how often to change oil?

[littleboss]

I have lots of equipment, John Deere tractor, compact track loader, Bobcat welder, Honda generators, mowers etc that aren't used very much. Some less than 5 hours per year, others maybe 20 hours.

I change the tractor and track loader oil once per year. What about the smaller engines? Once per year? Or go longer. I just changed the Bobcat generators and it had been two year's and I had used it 9 hours?

What do you think?

How often do the collectors change the oil in their cars and/or tractors?

Thanks

 

[demarpaint]

My snowblower was used about 1 hour this year. I fogged the engine and put it away until next year, no oil change. If I logged 20 hours I would have changed the oil. Two years and 9 hours, I'd leave the oil alone. Last year I put 10 hours on my power washer, no oil change. I will change it at the end of this season.

 

[mpgo4th]

I do once a year on everything I have whether it's used or not. Most of that stuff only holds a quart or two anyway.

 

[JLTD]

I stick with 50 hours. Of course 1 year is easy to remember.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted by mpgo4th
I do once a year on everything I have whether it's used or not. Most of that stuff only holds a quart or two anyway.


This because oil is a lot cheaper than new equipment and you need to use your top off oil for something. Yes I used some of my T6 top off oil in the BS mower engine just last month.

 

[ZebRuaj]

1x year at the end of each applicable season for storage.

 

[jeepman3071]

I'd say every year for the machines used more frequently, and every other year for those that are not.

Yes, oil is cheap, but there is also nothing wrong with it if it has low hours and is kept full.

 

[Whipcitywrencher]

Originally Posted by ZebRuaj
1x year at the end of each applicable season for storage.



+1

 

[DaHen]

Originally Posted by ZebRuaj
1x year at the end of each applicable season for storage.


+ 2

 

[FastLane]

+3. I change the oil once a year. Who cares. Most small engines hold very little oil.

 

[dwendt44]

IIRC, both Briggs and Kawasaki call for 100 hour oil change intervals. That's often
two years for many.

 

[4WD]

Every spring … OPE, gens, boat, etc

 

[Eddie]

My JD L111 42 inch mower with a 20HP B&S twin states engine oil and filter should be changed at 50 hours. I change every other year which is about 35 hours. ed

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by JLTD
I stick with 50 hours. Of course 1 year is easy to remember.


50 hours is about right. That's two growing seasons of using my Yard Machine push mower here in Michigan (Rotella T6 synthetic 5W40).

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by JLTD
I stick with 50 hours. Of course 1 year is easy to remember.


50 hours is about right. That's two growing seasons of using my Yard Machine push mower here in Michigan


I have a new Dermatologist from Michigan … he said the two seasons are winter and construction season …

 

[ragtoplvr]

Since I now have a much smaller yard, I change every 2 years. It has not even changed color.

It is a Kohler courage 18 hp single. These must have the oil filter prefilled, as they have a tiny pump and they have no lube to bearings until the filter is full. IMHO this is one reason those engines tend to throw rods. Yes, the owners manual says to prefill. Do professional mower mechanics do it. Your guess.

Rod

 

[AnthemBassMan]

For such a small cost, if you don't run heavy hours, why not just do yearly oil changes? Even when I had my little Craftsman II push mower with a Tecumseh 3.5hp, I always changed the oil every season with full synthetic oil. Same with my Mother-in-law's John Deere x475 garden tractor. 10w30 full synthetic oil to kick off the first of the year mowing.

L8R,
Matt

 

[CrAlt]

Every year at the end of the season. So in the fall for the mower and in the spring for the snow blower. Drain the fuel and clean the carb bowl out and fog it with seafoam. So when it comes time to use I just dump some fuel in and go.

 

[Merek]

Use a good quality oil and changing once a year you should be fine on those hours. On my Briggs opposed twin it says 25 hrs without filter and 50 hrs w/ filter which mine doesn't have the filter and supposedly the carburetor is bad for dumping gas in these so you're better off changing it early anyways. When I use it to mow it takes roughly 2 hrs give or take so I change it about every 2 months or so, currently has Rotella t5 10w30 and was changed about a month before last season ended and I will change it again at the end of this month.

 

[repairman54]

My 24-year old Briggs 14.5 in the lawn tractor gets 5:30 in the fall for winter plowing and 10:30 in the spring for mowing. WM supertech full synthetic oil has been in it its entire life. The rest of my small engines and power sport equipment get an oil change before storage with full synthetic of course.