Small engine oil?

[Shawn T. W.]

Well my mower engine is $3500

Mines probably more than that!

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/my-big-lawn-mower.591750/

 

[Hoobie]

My John Deere lx 188 riding mower I bought in 1990. This is my 36th season.Used nothing but sae30 oil. Never had a motor issue and still works well. I mow an acre lawn.
Never had any other issue either except backing into it with the truck driving the hitch through the cowling.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

"small engine" to me ...means air cooled - up to two cylinders, and gasoline powered ...

My above pictured "Lawnmower" is 2.4L, 4 cylinder, diesel, so I don't really consider it a "small engine" ... Yes it's still very small compared to what I normally drive, a 6 cylinder 15L diesel, and even my 8 cylinder 5.7L gasser occasionally ...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I agree on the definition of a small engine. Sadly many are upward of $3500 today

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Wow, didn't know that ... But since you brought it up ... when I think about the $17K price tag on my Z-turn ... I'm sure Kawasaki is getting a part of that for the 31 HP engine in it!

This is my "Lawn Train"! Cuts, de-thatches, sweeps ... All at once ...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Wow, didn't know that ... But since you brought it up ... when I think about the $17K price tag on my Z-turn ... I'm sure Kawasaki is getting a part of that for the 31 HP engine in it!

This is my "Lawn Train"! Cuts, de-thatches, sweeps ... All at once ...

View attachment 5357642

Yup. Commercial ZTR engines are that pricey

 

[Shawn T. W.]

To be honest, I was thinking of the pump I had just changed the oil on yesterday morning ... I think I paid $800 two years ago for the whole thing, and it's there pro model with three times the warranty as there standard model ... IIRC it's a Subaru engine ... I'm not home anymore more, so can't check ...

 

[4x4moses]

Not another oil thread! I did a search and didn’t see it addressed. What do people do for small engine oil? It used to be straight 30 weight was called for but that seems outdated these days. I found some small engine 10w-30 Walmart branded oil and bought a couple of quarts. Is just regular synthetic 10w-30 ok, that seems like what I’ll probably start using.

Edit, the stuff I got at Walmart is straight 30 weight.

My Hustler zero-turn (Kawasaki engine), and Wallenstein generator (Honda engine), both recommend 10w30 in most climates. 30HD is approved for warm climates (I'm in the DEEP south). My Hustler dealer recommends 30 weight. So that's what I use.

 

[Soloz2]

I’ve got some kohler 10w-30 for my small engines I use, but my Ferris has a Briggs that specs 15w-50 or something like that and based on what I’ve read using the thicker oil does mean less risk of damage at high temps so that’s what I use in my lawn mower.