good 10w40 options?

[The motor guy]

I just bought a zero turn with a Kawasaki engine. Looks like the best recommendation according to the manual is 10w40. All the dealer had was 10w30 and it was a CJ-4/SL oil. That was the Kawasaki oil It rarely gets below 40 here and routinely hits 100 degrees outside. Will something like rotella T 15w40 suffice? Or is that a little too thick when cold? Honda makes a 10w40 that's SJ rated if that works. plenty of zinc in that.

 

[donnyj08]

mobil 1 10w40 HM? I believe it is an SL oil.

I don't see why a good 15w40 HDEO wouldn't be a great option as well.

 

[JR]

Have ran what ever is laying around in the few kawi comerial mowers.
PYB 5w-30 in the 10+old Dr trimmer at farm, 8-12 hour days, 95-100degrees many days.
They are sweet engines. Keep clean oil in and it will out run the equipment they power.


-harvey

 

[nwjones18]

I've run QSGB and Castrol HM 10w-40 in my truck for a long time, I see no reason they wouldn't work fine in your mower.

 

[The motor guy]

Does 10w40 shear too much? I can get Honda GN-4 10w40 and it's SJ rated oil. Isn't SJ rated oil the best thing for small engines?

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Looks like the best recommendation according to the manual is 10w40.


Has something recently changed where SAE 30 isn't the primary recommendation (with an additional advisement against multi-grade oils)?

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Looks like the best recommendation according to the manual is 10w40.


Has something recently changed where SAE 30 isn't the primary recommendation (with an additional advisement against multi-grade oils)?



The OP lives in Texas and it will see 100 degree days. A 40 weight, such as 15w40 is ideal. Ideal, as in hard to beat if you tried.

Just buy the 15w40 of your choice and motor on.

Kawasaki engines LOVE 15w40. That is all I run in them.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: donnyj08
mobil 1 10w40 HM? I believe it is an SL oil.

I don't see why a good 15w40 HDEO wouldn't be a great option as well.


Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w40 is my vote too.

It's API SN, but only because the 40 grade has a higher limit for ZDDP than 20/30 grades.

I don't think you can do better in the 10w40 selection.

 

[tomcat27]

I would run rotella or Delo 15w-40

 

[Clevy]

Y
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Looks like the best recommendation according to the manual is 10w40.


Has something recently changed where SAE 30 isn't the primary recommendation (with an additional advisement against multi-grade oils)?



The OP lives in Texas and it will see 100 degree days. A 40 weight, such as 15w40 is ideal. Ideal, as in hard to beat if you tried.
Yyt
Just buy the 15w40 of your choice and motor on.

Kawasaki engines LOVE 15w40. That is all I run in them.


I couldn't agree more.

I use an hdeo during the summer in all my compressors and generators. I run 100 hour intervals. That ends up being 2 week oil changes
Air cooled engines get hot under load and I've seen 30 grades evaporate til the oil alert prevented start up in a week. I've never had that happen with an hdeo.

 

[285south]

I would go with Redline. Their 30 would do the task without sweating at the brow. That way you don't have to buy M1 and LM MoS2 since Redline has a greater dose of MolyB.

Redline 10W-30

Vis @ 100°C, cSt 11.4
Vis @ 40°C, cSt 70
Viscosity Index 155
CCS Viscosity, Poise, @ °C 50@-25
Pour Point, °C -45
Pour Point, °F -49
NOACK Evaporation Loss,1hr @ 482°F (250°C), % 6
HTHS Vis, cP @150°C, ASTM D4741 3.5

Redline 10W-40

Vis @ 100°C, cSt 15.1
Vis @ 40°C, cSt 97
Viscosity Index 164
CCS Viscosity, Poise, @ °C 56@-25
Pour Point, °C -45
Pour Point, °F -49
NOACK Evaporation Loss,1hr @ 482°F (250°C), % 6
HTHS Vis, cP @150°C, ASTM D4741 4.4

 

[jhellwig]

It doesn't matter what oil as long as it is motor oil and is kept at the correct level.

 

[A_Harman]

RL 10w40, but it's a bit pricey.
M1 10w40 HM as a lower cost alternative.

 

[krismoriah72]

Both Rotella T 15W-40 conventional and, Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic both list the JASO MA standard. Pick one or mix half and half to get your 10W40.

 

[Ramblejam]

Just pulled up some Kawasaki manuals from across their product range, and this is still what appears in all of them:

 

[boraticus]

Cold in Texas?

Use Rotella 15W40 and go to work.

Up here in Canada, it get's cool during hunting season. Often below freezing in mid to late October. Considering that over the years I've grown to really appreciate Rotella products, rather than settle for some other brand of multi grade oil, I'll blend 5W30 or 10W30 with 15W40 50/50. Seems to work well for me. I found that straight 15W40 was a bit thick for my ATVs, especially during winter when we'd use the machines on the ice.

I also do the same for our Kubota diesel generator.

 

[NH73]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I just bought a zero turn with a Kawasaki engine. Looks like the best recommendation according to the manual is 10w40. All the dealer had was 10w30 and it was a CJ-4/SL oil. That was the Kawasaki oil It rarely gets below 40 here and routinely hits 100 degrees outside. Will something like rotella T 15w40 suffice? Or is that a little too thick when cold? Honda makes a 10w40 that's SJ rated if that works. plenty of zinc in that.


Rotella T a excellent choice for you, better than a typical 10w40. I wouldn't sat its the best recommendation. It appears Kawi makes no best recommendation. If Kawasaki says you can use a 30 straight weight down to 32 degrees F, then you can at least use 15w40 down that far too. I have a zero turn with a Kawasaki engine too and I use 5w30 synthetic.

 

[dlundblad]

I would probably run a M1 10w40 HM. If not that, perhaps Castrol or M1 0w40. I am sure

I am being too picky so a 15w40 would work just fine for you too.

 

[BigCahuna]

How about a motorcycle oil? Valvoline makes a 10/40 wt oil for air cooled motorcycles, that's pretty tough to beat. With some bikes, it gets run thru the motor, trans gears, clutch and still hold up for 5k miles in a air cooled motor. I can buy it for $3.58 a qt by me. It's about the same price or a little cheaper then rotella t.,,

 

[The motor guy]

I'm going to just put in delo 400 15w40 and the OEM Kawasaki oil filter and call it good. I went the amsoil route with their 15 micron filter and their small engine oil on my exmark 21 but that's like a $20 dollar oil change on a self propelled mower.