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I use an STP S3600, and Rotella T5 semi synthetic 10w-30.
Change at the end of season / fall...
Change at the end of season / fall...
Change interval for Fram Ultra on lawn tractor
- Thread starter Oldtom
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I used to change annually. I have a TON of engines on the property, so I was doing a lot of unneeded maintenance, in my opinion. I made a spreadsheet to keep track of all my equipment maintenance, and I change the oil every two years on power equipment now. Oil still comes out really clean at two years. I change the filter every two years with the oil, but honestly, it would be fine every other, which is every 4 years in my case.
Honestly, you could run that filter for 5 or 10 years and it would be just fine. AT LEAST change the filter every other if doing yearly changes.
Honestly, you could run that filter for 5 or 10 years and it would be just fine. AT LEAST change the filter every other if doing yearly changes.
Hearing about people changing oil and not changing the filter drives me crazy. Lol, maybe it's my OCD, but I can't wrap my head around it. Is it the $, the time and effort, or something else?
Thanks to everyone who posted. I agree the Fram Ultra is costly overkill. The filter in my application is mounted upside down, so I will probably go with a Fram PH 3614 changed every other oil change. The Fram design places the bypass valve above any dirt accumulation when the filter is upside down. The PH 3614 is the tallest filter that will fit my mower. I will probably never accumulate any dirt in my application, but, I tend to plan for the worst case 
Thanks again
Thanks again
Originally Posted By: raburn2906
Hearing about people changing oil and not changing the filter drives me crazy. Lol, maybe it's my OCD, but I can't wrap my head around it. Is it the $, the time and effort, or something else?
-Saves money.
-Saves time.
-Saves effort
-Cuts the oil change time in half
-Filters work better and actually filter better the longer they are used. A new filter is not as good as a used filter.
-There is no need to change the filter ever time. The filtering capacity of today's filters is MASSIVE overkill compared to how much dirt and debris the engine oil actually contains.
Many folks argue against this by saying that some oil doesn't get changed, and it leaves "dirty" oil in the engine. Its inconsequential. If you change the filter, your TBN might be 9 after the oil change. If you don't change the filter, your TBN will be 8.99 after the oil change. Doesn't make a hill of beans difference.
The Fram Ultra is an excellent filter and I have run them 20K plus miles no problem. Cut them open and they look great inside.
Hearing about people changing oil and not changing the filter drives me crazy. Lol, maybe it's my OCD, but I can't wrap my head around it. Is it the $, the time and effort, or something else?
-Saves money.
-Saves time.
-Saves effort
-Cuts the oil change time in half
-Filters work better and actually filter better the longer they are used. A new filter is not as good as a used filter.
-There is no need to change the filter ever time. The filtering capacity of today's filters is MASSIVE overkill compared to how much dirt and debris the engine oil actually contains.
Many folks argue against this by saying that some oil doesn't get changed, and it leaves "dirty" oil in the engine. Its inconsequential. If you change the filter, your TBN might be 9 after the oil change. If you don't change the filter, your TBN will be 8.99 after the oil change. Doesn't make a hill of beans difference.
The Fram Ultra is an excellent filter and I have run them 20K plus miles no problem. Cut them open and they look great inside.
Honda, among others, suggests filter change every other oil
change.
JD recommends oil changes at 50 hours, the Kawasaki engine
says 100 hours (after break in).
Your tractor, your choice.
MY 2¢
change.
JD recommends oil changes at 50 hours, the Kawasaki engine
says 100 hours (after break in).
Your tractor, your choice.
MY 2¢
I have a Kawasaki motor in my JD but it shares the oil with the hydraulic system. When you drain the oil you get about 2L out. But there is still another 1.5L in it. So to completely change the oil you need to add another 1.5L of new oil when the drain valve is still open. Then close the drain valve and add around another 2L of new oil. PITA.
Oil Capacity
Without Filter . . . 2.4 L (2.5 qt)
With Filter . . . . . 2.6 L (2.7 qt)
Total System . . . . 3.4 L (3.5 qt)
Oil Capacity
Without Filter . . . 2.4 L (2.5 qt)
With Filter . . . . . 2.6 L (2.7 qt)
Total System . . . . 3.4 L (3.5 qt)
I change the filter every other change on most of the mowers I service with the exception of the ones that are used commercially. They all run great with no smoke or oil consumption.
The other benefit to a filter change every other service is less mess. Some of the engines have the filters mounted in a location that makes it impossible not to spill oil everywhere.
The other benefit to a filter change every other service is less mess. Some of the engines have the filters mounted in a location that makes it impossible not to spill oil everywhere.
The air filter systems on most riding mowers are much better than 20-30 years ago. Much better than a piece of oiled foam. I am now running an ultra 3614, i will probably leave it on for 2-3 years. I've only got 100 hrs on a 2013 zero turn.
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