20 hp kohler command oil?

[Geo-TH,In]

I have a 20 hp kohler with 1300 hours on it. Been using 10w-40 winter and 10w-30 winter. After 60 hours the oil looks like new. 70 hours dark. 75 hours down half way on stick and very dirty. I purchased the tractor when it was 4 years old, 435 hours. This happens all the time

I'm not a rocket scientest, but my guess is the oil is braking down after 60 hours. What is your guess?

Changed oil today and put just 30w in it and a new filter. See what happens.

 

[504-1]

Oil is just getting dirty, 30Wt will not flow right to the overhead valves. Change brands of oil and try that, check your air filter too.

 

[Jack345]

You may want to change at 50 hrs since its only 2qts and replacement engines are big bucks. I use 5-40 synthetic year around in my Kohler

 

[David G]

I would tighten that interval up to no more than 50 hours.

 

[JD Seller]

The recommended oil is 10W-30 in the summer. Fifty hour change intervals. Straight 30W oil is not recommended for the Command engines.

 

[D beatty]

In my Kohlers I run 15-40 Rotella oil and change oil and filter from 30 to 50 hours. I also do the same with the B&S powered garden tractors. I have had no problems with Rotella 15-40 but I don't use my garden tractors in the winter.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Rocket scientist? Me neither, LOL We do run those engines in out lawn care business equipment. Expecting the oil to stay clean to the 100 hour recommended intervals is unrealistic, especially at 1300 hours. Personally I have never followed that and we change at 50 hours. During the busy season that can mean every 3 weeks. After break in we have standardized on Mobil 1 and use the same wt as factory recommendations. I am not saying synthetics are the only way to go but we have ZERO engine problems. Several things besides worn rings or bores will make an older Kohler use oil. One is the crankcase vent and breather assemebly. The other is head gaskets. You can search these problems in the internet and read about the fixes.

 

[showcrop]

I'm no oil expert but I don't believe that oil just suddenly breaks down. I suggest you collect more data, maybe thirty or so tractors worth.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Dave, I try to keep a close eye on my oil. At 60 hours the oil looks like new. In just 15 hours it goes from new to ugly and starts using oil. Like clock work. At 70 hours the oil is just changing and hasn't use any yet. All things equal, does this with all brands I've used. Nothing wrong with air filter.

A friend's car does the same thing. 3000 miles, new looking, 4000 miles ugly and down a half quart, 5000 miles real ugly and down a quart and half. This is oil from the dealer.

If my command screws up with 30w, I'll change it back.
George

 

[Anonymous-0]

Only 2 quarts. Use Mobil 1, 10W30. Change at 40 to 50 hours. Been running my Miller Bobcat 225 welder/generator that way since 1999. No problems and no oil usage at all. Tom

 

[Gary H.]

You should get the 30 wt oil out now, not at 50 hrs. It may not make it that long. I've seen some valve train failure from wrong oil

 

[johnlobb]

My local small gas engine dealer is death on 10w40. He says there is an additive in it that turns black in the oil. He recommends to never use 10w40 in any small gas engine.

 

[El Toro]

I use 30 wt oil in my garden tractor and rotary mowers. My Wards tractor was bought new in 1971
and I have 2 Toro mowers one was made in 1974 and the other in 1981. I also have White rotary mower my sister bought in 1991 and could never get it started or her 375 pound son. He's down to about 230 now since has diabetes. None of the engines have been rebuilt. I also used it in a Farmall A and Super C. Hal

 

[T.R.K.]

I work in a lawn equipment dealership. We never ever tell a customer to try to go 100 hours on their engine oil, except on Kubota diesels.
Its always 50 hours.

50 hours is like 3,000 miles in a car at 60 mph.
100 hours would be like 6000 miles in a car at 60 mph.

 

[DaninKansas]

Agreed. Run straight HD30W in the summer months. It handles the heat much better than than a multigrade oil - probably better than multigrade synthetic. The multigrades only advantage is thinner oil at start up - not so important when its 80 degrees at start up.

Given we are only talking 2 quarts - I would definately change every 50 hours.

 

[Bob - MI]

I run 10W-30 Mobil 1 Extended Range in my 20hp Kohler. Been doing this for 5 years since it was new and it's great year round. (snow plowing in the winter as well as summer grass cutting). I change oil once a year and that gets me about 50~60 hours on the oil.

Yes, I could stretch it but I feel better knowing that I have not exceeded the life expectancy in any way. I also can remember when it got changed last. CRS

 

[Geo-TH,In]

after reading all the replies, I think I'll remove the 30w and go back to 10w-40. If people are changing at 50 hrs and at 60 hrs my oil looks like new, then changing it at 60 hrs isn't so bad. Book says it should go 100 hrs and I was changing it at 75 because it got ugly real fast and started using oil.

Someone needs to invent an hour meter that goes backwards. Set it for 60 hrs and it starts a count down to zero. Same idea with an odometer.
George

 

[OliverGuy]

We change all our mowing equip at 50. We Use an hour meter, add 50 on at change time, write it on the filter and then look for that hour coming up for the next change. We put a date on also to catch hour meters not working (to many to keep track of easily)

 

[JD Seller]

El Toro: on your engines 30 W oil is what they should have in them. The small motors you have do not have an oil pump so they wanted the 30 W oil. The Kohler motor he has got does have an oil pump and over head valves. It is recommend to use 10W-30 oil in it.

 

[WGM]

I would use whatever the Kohler Command owner"s manual says and it ain"t 30HD, it"s 10W30.

 

[IH2444]

10w30 synthetic in all my small engines.