I left that detail out, i meant the LAST fillup would be E0 just before winterizing. and because I'm unsure, maybe stabilizer too. people are split on run dry with E0 vs fill E10 with stabilizer.
New Mower, oil recommendations?
- Thread starter mendozer
- Start date
Clean and full.
Use something somewhere in the range of 5w-30 to 20w-50.
Use something somewhere in the range of 5w-30 to 20w-50.
I mean it would turn to molasses in the crankcase the colder it gets but never freeze unless you lived in Siberia and planned on mowing the snow.
I use 15w40, Rotella or the Valvoline equivalent. I’ll go out and run it for a bit every month to keep the battery up, weather permitting of course.
If it makes you feel any better, I run Rotella T6 15w-40 here in Pennsylvania. I start my JD140 once or twice per winter with the oil at or about 30 degrees F. It's never a hard start. Worry more about the high temperatures and shoot for an oil with > 3.5 HTHS.
this is all great info. thanks. I assume the HTHS number is somewhere on data sheets. For you rotella fans, any preference T4 vs T5 vs T6? I ask because they have that at walmart by the gallon so that's an easy win. I see 15w-40 not 10w-40 but the 40 is what matters for this and the 10 vs 15 degree winter rating won't matter for me
T5 15W40
For a small engine, I would just use T4 15w40 and change it every year or every 50 hours.
Use any brand of oil that you want. 10w30, 10w40, 15w40, 5w40, straight 30, even 15w50. Dino 15w40 is the best value for protection and price. Good ol' 30 weight is right up there to. What is most important is not the brand or weight but checking the oil level in your engine before you start it for the day. If it needs a few ounces then top off the engine. Most engines that I replace are due to being run low or out of oil. Doesn't matter if the user ran Amsoil or Supertech, if no oil in the crankcase then all will experience the same outcome.
Don't get caught up in the hype and don't overthink things. Keep your blades sharp, keep inside of the deck clean. Check the air filter daily before you fire up the engine. Clean or replace it as needed. Grease the machine on a regular basis. Inspect and clean the cooling fins on the cylinders once or twice a year by removing the engine housing. If you see dust and chaff in them then brush them off so the engine will run cool and live long. Check the oil level each day before you fire it up and add oil if needed. Dino or Syn oil regardless of weight/brand just make sure that the dipstick shows full. Change every season or 100 hours along with the filter all all will be good. Now for adding a beer cooler and lights, well that is another topic.
P.S. Top off the tank with fuel and gas preservative during the fall after each use that way you will be set for next year and experience no fuel related problems next spring. If you really are serious then hook up a battery tender and plug in after each use.
Don't get caught up in the hype and don't overthink things. Keep your blades sharp, keep inside of the deck clean. Check the air filter daily before you fire up the engine. Clean or replace it as needed. Grease the machine on a regular basis. Inspect and clean the cooling fins on the cylinders once or twice a year by removing the engine housing. If you see dust and chaff in them then brush them off so the engine will run cool and live long. Check the oil level each day before you fire it up and add oil if needed. Dino or Syn oil regardless of weight/brand just make sure that the dipstick shows full. Change every season or 100 hours along with the filter all all will be good. Now for adding a beer cooler and lights, well that is another topic.
P.S. Top off the tank with fuel and gas preservative during the fall after each use that way you will be set for next year and experience no fuel related problems next spring. If you really are serious then hook up a battery tender and plug in after each use.
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If the gas tank is full then there is little need to worry about it absorbing water.
I used 0w40 M1 for most of the F510 Kawasaki. Probably the only thing that saved it as the cooling fins were completely clogged after 23 years. And it did end up with a stuck exhaust valve. But a used head fixed that and it runs like new. It also was hard to turn over when below 32F with the 0w40.
New John Deere has 5w30 in it now on it's second change in the Kawasaki twin cylinder. Oil temp runs around 250F at the end of a mow in +85F temps. So I would say a yearly cleaning under the shroud would do wonders. When it hits 50 hrs I'll change to 5w40 M1 oil.
I used 0w40 M1 for most of the F510 Kawasaki. Probably the only thing that saved it as the cooling fins were completely clogged after 23 years. And it did end up with a stuck exhaust valve. But a used head fixed that and it runs like new. It also was hard to turn over when below 32F with the 0w40.
New John Deere has 5w30 in it now on it's second change in the Kawasaki twin cylinder. Oil temp runs around 250F at the end of a mow in +85F temps. So I would say a yearly cleaning under the shroud would do wonders. When it hits 50 hrs I'll change to 5w40 M1 oil.
What locomaster1996 said. Question answered. Case closed. Nuff said.
i ended up ordering a jug of T5 bc it was 19 bucks vs 16 for T4. 5 bucks for 4 oil changes doesn't seem like a big deal for me. that's spread out over 4 years probably. i hadn't thought of checking fluids that often but that's a good point. my old deere was changed yearly and it never burnt oil so i never thought much of it. but i actually paid for this mower so i'll cherish it and give it love haha. I know that dino oil works well for non-complicated car engines but somehow the "synthetic is better" thought still lingers in my brain. It's a syn blend so I'm compromising there
An air-cooled mower engine gets hotter than a car‘s liquid-cooled engine.
That’s why I run synthetic.
M1 15W-50 for my Kawasaki FR651V.
That’s why I run synthetic.
M1 15W-50 for my Kawasaki FR651V.
T6 would have cost another four or five bucks. Not a big expense in the grand scheme of things. You should be fine with T4, T5 or T6 in the 15w-40 variety.
i just realized the tune up it at least now on amazon is 65 bucks. I priced out just the fuel/oil/air filter with kawasaki parts at 49 bucks. half a jug of the T5 is gonna be 9 bucks. Not much cheaper than just buying the kit haha. I didn't know they even made these. Too bad they're not available without the oil, I'd rather use diesel oil
That's true in most liquid cooled engines. However in some air cooled engines, the oil temperature is not well controlled. It can clearly vary from 180 degrees on a cool day, to 270 degrees on a warm day. I purchased a Honda water pump to de-water my FL property prior to bringing in fill, and construction of my home. To my surprise, the first water pump lasted about 8 hours before the oil overheated and the connecting rod failed. The second water pump failed in a similar time frame. Both used the required 5W-30 oil purchased from the dealership.
The dealer was very apologetic and returned my money. But we did conclude that the oil was overheating and unable to protect the engine as used (Everglades, South Florida summer, in the stagnant air) I then purchased a Kawasaki water pump and used Mobil 1, 15W-50. That engine is still running, 21 years later, and sees irrigation and fire-hose duty.
Fast forward to Hurricane Francis and Jeanne. The generators were running, and a great many of them failed the first day. Hot, humid, stationary air, coupled with very high AC loads, led to the failures. Lawnmower Headquarters had a pile of broken engines that you would not believe. They started selling M1, 15W-50 to their generator users. Which solved the broken connecting rod problem.
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Good point. Strangers on the internet should only be giving relationship, health, and financial advice.
JHZR2
Staff member
I wonder if one of the higher zinc marine engine 10w40 type oils would be a good bet. I’d run HDEO as an option too.
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