Vanguard 15w50

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I typically avoid "small engine oil" since it's the same exact stuff you can buy off the shelf in a different bottle for much, much less money.
 
If you look around in this subject, you will find MANY posting of the great results people (including me) have gotten with 15W-40. Not that I think anything bad would happen, but I doubt the extra 10 numbers of viscosity will give you any more protection. What is the price difference for a quart? If more than a dollar, why bother? 15W40 is widely available.
 
My experience is oils of the same line are priced the same, weather its 0w20 to 15w50. The reason I ask is because, you could get whatever 15w50 is on sale at the time.
 
I think they call for straight 30 in the residential mowers since the home owner will be done mowing by the time it gets hot enough anyways, vs a commercial guy will run all day basically.
 
I use 15W-40 because that is what I have around for my lawn mowers. If i didn't have the 15W-40 around I would buy 15w-50 syn .
 
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I think they call for straight 30 in the residential mowers since the home owner will be done mowing by the time it gets hot enough anyways, vs a commercial guy will run all day basically.
Excellent point !
 
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I think they call for straight 30 in the residential mowers since the home owner will be done mowing by the time it gets hot enough


I don't think that's it.

First, don't underestimate the abilities of good quality straight 30 weight.
Second, mower oil gets pretty hot pretty fast - far less than 1/2 hour

Lastly, mower engines are built pretty stout, given their low HP per cubic inch.
The rod journal size (surface area) of a typical 3 HP Briggs is the equivalent of an engine making 20+ hp. That's a lot of surface area for such a small power output. That's why these engines run well even when lots of grit has been through the oil - - there's still LOTS of bearing left (in proportion to power output).
 
Originally Posted By: 2cool
If you look around in this subject, you will find MANY posting of the great results people (including me) have gotten with 15W-40. Not that I think anything bad would happen, but I doubt the extra 10 numbers of viscosity will give you any more protection.


I have to agree with this.

I'd buy you a new engine if you could prove that RotellaT 15W-40, Delvac 15W-40, or Delo 15W-40 caused it to fail. (with normal OCI's of course)
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I think they call for straight 30 in the residential mowers since the home owner will be done mowing by the time it gets hot enough


I don't think that's it.

First, don't underestimate the abilities of good quality straight 30 weight.
Second, mower oil gets pretty hot pretty fast - far less than 1/2 hour

Lastly, mower engines are built pretty stout, given their low HP per cubic inch.
The rod journal size (surface area) of a typical 3 HP Briggs is the equivalent of an engine making 20+ hp. That's a lot of surface area for such a small power output. That's why these engines run well even when lots of grit has been through the oil - - there's still LOTS of bearing left (in proportion to power output).


I suppose outside temperature and engine load has a lot to do with it. I know on my bigger mowers, things get warmed up pretty quick. 2-3 minutes and the oil filter is pretty hot to the touch.
 
Briggs has always recommended a 30 weight for as long as I can remember. The fact that they recommend a synthetic 50 weight for hard use engines is quite interesting. This is what we call a "clue".

For years, since the 2004 hurricane season, I have recommended synthetic 50 weight in all generator applications down here. All Kawasaki engines a 40 weight, all commercial Briggs engines at least 15W40, and SAE 30 or synthetic 10W30 for home owner Briggs equipment.

Briggs must be tired of warrantying engines and has finally figured out what a lot of us already knew.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Briggs has always recommended a 30 weight for as long as I can remember. The fact that they recommend a synthetic 50 weight for hard use engines is quite interesting. This is what we call a "clue".

For years, since the 2004 hurricane season, I have recommended synthetic 50 weight in all generator applications down here. All Kawasaki engines a 40 weight, all commercial Briggs engines at least 15W40, and SAE 30 or synthetic 10W30 for home owner Briggs equipment.

Briggs must be tired of warrantying engines and has finally figured out what a lot of us already knew.
Why all Kawasaki engines get a 40 weight? Kawasaki recommends 30, 10w30, 10w40, 20w50 and 5w20(if used below 32 degrees). Basically you could use 30 to 50 weight on a Kawasaki. I have 5w30 full synthetic in my Kawasaki lawn mower that gets ran half hour at a time. Would you recommend to use something of a 40 weight?
 
Originally Posted By: NH73
Why all Kawasaki engines get a 40 weight? Kawasaki recommends 30, 10w30, 10w40, 20w50 and 5w20(if used below 32 degrees). Basically you could use 30 to 50 weight on a Kawasaki. I have 5w30 full synthetic in my Kawasaki lawn mower that gets ran half hour at a time. Would you recommend to use something of a 40 weight?


Well most Kawasaki engines down here that I serviced are used in a commercial or similar environment. Plus its hot. 30 weight is marginal after hours of use and high heat, so my standard recommendation for anything Kawasaki down here is 40 weight.

Since your equipment is used for 30 minutes in a home owner use cycle, in PA, then synthetic 5W30 will be just fine for you. If it were mine, I would run 15W40 summer and 0W40/5W40 winter anywhere in the lower 48.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Briggs has always recommended a 30 weight for as long as I can remember. The fact that they recommend a synthetic 50 weight for hard use engines is quite interesting. This is what we call a "clue".

For years, since the 2004 hurricane season, I have recommended synthetic 50 weight in all generator applications down here. All Kawasaki engines a 40 weight, all commercial Briggs engines at least 15W40, and SAE 30 or synthetic 10W30 for home owner Briggs equipment.

Briggs must be tired of warrantying engines and has finally figured out what a lot of us already knew.



Even back when I was a 12 year old little boy I always thought it was a little odd that they recommended essentially the same weight in a car as they do in a mower that can easily hit 250-280 degrees in the sump. Whereas in a car it will stay around 210 due to the thermostat and engine coolant. I assumed the engineers knew what they were doing and ran the called for weights, now I know that their is more to it than what the engineers think is best since they don't always get to provide us with whats best due to regulations and such.
 
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Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Briggs has always recommended a 30 weight for as long as I can remember. The fact that they recommend a synthetic 50 weight for hard use engines is quite interesting. This is what we call a "clue".

For years, since the 2004 hurricane season, I have recommended synthetic 50 weight in all generator applications down here. All Kawasaki engines a 40 weight, all commercial Briggs engines at least 15W40, and SAE 30 or synthetic 10W30 for home owner Briggs equipment.

Briggs must be tired of warrantying engines and has finally figured out what a lot of us already knew.


A great post!!!!
I agree. Thanks
 
Resurrect this thread instead of a new one.....

Does anyone happen to know who makes the Vanguard synthetic oil or where a product data sheet can be found? Curious as to what the zinc levels are in it since it advertises having it added.
 
Been using 15W40 conventional in small engines for decades. Never an oil related engine issue.

I suspect that with most homeowner OPE engines, 10W30 or straight 30 is more than sufficient. From my experience, any reasonable grade oil will do. I've thrown all kinds of leftover oil combinations into mowers with no ill effects.

I've worked on reasonably well running mowers with black sludge in the crankcase and not much of it. I was thoroughly disgusted with one Tecumseh engine I worked on. It had black grease like substance in it that probably was once oil. The machine was twenty or so years old and I bet never had any oil maintenance. It was smoking pretty bad too but kept running nonetheless.

A testament to the durability of those old B&S and Tecumseh engines.


The mower engine cares a lot less about oil than we do.
 
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