I am going to buy a Ferris IS2100Z mower tomorrow, can anyone recommend a synthetic oil for the Vanguard oil guard engine. I will not be stretching it out to 500 hours as per the Ferris blurb. More like yearly.
Thanks.
#2
Padroo
I would think any brand name synthetic would do the trick but what weight?
Will it be used commercially?
What grease will you use on the spindles?
I bought a left over IS3200Z without the Oil Guard System and am in the same boat.
The mower will have the 52' deck and will not be used commercially. I had not thought about greasing.
#4
Boobala
The oil recommendations will be in your Mowers Users Guide, Be sure to get your Mowers Parts & Repair Manuals as well, (if you are going to maintain the machine yourself AFTER warranty expiration) , be sure not to do ANYTHING to void the warranty, READ the owners guide, !! keep all receipts and paperwork from the machine with the manuals, all in one place, lastly ... IF, & when you do anything to the machine, TAKE LOTS of PICS .. LOTS of them, they WILL prove handy, especially pics of linkages, and ESPECIALLY springs ( points of attachment ( from where to where ) Best of luck and much happiness with your new "toy" .. :thumbsup:
I use Shell Rotella 5-40 T6 synthetic in every engine I own from lawnmowers to zero turns to tillers to the wife's gas engine in her buggy to my diesel pickup to my diesel farm tractors. They all get T6 Rotella.. Never had a lubrication issue in 20 years at least. I buy it in 55 gallon drums.
Keep in mind, there is synthetic for automotive use and for air cooled small equipment use, both different applications. I use Amsoil small engine oil 10w-30.
And very low viscosity base oils will tend to leak past seals designed to hold back thicker oil when cold so make sure you check the oil regularly and don't panic if you see a little oil on the underside of the mower.
My Vanguard has 3200+ hours on it ....I’ve always use conventional 10-30 without any problems. I use synthetics in all my vehicles but mowers get good ole pure oil.
And very low viscosity base oils will tend to leak past seals designed to hold back thicker oil when cold so make sure you check the oil regularly and don't panic if you see a little oil on the underside of the mower.
Keep in mind, there is synthetic for automotive use and for air cooled small equipment use, both different applications. I use Amsoil small engine oil 10w-30.
There are different chemical packages added to the oils for different uses.
Mower oils have a lot of anti corrosion chemicals added and usually a higher Zn content than car oils.
You need a chemical lab to tell one from another.
Dirt bike oils are the closest formula to mower oils.
In most cases any oil will do the job, it is just some oils will do it better than others.
As I regularly recommend in oil threads , the best oil is the stuff you just drained out cause it means you have just put fresh oil in.
The time it has been in there is a lot more important that what went in.
Probably not. I'm not doing any events this year. Maybe a couple sidecar events with my Bonneville next summer, that's it. Every time I take it to a show, I get a trophy. Nice having a one of a kind sort of. I dread anything happening to it. I don't ven like people putting their hands on it.
They all have their respective 'drip pans' underneath. If it don't leak it's either out of oil or I forgot to put any in....:laughing:
Been using 15-40 Shell Rotella in all the bikes except the Norton. It gets 40 weight straight detergent. The P11 is fun to ride, not much in the way of brakes though. Always wanted a Vincent (I know someone who has a Black Shadow) but I just cannot afford one.
The difference is automotive use(catalytic converters) and small engine use(no converters). Zinc and phosphates are in small eng oil to a greater amount than automotive oil. There are many debates, use what you want.
