I'm surpised I'm the first to try this but first I did this in July with mc 5w20 then in september with mobil 1 5w20. It runs smoother and uses less gas than when I ran 20w50 also the oil is staying very clean and hasn't burned a drop even when I rev it by the govenor. Oh by the way the lawn mower is a 6.5hp personal pace.
5w20 in the toro
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ford3liter, I'm not surprised that the engine runs smoother (revs easier, labors less) and uses less gas. 20W-50 is far too thick to run in these motors. MolaKule ran a test with various oils and found that 20W-50 made his single cylinder engines actuallu run hotter because of the greater drag on the motor.
I will run 15W-40 in these engines and give up a little fuel economy in exchange for a slightly thicker film of oil and a killer additive package ... while still getting easier starting over the oft-recommended straight 30 weight.
For newer, tighter engines I will run this stuff thinned out by a 5W-30 or 10W-30 for even easier cold-weather starting.
I'm a little leery of going with XW-30s or XW-20 oils ... especially ones that aren't terribly shear stable. How does the oil look when you drain it? I'd be worried about lower-end wear.
Amazing that you say the motor doesn't burn any oil even at high RPMs.
I will run 15W-40 in these engines and give up a little fuel economy in exchange for a slightly thicker film of oil and a killer additive package ... while still getting easier starting over the oft-recommended straight 30 weight.
For newer, tighter engines I will run this stuff thinned out by a 5W-30 or 10W-30 for even easier cold-weather starting.
I'm a little leery of going with XW-30s or XW-20 oils ... especially ones that aren't terribly shear stable. How does the oil look when you drain it? I'd be worried about lower-end wear.
Amazing that you say the motor doesn't burn any oil even at high RPMs.
Seriously, I don't think you have anything to gain by running a 20 weight in a 6.5 hp B&S engine.
A typical GF-4/SM 5W-20 is formuated for newer automotive engine designs, such as overhead cam engines, that have less sliding friction type lubrication requirements.
Small engines, such as a Briggs, have sliding friction type components and require a higher HTHS than the typical 2.6 of a 5W-20. And the SH/SJ zinc/phos levels of a typical 30 weight small engine oil formulation are also certainly desireable.
Good Luck with your 5W-20 experiment!
A typical GF-4/SM 5W-20 is formuated for newer automotive engine designs, such as overhead cam engines, that have less sliding friction type lubrication requirements.
Small engines, such as a Briggs, have sliding friction type components and require a higher HTHS than the typical 2.6 of a 5W-20. And the SH/SJ zinc/phos levels of a typical 30 weight small engine oil formulation are also certainly desireable.
Good Luck with your 5W-20 experiment!
After reading this post ...I am going to try 5w/20 Motor craft oil in my 1978 model Craftsman .If the 5w/20 works great!! If not good ,because this is the worst excuse for a lawn mower ever designed. When pushing the lawm mower forward it doesn't really mulch at all.When pulling, the lawn mower it mulches pretty good . Also the lawn mower has always been loud ,vibrate and cuts poorly.
In order to mulsh properly, you need a 6 hp or more mower, a well designed deck, and a good blade(s).
Sharper is better, too.
I may get some flack for saying this, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Sharper is better, too.
I may get some flack for saying this, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
If I pull the lawn mower it mulches real good.
I don't know if this is just a coincidence or not, but after the second season of running full syn (5w/30 Mobil 1) in my 7 year old 6hp Lawn Boy (Tecumseh) mower the breather started leaking like a ba$tard. Once I replaced it I dumped some leftover Delvac 1300 15w/40 in it.
The breather? Isn't that up high on the side of the motor?
Ours leaked once ... I think it was because the machine got tipped as it was turned around in a tight spot. A lot of oil shot out at once and it dripped for a short while after that.
But, by the end of the season it had stopped.
Ours leaked once ... I think it was because the machine got tipped as it was turned around in a tight spot. A lot of oil shot out at once and it dripped for a short while after that.
But, by the end of the season it had stopped.
On the sears mower mentioned,there is a crankcase breather hose that cracked which caused an oil leak. I have run syn. oils on occasion with out any problem.
Update 5w20 also works great in my 9hp craftsman snowblower and also hasn't burned any oil after being ran 3hrs straight at full throttle
It looks like lawn equipment may be the next horizon for 5W-20 exploration!
Probably has more to do with the engine than the oil. I had one of these once too, and I finally took a sledge hammer to it to put it out of its misery !
I have several pieces of lawn equipment running mc 5W-20 syn blend with nothing but good things to say about it. Quietier operation, more power it seems, less fuel usage, easier starting, etc.
so far the lawn mower is still running .Since March the mower is used about a half an hour a week. I would like a new mower though.
Changed the oil from a 5w/20 to a left over half qt of 5w/50 syntech that I found in my dads stuff the oil bottle had a mail in offer that expired in 2001 I think the oil was rated sj. I still want a new mower.
if you want a new mower-drain all ofthe oil aout and refill with 11/4 bottles of straight SLOB. Let us know how long it lasts
0w-20 would work nice in winter, for a snow blower
The Big Lots near me doesn't have any.
I welded all the new cracks in the chassis I welded some last year or the year before I don't remember this time reinforced the bottom of the chassis by welding some 3/8 rebar I had around the bottom of the chassis, then replaced the wheels. Good for the next season. I will run it till the motor dies or the chassis rots out or the starter rope or spring breaks or the carb messes up or the ignition fails.
Today the push handle broke on both sides where you can unscrew the hanld. to fold it . Welded it and added some gussets . The engine runs great still . I looked and it is a Techemse 4.5 hp,163cc. This spring I changed the oil and used the remaning Delvac 1300 I had from the wifes Ford with the Powerstroke.
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