What kind of oil do you use in your lawnmower?

[Rapid_Roy]

I go with a 30 weight, usually Valvoline. Sometimes whatever is cheapest.
:dance

[Maylett]

I don't suggest this as a good maintenance strategy, but... My cheapo power lawnmower from Lowes is going on 15 years old, and it runs just fine. In all that time, I've never once changed or even checked the oil. :blush

[jforgo]

My lawnmower uses a pemanent, ultrasemisynthetic supersecret factory formula.







I have a small, slow growing lawn, so I went electric. :whistle

[jamesdunn]

What, another oil thread?! :lol

[rocketman]

I used 3-in-1 oil on my last one, seemed to work just fine.....







Oh, yeah, did I mention it was push mower? :lol

RM

[rinty]

30 weight Opti small engine oil, or 20/50 motorcycle oil, depending on what's in the garage.

[PAULBACH]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/ClipArt/246add3a.jpg

Please! Lets return to a more natural way and reduce your carbon footprint. ;)

[MotorradMike]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/ClipArt/246add3a.jpg

Please! Lets return to a more natural way and reduce your carbon footprint. ;)

She's leaking ATF Paul. Best fix that if you want to be green.

[osbornk]

I use 30 wt. whatever in the air cooled ones, 10W30 Motorcraft synthetic blend in the water cooled one and hay for the goats and donkey.

Ken

ps. The goats and donkey emit a lot more pollutants than the other mowers.

[hlothery]

I went electric. :whistle

Ditto! Black and Decker 24 volt rechargeable. It will do my yard and my neighbor lady's front yard on one charge.

[ragtoplvr]

I have always used 10W40, and change it at least 2X a season. Zero turn mowers work the engine a lot harder, since not much wasted motion. You should see the muffler glow bright red in the evening with a little cone of flame coming out. Going on 27 years now not even a sparkplug and it is a aluminum bore briggs 11HP so I will stick with it. Currently there is an ACCCEL oil 10W40 SF rated oil at Wally World that I get and it is cheap also.

In the lawnboys and chainsaw I use a Mystic 2 stroke oil.

The Mercury gets Mercury TCW-3 oil, buy in gallons lasts a long time.

Rod

[Oldhway]

I go with a 30 weight, usually Valvoline. Sometimes whatever is cheapest.
:dance

Roy, you're killing me :laugh.

Bag or Mulch?

[Rod Sheridan]

Mine only has roller bearings so I use wheel bearing grease...........Rod.

[Rapid_Roy]

Interesting. Some have eco-friendly manual push mowers, good job.
I have an acre, so that is right out of the question.
Paul is pulling the wool over our eyes.*Roy said sheepishly*
:ha

To answer Oldhwy, we have a mulcher, I hated bagging and we had to empty it like 5 or 6 times. Mulching is better, IMO.

Now the push mower we have also uses 30 weight, but even I can't let it go for years without a change.
This is all very interesting.

Rocketman, which 3 oils are in that one, I am just curious?

The electric ones are also interesting, I could consider replacing our push mower with and electric.

[Visian]

what kind of oil?

well, diesel motor oil for the engine and hydraulic oil for the front-end loader and hydrostatic transmission.

:type

[Hodag]

I run what ever I have on hand

[PGlaves]

No grass. No mower. No oil. But if I did have grass and a mower it would get only the highest priced synthetic snake oil that money could advertise with a whole fleet of salesmen on the internet. Nothing would be too good or too expensive for my mower, if I had one. It wouldn't get out-of-spec diesel oil, that's for sure. It would probably have to be power mower specific oil with an SA or SB API rating, and nothing but GL2 in the gearbox for sure. And Honda goop on the driveshaft too. Nitrogen in the tires. Slick 50 brushed on the blades after every use. Replace the Hall sensor every season. Ohlins on the front, Wilburs on the back, and Hyperpro for the multi-adjustable air suspension seat. Nothing but the best for my mower, if I had a mower.

[terham]

No oil, :laugh unfortunately that's apparently not good for the engine. I chalked that up to a life lesson for my son. When I told him to check the oil periodically, all he heard was blah, blah. blah.

Since our new lawnmower is a Lawnboy, I only use top quality, semisynthetic, special Lawnboy blend, since the owner's manual said so. Only premium gas too. ;)

[deanwoolsey]

My friend Jimmie had his mower lock the engine up and wanted me to look at it. Short story version, he had been running Pennzoil and only changing his oil once a year. That didn't mesh well with the 3 acres he was mowing with the 42" deck and air cooled mower. When I pulled the plug, it came out in globs instead of a stream. Sad thing was he did it twice before he decided to listen to me and change the molasses more often.

[72598]

I just use the cheap Wal-Mart universal oil mixed at 30:1

[Rapid_Roy]

what kind of oil?

well, diesel motor oil for the engine and hydraulic oil for the front-end loader and hydrostatic transmission.

:type

:bow

You have a big yard, doncha?

[Rapid_Roy]

My friend Jimmie had his mower lock the engine up and wanted me to look at it. Short story version, he had been running Pennzoil and only changing his oil once a year. That didn't mesh well with the 3 acres he was mowing with the 42" deck and air cooled mower. When I pulled the plug, it came out in globs instead of a stream. Sad thing was he did it twice before he decided to listen to me and change the molasses more often.

That explains what happened to poor Murray. may he rest in peace.
:ha
Now, I regularly change Crafty's oil.

[Rapid_Roy]

No grass. No mower. No oil. But if I did have grass and a mower it would get only the highest priced synthetic snake oil that money could advertise with a whole fleet of salesmen on the internet. Nothing would be too good or too expensive for my mower, if I had one. It wouldn't get out-of-spec diesel oil, that's for sure. It would probably have to be power mower specific oil with an SA or SB API rating, and nothing but GL2 in the gearbox for sure. And Honda goop on the driveshaft too. Nitrogen in the tires. Slick 50 brushed on the blades after every use. Replace the Hall sensor every season. Ohlins on the front, Wilburs on the back, and Hyperpro for the multi-adjustable air suspension seat. Nothing but the best for my mower, if I had a mower.
:ha
Hey! I did all that stuff, and it cost me more than the mower!
It runs sweet though, and now I can pass Harleys on it.

[RoboRider]

According to Blackstone Labs oil analysis, my BMW synthetic usually has about 1000 miles of life left in it. So I put the drained BMW oil into the mower to squeeze out the last bit of life!

Maybe I can make an oil drain attachment to drain the RT right into the lawn mower to save time.

[rspennachio]

The really expensive stuff :laugh:laugh:laugh

[f14rio]

:brad


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOrJc8lfSU8&feature=related

[BubbaZanetti]

I've heard a cap full of ATF and a teaspoon of diesel fuel help actuate the valves more efficiently. Anyway, that's what I do.:dunno:whistle

[Semper_Fi]

BMW 5W40 Synthetic if it is good enough for the GT it is good enough for my 3 year old 5HP push mower :lurk

[Rapid_Roy]

I've heard a cap full of ATF and a teaspoon of diesel fuel help actuate the valves more efficiently. Anyway, that's what I do.:dunno:whistle

What, you mow the roof of your building?
:ha

[35634]

I drain the oil out of the car, put it in the bike, drain it out of the bike and put it in the lawn mower. Then I add it to the gas in the weedwacker. More importantly, I found that nitrogen in the lawn mower tires give a more even cut because they don't loose air as fast.

[RoboRider]

Does anyone have an oil analysis report on their mower to post? I don't think we can draw any meaningful conclusions w/o a report.

[geisterfahrer]

I use only extra-virgin olive oil. It is my theory that the omega-3s will prolong the life of the engine with their anti-oxidant properties. Plus, it smells like an Italian Restaurant when I'm mowing. Makes me hungry!

[Bob1100RTC]

Mobil 1 0-40

[Tinboatcapt]

According to Blackstone Labs oil analysis, my BMW synthetic usually has about 1000 miles of life left in it. So I put the drained BMW oil into the mower to squeeze out the last bit of life!

Maybe I can make an oil drain attachment to drain the RT right into the lawn mower to save time.

+1
jim

[bogthebasher]

Like others here, I actually re-purpose some of my used motorcycle oil. Of course it doesn't really take a lot to fill, but every little bit counts.

[kgadley01]

I use special hand blended oil. I take all the parts of Qts left over from oil changes in 6 different vehicles and mix them all together in one jug. so my mowers mostly run on 5w30 + 10w40 + 15w50. all Syn. of course.:thumb

[Rapid_Roy]

I forgot to mention the pushmower.
I use 30W there too.
The weed wacker hardly runs anyway, I am just trying to consider weeds beautiful, it's easier.

[rebake]

Wait! what?you are supposed to change the oil in a push mower? who made this rule? Ed

[Rapid_Roy]

Wait! what?you are supposed to change the oil in a push mower? who made this rule? Ed
:wave

Only the ones with engines. The ones without engines have a constant loss oil system.

[JStrube]

I bought a new Craftsman lawn mower 10 years ago, I have never changed the oil & rarely added any...

[Visian]

I use only extra-virgin olive oil. It is my theory that the omega-3s will prolong the life of the engine with their anti-oxidant properties. Plus, it smells like an Italian Restaurant when I'm mowing. Makes me hungry!

you forgot the low cholesterol benefits... it's like organic marvel mystery oil.

[glennhendricks]

fish oil capsules be better then? :brad

[geisterfahrer]

fish oil capsules be better then? :brad

Yeah, but who wants to smell like a Russian trawler while they are mowing? :sick

[Rapid_Roy]

Rest assured I use the best oil I can, and change it often........

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/RapidR/P3280006.jpg

.........now.

[35634]

Rest assured I use the best oil I can, and change it often........

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/RapidR/P3280006.jpg

.........now.

Neat! an automatic oil draining mechanism :jester

[James.A]

Y'know, Roy, Iv'e been campaigning an ancient Lawn Boy for at least 20 years. The dang thing is so loose that it doesn't much care what oil gets mixed in the fuel. If you get it in the tall grass, you can hear the rod knocking. Still, I'd say the odds are 50/50 that it will outlive me.

[Visian]

Y'know, Roy, Iv'e been campaigning an ancient Lawn Boy for at least 20 years. The dang thing is so loose that it doesn't much care what oil gets mixed in the fuel. If you get it in the tall grass, you can hear the rod knocking. Still, I'd say the odds are 50/50 that it will outlive me.

wow... a 2-smoke.

as a kid, i had a jacobsen 2-smoke with a cast aluminum body that lasted for nearly 30 years.

[Rapid_Roy]

Neat! an automatic oil draining mechanism :jester
Also, automated crank disconnect.


Wife: "It just stopped. So I let it sit for a while, then it started up and ran...........for a little bit."
:dunno

[Rapid_Roy]

Y'know, Roy, Iv'e been campaigning an ancient Lawn Boy for at least 20 years. The dang thing is so loose that it doesn't much care what oil gets mixed in the fuel. If you get it in the tall grass, you can hear the rod knocking. Still, I'd say the odds are 50/50 that it will outlive me.
They don't build 'em like that anymore.

[ragtoplvr]

Re engines blowing, when I bought a zero turn mower, after the exwife destroyed the other mower. Ex wife (who insisted on mowing) commenced to demolishing trees, corner of the house, and the mower. Once she checked the oil, did not screw in the dipstick, can you say gusher. Then of course, she screwed in the dipstick, and did not add more oil, or clean the mess in the garage and on MY car or say a word, like I would not notice oil dripping from the ceiling. That motor looked a lot like yours. Good thing I had a spare engine from the other rider after she bent the blade deck all to heck. Then she accused me of buying a mower on purpose she could not run.

Noticed her current husband is the only one who mows now. Wonder how many she destroyed before she decided to listen to the logic of some people should not mow.

Rod

[crazydrummerdude]

My cheapo power lawnmower from Lowes is going on 15 years old, and it runs just fine. In all that time, I've never once changed or even checked the oil. :blush

Why not?

[brewmeister]

mobil 1 30wt

[crazydrummerdude]

Rest assured I use the best oil I can, and change it often........

.........now.

There's a similar looking hole in one of my mower blocks. (Although connecting rod is still together.) ..and the thing still runs!

..

There wasn't a hole in another one of the blocks.. and the thing didn't run. There wasn't a chunk of piston larger than a corn flake.

I gotta find my pictures, for comparison.

[amiles]

I believe in green! My 26 year old Lawnboy is even painted green! A good 2 stroke mix in the can keeps it happy. Keeps down the bugs too if you mow in the evening!