First Oil Change

[ILENGINE]

Neither does Kohler.
However, many mower manufacturers say to change the oil early in their operators manuals. It's best to follow the recommendations in the engine manufacturers manuals for the engine. New mowers come with two manuals, one for the mower and one for the engine.

There has always been the clause of recommending changing the engine oil at half the recommended hour if used in dirty-dusty conditions, used under heavy load, or ran during periods of high temperatures. And most mowers during the summer hit all 3.

 

[MParr]

You have a point there.
Those folks then have problems when buying parts. Many will come to forums like this asking part and service advice for their mowers.

 

[slomo]

And most mowers during the summer hit all 3.

On the first mow.

 

[Skippydiesel]

Manufactures see oil change intervals as part of their marketing "spiel". They think (correctly?) that customers will be attracted by longer service intervals, lower cost(?). That such long intervals (300hrs) may end with higher maintenance/repair cost does not concern them - the engine now likly out of calendar warranty.
I don't understand the reluctance of some to change the oil soon (5hrs) after starting a new engine - at worst its an added expense, at best very cheap insurance (it can't do any harm).
For engines fitted with filters, I do a filter change every second oil change - works for me

 

[Auto Doc's]

Hi Skippydiesel,

Yep, the calendar warranty game. To add insult to injury the customer has also been sold and aftermarket "extended" warranty which is practically worthless.

Back in the $1.99 a quart generic SAE 30 or 10W-30 days, people seemed to be more concerned with frequent oil changes on their mowing equipment. If the oil was starting to turn dark, it was time to change it.

Now with all the marketing push of synthetic oil being a "miracle oil" people put off oil servicing.... and pretty much any other servicing until something breaks down or stop running correctly.

The "never change oil" sticker (B&S) and no drain plug on new push/ walk behind mower equipment has become a sure way for manufacturers to sell more (junk) equipment at a faster pace.

I have met customers who actually thinks it means it will run a "lifetime" with no maintenance at all.

Maybe the economy will change some of that because of new equipment pricing. Prices have become insane since COVID.

 

[hlw49]

Cheapest basic MTD is over $2000.00 Husqvarna 46-inch cut 22 HP is $2899.99

 

[wingstrut]

Folks, I will never understand someone purchasing a new piece of expensive equipment and skimp on the maintenance.
If there is any break in on an engine its the piston rings, the other parts of the engine do not touch because of the oil separating them.
Most wear is on start up when oil drains away until next start.
I purchased a new high performance engine from GM and they said run engine for one hour with non synthetic, drain change filter and suggested Mobil One because that is what they dyno checked the engine with. They also recommended that I remove distributor and using a drill with an oil pump attachment to supply oil to everything before start up which I did.
I paid seven thousand dollars for this engine I wasn't about to go to a web site and ask what kind of oil to use and should I follow GM racing divisions recommendation.
There were a lot of very tiny specks of metal, which is normal and most filters have a bypass valve in them in case the filter gets restricted so as to still supply oil to the engine.
People, follow the engine manufacturers directions and you wont have to ask anyone what to use in your new engine.

 

[spetrilli]

I just got the Scag Liberty with the Kohler 22hp engine and now have 9 hours on it. I need to change oil and filter, can I use syn oil? Can I use Mobile 1 oil in it? Should I use 10w 40 oil?
Thanks for any suggestions on this, such a great mower.

I have

I just got the Scag Liberty with the Kohler 22hp engine and now have 9 hours on it. I need to change oil and filter, can I use syn oil? Can I use Mobile 1 oil in it? Should I use 10w 40 oil?
Thanks for any suggestions on this, such a great mower.

i have a 747 cc Kohler on my Bad Boy ZT 54 in Elite. The 747 is 22 to 25 hp. Have used full synthetic 10w30 since my first oil change (I am in the central Midwest. Just use a quality oil and do your oil changes at or before the recommended number of hours. Also use nothing but ethanol free premium fuel with sea foam added to each of my fuel storage containers…. Purchased the mower new in 2016.

 

[SARG]

Just to mention & annoy ........ I've accumulated 3 garden tractors ...one ZTR and two diesel tractors.
They all get oil change with filter ... fuel filter and air filter change at 25 hours ± a couple hours.
Here's my stockpile of filters .

 

[jromeo1]

I just got the Scag Liberty with the Kohler 22hp engine and now have 9 hours on it. I need to change oil and filter, can I use syn oil? Can I use Mobile 1 oil in it? Should I use 10w 40 oil?
Thanks for any suggestions on this, such a great mower.

First of all, you should be adhering to the viscosity that Kohler recommends for that mower, otherwise you may be denied warranty service. Second, you should NOT be using car oil
in a mower engine, or any small engine that is air-cooled for that matter. There's a couple of reasons for this. Small engines are usually air-cooled, so the oil needs to be able to handle
higher temps associated with air-cooled engines. Mowers are especially susceptible to running at higher temps and for longer periods of time. The oil has to be able to handle high, as well as low
temperatures at start-ups and synthetic oils are GREAT in this area. Also, small engines in general need high levels of zinc additive in the oil. This additive is essential in protecting small
engines from wear over the long term. Mobil 1 is an oil designed for water-cooled automobile engines and does not contain zinc due to zinc contamination of catalytic converters.
Stay away from car oils for this reason, and by a good synthetic SMALL-ENGINE OIL. There's a few good ones out there. I personally use AMSOIL small-engine oil. It has a 200 hour change
interval as a bonus. There a other brands out there, but don't put a cheap oil in a $30,000 machine!