Rotella T6 for OPE?

[Astro_Guy]

I'd like to hear from anyone using Rotella T6 in outdoor power equipment. My two prime contenders for this oil are a John Deere D140 lawn tractor with B&S 724cc V-Twin, and a Champion 3500 watt generator with 189cc "Honda pattern" engine. Neither of these units is likely to see more than 50 hours of use in a season, and they will both see an annual oil change at the beginning of winter.

Ambient temperatures for the D140 are 65 to 95 degrees F. It's running with Mobil 1 10w30 EP now, and it does seem to burn a little; I'd say 2 ounces per hour. The owner's manual suggests 15-40 for high temperature operations.

The Champion generator doesn't see a lot of use. It hasn't had a real workout for nearly two years. That being said, when it does run, it tends to be loaded from 1/3 to 2/3 of nameplate capacity. This unit is stored in the garage, where temperatures vary from about 35 to 95 degrees F. Actual use has always been in the 75 to 95 degrees F range, but you never know. The owner's manual calls for 5w30 or 10w30 oil and nothing heavier.

There are some comments about T6 shearing here on this forum, but they don't seem to be backed up with any real analysis from what I can see.

Okay BITOG guys, fire away!

 

[Phishin]

Oh, I see you are new.

Yes, HDEO's are popular to run in OPE. Synthetic or conventional...depending on climate.

People also like shear stable 10w30's.

 

[HerrStig]

MY Briggs 5KW Dyna started at 4 degrees with ONE pull a couple of years ago using T6. Whatever is said about "shear" it uses NO T6 even being run close to full output.

 

[Donald]

Rotella T6 is good oil no doubt. I go 18K in my Cummins diesel. But I would go with a 10W30 for OPE. Synthetic will help it start easier in winter.

Amsoil 4-Stroke for small engines is what I use.

 

[hatt]

For your uses you could save a few bucks and get T5 or T3. Seldom used OPE isn't going to know the difference.

 

[jeepman3071]

I fix small engines as a side business. I use Rotella T6 5w40 in most of the small engines I service. I've found that heavy duty oils hold up better and don't burn off as quickly in small engines which run a bit hotter.

 

[Rand]

A good option.. there are plenty of more economical options as well. Esp for the non-cold use tractor.

 

[Eddie]

I run 10w30 PP in my B&S 20 HP twin in a JD L111. Manual says 5w30 or 10w30 as best options. I think Mobil1 in 10w30 viscosity is a good choice. Ed

 

[Astro_Guy]

Thanks for the replies. Is my oil consumption of two ounces per hour considered normal on that 724cc V-Twin? That is what got me thinking about running a heavier oil.

 

[hatt]

Two oz per hour is a lot. Those xW-30 PCMO tend to be on the thin side. I'd move up.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Actually that oil consumption is a very crude estimate based on the possibly flawed assumption that the first oil change used exactly two quarts. The oil jug is down 2-1/2 quarts after the oil change and one top off in 8 hours running time. It might be closer to one ounce per hour. I'll know more in a few weeks.

 

[2cool]

I advise any 15W-40 for a mower, been using it in my B&S Intek single for six years and it runs strong and is very economical. Because the generator could be called upon at any time of the year, I put any synthetic 5W-40 or Mobil 1 0W-40. The low temp viscosity gives a very easy start in cold weather; and the high viscosity at high temps gives peace of mind in summer.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted By: 2cool
I advise any 15W-40 for a mower, been using it in my B&S Intek single for six years and it runs strong and is very economical. Because the generator could be called upon at any time of the year, I put any synthetic 5W-40 or Mobil 1 0W-40. The low temp viscosity gives a very easy start in cold weather; and the high viscosity at high temps gives peace of mind in summer.


I hear you there, but it seems to me that a 5w40 synthetic might do the job of at 15w40 dino. Is there any real advantage, other than cost, to running 15w40 dino oil vs 5w40 synthetic in OPE?

Now for what it is worth, I've got 2-1/2 quarts of M1 10w30 EP on hand that will most likely go into the John Deere D140 come late November, but oil is cheap in the grand scheme of things. Is there a good reason to choose 15w40 dino over 5w40 synthetic?

 

[TWG1572]

I've rotated between T6 and Rotella 15w40 as the whim has struck me. And that's what it is. A whim based on my mood when buying oil.

I'm confident either will be more than acceptable for my engine, and I've run both in my snow blowing tractor during the winter. I've not noticed a difference in starting performance, but I also keep it in a garage that typically stays above freezing. And I let my engine warm up before I venture out into the cold driveway.

 

[Astro_Guy]

It turns out that my oil consumption observation was completely erroneous. I had checked the oil three hours after running the machine for an hour in 80+ temperatures. At that time the oil level was at the "add" mark. Several days later I checked again, and the oil level was slightly above the "full" line, pretty much where it had been on the last really cold reading. What can one say here, other than this is the first season on a very different sort of engine than I've ever used before.

Barring any radical chance in oil consumption between now and the first frost, it looks as if the remaining M1 10w30 EP will be going into the JD 140 at the end of this season. The Hondas are going to stay with some form of 5w30, since that is always on hand. The Champion 3500 watt generator with 189cc "Chonda" remains an open question, and may get a dose of heavier oil at the end of this season.

 

[Astro_Guy]

I forgot about one seasonal piece of equipment, a Craftsman leaf vacuum / branch chipper. It uses straight SAE 30 oil and seems to be very hard on it. By that I mean the oil is very dirty after an hour of use, and oil must be added before every use.

What are the BITOG thoughts on alternatives for this animal or other oil burners spec'd for straight 30?

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: Astro_Guy
I forgot about one seasonal piece of equipment, a Craftsman leaf vacuum / branch chipper. It uses straight SAE 30 oil and seems to be very hard on it. By that I mean the oil is very dirty after an hour of use, and oil must be added before every use.

What are the BITOG thoughts on alternatives for this animal or other oil burners spec'd for straight 30?

That's a engine with worn piston rings plain and simple... It's burning oil and the blowby is scorching the oil, causing it to darken... Time for some 20W-50 but I doubt it will be much help...

I have one that's maybe 12 years old that runs without a air cleaner, haven't added any oil in the last couple years... Oil is black as tar(no idea what's in it), guess I'll be semi nice and do a change when I start using it regularly next month(though I did use it yesterday)...

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
That's a engine with worn piston rings plain and simple... It's burning oil and the blowby is scorching the oil, causing it to darken... Time for some 20W-50 but I doubt it will be much help...

Possibly, but I think it's been that way since day one.

Originally Posted By: TFB1
I have one that's maybe 12 years old that runs without a air cleaner...

Good point. This engine has an oiled synthetic sponge, a rather coarse one at that, serving as its air cleaner. It also has a crank case breather that exhausts into the air cleaner, so that's where the oil is going. Something went wrong with that 2-3 years ago and it was pushing a lot of oil into the air cleaner. It smoked a lot, especially after a warm restart. Had that fixed; no smoke now but it still consumes a lot of oil.

 

[TFB1]

Mine blows out some oil as well, since there is no air cleaner it just dribbles out on deck... Running it at the add mark it isn't loosing enough to be a problem(as I said, haven't added in a couple years)...

I had a 30 year old Briggs that swilled oil(blew out & burned) that finally blew up back in '11, when I pulled it down for inspection, rings were beyond worn out... If I'd went ahead and re-ringed it, would probably still be running(died because of loose rod bolt), but it blowing up was the best thing that could have happened... A buddy gave me a Honda that I mounted on my favorite Snapper deck & I haven't looked back... The old Briggs and Craftsman deck that donated the Honda were sold as part of a scrap metal load...

BTW I'd put about every weight oil in that old Briggs and never saw any real improvement... It might make two cuttings with a fresh change before having to add... Once blow by burned the oil, it had to be refilled at every cutting... With the Honda seems strange not leaving a smoke trail or never having to add oil...

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
I have one that's maybe 12 years old that runs without a air cleaner, haven't added any oil in the last couple years...

Mine has a Tecumseh 4.5 HP motor. The dipstick / fill cap calls for SAE 30. Are we talking about the same piece of equipment?

I did some branch chipping with this machine today, changed the oil to Rotella T6, then did a little more chipping. The oil already appears a little dirty, probably as a result of mixing with the residual oil. I might just dump this oil out after the next run and then keep a close eye on how fast the fresh oil turns black during leaf season.