Straight 30 or 15W40 for hard use air cooled small engine?

[z71bill]

Sorry, but couldn't you go 50 to 100 hours on a change, especially if running a quality synthetic?

The owners manual says change it every 25 hours under continuous use.

My Honda EG2800i only takes 12 ounces of oil.

Less than $2 to change it - my generator cost almost $1,000.

I don’t understand why anyone would want to push the oci out on something so important with such a small cost.

 

[jeepman3071]

The owners manual says change it every 25 hours under continuous use.

My Honda EG2800i only takes 12 ounces of oil.

Less than $2 to change it - my generator cost almost $1,000.

I don’t understand why anyone would want to push the oci out on something so important with such a small cost.

Especially if it only takes 12 ounces of oil. With a smaller capacity I'd want to change it more often.

 

[Astro_Guy]

The owners manual says change it every 25 hours under continuous use.

Wow! My Champion 3500/4000 calls for a 50 hour OCI, and my HF Predator 3500 calls for a 100 hour OCI. By all means do what the manual says, especially with so little oil capacity.

 

[z71bill]

Wow! My Champion 3500/4000 calls for a 50 hour OCI, and my HF Predator 3500 calls for a 100 hour OCI. By all means do what the manual says, especially with so little oil capacity.

The Champion model owners manual calls for 100 hour OCI - but reduces it to 50 hours if run under heavy loads / hot environments.

Same with my Honda and most units.

I have said it before - these small engines should use a 1 quart oil capacity.

Honda with 12 ounces is a joke.

 

[bchannell]

Whoever said 15w40 is the new 30wt is correct, but in use, you'll never see the difference.

 

[burnbomber]

I'm trying to figure this out, right now, with my fleet. I've got my son's garden tractor with a Kohler Pro 25 hp twin cylinder, CV730 type. It's almost running, new parts arrived, got to get them on. The tractor's owners manual (Pict_1) and the Kohler service manual (Pict_2) both recommend 10w-30 for above freezing temps, and 5w-30 for BELOW 32 degrees only. These are older manuals with older school of thought, and I DO NOT believe that now. Seems contrary that 5w-30 is disallowed but 10w-30 is just fine. Heck, we're talking about a completely different question--40 weights vs. 30 weights. The tractor has been parked for awhile and I need it to move, and it needs an oil change.

The 3rd pict is from my John Deere Ztrac with a briggs stratton twin. It is a newer zero turn with a newer manual, and what I believe is the CURRENT recommendations for air cooled engines. It shows all the 30 weights (straight 30w and the multi-grade 30's) equally good up to 104 degrees, but all the 40 weights (again, straights same as multi's) good to 122 degrees. The 40 weights are the best per the Deere folks, but 30 weights work too. It also says straight weights don't get past the rings (less oil consumption) as much as multi-grades (worse oil consumption). I put in new oil every year, and that's now.

I've a buttload of 5w-30 to use up--from a Walmart clearance buy. Per the John Deere folks, all's good until I mow in 104 degree weather; this is not a problem as it won't happen. I've used it in that zero turn in it's early years, then I started using 15w-40 diesel oil. Which is almost all gone now. Since the Kohler engine is pretty much the same air cooled type, I think it will be just fine, and most of that cheap 5w-30 will go into my old Chevy 2.4l Equinox. But my next buy will be in15w-40 diesel oil.

All that said, I was looking for straight 30 weight while shopping for tractor parts. It is almost unobtanium. Not at Walmart--out of stock. I searched an Atwoods, a Tractor Supply, an Oreilly and Auto Zone, and a local Orschleins. Found at 2 places; 4 were out. If I wanted the best oil for Florida-Louisiana summertime use, it would be straight 40 weight.

Reminds me of my old VW days. You could get straight 40 weight back then, but in my recent search I found none. You air cooled VW guys out there, where you get 40 weight these days?

 

[kschachn]

FWIW I’d use any 0W-40 or 5W-40 at Walmart or even a 50-grade in Florida. Lots of misinformation out there about multi-grade oils. Not all are the same.

 

[RAVL]

10w30 will be fine in most small air cooled engines (small walk behind mowers, pressure washers, residential style riding mowers, generators.). For equipment used commercially, like the commercial grade standing style ride on mowers , 15w40 is typically what we would use in the Kawasaki powered machines that go 8-10 hours run time per day. No one I know who regularly uses air cooled power equipment, particularly in a commercial context, runs an 0w anything oil in an air cooled machine. Maybe someone in the arctic north who runs snow blowers in 20 below. But for the rest of the world 10w30 and or 15w40 is what is used. Good luck and HTH.

 

[BigCahuna]

Over the years I've switched all 3 of my mowers to 15/40. They all start easy and run good using that wt. But like cars that have meticulous oil changes, I've found the rest of the mower or car, will fall apart or break before the engine does.,,

 

[dnewton3]

OP - you're overthinking this.

Just about any decent grade will do just fine.

Are you going to be operating below 0F? No. So thinner oils are not a necessity.
Are you going to be operating above 100F? No. So thicker oils are not a necessity.
IOW - anything from 5w-30 to 15w-40 will do fine because they all are applicable between those conditions.

Find something else to worry about. Use whatever you have that meets the API spec (likely SJ or higher).

 

[SHOZ]

How often do you take the engine shroud off and blow out the cooling fins? I must confess I never did in 23 years with my F510 and did finally have exhaust valve issues. Right before that I replaced the valve cover gasket as it had hardened and cracked from the heat, I belatedly figured out..

 

[hemioiler]

My 24 hp Kohler (zero turn mower) recommends a 10w-30 with an SJ rating. I need to make another HPL purchase shortly for my truck, what oil from HPL is best for my application? Thought they actually made a small engine oil but can't find it back. Do I just order their PCMO 10w-30?

(yeah I know, HPL in a lawnmower, I run HPL in my truck anyway so throwing another 2 quarts into an order is nothing).

 

[kschachn]

10w30 will be fine in most small air cooled engines (small walk behind mowers, pressure washers, residential style riding mowers, generators.). For equipment used commercially, like the commercial grade standing style ride on mowers , 15w40 is typically what we would use in the Kawasaki powered machines that go 8-10 hours run time per day. No one I know who regularly uses air cooled power equipment, particularly in a commercial context, runs an 0w anything oil in an air cooled machine. Maybe someone in the arctic north who runs snow blowers in 20 below. But for the rest of the world 10w30 and or 15w40 is what is used. Good luck and HTH.

Are you saying it is inappropriate for warmer temperatures? There’s a big difference between inappropriate and unnecessary. The approvals that those oils have demonstrate their abilities.

Do you think a piece of OPE will be more demanding than the requirements for Porsche A40 approval?

 

[Brian123]

My 24 hp Kohler (zero turn mower) recommends a 10w-30 with an SJ rating. I need to make another HPL purchase shortly for my truck, what oil from HPL is best for my application? Thought they actually made a small engine oil but can't find it back. Do I just order their PCMO 10w-30?

(yeah I know, HPL in a lawnmower, I run HPL in my truck anyway so throwing another 2 quarts into an order is nothing).

It is there HDEO 10W-40

 

[RAVL]

10w30 will be fine in most small air cooled engines (small walk behind mowers, pressure washers, residential style riding mowers, generators.). For equipment used commercially, like the commercial grade standing style ride on mowers , 15w40 is typically what we would use in the Kawasaki powered machines that go 8-10 hours run time per day. No one I know who regularly uses air cooled power equipment, particularly in a commercial context, runs an 0w anything oil.

 

[RAVL]

Are you saying it is inappropriate for warmer temperatures? There’s a big difference between inappropriate and unnecessary. The approvals that those oils have demonstrate their abilities.

Do you think a piece of OPE will be more demanding than the requirements for Porsche A40 approval?

I am not going to argue with you. You are one of these guys who knows everything. But if you talk to anyone that makes a living as a contractor, or talk to the folks who sell parts and service, no one uses 0w-anything in air cooled equipment. If you want to use it in your machines, that is your business but be aware it is not the recommended viscosity for almost any of these machines.

 

[SHOZ]

So how many people are commercial operators compared to homeowners using their mowers for a few hours at a time? Not that I want to argue.

 

[kschachn]

I am not going to argue with you. You are one of these guys who knows everything. But if you talk to anyone that makes a living as a contractor, or talk to the folks who sell parts and service, no one uses 0w-anything in air cooled equipment. If you want to use it in your machines, that is your business but be aware it is not the recommended viscosity for almost any of these machines.

I don’t “know everything”. That’s why I go by the approvals and licenses an oil has which demonstrate proven performance, rather than “no one uses”.

And you seem stuck on the winter rating rather than the operating viscosity of the oil (it’s a 40-grade). Winter rating is irrelevant here. So you would not ever recommend a 40-grade oil in a piece of air cooled OPE?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

when a difference makes no difference, use whatever oil you have that is on the shelf in the garage.

The typical roll-about 5-7.5KW Generac with a Chonda one-lunger tend to mechanical-knock like crazy when they get warm if you have 5W30 ILSAC in the tiny sump. I jumped to a 10W30 VR1 syn plus some LiquiMoly a decade ago and the thing purred like a kitten under stress.
If you want a long service life go with a quality high ZPD treat, higher HTHS multigrade for Winter use.

 

[RAVL]

I don’t “know everything”. That’s why I go by the approvals and licenses an oil has which demonstrate proven performance, rather than “no one uses”.

And you seem stuck on the winter rating rather than the operating viscosity of the oil (it’s a 40-grade). Winter rating is irrelevant here. So you would not ever recommend a 40-grade oil in a piece of air cooled OPE?

The manufacturer recommendation - that is what I use and that is what the advice I gave is based upon. Have a good day.