Small Engine motor oil

[G6 at Snook, TX]

What is the best small engine motor oil? (For an air cooled engine.) Weight doesn't matter much, but I live in Texas which is alternately warm or hot or danged hot--like right now. So I guess a 10w-30 or straight 30w. Synthetic or Traditional.

 

[leroy in ne]

check your owners manual. my older Briggs says 10w30 newer engine and dealer says straight 30, my Koehler and Chinese clone of Honda on generator specify 10w30

 

[G6 at Snook, TX]

Any brand preference? Here it is 30w for traditional, and 10w-30 or so for synthetic

 

[Steve@Advance]

If it's an older engine, I would go with 15w40 diesel oil.

If newer, go with the mfg recommendation, preferably synthetic for high heat use.

 

[Married2Allis]

I use 15w-40 for all my small engines new or old. No problems.

 

[stonerock]

rotella

 

[Gambles]

Just a couple of days ago, I bought a new 22 HP verticle replacement engine for my zero turn. The manual states 5W-30 for cold weather, 10W-30 for warmer weather and straight 30W can be used if needed. Just remember that many of the new engines have plastic timing gears and even some of the camshaft lobes may be plastic, so the higher zinc oil are not always needed, but it's some of the best oil available.

 

[Logan in SE Texas]

An old school mechanic told me years ago to run 20W-50 in small engines. I have a 13 yr. old 15 hp Kolher on my zero turn and that is all it's ever had in it and it still runs almost as good as new. Yes, in
the winter it is a little hard to start but it doesn't get used much in winter. I also have 2 10 hp generators and one of hem was ran with 10W-30 before I got it and I noticed under a load the valves were
floating some, I put 20W-50 in it and the exhaust manifold went from cherry red to a dull glow and it started handling heavier loads better. 20W-50 is my choice!

 

[NoNewParts]

Engine age?
Most small engines I just use the 15W-40 diesel rated oil I have in pails for my big tractors. good stuff.

Exceptions are my late 60's-early 70's Kohler horizontal shaft singles. I use straight 30W in those. They don't seem to like blends. They burn oil/smoke with them.

Another option, more expensive, is oil rated and made for motorcycles. The 20w-50 I run in my Harley is good, but expensive.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

My rule of thumb. If engine has an oil filter I'll use 10w30 or 10w40. Having a 5w or 10w means oil
will flow faster through filter, especially in winter.

I use what manufacturer recommends. In some cars they may want a 0w or 5w oil. Lubrication on cold
starts is very important.

Most of my air cooled engines without filters will still recommend 10w30 or 10w40.

I don't see a need for straight weight oil with may not have detergents in it.

 

[D beatty]

In my new generator and snowblower i use 5w-30 Briggs & stratton synthetic oil. In my other small engines I run 10w30 or 15W40 Shell
Rotella.

 

[dhermesc]

Depends on what the manufacturer recommends. My old Cub Cadets get straight 30W HD Castrol for summer use and 10W30 (my preference) Castrol for winter use. Most of the other engines are over head valve engines that call for 10W30 and I use Castrol for them also.

 

[Bret4207]

I would say any decent brand of oil in a multi weight would be fine. You might experiment a bit to see if one works noticeably better than another. But the big thing is to CHANGE THE OIL at least annually. I'm terrible about this and I've paid the price more than once.

 

[Texasmark1]

I use WM full syn 10w-30 which is one of the oils listed in my owner's manuals for the widest temperature variation. I change once per year
and always with a new filter which I fill with oil before installing. On seldom used engines it's every couple of years. Since we have low
sulphur fuels these days, the threat of Sulphuric Acid attacking engine parts is highly reduced so long term oil changes are more the norm.

On do you need syn or not, I have one of the HF non-contact infrared thermometers and go around and check engine temps on various
machines from time to time. On my air cooled engines, most of which are BS, and most of those are V twins, looking around, with the
engine running, right after a workout, the muffler is at no more than 550F and the hottest part of the engine proper is the oil sump and
never had one over 185, even with the hardest workout on the hottest day. The BS Vanguard in my Ferris has an external oil cooler and it
runs about 20 degrees cooler. So, dino oils meet that requirement easily if that's what you like to run.

My Silverado sits rock solid on 210 on the temp gauge (a pair of sequential, electric fans behind the radiator keep it there regardless of the
conditions), and they recommend Dexos rated oils for that which were syn blends but now have included Mobil 1 with that label.....course
0-30 Mobil 1 is all it's seen in the 6+ years I've had it and for normal service, 7500 miles is the posted change interval.......no more of that
3000 mile baloney! Don't have to add any oil between changes.

 

[Steve@Advance]

"even some of the camshaft lobes may be plastic,"

OMG what is this world coming to!

The end must be near! LOL

 

[G6 at Snook, TX]

30 year old Briggs engine, 16 hp, single cylinder, on an Lincoln Weldanpower. LOUD motor, but it has not had a rough life. It will be used in 90+ weather tomorrow all day welding pipe and braces for fences.

 

[old]

I use the same oil in every engine I have but one and that one is the oldest engine on the place and it gets 60W oil. All the others I use 20W-50 oil in.

 

[buickanddeere]

(quoted from post at 06:43:48 07/24/17) What is the best small engine motor oil? (For an air cooled engine.) Weight doesn't matter much, but I live in Texas which is alternately warm or hot or danged hot--like right now. So I guess a 10w-30 or straight 30w. Synthetic or Traditional.

People spend too much time worrying about motor oil. Just pour in what the operator's manual calls for .

 

[2cents]

Straight 30 weight .My Choice is Valvoline. Have one of my Briggs that I've had for 37 years and still runs like New . Also use it in My John Deere 445 with the 22 hp Kawasaki 1200 Hours

 

[JGayman]

> People spend too much time worrying about motor oil. Just pour in what the operator's manual calls for .

I agree. Unless you are operating in conditions where you have to sap every last hour out of an oil change interval, use what the manual calls for. No need to get fancy. If in doubt, change it twice as often. Most of these small engines holds 32 oz. or less.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Since I have a barrel of 15W40 I use in everything here(except the car and pickup), that's what the little air cooled engines get. (They are only used in warm weather)

 

[dhermesc]

I agree with the change it often statement - I'm guilty of changing it about 3X more often than required - but when its only a quart to 1.5 quarts an oil change its hard to get excited about the cost of keeping clean oil in the crank case.

 

[johnlobb]

I have a 2001 Troy Bilt garden tractor with a 22 HP Briggs and Stratton Intek with 850 hours. I have read that this engine is a 600 hour engine. I have always used Mobil 1 10W-30 and it runs great. The valve seals are getting weak as it does smoke a bit on start up. I change the oil once a year and use it for snowblowing also, with a 42" 2 stage snow blower on it.

 

[sotxbill]

Did I miss the change to low sulfur gasoline?

 

[jtwat]

If you want the very BEST, use a true synthetic 30wt oil. Good for winter and summer and keeps the insides clean.

 

[GarryinNC]

I have been using Kohler brand 10w30. It is supposedly formulated for air cooled engines. I have had good luck with it. Had a hydraulic lifter pecking in a 27 Horse Kohler. It would finally pump up after about 20 minutes of running. Started using the Kohler oil and it immediately got some better and by oil change time it pecks occasionally a few seconds at start up, mostly not at all. Worked for me.

Garry

 

[oliverplow]

I do the same.

 

[Stephen Newell]

What machine? Older machines like straight 30w. Synthetic is easier to live with. It lasts longer so not so many oil changes are necessary.

 

[dpendzic]

there was a post on the ACMOC forum that said you use detergent oil if you have an oil filter because detergent oil keeps the contaminants suspended, and non detergent oil if no oil filter so the contaminants settle out and don't get recirculated

 

[vsteel]

18 year old mower with a B&S. first couple of years used it to mow my 1.5 acre lawn because I couldn't afford a riding mower. (starting out, no kids, more time than money) Even after the rider (Kohler with pressurized oil) I use it a lot in tighter places, ran probably a tank a week through it.

I always used synthetic in it. I am a motorcycle guy and have always run synthetics in the bikes. Most motorcycles would a x number of quarts and then a part, which left part of a quart left over. Because the bikes never burned oil I had extra. That extra went into the mower and later into my riding mower. Both motors run like a top and don't use oil.

Currently I use Shell Rotella T6 in everything because I got tired of keeping a bunch of different oils. The one exception is one vehicle which has hydraulically controlled cam phasing. It takes 5w20 and too big of a shift in viscosity would mess up the cam phase.

 

[rfridy73]

I use synthetic in my Gator and Jd mower also 27 hp Kohler Scag.Last summer I bought a new Ferris ZTR with 37 hp Briggs Big block.Went to change oil in it, was going to use synthetic the dealer said your wasting your money.Said Briggs and Stratton recommends straight 30wt non detergent.Guess they know?

 

[WGM]

I use the motor oil recommended in the engine owner's manual. Who would know best, the manufacturer?

 

[Bob]

"I use the motor oil recommended in the engine owner's manual."

Only problem with that is the fact, for a "yesterday's tractor", the oil called for in the manual may be obsolete, or hard to get, and a more modern oil is probably going to be WAY better than what was available when the manual was written as a contemporary to the machine!

 

[Russ from MN]

We bought a new JD zero-turn last summer with a Briggs and it's owners manual recommends 10-30! I wouldn't use non-detergent in anything newer.

 

[David G]

I use 10W-30 Mobil 1 in my air cooled, per John T recommendation.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

You are right, contaminates will settle out with non detergent. They when you take engine apart you will find all contaminates have settled on the bottom of crankcase.

Yet, on newer briggs with no filter they will say use 10w30.

Best use what owners manual recommends.

 

[G6 at Snook, TX]

Briggs suggested 10w-30, but due to the heat this week, they also suggested straight 30w for hot climates. Anyhow, I stopped by Walmart and picked up some Briggs branded oil on clearance. It says explicitly on the bottle that the oil fulfills the oil requirements for warranty. Now the old motor is not in warranty anymore, but I figured it would work well enough. It did yesterday.

 

[JDEM]

Oil made specifically for small engines has a high ZDDP content. If you choose oil NOT branded specifically for small engines,
oils like Shell Rotella T come close. If you want Mobil 1, then it has to be the "high mileage" version to have the high ZDDP
additive package.