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Alternative oil other than Brigss and stratton

#1

L

Lbutler225

I have been using B&S sae 30 oil. Is there a better oil I showed be using ? synthetic ?


#2

B

bertsmobile1

IF you drive a Ferrari use Ferrai oil
If you use a mower us a mower oil
Not rocket science
Any oil is better than no oil and no oil is any better in your mower than the oil specifically made for use in your mower.
What is important is changing it and the more often the better.
A synthetic or semi synthetic oil will not make the mower run 1 deg cooler, or last 1 second longer .
synthetics were made for modern car engines in order to comply with EPA regulations and in particular at start up which is why they have very now cold viscosties .
But if you want to throw away money and it makes you feel better than the man next door the go ahead.
When mowers run full pressure oil systems with regulation jets to precisely control the volume & pressure of oil then synthetics will probably be good.
But right now most push mowers are splash and most riding mowers are pressure feed to the big end only .


#3

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

This ought to be a fun thread.
Any SJ rated oil will work. I buy Rural King and Stens 10w 30 and 30wt by the case.
Synthetic is a waste of money. Many engines, especially L head, lubricate valve stems by beating hot oil into a mist then using crankcase pressure pulses to push that mist to the valves. The new super synthetics will actually not lube the valves as well plus they have little or no zinc additive package.
Like Bert said. Changing often is way more important than what you put in it.
$.02 worth. Flame suit on.


#4

tom3

tom3

No flame here. But be careful to note whether the oil is actually rated SJ or SH or if it reads 'meets or exceeds' that. Any modern oil is supposed to be better than what came before, except when it isn't and with air cooled mower engines that's a problem.


#5

cpurvis

cpurvis

tom3 said:
No flame here. But be careful to note whether the oil is actually rated SJ or SH or if it reads 'meets or exceeds' that. Any modern oil is supposed to be better than what came before, except when it isn't and with air cooled mower engines that's a problem.
Click to expand...

That's called 'backward compatibility' and it used to be true. Recently, it became un-true and the API rating, if more recent that the manufacturer's recommended API rating may NOT meet the requirements. This is driven by oil companies having to meet ever more stringent emissions requirements.

Ford issued a bulletin that CK-4 diesel oil does not meet the lubricity requirements of their Powerstroke diesel engines and warned not to use ANY oil in Powerstroke engines, new or old, unless the Ford specification is on the container.

With the EPA's constant meddling in lube oil, the safest bet is to use the oil that bears the engine manufacturer's specification approval.


#6

B

bertsmobile1

FWIW Down here only one blender makes mower oils
So I use Stens strait 30 because they regularly have it on special
I use Gripskie & Sons ( another parts wholesalr ) 10W 40 for Kawasaki Honda & 4 stroke hand helds because 10W 30 seems to blow out of them too fast.


#7

L

Lbutler225

bertsmobile1 said:
IF you drive a Ferrari use Ferrai oil
If you use a mower us a mower oil
Not rocket science
Any oil is better than no oil and no oil is any better in your mower than the oil specifically made for use in your mower.
What is important is changing it and the more often the better.
A synthetic or semi synthetic oil will not make the mower run 1 deg cooler, or last 1 second longer .
synthetics were made for modern car engines in order to comply with EPA regulations and in particular at start up which is why they have very now cold viscosties .
But if you want to throw away money and it makes you feel better than the man next door the go ahead.
When mowers run full pressure oil systems with regulation jets to precisely control the volume & pressure of oil then synthetics will probably be good.
But right now most push mowers are splash and most riding mowers are pressure feed to the big end only .
Click to expand...


#8

L

Lbutler225

You must be a old man like me with a attitude problem ,


#9

B

bertsmobile1

Lbutler225 said:
You must be a old man like me with a attitude problem ,
Click to expand...

Old is relative.
But I did do a 13 week unit on oils , lubricants etc so have enough knowledge to make a reasonable assmenent of oils
And I do fix mowers for a living
And I am on a lot of forums & groups cars, motorcycles & mower .
Like most things in life people argue most passionately about things than have the leas amount of knowledge about and in many cases that is limited to what they see on TV adds.
SO suddenly they can do no maintenance but use a really expensive oil and that will make their car / boat / motorcycle / lawnmower last forever, produce more power and use less fuel.
Mower oils are made for mowers so funny enough they ae then 100% absolute best thing for a mower.
After that air cooled engine oils , which are also died pink.
From then on it makes absolutely no difference which oil you use .
Because f the low volume used there are not many blenders who blend mower oil.
SO branded oil will be made by the same blenders as unbranded oil .
Now it might have a slightly different addative package but I have not seen any difference .

Most car oils now have no zinc which is not as big a problem with a mower wear wise as the cam loadings are quite small but it does make a difference to the anti- corrosion properties .
So Briggs oil , Kohler oil , Stens oil, Rotary oil will not make a tinkers cures of a difference to your mower.
IT is all in your head and if it makes you feel good then that is less destructive than a shot of booze or puff of wacky tobaccie .


#10

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

Hey Bert i need some magic stuff to pour in my engine to fix shot rings, burnt valves, double my mileage and tripple the horsepower. I saw it on TV but i can't remember what it is. You must know what it is.??


#11

tom3

tom3

The oldest used car remedy in the book, sawdust. Won't need no stinkin' zinc.


#12

Bob E

Bob E

Straight SAE 30 is getting harder and harder to find, but the B&S stuff is in just about every lawn and garden aisle around...


#13

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

Do you have a rural king near you?

Search results for: 'Sae 30wt'

Rural King is America's Farm and Home Store. Our product offering includes all types of farm supplies, clothing, housewares, tools, fencing, and more.
www.ruralking.com www.ruralking.com


#14

Bob E

Bob E

No.


#15

B

bertsmobile1

Stens do 2 different lines in SAE 30 mower oils
Optimaa & their house brand about 1/2 to 2/3 the price of B & S branded oil
Go to a mower shop.


#16

Bob E

Bob E

:ROFLMAO: Last time I ever went there they acted like they never saw a diaphragm carb before and tried to charge me $50 to order the $10 rebuild kit they told me they had in stock on the phone before I went there.


#17

C

cruzenmike

API rating and viscosity are most important. The API rating should be dictated by the equipment or engine manual. Viscosity is dictated by the operating temperature of the motor. I am no chemist or expert, but there is likely a difference between small engine oil formulated for air cooled equipment. This may be the addition or subtraction of different detergents and/or friction modifiers.

Call me a nut but I use Honda oil in Honda engines, Exmark Oil in my Exmark, Cub Cadet oil in my Cub Cadet and Ariens oil in my Ariens. I think you get the picture.

I am still in my 4 year warranty on my Exmark so I only use what the dealer sells me, genuine filter and Exmark 10W40 Synthetic.

My Cut Cadet walk behind string trimmer gets 10W30 which the manufacturer was gone to the lengths of placing a nice sticker right onto the side of the engine.

In my Ariens snow blower they only offer a 5W30 oil from Ariens that is specific to snow equipmen.

Lastly, my Honda push mower is using 10W30 but that is due to the fact that the Honda SAE30 is getting harder to find at Home Depot and other places around me. Otherwise this is what I would use.

In reality, I could probably use just two oils for all of my equipment but I am too particular. I could be wrong but when the engine manufacturer, in this case Honda, Briggs, LCT or whoever is engineering and proving out the reliability and performance of their engine, I would think that they would be using their own oil. Or the opposite could be said, that when Honda or Briggs contracts a refinery or chemical manufacturer to "blend" a specific grade of oil, they would then do their own quality and performance tests in their equipment to ensure its suitability in their products. Either way, sticking OEM oil and most importantly, following scheduled maintenance, is the safest way to go.

If you do not have the choice of OEM oil, find a small engine oil with the correct rating and viscosity and you should also do fine. And for all of this I am speaking for typical, homeowner use. Severe-duty applications might require other types or grades of oil; again, referring to the equipment/engine manufacturer.

I hope that my own "anal" tendencies and opinion might guide you. Good Luck!


#18

S

Smith97454

Im liking the Amsoil small engine line in my Gravely. I get some more time per tank and engine temp externally is down 12 degrees. I used to use the Briggs 30w wi

also just did the Hydros and they are much quieter and smoother.

4 Stroke Power Equipment: Shop Oil for 4 Stroke Equipment - AMSOIL

Shop for 4 Stroke Power Equipment at AMSOIL. Find the full line of premium AMSOIL products and buy online for delivery to your home.
www.amsoil.com www.amsoil.com


#19

B

bertsmobile1

cruzenmike said:
API rating and viscosity are most important. The API rating should be dictated by the equipment or engine manual. Viscosity is dictated by the operating temperature of the motor. I am no chemist or expert, but there is likely a difference between small engine oil formulated for air cooled equipment. This may be the addition or subtraction of different detergents and/or friction modifiers.

Call me a nut but I use Honda oil in Honda engines, Exmark Oil in my Exmark, Cub Cadet oil in my Cub Cadet and Ariens oil in my Ariens. I think you get the picture.

I am still in my 4 year warranty on my Exmark so I only use what the dealer sells me, genuine filter and Exmark 10W40 Synthetic.

My Cut Cadet walk behind string trimmer gets 10W30 which the manufacturer was gone to the lengths of placing a nice sticker right onto the side of the engine.

In my Ariens snow blower they only offer a 5W30 oil from Ariens that is specific to snow equipmen.

Lastly, my Honda push mower is using 10W30 but that is due to the fact that the Honda SAE30 is getting harder to find at Home Depot and other places around me. Otherwise this is what I would use.

In reality, I could probably use just two oils for all of my equipment but I am too particular. I could be wrong but when the engine manufacturer, in this case Honda, Briggs, LCT or whoever is engineering and proving out the reliability and performance of their engine, I would think that they would be using their own oil. Or the opposite could be said, that when Honda or Briggs contracts a refinery or chemical manufacturer to "blend" a specific grade of oil, they would then do their own quality and performance tests in their equipment to ensure its suitability in their products. Either way, sticking OEM oil and most importantly, following scheduled maintenance, is the safest way to go.

If you do not have the choice of OEM oil, find a small engine oil with the correct rating and viscosity and you should also do fine. And for all of this I am speaking for typical, homeowner use. Severe-duty applications might require other types or grades of oil; again, referring to the equipment/engine manufacturer.

I hope that my own "anal" tendencies and opinion might guide you. Good Luck!
Click to expand...

When it is all said & done,
A push mower takes about 500 ml of oil a year so if that oil is $ 2/ L or $ 20 /L it really is not going to make much difference to your wallet
Same sory with a rider, most use 1.5 to 2 L once a year ( at the end of each season ) so again not really going to send you to the poor house either
So if it makes you feel good then go ahead
I do find it funny just how much people stress about saving a few ¢ on mower consumables


#20

tom3

tom3

I see Rural King has Kohler 30wt with enhanced zinc for added protection, or so it says on the label. Maybe the motor oil companies are starting to pay attention to the customers?


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