Mobil 5W-30 Ep in GX25 Honda 4 stroke

[tomartomau]

Hi everyone, just bought a pole saw with a Honda 4 stroke motor attached. Specs recommend a 5W30. I thought I might run it for first time use on the oil it comes with/mineral based and then switch over to the Mobil.

Is this a good idea, as I assume the motor has to bed in first?

Thanks in advance

 

[boraticus]

Why not?

If the engine is spec'd for mineral oil, why use a synthetic?

More cost and no real advantage unless you plan on extended oil change intervals.

 

[tig1]

An excellant oil in an excellant engine. I use M1 in my 23 year old Honda mower.

 

[tomartomau]

Why not?

If the engine is spec'd for mineral oil, why use a synthetic?

I use the Mobil in both our cars and also I have just started to use in in the Honda Commercial HRU2196. I guess I am trying to match up all my machinery.

I purchase the Mobil one of a guy who iimports directly from the states and it works out at the very least $15.00 per bottle (4 quarts).
My main concern is whether I can run the pole saw in with the synthetic or get mineral oil first and then after a period of 'bedding' in then change over.

Sorry to cause the confucion, the Honda whould take a small amount of oil so it sould not really impact the servicing the other cars.

Cheers

 

[Clevy]

Honestly. Use a cheap Dino 5w-30 and change it often. Synthetic oil isn't any "slipperier" than Dino. It does however last longer. Unless you plan on extending your drain interval or have a sludged up motor I suggest just use Dino and change it every fall. Not really a "need" for a high tech oil in this application. If you have a half a quart of synth laying around I would use it instead of buying some but I wouldn't go out of my way to use synthetic. Jmo

 

[Clevy]

I have 11 air compressors and generators. All hondas. And saw no increase or benefit in using synthetic oil in any of them. I still had to change the oil every 100 hours sue to fuel dilution. These engines aren't vented and when the choke is used to start as well as until warmed up,fuel gets by the rings and dilutes the oil. The only change was maintenance costs because the oil costs more. Use whatever you like but you still have to change it every 100 hours.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
Honestly. Use a cheap Dino 5w-30 and change it often. Synthetic oil isn't any "slipperier" than Dino. It does however last longer. Unless you plan on extending your drain interval or have a sludged up motor I suggest just use Dino and change it every fall. Not really a "need" for a high tech oil in this application. If you have a half a quart of synth laying around I would use it instead of buying some but I wouldn't go out of my way to use synthetic. Jmo


You said"synthetic oil isn't any slipperly than dino" Well, actually a quality synthetic does reduce friction in an engine to a small degree. This is why there is a slight increase in MPG in enines using it, and a small decrease in oil temps over dino. Will dino work well in an engine like this? Absolutely. But his question was, using M1 be a good idea or not.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Honestly. Use a cheap Dino 5w-30 and change it often. Synthetic oil isn't any "slipperier" than Dino. It does however last longer. Unless you plan on extending your drain interval or have a sludged up motor I suggest just use Dino and change it every fall. Not really a "need" for a high tech oil in this application. If you have a half a quart of synth laying around I would use it instead of buying some but I wouldn't go out of my way to use synthetic. Jmo


You said"synthetic oil isn't any slipperly than dino" Well, actually a quality synthetic does reduce friction in an engine to a small degree. This is why there
is a slight increase in MPG in enines using it, and a small decrease in oil temps over dino. Will dino work well in an engine like this? Absolutely. But his question was, using M1 be a good idea or not.

That depends on the oil used. Going from a Dino 20w-50 to a synth 20w-50 doesn't change fuel economy at all. Your comment completely depends on the oil used and whether it contains moly or not.
And like I already stated these motors need their oil changed at 100 hours. A synthetics add pack could last longer but fuel dilution is a real issue with these motors. A car and a Honda small motor are 2 different animals and cannot be treated the same as far as oil is concerned.
I have been using the Honda 5.5 hp motor which is now called a gx160 for 20 years in air compressors and I know what I am talking about. If tge motor was vented tge fuel could then evaporate from the crankcase. But it isn't. So oil change schedules must me maintained religiously.
When I change the oils in all my equipment it's actually more full then when I changed it 2 weeks previous. It's fuel in the oil.
A car is one thing. A small motor is completely different. Your comment doesn't apply to this situation

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Honestly. Use a cheap Dino 5w-30 and change it often. Synthetic oil isn't any "slipperier" than Dino. It does however last longer. Unless you plan on extending your drain interval or have a sludged up motor I suggest just use Dino and change it every fall. Not really a "need" for a high tech oil in this application. If you have a half a quart of synth laying around I would use it instead of buying some but I wouldn't go out of my way to use synthetic. Jmo


You said"synthetic oil isn't any slipperly than dino" Well, actually a quality synthetic does reduce friction in an engine to a small degree. This is why there
is a slight increase in MPG in enines using it, and a small decrease in oil temps over dino. Will dino work well in an engine like this? Absolutely. But his question was, using M1 be a good idea or not.


Try putting pyb vs mobil 1 of the same viscosity,let's say 5w-30. The mobil 1 int more slippery however the additive pack is stronger and meant to last longer. If they both contain the same amount of moly they are the same "slippery". Zddp is anti-wear not anti-friction. There is a difference. In a cars sophisticated fuel injection system a slight mpg increase may happen however a small carburated motor will see no benefit.
I have seen a fuel consumption decrease by adding acetone to the fuel but oil hadn't changed any run times. I make my living with these things. They run 10 hours a day,6 days a week. I have used synthetics in the hope of some form of cost savings however the product costs more and still needs to be changed every 100 hours.
I have tried everything from 2 stroke oil in the fuel as an upper cylinder lube,supposed fuel saver additives,Lucas ucl and the only significant change was realized with acetone. 1 ounce per 10 liters of fuel extends run times by 20% repeatably. I also used the lubro-moly additive with mixed results.
This particular application will only cost the op more for the oil because it still needs to be changed at 100 hours.

 

[tig1]

Actually the friction reduction comes from the base stock, not the 15% additive package.

 

[MikeRawn]

Just bought a new 224L Husqie trimmer, Honda GX25 motor. Changed the oil out at 2 hours for PennPlat 10w30. The difference in idle, start-up, idle-down was noticeable. I changed back and forth a couple times, but now I think the two separate oils have mixed/comingled?. The oil gets dirty in these motors surprisingly quick.

 

[Ope_Freak]

Thats odd the specs recommend 5w30. I thought all Honda's generally recommended 10w30, unless below zero degrees. Can't see why the GX25 would be any different. I generally try to run about 50 hours of mineral oil before switching to syntethic. Everyone has their own method...

Does your Australian GX25 have a timing belt or pushrods?

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Ope_Freak
Thats odd the specs recommend 5w30. I thought all Honda's generally recommended 10w30, unless below zero degrees. Can't see why the GX25 would be any different.


This is generally true of the larger engines (like what you'd find on a mower or generator), but is this also true of the GX25 and GX35? If the GX25/35 indeed have a different oil specification, then I suspect it's because their lubrication system relies on a mist of oil; a slightly heavier 10W-30 grade might not mist as well as a 5W-30 in colder temperatures.

Originally Posted By: Ope_Freak
Does your Australian GX25 have a timing belt or pushrods?


Both the GX25 and GX35 mini 4-stroke engines use a timing belt:

http://engines.honda.com/models/series/m4

 

[Ope_Freak]

Hokiefyd -
If you read the owners manual for the GX25 string trimmer (US version), it says to basically use 10w30 for most temps., unless like Zero or below. I dont think the misting is hindered by using 10w30 unless its below zero.

Yes, I'm aware the US spec'd GX25/GX35 handhelds use a timing belt, but I'm not confident the Australian version uses this same design. I was asking the original poster if he knew this.

Depending on the region of the world, the engine design might be different. I know Honda offers a handheld blower and an attachment system in Australia, but not the US. Perhaps the GX25 is also engineering differently...

 

[bvance554]

I can't imagine ever running a polesaw enough to really matter what oil was in it.