Oil

[cmw]

I have a non-scientific analysis I do when changing the oil. I always look for metal flakes in the oil. Now these are mostly captured by the filter in units with a filter but push mowers and such without a filter show less of this metal flake when using a synthetic vs. conventional oil. That alone tells me that the synthetic is doing something better than conventional.

I always notice that changing the oil in a NEW engine right after you mow with it one time gives you a TON of metal flake from the engine breaking in. I usually run conventional for a mowing, change the oil, run it 3-5 mowings again on conventional, then switch to syn.

 

[gabowman]

I checked all the branded oil in Walmart and nothing met the API ratings that are published in the hand book for my Kawasaki motor so I picked up 6 quarts of Kawa oil and two filters the last time I went into the city (not my small town). I believe in running what is recommended. If it's a Briggs motor then I run Briggs oil, Kawasaki motor then Kawasaki oil, etc., etc. In my car and truck I run what my mechanic recommends (since he's seen ALOT more innards of motors than I have...or ever will).

 

[PVHIII]

Amsoil small engine synthetic here. 10W30/30W or something like that.

Where did you find that oil...been looking all over the place for it

 

[cmw]

No thanks...I'll just stick with a good quality synthetic... No need for a racing oil in my ZT...but I am a believer that a good quality synthetic makes sense in air cooled engines because of the higher temps..peace of mind gos a long way ;-)

I agree! I also agree that racing oil in a mower is a waste of money. I bought a 4 quart jug of Rotella T6 5W30 for $20 at Wal-Mart. My stuff all calls for 10W30, 10W40 in hotter climates, or 5W30 (synthetic ONLY) so I figure that the 5W40 is a pretty good overall oil. I have been happy and see no reason to change. Mowers that used to smoke at startup or under load have quit I don't need to add nearly as much oil as in the past. So for $5 more for MULTIPLE oil changes vs. conventional, I get a much better oil.

Going with Amsoil, Redline, and the like seems like a total waste for a mower. Besides I don't like the marketing tactics of Amsoil.

 

[Kelvininin]

I checked all the branded oil in Walmart and nothing met the API ratings that are published in the hand book for my Kawasaki motor so I picked up 6 quarts of Kawi oil and two filters the last time I went into the city (not my small town). I believe in running what is recommended. If it's a Briggs motor then I run Briggs oil, Kawasaki motor then Kawasaki oil, etc., etc. In my car and truck I run what my mechanic recommends (since he's seen ALOT more innards of motors than I have...or ever will).

I wouldn't get too hung up on API ratings. Almost All of the API ratings called out for in the Kawi ops manual are obsolete. The newer API standards are more stringent to meet the more demanding needs of modern more powerful engines. Those API standards in the manual are the minimum requirements.

For example... The the 23 HP Kawasaki engine produces 31.7 HP/L. The engine in my ecoboosted F150 produces 102.9 HP/L. Even with the engine being liquid cooled, there is a lot more performance expected from the oil I use in my F150. So would I use a older API standard oil on my truck? No way, could that older API oil work on the mower? You bet. Could the newer API oil work in the mower? Yup.

I bought a jug of rotellat T5 in the 10W30 flavor, that blend will offer far more lubrication performance than the 23HP Kawi would ever require.

 

[cmw]

I agree that a conventional Diesel rated oil like Rotella T5 is more than enough for a liquid-cooled small engine.

All my stuff is air-cooled and I don't take it easy on it so I like having the Rotella T6 synthetic (it isn't that much more expensive). I think the concern I have here isn't the mechanical stress caused by the power output of the engine but the thermal stress which is also hard on the oil and breaks it down.

 

[Kelvininin]

I agree that a conventional Diesel rated oil like Rotella T5 is more than enough for a liquid-cooled small engine.

All my stuff is air-cooled and I don't take it easy on it so I like having the Rotella T6 synthetic (it isn't that much more expensive). I think the concern I have here isn't the mechanical stress caused by the power output of the engine but the thermal stress which is also hard on the oil and breaks it down.

Victory motorcycles are air cool and produce 60 HP/L stock. The manufacturers specified oil is a blend. Simply put, with the low HP per displacement rating of the Kawi engine, under all operating conditions you will never thermally overload the oil even on straight conventional oil.

It's more important to observes the weight specification.

 

[cmw]

I agree that the conventional is fine on a water cooled engine. My situation is all strictly air-cooled and I can see a difference. I no longer have any smoke and there is much less oil consumption under load so to me this says something good about the synthetic oil.

 

[PVHIII]

Switched from Royal Purple to Kawasaki KTech synthetic blend developed specifically for commercial grade lawn mower engines...when I purchased my FTSD I don't remember seeing this oil at my dealer... If I remember correctly the Kawasaki oil at that time (2013) was conventional...does anyone know when Kawasaki came out with this KTech synthetic blend?

 

[PVHIII]

I just didn't like the purple dye in R.P....I like to be able to judge the cleanliness of my oil from looking at it and the dark color makes that a lil more difficult... I also read somewhere online that RP contains a chemical that at higher temps is a corrosive... don't know how true that is or at what temp it becomes corrosive.