or near full load. I don't bother with the expensive synthetic or other premium oil, since it has to be changed too often to take advantage of the better sheer viscosity breakdown or thermal breakdown properties of the better oils. These engines have no oil filter, and will contaminate the oil, no matter how good it is.
i would have agreed with you 4 months ago but not now. i bought a used snapper rer with a 12.5 briggs intek. someone had changed the oil before i bought it and i didn't realize it was fresh oil when i drained it. i replaced that oil, which i'm positive was sae 30, with 10w30 amsoil small engine oil.
that was back the middle of May. i've been mowing every week since then except for a couple of times i went two weeks, but that just means i had to mow slower and the engine worked harder and longer, and i shit you not, no lie, the oil has not changed color AT ALL. i mean its clear. i just assembled a woodchipper this evening from amazon and when i filled its crank case i used the left over oil and put it in the snapper. i checked the snapper and the oil was still clear. i've got atleast 10 hours on that oil. its clear. its barely amber and looked like it came out of the bottle. usually oil starts browning immediately especially in a small air cooled engine. not this one. i dunno if its this motor or if its the oil. i'll find out eventually but i'll be dammed this oil is not breaking down at all.
@@MrSGL21 Your used Snapper mower engine is broken in. If it has a good air filter, and the fuel/air mixture is right, oil can look pretty good for a pretty long time. The engine isn't putting much contamination into the oil to filter out in the first place. When an engine reaches that point, I just recommend changing the oil each season, knowing that the engine will likely out-last the mower.(unless the mower is used in commercial service)
@@MrSGL21 One function of oil additives is to keep contaminants suspended (ie mixed with the oil) until it can be removed either by a filter or by an oil change. If oil is used to long the additives get used up. The oil then runs clear again because the additives are shot. Guess what happens to the contaminants.
@@km4hr I have a Kawasaki engine on a twenty plus year old John deere push mower.
I change the oil yearly and check the oil every time before I use it.
The oil has always been clear, even when I change it. It's definitely not "shot".
I've owned lots of small engines and this is the only one that didn't have the oil turn black after a couple hours of use.
The engine still runs great, doesn't burn any oil, doesn't smoke, even when I start it .
@@MrSGL21I’ve been changing mine a lot on my newer machines and getting all the breakin gunk out seems to yield very clean oil. On my Honda mowers and on my Yamaha golf cart this seems to hold true.
As a mechanic for over 40 years I can give you this tip , ANY oil is better than NO oil. Its that simple . Dont believe me drain it and run it see how long it lasts.
My friend did that with Slick 50 (forgot to refill after changing), and drove it for 2 days no damage.
@@jamese9283 And he never seen the oil light illuminated or the oil gauge at 0 and the rattling coming from the engine. ?
He may think there was no damage but I can assure you he certainly reduced the life of that engine overall.
@@coopercruse5867 Yes, likely unseen damage, but he drove the car for a looong time after that, 10 years?, and the engine was still going. He had just rebuilt the engine and forgot the oil. Absent minded to not see the guages and rattling. Yes, a terrible thing to do, would normally trash the engine. A crazy story, maybe a miracle.
EDIT: Not 10 years...just found out it was sold shortly after that. Likely had some damage.
Yah, I have used hd30,SAE30 no issues
And 10w30, 10w40 and. 20w50. No problems
I suppose 15w40 would also work
It’s better than no oil .
Looks like my Honda mower will be getting the same 0w30 oil as my Honda car from now on. Car uses 6 litres and it's more cost effective to buy 2 x 4 litres than a 4 litre and two 1litre bottles. Thanks for the clear information.
I always have leftover from my car oil changes.
I buy a 5liter bottle of 5w-30 and my car takes about 4.3liters, that leaves 700mL for either topups(which I do not need as my car does not burn oil) so may as well use that 700mL of oil on the mower.
Most( but not all) lawnmower engines are air cooled, not liquid cooled. So automotive engine oils are not meant for the higher temperature. Small engine oils have ZDDP, or some other additive. Always go by the manufactures recommend oil.Machining tolerances are much different today than fifty years ago.
Great point!
My 1991 Honda HR1950 says any oil better than no oil, I'll take it! However, it does say 10w30 covers all climates, and 10w40 for prolonged use.
Thank You, and nicely explained, it's 5w/30 in my B&S here in Australia, with oil change and full mower service each January 👍 Au
I have a snapper mower and have used Castrol GTX or EDGE synthetic 5w-30 for over 19 years, and it still runs well. My front yard is about 1/5 of an acre, and I have mowed it nearly every week for over 19 years, changing the oil every two years and the spark plug and air filter every three. If the engine is made with quality parts, then you should have no issues changing the oil with a multi-weight motor oil.
Awesome. Thank you for letting us know. Craig
Excellent video, appreciate you taking the time to 'show your working'. I certainly learned more than I'd expected to and that's always a bonus. 👍
Thank you so much for your nice feedback. It's comments like yours that motivate me to continue making these videos. Craig 😀👍
Excellent video, I knew none of this. I purchased oil today with this question in mind, seeing the 5W , wondering the difference. Stumbled across this video, doing an oil change search on mower. Very informative. Thanks
Great education video never found a video quite in detail that explains things like this one I think I’m gonna stick to this channel to get more explanation on different items this gentleman is very detail and what he explains and that’s what some people need if you are not mechanically inclined. And by the way yes I’m very mechanically inclined I don’t need it but it’s great to just hear how detail he is take my word great channel to stick with God bless you all brothers and sisters I love you✝️✝️✝️
Hello! First of all I'd like to say that watching this video gave me a much better understanding about how oils work and why there are different numbers on each container. The viscosity change information was invaluable! What I'd like to ask, is if my Amsoil 10W-30 Full Synthetic MOTORCYCLE OIL will work in my push mowers. One is powered by a 223cc Briggs & Stratton and the other is powered by a 160cc Honda. The container states that this is a High performance engine and transmission lubricant. There are of course API and GL numbers on the back. Not sure if you need that information to answer my question. I've wanted to go to a synthetic from the regular SAE30 since I bought the mowers but want to make sure I do not do any damage to my engines. Amsoil does of course make a 10W-30 100% Synthetic oil specifically designated for small engines but will it make a difference? I have 5 or 6 quarts of the motorcycle oil on hand which is another reason I'm asking. Thank you very much for your time and your informative content! Ken aka The Lawn Ninja! ;)
Use whatever the owners manual/manufacturer instructs you to use. Are you trying to reinvent the wheel? Do you think these TH-cam experts know more than the manufacturer?
I've been using car oil for yrs never had any problems
In all fairness, I know a lot of people like you who have never had a problem. I had to go with manufacturers recommendations for the video. Thank you for your feedback.
Great video. As an exception to typical small engines, my Honda equipment (HRX2176HZC and HHT25SLTC) calls for
SAE 10W30 API service classification SJ or later.
Yeah exactly - I've just bought a Mountfield lawnmower with the new Honda GCV X 170 engine which specifically tells you to use Mobil 1 esp 5w - 30 fully synthetic because of the emission system. This advice might be ok for some average piece of junk from B&Q but not for equipment costing thousands. It's all becoming very specific & specialised nowadays - I wouldn't like to risk that "linked" Oregon oil just to save a few pounds.
He does explain it doesn’t matter about the 5w or 10w if it goes into your lawn mower engine only.
10-30 in a Honda engine is recommended by Honda as it will cover lawnmower usage in areas below 32F as the cold weather effects oil so a thinner oil is recommended for start up when hot it will run at 30w ( this applies to most manufacturers of small engines) check your manual.
Great explanation! Best video on TH-cam about this subject.
Wow, thanks!
The oil I use is what came out my car after 6k miles and every lawnmower I've owned I got on cleanup so to me it's not an issue never had an engine fail .
Yours is the MOST practical comment on this subject.
30 weight is great for commercial hot weather use, if you use a 10/30 synthetic oil in all small 4 strokes. Snow blowers can use a 5-30 weight.
It’s a hundred in West Texas and I’ve used 20w 50 Castro oil for 60 years
Hi, thanks for your video. Actually in my case car oil is cheaper. I buy 5L 5w-30 castrol for $15 Canadian which normally 1L of small engine oil is about $5 to $7.
Same here.... Cheapest sae30 is $5+ can get 5qt jugs for under $20
These small engines are simple and have sloppy tolerances. You could probably use the drain oil from your car and it would be ok.
Some air-cooled motorcycle engines, such as Harley Davidson, use a heavy grade, multi viscosity oil, like 20 w 50, 60. This is because these are roller - bearing engines.
i get oil from a local garage.he drains his qt jugs into a gal jug. all different weights of oil. works good so far
I use royal purple in my lawn mower. I always ordered cases of motor oil for my infiniti m56 so when I sold it and switched to a tesla I had 5 qts left which I use in my riding mower. 1st thing I noticed was it runs a little quieter when I changed it after a year it still looked good and felt like the new oil I put in.
“Runs quieter”? How? Your new oil acts like a muffler? It’s “smoother”? The purple part has “specialness” to it? Your mower thinks it’s an Infinity? Let me guess…. You like SeaFoam also?
@ why don't you experiment there's only a few dollars difference in the price. My rider runs smoothly and quieter than before. My neighbor tried it in his craftsman push mower and noticed the same. I just finished my second mowing season and the oil still looks and feels good compared to past yearly changes.
I've used Mobile One 0-40W for years for all my 4 stroke lawn equipment and there has never been any issues and have lasted longer that ones that use 30W or 10w-30.
You always want to use the lowest cold temp oil weight as it will make it's way to the parts quicker. I never go about 10 points on the hot oil thickness.
To be honest I think 0w-30 is the best.
Also with the lowest cold oil weight, the easier it will start.
0w-30 is brilliant!
@@TheRepairSpecialist thanks so much for sharing amazing information great video
Honda recommends a regular 10W-30 oil for their lawnmowers. They told me that they have not finished testing using synthetic oils.
Using synthetic isn't going to hurt anything. If anything it will decrease wear.
@@norge696 all i use in all my cars an mowers for years,, syn is better
@@Monza62000 you can't hardly buy non synthetic oils now. i was in walmart tonight and all they had for car oils were synthetic and synthetic blends, no conventional except for straight weight 30.
If your in a consistently warmer climate you can always use straight 30.
Just be careful that it still has detergents in it because many 30W oils are the non-detergent type.
Wow.. I never thought I'd getting mechanical tips from Phil Collins! I did though and turns out hes GREAT and the video presentation was AWESOME! Thanks you.. I'll be back
😂 Phil Collins. Thank you for your nice feedback. Craig
There are variables here. Air cooled engines tend to run hotter than liquid and straight 30 weight won't thin out like multi weight. In warmer temp areas 30 weight is better. In moderate temp areas 10W30 is fine. Small engine oil has different API classifications and generally has more zinc anti wear additive among other things than auto oil.
Small engine oil is readily available every in hardware or home store. Why not just use what you're suppose to?
Because 5w 30 is all there is in the garden shed. It is left over from when you changed the engine oil in the car of your wife's new boyfriend.
@@doctorboy5892 I didn't mean to slam the video, just saying. A lot of guys put their favorite auto oil in their small engines when there's small engine oil available in the same store.
@@martinschulz9381 True.
The W stands for winter. Meaning that at, in your example, a 30 weight (30 SAE) oil at 5 degrees celcius has viscosity stabile to it's weight. In short, the flow ability at a determined temperature. I have used multigrade for many years as there's always some around from doing vehicle oil changes and lawn mowers only hold about a pint. I've had no issues what so ever.
One point is if using the mower below 50degF manufacturers recomend mulitigrade oil.
50 F is nothing, maybe get below 10 or 20 F and start considering it.
In my area (suburban USA) a quart of Walmart multi-grade car oil is cheaper than Briggs and Stratton or Kohler mower oil. In fact the mower oils are usually pints not quarts. I have always wondered if the multi grade oil is too viscous and splashes too much to get to the passage ways in the small engines
The best advice you gave was to check the owner's manual. The manuals for my riding mower, push mower, snow thrower and edger list 5w-30, or either 30 or 5w-30.
What a brilliant explanation! Thank you very much.
I bought a harbor freight predator generator and the instructions said to use 10w30 engine oil.
So I put in my favorite oil. Valvoline 10w30
To add two more points why the car engine needs a multigrade oil and the lawnmower does does, 1) the bottom end, main bearing and big end bearings, in the car they receive pressurised oil and that oil needs to flow across the bearing surface and back out to the sump. It needs to flow the right amount, too much and oil pressure will be too low, not enough and heat transfer is reduced. The viscosity of the oil needs to be matched to the bearing clearances, hence the desire to have an oil where viscosity is more consistent over a wide temperature range. Small engines on the other hand do not have a pressurised oil system and oil is not forced between the bearings and the crankshaft, they use oilite bearings. 2) the car needs to be started by a relatively small 12 volt starter motor in all temperatures including below freezing, if a lawn motor needs to be started in extreme cold use just have to pull a bit harder.
My 24 year old JD 15.5 single has run on Rural King or Wal-Mart SAE30 oil since. My Husky with 24 HP Briggs twin has Mobile1 15-50, so does my Murray with a 16 hp opposed flat head. All other engines are running SAE30. My 35 year old 60gal Sanborn compressor has run store brand 30W non detergent oil since new. All in Fl. heat going year round.
Thank you very much for this excellent video. It's one of a very few on here that actually makes sense.
Question. I have ride on tractor mowers and it has been said to use oils with detergents, high zinc and phosphorus for better wear protection. Some have even resorted to using diesel oils which have all these properties. if I use a diesel formulation 5W-30 would this then be the ultimate oil to use ?
The engines I have are both Kohler engines. One is a Command 17.5 Hp and the other is a 25Hp Courage (SV-730). My Courage engine recently found with one bent pushrod. Not sure why. Am Still waiting for new parts to arrive and then do a full investigation.
Just thought I'd share, Downunder where the price gouging is real. For my whole adult life "Mower" oil has been a specialty product. And so by way of it's lower shelf profile and the economies of scale, it can routinely cost 4x that of any 30 weight multigrade on special at your local discount auto place. So a lot of Aussies use cheap car oil in small engines against the insistent advice of people who sell boutique single grade oil for outrageous prices.
Do small engines experience wear mostly on starting? If yes, then wouldn't a lower viscosity cold rating (the first number in a multi-viscosity oil) be preferred to single-weight oil because the small engine could theoretically last longer. Here in the USA, 5w-30 oil is often less expensive than a 30-weight oil because multi-weight oil goes on sale on Amazon so often.
I would say in theory yes, it would make more since to have better lubrication
My push and riding mowers (Honda, Deere) have always required 10w-30 for 0-100F temps. Straight 30 weight is only listed for 50-100 degrees. All manufacturer maintenance packages have multi-grade.
I have used 50 weight oil on a lawn mower it will work it's just a lubrication you are right what you're saying but you can use a thicker oil cuz I have done it before it was too far to drive to the auto parts so I use 50 weight oil off of my motorcycle and it worked
Very well explained. Thank you. Our tractor mower engine does calls for sae 30 but I think a full synthetic 10w-30 would be better, no?
I've a Briggs 3.5hp mower, probably 15yrs old and it's starting to drink oil. I know it's probably the valve seats but I couldn't be bothered of going to the hassle of trying to fix it myself. Have been running it on sae30 but that's expensive so gonna put 10w40 in it instead cause I can get it cheap. Hope it lasts the summer...
Thank you so much !! You explained this perfectly!!!!
The lower the first number, the lower the temperature at which the oil reaches its working viscosity. Basically the lower the first number, the wider is the temperature range of the oil in which it has a the viscosity of the second number.
And synthetic is always better, it last far longer ( less oil changes), has better “detergency” ( maintains the engine clean).
In conclusion: always match the second number with what the engine manufacturer says, and get the lowest first number (w), and get the synthetic ( if you can afford it).
** I believe “multigrade” means it has a constant ( almost) viscosity ( given by the second number, for example 30) at a wide range (“multi”) of temperatures, not only at 100 C. “Single grade” means it has the viscosity of 30 only at 100 C ( the stable temperature of the engines).
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This is nice….however I have used 10W 40 rotella with an annual change. B&S 5 HP engine is still running after 20 years. I do use 100LL AVGAS to avoid ethanol.
Great vid! Thanks...
My Grandpa told me to use the recommended oil which is mostly SAE30 and also to get non-detergent oil because it would foam up in the crank case and not allow the oil to splash up to lubricate properly. We used 10W-30 and had nothing but problems like oil smoke coming out of the exhaust, but no problems with SAE30, even on older engines. The exception I have is a 4 cycle snow thrower that requires 5W-30 multigrade oil. I think the 10 weight stage of multi-grade allows oil to blow past the piston rings and will make it worse, fouling up parts, as time goes on. Do what you want, but I'll stick with the tried and true!
Not trying to be rude but, NEVER NEVER NEVER, use a NON detergent oil in ANY engine! Non detergent oil is used in air compressor pumps! Since air compressors are not burning fuel, there is no need for detergent. Detergent oil does foam a little so it is not recommended for air compressors.
Engines need detergent oil to keep it clean and help keep carbon from building up.
Very good explanation and true. Also, if used like a 5 or 10w40 most likely would do no harm.
Won't flow as fast as a SAE 30 when hot, but as multi-grade should flow alot better than SAE 30 at cold, and if the engine is ready for SAE 30 as cold which has a viscosity much higher to the SAE 40 when hot, no harm will be done. Will have a bit more resistance to move, and probably less fuel efficient because of that. But probably will protect the engine as good, or better than a simple SAE 30.
If we start to upper than w40, like 10w50, or 10w60, then it will be less recommended, because it will start to be much more slow to flow when hot, and never reach the desired operating flow when hot, when the engine should spend the most of its time when running.
Basically it's a bit relative, we have to take account the environment temperature, the SAE indicated in the manual, the API (which indicates a bit the oil quality/tests/requirements, and usually the SJ is the minimum for the lawn mowers), and we can move a bit on the SAE with multi-grade oils since they perform better in different temperatures/conditions.
Fantastic explanation and information from you. Thank you. Craig
Use what the manufacturer/manuals instruct for a specific engine, do you think they are liars and you are smarter than they are?
@@tommak6516 Whether or not they are honest, (cough* VW) or not, is not the point. It's never bad to be an informed consumer. The number the manufacture provides is the simple answer for simple consumers. It's the number they have decided will cover most of the units sold. And it's a business model that "expects" a certain amount of warranty return. It's a one size fit's all solution. If that's the size you're looking for, then great :)
@@tommak6516 Manufacturers sell engines. The more they sell the better. We buy engines. We want them to last.
Have to agree I've noticed in the manual for my 8hp mulcher it specifies sae 30 between 10 and 40 degrees c and sae w5 or w10-30 between negitive 15 to 40c
And then in the instructions it suggests you use a w10 30 or a 10w 40.
Straight from the manufacturers mouths.
I use multi- grade when the right one is not around. Seems better to have clean oil than leaving the old oil.
I use 15w40 if its good enough for a diesel cat engine it should protect my 3.5hp briggs
@@NUTZJ98 when hot it protects up to a 40 weight
Worthwhile to bookmark this video. Thanks much.
I use 10w30 car oil for lawnmowers can't find sae 30 so I use car oil
Ok. Thanks for letting us know
I m toyota mechanic any car oil can use any lawnmover i m useing 0w20 sonce 7 year no issue performance best high fuel economy
All depends on what your lawn mower manual says the permissible oil SAE can be, which is usually dependent on operating ambient temperatures.
Been using 5W20 synthetic oil on my 4 stokes Snowblowers , 5W30 on Lawnmower for decades
A very good video, but.... A 5w 30 oil has the viscosity of a sae5 oil when cold, but the protection of a sae30 oil when at operating temperature. A 5w 30 oil will always be thinner or less viscous than a sae30 oil.
Excellent explanation 👍
Not sure about the
sae 30 being cheaper??? The cheapest I've found 5litre =£17.95
Been picking up Car oil 5litre £8-£10 .. .... so I just use car oil ..
Many new autos call for 5W-20 and a few call for 0W-16, both are way to thin for air cooled engines. As it is, many are using 10W-40, or 15W-40.
Brilliant I never would have known but now I Do!
Thank you so much for the nice feedback. I really appreciate it. Craig
Such a great video
Thank you fire breaking it down and providing that amazing killer visuals
Thank you for your nice feedback. I really appreciate it. Craig 👍
Great, thorough explanation. Thanks!
Thank you for your awesome comment. I really do appreciate it. Craig 👍
Lawn equipment your fine I've been doing it forever. But an air compressor don't even try it you'll get oil in your hoses and air filters. My compressor uses a straight 30 weight and works perfectly on it. In the winter I'll pop the breaker a few times until the oil warms up a little a fair trade.
You don't mow in the winter is the reason why SAE-30 is ok for lawn mower.
no yankee YOU don't mow in the winter. not everyone lives where it sucks 6 months of the year.
What do snow blowers specify for their engine oil requirements? Sincere question, as I don't live where it snows.