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Would one or the other be better for a 22hp Kohler twin engine?

Doesn't really make a difference since it doesn't extend the oil change intervals unless you are using the new Kohler extended service kit with the synthetic oil and extended life filter, but I am not sure I would want to extend to 300 hours or not.

Some ideas...

• You'll be changing either oil long before it's "worn out" simply to get rid of the water that gets trapped in the cases.
• Modern motor oils are doped with so many refinements that the difference gap is narrowing.
• Synthetic will have a slight edge at start-up. If your mower is a lifetime purchase, then synthetic will probably pay off. If you regularly trade in every X number of years then maybe not.
• Last time I was ay Wally World, the difference in price for 5 gallons of car oil was $1 !!

Hope this helps.

That last bullet cannot possibly be correct if comparing synthetic vs. dino oil.

Born2Mow said:

Some ideas...

• You'll be changing either oil long before it's "worn out" simply to get rid of the water that gets trapped in the cases.
• Modern motor oils are doped with so many refinements that the difference gap is narrowing.
• Synthetic will have a slight edge at start-up. If your mower is a lifetime purchase, then synthetic will probably pay off. If you regularly trade in every X number of years then maybe not.
• Last time I was ay Wally World, the difference in price for 5 gallons of car oil was $1 !!

Hope this helps.

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An analogy with the auto industry ...
In my country, I participate in a Chevrolet brand forum, the most frequent question being about replacing it with synthetic oil, thinner or thicker.
Some automakers only recommend the oil itself (as if they made it), but most recommend 1 or 2 types of SAE and leave the free choice for more modern APIs.
The automobile industry has rapidly evolved its engines with greater speed, torque, new materials, reduced internal clearance of the engine and tests them with different and newer oils, taking advantage of the best specifications of modernity.
However, there is no news that any manufacturer has taken an old engine and tested it with new oils, just as it does with new engines.
Many homeowners want to change the oil due to noises that appear with the time of use ...
So there are three consensuses:
1 - Never change the recommended oil (SAE and API) in the manufacturer's manual, as the engine was tested with it ... if any strange noise occurs, the noise is resolved without changing the oil.
2 - Change the oil within the one specified by the manufacturer, maintaining the same SAE and being able to use a more modern API.
3 - Be wary of miracle oils ...

I was told by a Cub Cadet mechanic that synthetic oil will make the air-cooled engine run cooler, and smoke less. But do your best to run the recommended viscosity, which will most likely be a multi-grade oil, like 10W-30 (there's a chart in your manual for oil requirements at different temperatures). It should work just fine, but will work fine without an oil change if you operate in cold weather.

Rickcin said:

Okay, I guess I got my answer and the only reason I posted the question was because one of my friends was claiming that synthetic oils were generally thinner and shouldn’t be used in small engines. Obviously he’s clueless! Thanks

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Synthetic oils have nothing to do with thinness. That is viscosity which changes with temperature. Yes he is clueless.

And to echo what ILENGINE said, synthetic oils have ZERO to do with extended drain intervals. Extended drains are created by the oil companies selling their oil. Example Amsoil "claims" their wonder oil can run for 25,000 miles. Riiiiiight............

Like was stated by Born2Mow, you will or should change the oil to get rid of all the moisture/water in the sump and carbon blow-by contaminants. When your oil gets black, time to change. Smell like fuel, time to change. Looks like a milk shake, time to change.

slomo

Almost clueless.
Just about all synthetics are ashless
So when burned theymake next to no smoke
Thus you don't know thee is a problem till it is too late.
Most of the veteran bike riders run synthetic oil in the total loss systems for this reason.
lot more fun if you are in a line of 40 bikes because you can now see the road
Most of us toss a little castrol R into the fuel tank so we get a little smoke so they look a little authentic.

My generator manual said that synthetic would burn faster. FWIW I bought it in 2006.

Tjstampa said:

My generator manual said that synthetic would burn faster. FWIW I bought it in 2006.

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Plain ol' 30w is your friend in a mower engine.

slomo

Here in deep South, Kawasaki sent a bulletin to their Dealers to run their Semi-syn 20w-50. Because of the intense heat.

Tjstampa said:

My generator manual said that synthetic would burn faster. FWIW I bought it in 2006.

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I don't understand... what burns faster? Engine or oil?

7394 said:

Here in deep South, Kawasaki sent a bulletin to their Dealers to run their Semi-syn 20w-50. Because of the intense heat.

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Maybe so but I would run a single grade over a multi any day. Less breakdown in these hot air cooled engines. Wish I could find a straight 40w for those over 100f temps.







slomo

SAE 40W!!! If there is, it's winter oil... it'll fry at 100°F

Bange said:

SAE 40W!!! If there is, it's winter oil... it'll fry at 100°F

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What planet are you on sir? Winter oil out of a 40w? Straight 40w oil is good till 120F outdoor ambient on planet Earth.

The top chart I posted was from Briggs and Scratton.

Bottom chart was from Kawasaki.

slomo

Well, the letter "W" in the SAE classification lends itself more to winter oils... could it be that you didn't want to say SAE 40?(without the W)

In motor oils, W means winter, yes, 100% true, factual, no doubt about it. W also means a viscosity rating at 0 degrees F.

I see where you are going. SAE is society of automotive engineers. Don't care about those guys. All this is pointless.

To me 30w and SAE 30 are the same animal. It's what I meant a few posts up. I'm with ya'.....



Update, I read up on the difference. No 30w oils are to be had. Starting with 30, it's SAE 30 oil. Bange is 100% correct. W is the winter designation. Course I read it off another unaccredited web site for what it's worth. Think Bange and I were talking about the same flavor of mower juice.

slomo

I know you know, but if you ask at a store:
SAE 30W - monoviscous oil for winter (cold weather)
SAE 30 - normal monoviscous oil, positive temperatures (majority)
SAE 30W30 - multi-viscous oil for winter and summer
There are 3 oils with the same viscosity, but they work in different temperature ranges...
Be careful with what you ask not to take a pig in a poke... lol ?

Never seen SAE 30w30 printed on an oil bottle yet. Learn something new every day.....

slomo

You can find SAE 40 (STP) at Autozone. Oreilys had Castrol SAE 40 but $7/qt.

slomo said:

Never seen SAE 30w30 printed on an oil bottle yet. Learn something new every day.....

slomo

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Me too... it was just to reinforce the importance of the letter "W" in the SAE classification, but it doesn't mean that it didn't exist, doesn't exist or that it won't be created in the future... it's just a question of market or industry needs.
For example: why have SAE 0W30, SAE 5W30, SAE 10W30 and SAE 15W30 oil? All have the same viscosity and SAE 0W30 covers all other temperature ranges.
There must be a reason, but it is not explicit for us laymen.

Bange said:

Me too... it was just to reinforce the importance of the letter "W" in the SAE classification, but it doesn't mean that it didn't exist, doesn't exist or that it won't be created in the future... it's just a question of market or industry needs.
For example: why have SAE 0W30, SAE 5W30, SAE 10W30 and SAE 15W30 oil? All have the same viscosity and SAE 0W30 covers all other temperature ranges.
There must be a reason, but it is not explicit for us laymen.

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Still going with 30w oil. I grew up on it. And darn it, I'm old and I will get my way LOL LOL.

Besides SAE is not a spec like W is. Just a group of guys like I already said. They makes the specs. What ever........ Thread closed.

slomo

Isn't the first number viscocity at a certain cold temp, for easier start ups?

Scrubcadet10 said:

Isn't the first number viscocity at a certain cold temp, for easier start ups?

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In a multi grade oil, say 5w-30, the 5 is the grade of the oil. It's a 5 grade oil ALL THE TIME (thin). BUT it has viscosity improvers that make it thick as a 30 grade at 212F or 100C (same thing). So it pours easy when cold and has a 30 grade thickness when hot at 212F again.

So knowing this, multi-grade oils SHEAR DOWN way faster than a straight grade will every time. It's an oil trying to do double duty, perform at hot and cold temps. Things like water or air cooled, oil running through gears or a transmission all effect shear rates. Like in a motorcycle, that oil will shear down to a 5w-20 or 5w-10 in a few months if ridden hard.

Back to mower engines, SAE 30 is the perfect tool for the job. Mower engines reach full smoking hot temps in roughly 60 seconds. You want that thick film protection right away. Most people mow in over 60f temps so it performs okay at startup. Single grade oils are doing ONE job, perform at high temps. Shearing is way less than a 5w-30 oil. Briggs and Kawi know this. Briggs says that a full syn 5w-30 will use more oil and needs to be checked often.

There's more to it like molecule sizes and so on.

slomo

Scrubcadet10 said:

Isn't the first number viscocity at a certain cold temp, for easier start ups?

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At cold temps being 32f or 0C, the first number is the cold viscosity rating. Smaller first number the easier it pours when cold.

slomo

Start ups are when most engine wear occurs, so a good multi-grade oil will circulate much faster than a mono-grade.

That's just a fact.

slomo said:

Still going with 30w oil. I grew up on it. And darn it, I'm old and I will get my way LOL LOL.

Besides SAE is not a spec like W is. Just a group of guys like I already said. They makes the specs. What ever........ Thread closed.

slomo

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No...SAE is an old world society and with strong accreditation, 99.99% of oil manufacturers carry their certificate.
The letter W (in the SAE specification) is indicative of oils for negative temperature ranges in °C, partial or total.
I searched for 30W oils and I only found one from West Marine, but it has the SAE 30 seal (-5 to + 35°C) and it seems to me to be the only one that although it works in a small range below zero, SAE does not put the letter W in the specification... must be really to confuse...

slomo said:

In a multi grade oil, say 5w-30, the 5 is the grade of the oil. It's a 5 grade oil ALL THE TIME (thin). BUT it has viscosity improvers that make it thick as a 30 grade at 212F or 100C (same thing). So it pours easy when cold and has a 30 grade thickness when hot at 212F again.

So knowing this, multi-grade oils SHEAR DOWN way faster than a straight grade will every time. It's an oil trying to do double duty, perform at hot and cold temps. Things like water or air cooled, oil running through gears or a transmission all effect shear rates. Like in a motorcycle, that oil will shear down to a 5w-20 or 5w-10 in a few months if ridden hard.

Back to mower engines, SAE 30 is the perfect tool for the job. Mower engines reach full smoking hot temps in roughly 60 seconds. You want that thick film protection right away. Most people mow in over 60f temps so it performs okay at startup. Single grade oils are doing ONE job, perform at high temps. Shearing is way less than a 5w-30 oil. Briggs and Kawi know this. Briggs says that a full syn 5w-30 will use more oil and needs to be checked often.

There's more to it like molecule sizes and so on.

slomo

Click to expand...

Sorry, but there is a misconception here...
Every oil undergoes a change in viscosity due to heat, that is, the higher the heat, the lower its viscosity... the graph below demonstrates this and more...


Credits: https://www.kewengineering.co.uk/Auto_oils/oil_viscosity_explained.htm

On the vertical axis, we have the effective viscosity (the SAE indication is more referenced to positive temperature and does not actually express the viscosity value) of 4 types of oil.
And horizontal axis is temperature in °C.
All 4 types have high viscosity values when cold (close to zero) and decreasing values as the oil is heated, all reaching less than 20 cSt (Centistokes) when at 100°C.
For those who don't know, the density of water is 1,003 Centistokes (cSt), that is, at 100°C the oil practically turns into water.
But the working temperatures of each oil are much lower, where each still contains a viscosity value that satisfies the engine's need.
The graph also demonstrates why 5W30 oil is better than 10W30 at a temperature close to zero, as it is less viscous and this facilitates engine starts... It also explains, by deduction, why all engines must be temperature-controlled or limited.

As for the use of SAE 30 (or 30W), for all mowers I believe that it would not be correct with temperatures there ranging from -20 to +40°C (all over the country), as although it is unlikely to cut grass below zero, you use implements to remove snow or transport objects inside the farm.
The right thing is to adjust the oil according to the temperature of the working region... the 30W is good, but it doesn't produce a miracle...

Just gotta love a good 'ole oil thread.........

...........

"My oil is better than your oil"?

Hammermechanicman said:

"My oil is better than your oil"?

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Naw it ain't

Scrubcadet10 said:

Naw it ain't

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And my spark plugs are better than your spark plugs too.

Hammermechanicman said:

And my spark plugs are better than your spark plugs too.

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Naw Uh.

bullet bob said:

Just gotta love a good 'ole oil thread.........

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Unfortunately, oil is not a question of love or hate, it is a technical question that even transcends empirical evaluations without its own instruments... and just like cigarettes, the inappropriate use of oil does not cause immediate harm, but shortens life useful or the performance of any engine.
In my car (Corsa/97), I also use an oil considered "old" (mineral base) 20W50 with API SL (the one indicated in the manual is a 20W50 SJ, which is not very easy to find around here), which I already have. 24 years and 234,500 km, without burning oil or strange noises...
I can't say anything about the oil other than that it is indicated by the automaker and has been meeting expectations, even because it was the best oil in the automaker's assessment when my car was manufactured.

Bange said:

I don't understand... what burns faster? Engine or oil?

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Engine oil

Ferrari oil will not turn a VW Beetle into a Porche and just cost the owners a lot more money
Using any oil above the makers specification will usually not make a tinkers curse of a difference to the engine and in many cases will cause a drastic loss of oil pressure because the old engine will have massively large oil galleries & holes where the modern thinner & substantially less viscious oil will pour out and leave journals / bushes incapable of floating the metal surfaces .
Modern oils can not stop an engine creating contaminations like acid by products of combustion, tiny carbon particles and metal part errosion debris .
The do last longer before they are compromised but mower oils should be replaced annually because a mower engine is the cheapest nastiest engine it is possible to make.
Thus using very expensive oil is in most cases simply putting lipstick on a pig .
However it does create a massive amount of amusement as masses of people who obviously have no understanding of the actual requirements or chemistry of oil get in a lather about using one oil or another .
Now if they are going into a top fueler pumping out 200Hp / litre then there is a case for arguement but a modern mower engine is lucky to be making 50 Hp/liter and way back in 1930 engines were doing better than that .
Addmittadely in the years I have been fixing mowers for a full time living I would have been lucky to have pulled more than 100 engines apart and I am yet to find one with an oil derrived failure other than from the absence of sufficient oil and in most cases , no oil at all .

But please keep it up.
I need a good belly laugh as the comedy on TV at the moment is just not funny

Tjstampa said:

Engine oil

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OK, there is a certain logic to this, especially if the oil indicated in the manufacturer's manual contains mineral and synthetic oils or if you use a synthetic oil on an older engine, even if it has similar viscosity.
It turns out that synthetic oils are less viscous (compared to minerals), and in a cold engine the clearances are a little larger than in a hot engine, the synthetic molecules are more homogeneous and adhere more to the contact surfaces.
With these assumptions and thinking about the oil on the piston walls, a greater amount of oil remains stuck (at the inlet), and is released by the entry of the gasoline + air mixture, participating in the burning at the time of the explosion in a volume greater than the mineral, hence the greater loss.
If, on the one hand, synthetics are more efficient in lubricating and protecting parts, on the other, they are more expensive and have a higher consumption, which is not always seen in smoke... there is no way to make fried eggs without breaking eggs... .

I go ito the auto parts store and go find to most expensive oil they have and buy that. It must be the best.?

Take a step back Bange.
This is the LAWNMOWER forum not the Formula 1 forum
Most mower engines specify monogrades
A lot of B & S push mower engines sold down here have a warning sticker that says"Use of multigrade oil voids warranty" on the side near the dip stick tube.
I think some of the EFI engines may specify synthetics to protect various engine sensors but I don't do EFI engines .

Oops! My English is not very good, but I don't remember where I left the impression that I'm a fan of some type of oil... I passed on my knowledge about it, reinforcing that the best oil is the one indicated by the machine manufacturer, always. Tell me where I left that impression.

Hammermechanicman said:

I go ito the auto parts store and go find to most expensive oil they have and buy that. It must be the best.?

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Or the one with the most words and brightest colors on the bottle.

Scrubcadet10 said:

Or the one with the most words and brightest colors on the bottle.

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You are looking in the wrong place. You need to watch which company makes the best commercial with the coolest looking engine in them. THAT will get you the super duper bestest oil...

upupandaway said:

You are looking in the wrong place. You need to watch which company makes the best commercial with the coolest looking engine in them. THAT will get you the super duper bestest oil...

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Or has the best looking, scantily-clad bimbo.

cpurvis said:

Or has the best looking, scantily-clad bimbo.

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We already know how you make up your mind on which oil to purchase....

Scrubcadet10 said:

We already know how you make up your mind on which oil to purchase....

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Nothing wrong with marketing with bimbos. I miss the tool company calendars from the 70's
One of the best was from a tool truck called Service Tools. Their slogan was "Get your nuts off with service tools" with a non-clothed young lass straddleing a big wrench on the cover of their calendar. Ah, the good old days.

did they sell pipe wrenches?

Scrubcadet10 said:

did they sell pipe wrenches?

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That would have been the Rigid calendar.

My friends, are you joking or off topic...
An oil must not be used for marketing media, labels or personal prints.
Oils are manufactured and classified by worldwide accreditation bodies and when stamped with a classification (SAE, API, ISO, ILSAC...), it is because they have fulfilled a technical assessment package, measurable and reproducible, within the same criteria (no particular impressions).
Nothing prohibits oil manufacturers from saying that theirs is more evolved due to some agent or product within the formulation and using this as a marketing "advantage" and getting more profit, but it's no use for standardized analysis by accreditation bodies, it's a “plus” and the evaluation is at the sole discretion of the client, whose effectiveness or proof has no technical or scientific basis.
The fact is that, for example, all oil classified as SAE 15W30 API SN, regardless of whether the manufacturer says it has this or that extra, fulfills the same function within the evaluation and test package.
Engine manufacturers, when they indicate in the manual the use of an oil, do so because they have tested and proved the efficiency of their engine... some even indicate a specific brand or even label the oil bottle (which is not their manufacture) with your logo ... in this case my logic is that there was a commercial agreement between these parties or actually that "plus" said by the manufacturer, it makes a lot of difference ... conclude as you want.

To objectively answer the question asked at the beginning and considering the various variations in world temperature (remember that this forum is not specific to a country or region), I say that neither mineral, nor semi-synthetic nor synthetic (by option), oil it must be the one indicated by the manufacturer according to the temperature of the working region of the machine.
If the manufacturer's indication allows for some modernity (modernity equals API > SG, SH ... SP), and this changes from mineral to synthetic, then the choice can be made ... but without the change viscosity (SAE) or frequency is changed unless the manufacturer declares this in writing.
In the event that a certain oil is no longer found or manufactured because it has become obsolete, the engine manufacturer must comment on the matter... but it may be exempt due to the age of the machine (in my country, car manufacturers are exempt from any information or supply of parts after 10 years from the end of the manufacture of an engine). In this case, the recommendation is to use an oil of the same viscosity (SAE), with modernity (API) immediately following.
Ex.:
SAE 30 API SF (not found anymore), replace with SAE 30 API SG
SAE 20W50 SJ (not found anymore), replace with SAE 20W50 API SL.


In the table above, whose engine manufacturer is B&S, the recommended oil has a viscosity of 30, which can be semi-synthetic, synthetic or mineral, according to the oil manufacturer.
Can anyone be used? Yes, the manufacturer itself indicates.
However, the manufacturer makes observations regarding ambient working temperatures, consumption and when the API modernity (SF, SG, SH, SH or higher).
If the operation is in a region from -30 to +5°C, the indication is by SAE 5W30... if SAE 30 is used in this same region, the user will be contradicting the manufacturer's indication and serious damages may occur to the machine ... The opposite is also true.
If the working range is between -15 and 30°C, both the SAE 10W30 and the SAE 5W30 (synthetic) can be used, but the operation beyond 27°C with the SAE 10W30 may lead to higher consumption and it advises checking most frequently.
Therefore, however passion one has for a type of oil, the facts and data contradict this position.

The old Rigid Tool (how appropriately named!) calendars were definitely scantily clad but I don't remember seeing any unclad. Did I miss something?

Those calendars will make you want 24 months in a year...

Bange said:

My friends, are you joking or off topic...

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Sorry, naked chicks on Snap-on\Cornwell\MAC\etc. calendars, I'd rather talk about that...

OK, go ahead... but I don't think this contributes anything to anyone looking for help or an opinion about oil...
But wouldn't it be better to visit them? I guarantee you that the adrenaline would be much much much higher... and you can even change the oil...

Synthetic is superior. Problem is in the States, there are ZERO mandates or any government regs or federal anything that states when you put synthetic on the bottle or call it a full synthetic, it's actually 100% synthetic oil inside the jug. Talking about a full 100% synthetic base stock and add pack. Europe is totally different. If it says synthetic over there, you get synthetic IN the bottle.

slomo

Oil has been discussed to death here. Do a search. You can find a lot to read about oil; others have read about oil, talked about oil, and moved on..

Risque calendars, on the other hand....ooo La LA!

cpurvis said:

Oil has been discussed to death here. Do a search. You can find a lot to read about oil; others have read about oil, talked about oil, and moved on..

Risque calendars, on the other hand....ooo La LA!

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Did you know, that the PORN industry, made the VCR (VHS), the standard recording/playback device for America? It beat out the others like BetaMax.

slomo

cpurvis said:

Oil has been discussed to death here. Do a search. You can find a lot to read about oil; others have read about oil, talked about oil, and moved on..

Risque calendars, on the other hand....ooo La LA!

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Since we have beat the "best oil" horse to death we can now move on to regular gas vs premium gas vs E free gas.

1975 vs 2021.
1975 secretary walks out in the shop and is offended by tool calendar. Shop foreman tell her to go back in the office and mind her own business. Shop foreman has a crew cut and chews tobacco and drinks black coffee and wears carhartt work pants.

2021 secretary walks out in shop and is offended by tool calendar. Shop foreman apologizes and begs forgiveness says he will investigate all sexist behavior and fire all involved. Shop foreman has man bun dork knob and is a vegan and drinks only soy lattes and wears skinny jeans. Got job because he has a degree in management.

One of those days. Flame suit on fire away.

slomo said:

Synthetic is superior. Problem is in the States, there are ZERO mandates or any government regs or federal anything that states when you put synthetic on the bottle or call it a full synthetic, it's actually 100% synthetic oil inside the jug. Talking about a full 100% synthetic base stock and add pack. Europe is totally different. If it says synthetic over there, you get synthetic IN the bottle.

slomo

Click to expand...

In fact there is a lot of confusion, but I wouldn't say that...
There are only two oil bases: mineral and synthetic
The mineral is 100% petroleum-derived, with additives
Semi-synthetic is a mix of mineral + synthetic (created in laboratory), with additives
The synthetic is 100% synthetic (created in the laboratory), with additives
When manufacturers place SAE and API (or ISO, ILSAC) stamps, they do so under the authorization of such institutions and pay for it.
What represents one oil being superior to another is exactly the API qualification (SJ, SL, SN...), which is modernity or superiority...
The fact that it is synthetic does not qualify the oil as superior. See for example:
1- Mineral SAE 5W30 API SN (https://lucasoil.com/products/lucas-motor-oil/conventional/lucas-petroleum-motor-oils)
2 - Synthetic SAE 5W30 API SN (https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-personal-vehicles/our-products/products/mobil-1-5w-30/)
Note that both have the same SN classification, but nr 1 is mineral and nr 2 is synthetic, therefore equal in meeting the same standardized efficiency tests.
See that both manufacturers say theirs is superior, the maximum, the best, the top... believe what you want, but the American Petroleun Institute (API) rated them equal.

cpurvis said:

Oil has been discussed to death here. Do a search. You can find a lot to read about oil; others have read about oil, talked about oil, and moved on..

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It depends on where you look for the information... if you look with vendors (or their media), the chances of being misled is great.
Believing in "magnetic molecular", "XPTO formula", "high tech", etc... if everything were true, it would have received a higher rating...

Bange,
What you are missing is the fact that the API ( or any other standards association ) ratings are assigned according to how the oil ranks during a series of standard tests .
Almost none of these tests are actual in use engine tests.
And all of them were designed to test standard refined mineral oils, not synthetic oils created from gases.
Synthetics do substantially better in the 3 ball test and have a substantially lower ash content

?

Well, I see this as a standard test for everyone... if the test was not satisfactory the oil manufacturers themselves would make a fair complaint or denunciation.
I don't know the 3 ball test and I don't even have a way to analyze ash content... do you? Tell us how.
Comparing the evolution of mineral, semi-synthetic and synthetic, it is obvious that the synthetic has better performance, hence it receives a higher classification (above SN) and there is no mineral of the same classification to compete.
But I believe this is just a market strategy or investment in development and a lot of marketing, because synthetic oil is cheaper because it is made in the laboratory... and research with minerals stopped or stopped being interesting.
The use of a new word (synthetic, magnetic, molecular...) is a huge leverage for sales.
There's a lot of money rolling in this industry... if synthetic were top of the top, why would manufacturers like B&S still nominate the mineral?
In the chart I posted, the Synthetic SAE 5W30 meets all temperature ranges, why others?

Because there is no benefit in using an oil that is specified way above what is needed to operate the engine
Again I tell you these are MOWER ENGINES and mower engines are the cheapest engines it is possible to make because Joe Public will not pay for quality engines which is why Honda abandoned the market where it has the reputation of being the best engine available .

Next synthetic oils are far more expensive to make because they are made from LPG and you need a lot of LPG that could have been sold for fuel to make oil .
They are not made in labs, they are made in refineries , just the same as mineral oils are distilled from crude.

Semi synthetic oils are made like flour and a lot of other things where the crude is broken down into all of it's parts then reassembled back into lubricating oil rather than just breaking crude down into lubricating oil and leaving the bits you did not need behind in the oil .

120 octane avaition fuels are "better" than pump petrol.
Race petrol is better than pump petrol
But neither of them will make my mower run any better than std 90 grade pump petrol

I partially agree with you and would like more information on making a synthetic... but as far as I know semi-synthetics are just a mixture of two different compounds, one mineral and one synthetic + additives.
When you talk about benefits, what exactly are you referring to? Of course it's not making a ferrari out of the Beetle... would it be for the pocket, for the engine?
The classification is the same... they all meet the needs of the engine and the manufacturer B&S makes no distinction, if one is more expensive than the other or exceeds the need... B&S only puts the cards on the table, if the operation is in the range from -30 to 40°C expensive or cheap or exceeding, you'll have to use the synthetic SAE 5W30... do you have another one?

Fuel is another thing... you forgot about nitro...

Full synthetics are made by converting a gas, usually an ethane or methane derrivative into a liquid.
However the gas has to come from somewhere
Most of it is a byproduct of oil refining, but some is natural gad or coal field gas.
Usually it is a case of forcing the gas to react with a solid to make a liquid .

Now it is a moot point as to weather turning crude oil into a gas then turning that gas back into a liquid is actually creating a synthetic oil or not in comparrison to turning mined LPG or fracked Coal Seam gas into a liquid .
In fact they all are derived from similar geological deposits in the first place.

Normally crude is broken down as cheaply as possible into bulk derriatives that are not a single "pure" substance.
Bitumen contains thousands of different compounds as does petrol as does lubricating oil
In theory you can strip the oil down into all of the base molecules , then recombine them into the exact product that you want.
This is the definition of a semi - synthetic because everything it is made from was either a liquid or solid and not a gas.
THis is exactly what is done with corn & wheat to make the various corn & wheat based products and different types of flour.
Oils made this way are a lot more expensive than oils just refined from crude by removing the dissolved gasses and some of the impurities that are not wanted for the particular oil.
Easy to understand example
Heavy lubricating oil has sulphur added to it for extreme pressure resistance, so it would be counter productive to spend lots of time effort & money to remove the sulphur when you are going to add more .
Two stroke oil is burned fully or partially in the cylinder so for it you need to remove all of the sulphur .

I was wrong with regard to the cost of producing synthetics... in fact they are produced from additional processes to obtain so-called mineral oils (obtained in the first stratification of crude oil), so they add more value to their production and consequently higher final cost of the product.
A relatively easy-to-understand material can be viewed at: https://www.cyclon-lpc.com/en/how-are-lubricants-produced/

2-pack of racing oil.

Around here we use this oil as biodiesel, produced after being used in frying.
Much cheaper, less polluting and with the same efficiency as regular diesel.

You have to strip the fats out of the oil first or you will end up with serious pump problems, particularly on varying stroke length piston pumps.
The up side is the fats are really good feed for cows & horses .
And caster oil is what you use for racing on .
A few around here are trying canola as a two stroke oil and a lot have been using veggie oil as a chain bar lubricant.
However the latter case you run the risk of of a bio fire if you have a big pile of sawdust .

I do miss the smell of castor in my old Kaw 350 Big Horn.
Canola pretty much sucks as chain lube if you don't meticulously clean bar, chain and clutch area before storing saw as it turns rancid and gums it up.

This has already been resolved... here the normal diesel is added 12% biodiesel, a small part from reused frying oils and most produced from direct sources according to the region.
North: palm (dendê) and babassu;
South, Southeast and Midwest: soybeans, sunflowers and peanuts;
Northeast: castor bean
Gasoline also has an addition of 25 to 27% (depends on the type of gasoline), anhydrous ethanol, produced from sugar cane.
We also have pure anhydrous ethanol.
Here, passenger cars are produced to run on bi-fuel (gasoline or ethanol or any mixture of both) and we can even add a kit for CNG (petroleum gas), and the car is tri-fuel.
Vegetable oil as a lubricant here is only used in industrial environments

Bange said:

This has already been resolved... here the normal diesel is added 12% biodiesel, a small part from reused frying oils and most produced from direct sources according to the region.
North: palm (dendê) and babassu;
South, Southeast and Midwest: soybeans, sunflowers and peanuts;
Northeast: castor bean
Gasoline also has an addition of 25 to 27% (depends on the type of gasoline), anhydrous ethanol, produced from sugar cane.
We also have pure anhydrous ethanol.
Here, passenger cars are produced to run on bi-fuel (gasoline or ethanol or any mixture of both) and we can even add a kit for CNG (petroleum gas), and the car is tri-fuel.
Vegetable oil as a lubricant here is only used in industrial environments

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What gas station has soy bean fuel? Pure anhydrous ethanol? Castor bean 91 octane super gas?

I go to the pump and get regular plain old 87 octane fuel. All my hoopties start nearly on the first arm dislocation.

slomo

slomo said:

What gas station has soy bean fuel? Pure anhydrous ethanol? Castor bean 91 octane super gas?

I go to the pump and get regular plain old 87 octane fuel. All my hoopties start nearly on the first arm dislocation.

slomo

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I went to start the wood chipper yesterday to use it... hadn't started it since january...I get it set up and realize the fuel valve was still on... So i'm thinking "great, i'll have to strip the carb down and clean it or something"
It had half a tank of 87 octane+ Star Tron.... Switch on, check. Choke on, Check, FIRST pull it fired right up... not a surge or sputter out of it... Surprised me. I TURNED THE FUEL VALVE OFF, THIS TIME. cant believe i forgot to do it last.

I do absolutely nothing to my 36hp Ferris at the end of the season other than filling both tanks up with regular pump gas. No fuel shutoff. Sits for about 5 months and always starts right up for the first mow of the season.

Hammermechanicman said:

I do absolutely nothing to my 36hp Ferris at the end of the season other than filling both tanks up with regular pump gas. No fuel shutoff. Sits for about 5 months and always starts right up for the first mow of the season.

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i always worry more about water collecting down here...in the spring and summer air humidity levels are always north of 60%... usually around 70%

Scrubcadet10 said:

i always worry more about water collecting down here...in the spring and summer air humidity levels are always north of 60%... usually around 70%

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Not to mention huge temps swings on a daily basis. Could be 45 in the morning and 80 in the day. Keep the tanks full and treat as you like.

slomo