Do you use 5w30 in your mower? Does your mower hold 2 quarts?

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When I switched my 7 HP from Delo 10w30 to B&S 5w30 … was surprised by how much easier it was to pull start on a moderate day. But again the Delo also looked very thick for 10w30 …
Will keep the Delo stash for the 19 HP … DieHard starts that …
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
When I switched my 7 HP from Delo 10w30 to B&S 5w30 … was surprised by how much easier it was to pull start on a moderate day. But again the Delo also looked very thick for 10w30 …
Will keep the Delo stash for the 19 HP … DieHard starts that …


That's interesting as to how much easier it was to pull start a lawn mower with 5W-30 vs 10W-30. I have a B&S 5500W generator with a rather large 342 cc engine. After the first 2 hour break in with the FF of 10W-30 I've been using the B&S 5W-30 synthetic oil. This generator is only pull start and at my age it's doable but I'd hate to have it more difficult to pull if i was to use a 10W-30 HM synthetic oil to help with a slow/minor crank shaft seal leak, as I was thinking about doing. Thankfully it always starts on the 2nd pull. I'll stick with the 5W-30 synthetic HM to see if it helps with the leaking crank shaft seal.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted by Whimsey
That's interesting as to how much easier it was to pull start a lawn mower with 5W-30 vs 10W-30. I have a B&S 5500W generator with a rather large 342 cc engine. After the first 2 hour break in with the FF of 10W-30 I've been using the B&S 5W-30 synthetic oil. This generator is only pull start and at my age it's doable but I'd hate to have it more difficult to pull if i was to use a 10W-30 HM synthetic oil to help with a slow/minor crank shaft seal leak, as I was thinking about doing. Thankfully it always starts on the 2nd pull. I'll stick with the 5W-30 synthetic HM to see if it helps with the leaking crank shaft seal.

Whimsey
Try Rotella T6 5w-40. I use it next door to you in eastern PA. I keep the generator in the garage where it never goes below 32 F, but the generator started easily for me last winter. The generator is my only four season piece of OPE and the T6 5w-40 seems to cover all of the bases.
 
I run PYB 5w30 in my riding mower. 22hp B&S and it takes about that 2 litre mark. My snowblower gets 5w30 synthetic. Usually PPPP but last fill was Castrol.

Looking to consolidate all my oil. Go to a 5w30 CK4/SN synthetic for all OPE, gas and diesel vehicles.
 
Originally Posted by mk378
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

Rookie Tip: On a Honda GCV you remove the the dipstick, wipe it clean, then push it in, but do not screw it in. Then pull it out and check the level. If you screw it in, you will get a wrong reading and have a low level in the crankcase. This is from the manual.
smile.gif



That's also the method for Briggs that have a long plastic filling / dipstick tube up to the top of the engine. Sometimes it is good to RTFM.


The engine manuals for my 15 year old 23hp twin Briggs Intek and Toro/Briggs Super Recycler both say to tighten the dipstick down when checking level. Has that changed recently?
 
Originally Posted by jkasch
Originally Posted by mk378
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

Rookie Tip: On a Honda GCV you remove the the dipstick, wipe it clean, then push it in, but do not screw it in. Then pull it out and check the level. If you screw it in, you will get a wrong reading and have a low level in the crankcase. This is from the manual.
smile.gif


That's also the method for Briggs that have a long plastic filling / dipstick tube up to the top of the engine. Sometimes it is good to RTFM.

The engine manuals for my 15 year old 23hp twin Briggs Intek and Toro/Briggs Super Recycler both say to tighten the dipstick down when checking level. Has that changed recently?

The manual for my 18.5hp Intek says the same.
 
6.5hp? Side valve Briggs and Stratton, I can't remember the capacity. I run full synthetic 5w40 in it. It burns a bit of oil. I believe the carb has been leaking gas into the oil since before I bought it used last year.

My previous 1981 Briggs and Stratton 3hp never burned oil. I ran the same 5w40 full synthetic. The engine ran great until I hit a huge bolt hidden near a sidewalk in deep grass and it stopped the engine dead and and bent the rod or crank. That motor had a ton of very hard hours on it, hit lots of rocks, going through deep wet grass, ran for hours straight only stopping when out of gas. My dad ran straight 30 conventional when I was a kid and it rarely got changed because my dad was too busy with other stuff (building the house). It didn't get good maintenance until I inherited it and fixed it up a bit.
 
No, never used a 5w-30 in the last 20 years in either of my mowers.


I use Amsoil Small Engine 10w-40 and oem oil filters
in my Honda and Kawasaki engines.
 
My husqvarna B/T engine say I can run sae 30 at temp 32f / 0c

Or sae 5w30 Below 32 f / 0c


Can I use 5w30 all years round in Texas weather .
 
Originally Posted by MetalSlug
My husqvarna B/T engine say I can run sae 30 at temp 32f / 0c

Or sae 5w30 Below 32 f / 0c


Can I use 5w30 all years round in Texas weather .
B/T says you can use 5w30 full synthetic year round. But for Texas I would use 15w50 year round if you want to stick to there recommendation.
 
Originally Posted by NH73
Originally Posted by MetalSlug
My husqvarna B/T engine say I can run sae 30 at temp 32f / 0c

Or sae 5w30 Below 32 f / 0c


Can I use 5w30 all years round in Texas weather .
B/T says you can use 5w30 full synthetic year round. But for Texas I would use 15w50 year round if you want to stick to there recommendation.


I don't see any where on my owner manual say I could run 15w50 weight .
 
I maintain two V-Twin Kohler Commands that hold 2 quarts. Both are over 800 hours. One is on a John Deere garden tractor the other a Scag 3-wheel rider commercial mower. If I use 5w30 (conventional or synthetic) there is noticeable consumption, even during the winter on the tractor which gets used for snow blowing. Both of these machines have been switched over to 10w30 HDEO or 5w40 HDEO with zero consumption and no noticeable change in fuel use.

For customer machines I use 15w40 Supertech HDEO unless it is a snow blower which gets 5w30. Many people never check their oil, so using an oil that doesn't get consumed will prolong the machine's life in my mind.
 
Originally Posted by MetalSlug
Originally Posted by NH73
Originally Posted by MetalSlug
My husqvarna B/T engine say I can run sae 30 at temp 32f / 0c

Or sae 5w30 Below 32 f / 0c


Can I use 5w30 all years round in Texas weather .
B/T says you can use 5w30 full synthetic year round. But for Texas I would use 15w50 year round if you want to stick to there recommendation.


I don't see any where on my owner manual say I could run 15w50 weight .
You might have an older OM. Does your OM recommend 5w30 full sythetic for all temperature ranges? If not, than you have a pretty old one. B/T newest recommendation also has a 15w50 option. https://www.briggsandstratton.com/eu/en_gb/support/faqs/browse/mower-oil-type-and-capacity.html.
 
5W30 for a snow blower only. Don't understand why Briggs would suggest a synthetic 5w30 when most of the synthetic oil
is GRP 3. For lawn mowers and other equipment used in summer, it's 10w30 or 30 minimum.
 
It's pretty clear the B&S oil recommendation is SAE 30, 10w30 or synthetic 5w30 for ambient temperatures up to 100 deg F. If you are out there mowing your lawn at ambient temps above 100 F, use something heavier, because you deserve it.
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
It's pretty clear the B&S oil recommendation is SAE 30, 10w30 or synthetic 5w30 for ambient temperatures up to 100 deg F. If you are out there mowing your lawn at ambient temps above 100 F, use something heavier, because you deserve it.
laugh.gif



Well, in the summer I cut the grass an hour before dark - so that it's only 90F ... some breeze ... and my Apple watch UV meter is not pegged !
5w30 B&S synthetic in the walk behind and 10w30 Delo semi in the lawn tractor ... (both are Craftsman / B&S )
 
Originally Posted by 2KBMW
5W30 for a snow blower only. Don't understand why Briggs would suggest a synthetic 5w30 when most of the synthetic oil
is GRP 3. For lawn mowers and other equipment used in summer, it's 10w30 or 30 minimum.
Because synthetic 5w30 would hold up better than a conventional 10w30.
 
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