Originally Posted by Oildudeny
15w40 no way.. 0w30 or a 5w30. Change out after 5 or 6 hours
I've got some leftover GC 0W-30 (only a couple of quarts) that should last me the next couple of seasons, at least.
Originally Posted by eljefino
Don't run the blower to break it in. They don't have air filters and are counting on the recent precipitation to keep dust out of the air.
I was surprised that snow-blowers didn't have air filters, when I first started researching them. By 'run the engine', I meant that I figured it would be prudent to run the engine for some period, check that the drive and auger works, run-in the belts, etc., not to actually break-in the engine prior to first use. The manual calls for 15 minutes of run time to run-in the auger belt. I figured it would be best to do this ASAP, instead of the day I actually need it. What do you think?
Originally Posted by 2KBMW
Congrats on the new blower. I too bought a new Ariens. Mines the 20" Compact. I needed
a smaller one so this is perfect. What I did , I checked the auger gear lube. I removed the bottom
plate and made sure everything was lubed up. I added more grease on the shaft and gears.
I plan on changing the oil after 4 or 5 hours. There is no time in the manual (ie. first 5 hrs).
I'm going to use 5w30 small engine oil. In the manual you can even use a 10w30 which is good
to -10 F but for warranty I'll use the 5w30 for now. I started mine a few times just to get used to it. Mine
has no throttle control so I'll just make sure it's warmed up before I use it. I would not use the
15w40. I would go for the Rotella 10w30 .
PS I plan on using Shell 91 (E0) and Sea Foam.
Thanks, dude - congrats on yours, too!
I looked at the Compact model and really liked it. I spent the first part of the off-season settling on the Ariens brand, and then until recently talking myself up to the Deluxe 24". When I was finally in the local dealer's place and saw the left-over 2018 Platinum for $350 more, it honestly wasn't a hard choice for me. I know that 35% more than the Deluxe isn't chump change (not even close!), but over the long-term (decades), I'm hoping the upgraded engine will earn its keep, pushing through anything and everything.
Oil: I'll think about the T5 10W-30 after I've gone through my stash of GC. I might even consider T6, which I could eventually use in my OPE, too, even if it's overkill.
Fuel: I fill my one gas tank with 93 AKI (max E10), so that it covers everything, and will do so over an extended period, if need be.
Originally Posted by Rand
use whatever is in it for now, then change it after 5 hours or season.. whichever is first.
Run only in winter when its all frozen so it doesnt suck in dust.. no air filter on snowblower.
15w40 might be ok but snowblowers run cold and it would be very not-optimal at best.
A 0w30 would probably be best.. but refer to the engine manual.
Did you spend for EFI?
ps. that is an awsome machine.
I think you and others are right, in that 15W-40 is much less than ideal.
EFI: No, I don't quite trust the complexity of EFI in something like this. The SHO engine should provide more than enough power, and carbs are easy.
Originally Posted by eljefino
Go ahead and use the 10w30. It's usually clear when it's very cold. My garage was 15 above when it was 17 below last January.
Yea, and most snow, especially the heavy stuff occurs closer to freezing than zero and below. 6-8" of fluffy stuff when temps are much below freezing is nothing, and snow-blowing wouldn't be required for our vehicles to get in and out.
Unfortunately, this will be stored in a shed, so it will be at ambient temp when it's fired up each time. My garage is too small to store more than just the cars. There's some extra space in the garage, but it's past the cars and there's a 6" lip of concrete (for some reason) between where the cars are parked and this area.
Originally Posted by hemitom
I have an ariens 24" deluxe, with the 250 cc briggs engine, has been an outstanding machine.
mine came from the dealer with 5w30 syn in it and thats what i have been using. I think 15w40 would be fine if the blower was started in a warm garage and let run a few minutes before putting a load on it. as for break in i let mine run for about 20 minutes with the auger engaged to break the belts in.
I'll have to check again, but I believe the manual says to warm the engine up for five minutes (I can't find that information now, except for where it talks about a potentially frozen auger). I think running it for a few minutes in above-zero weather will likely be sufficient.
Belts: Yea, the manual says to engage and run the auger for 15 minutes to run-in the belts.
Originally Posted by Kestas
I too would go with five hours on the first oil.
15W-40 is too heavy for this application.
Originally Posted by JLawrence08648
Run only synthetic.
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
If you are running your snow blower in Florida you have our permission to run 15w40.
Alright, alright I think I've got it! lol
Originally Posted by Astro_Guy
Congratulations on the new machine, although I must confess that is has a really HUGE engine for a 24-inch snow blower. The basic Ariens in that width features a 208 cc, and the deluxe model I have features a 254 cc motor. 396 cc ???
Change the factory fill after the first seriously hard use of five hours, whichever comes first. Use 5w30 synthetic after that. 15w40 makes no sense for air cooled engines that operate in cold temperatures. That engine should never get hot enough to need 15w40, and it will certainly start easier with 5w30.
369cc - still huge, I get it. This is likely the newb in me talking, but I'd prefer more power and a smaller bucket, than the other way around. If this means I can take on larger drifts with the full auger, instead of having to take thing half-bucket at a time, that might result in the same amount of time spent or less than if I had the Deluxe 28".
Originally Posted by vssjim
I have used 10-40 Castrol synthetic or Lucas semi synthetic motorcycle oil for years in my 8hp snow blower motor and it is just like new and change it every spring before I store it away when I do all maintenance. When it was new I changed oil after first day of hard use and grease the auger blades and bearings daily.My belts can be adjusted so I had to snug them up at first then just yearly.
Sounds like you did everything right! Thanks for the input!
Originally Posted by typ901
For my Briggs 342cc engine on my Toro it specs 5w-30 synthetic in the manual.
Which blower do you have?
