As long as it is the correct weight oil for the engine, which can be several grades of oil you will be fine. Just remember that the use of synthetic oil doesn't extend the oil change interval.
I run Rotella T-6 5w-40 synthetic in everything. Tractor, push mower, zero turn, motorcycle, atv, generators, walk behind tiller, ETC.
They all get the same oil.
I run Rotella T-6 5w-40 synthetic in everything. Tractor, push mower, zero turn, motorcycle, atv, generators, walk behind tiller, ETC.
They all get the same oil.
While "oils aint oils" Sol,
The two most important things are
1) is there enough in th engine ?
2) how long has it been in there ?
Mower / blower engine ae very price sensitive so in general they are the cheapest possible engines to make.
They are designed to do 50-100 hours/year for domestic mowers with a service life of around 5 years
As such things like fine oil control jets are just not on the menu. ( Honda & Kawakasi excluded )
So in short no problems provided you keep it full / fresh & clean.
As for the 5W difference in viscosity, yes it will be a bit harder to start but it is important for you to let it fully warm up before you dive into the snow.
1W-30
5W-30
10W-30
20W-30
and 30W
All are 30 when running at full operating temperatures .
heavier oil bases ( first number ) will flow a lot slower at lower temperatures so it is start, throttle back, pop your mitten on wait 5 minutes then off into the wild white yonder.
the whole light oil base is being driven by states like California's EPA demanding low emissions at start up so the engines have to fire in the first couple or revolutions so the answer is thinner oil with less drag & higher cranking speeds so the engine fires up very quickly,
Without trying to get too political these rules get made by crusaders wearing white armour on their white stallions saving the world ( in their own minds ). Most have qualifications in arts, law. humanities. philosophy etc and no mechanical aptitude combined with a total inability to see anything deeper than the immediate superficial.
So you save the planet by forcing every to buy a new mower every 5 years because they are "environmentally cleaner " and totally discount the enviromental cost of making the new mower , shipping it to the new owner & disposing of the old "dirty" one.
If you drove to a 1/2 dozen mower shops looking for a new one then you used more fuel ( thus created more pollition ) than a domestic mower will in the next 10 years.
Commercial mowers are different and very shortly they will all be computer controlled fuel injected same as you car with sound reasoning as most will do more operating hours per year than the avarage car.
