Which Oil Are You Running?

[Mad Mackie]

Usually Valvoline 30, sometimes Wolfs Head 30 and NAPA 20W-50 in the hydraulic systems as they stock it.
I'm probably going to change the Scag/Briggs to 5W-30 synthetic soon, but not sure!!
Mad Mackie in CT

 

[exotion]

some is quality, some are crap, an most of all personal preference :laughing:

This does not answer my question. What makes the crappy ones crappy? And the quality good? Different ingredients? The viscosity? The source?

 

[Kodie's Lawn Service]

Mainly what put is them when it come to them being crappy or them being good

 

[Mad Mackie]

All multi viscosity dino oils start out at the lower rating. Additives are what makes it multi viscosity. Not all additives are the same and vary widely in quality and cost which is reflected in the price that the consumer pays. Additives are also used in single viscosity oils and the same applies.
I stay away from store brands but I don't have any real basis for this. In a pinch I bought some Walmart 30 and it was a substandard product in my opinion although rated at SM per the label.
I don't use any Quaker State products, years back I had problems with QS and still haven't got over it!!!! HaHa!!!
Mad Mackie in CT

 

[Mad Mackie]

When I mowed commercially with two Onan powered Ingersoll GTs, I used Shell Rotella 15W40 in summer and Valvoline 5W30 in winter as I did snow removal. But now I don't have anything that can use Rotella 15W40, and everything except the Hustler can use 5W30 synthetic or 30 dino oil, so 30 Valvoline is what is in stock here at Mad Mackie's shop!!

 

[djdicetn]

I don't care much for the newer models of Briggs and Stratton engines(especially the Inteks), but I decided to use Briggs & Stratton SAE30 oil in my new Gravely that has the Kawasaki FX690V engine(I even asked the Gravely mechanic at my dealer and he gave me his blessing...and said that it definitely would not affect my engine warranty). Why B & S oil do you ask??? Well, my first lawn tractor a Lawn Chief from True Value with a 16hp B & S Vanguard got me in the habit(I used B & S oil and filters because they were readily available and not expensive...plus they were the same brand as the engine so I figured they would be fine). Well 20 years later that engine still ran like the day I brought it home and didn't use a drop of oil between seasonal changes!!!! My son retired the mower(deck falling to pieces, but engine still like new) and I gave him my 2006 Craftsman YS4500 that I bought when I gave my son the Lawn Chief in 2006. The Craftsman had a 24hp B & S Intek(I don't want to talk about the comparison of this engine to the Vanguard:0) Also used B & S SAE 30 in it for 7 years before buying my Gravely last fall and that engine also did not use a drop of oil between seasonal changes(that's about the only good thing I can say about the Intek engines:0)
Well......I think I answered your question about why I would use Briggs & Stratton SAE 30 oil in my brand new Kawasaki Commercial engine now didn't I???

 

[Mad Mackie]

Kawasaki does have their own small engine oil, but I've never seen it at any of the dealers that I frequent. I have no problem with Briggs engine oil other than the price which is $8.69/quart at local dealers and Walmart doesn't stock it any more and they were a little less expensive.
Lot of difference between Vanguards and Inteks/ELS engines. I repowered my Scag Tiger Cub this spring from a failing Briggs ELS to Commercial Turf Series and time will tell if it has more life than the Intek/ELS series engines. My Hustler has a Kawi FX730V and I had considered buying one of these engines to repower with but the cost to repower with the Kawi was $2,300 and the Briggs was $845 as I could use the same muffler, controls and battery cables from the ELS engine.
I'm going to check on line if I can buy case lots of the Briggs 30 engine oil, otherwise it will be Valvoline 30.
Mad Mackie in CT

 

[shurguywutt]

Honestly I don't really think it matters as long as you follow the viscosity rating and change it regularly.

I run Quakerstate Synthetic 10w-30 in my Honda mower, its reasonably priced and I change often.

 

[JSB33]

Honestly I don't really think it matters as long as you follow the viscosity rating and change it regularly.

I run Quakerstate Synthetic 10w-30 in my Honda mower, its reasonably priced and I change often.

How true, I will take clean (whatever the least liked brand of oil is) Vs dirty and worn out (whatever is the most favored brand is) oil any day of the week.
Willing to bet that quite a few brands of oil are made in the same refinery and just bottled with whatever brand the customer is asking for. Not so with the major ones like Valvoline or Quaker State but I am pretty sure that B&S or John Deere do not have their own oil divisions :smile:

I also use Quaker state Synthetic.

 

[Boudreaux]

Homeowner here,

For years I have operated all my vehicles ('00 Toyota Tacoma, '00 Avalon, '05 Yamaha Royal Star, '05 Gold Wing trike), and the mower ('98 John Deere 345) on Shell Rotella T Synthetic. In the Kubota L2900 I use the diesel version of Rotella. No oil issues what so ever.

So... I'm wondering how Rotella oil would work in the brand new Scag Cheetah Kawasaki FX921V (31 hp).

Until I'm sure that Rotella is fine, I picked up 4 quarts of Castrol 10w30 for it's first 50 hours or so.....

I know the Kawasaki manual indicates 10w30 and such oil may promote oil consumption (listing 100 hours between oil changes), and 30w is best to avoid this issue. But, I'm about to do my third cut of 3.5 acres, and it takes me under two hours for each of the first two cuts. I expect to see about 30-35 hours per cutting season.

In changing the oil every cutting season, I don't feel that I will see any oil consumption, unlike using multi weighted oils for 100 hour oil changes...!!!

Any thought....???