Change lawnmower oil at beginning or end of season?

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Is it good to run synthetic in your lawnmower?

I wonder if high octane gas would make a difference. :Q

Actually there's a lawnmower in the trash near my house. I was trying to think of a project for the motor.

I run 10w30 Syn oil in my riding mower. I change it at the start of every year and I have never had to add any, but I still check each time before I start.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Whats the harm of just leaving it empty over winter? I don't do that but I don't see much point in changing it at the end only to let it sit and do nothing and then change it again before using it.

 

[LTC8K6]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Whats the harm of just leaving it empty over winter? I don't do that but I don't see much point in changing it at the end only to let it sit and do nothing and then change it again before using it.

I don't think anyone suggested changing it twice. If it needs to be changed, it should be changed before it sits for 6 months, imo. Can't let the contaminated oil sit and stew, imo.

Leaving it empty means that someone is going to start it without oil in it.

Even if you tag it in big giant letters.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Is it good to run synthetic in your lawnmower?

I wonder if high octane gas would make a difference. :Q

Actually there's a lawnmower in the trash near my house. I was trying to think of a project for the motor.

I run 10w30 Syn oil in my riding mower. I change it at the start of every year and I have never had to add any, but I still check each time before I start.

Did you upgrade the air filter as well?

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Is it good to run synthetic in your lawnmower?

I wonder if high octane gas would make a difference. :Q

Actually there's a lawnmower in the trash near my house. I was trying to think of a project for the motor.

I run 10w30 Syn oil in my riding mower. I change it at the start of every year and I have never had to add any, but I still check each time before I start.

Did you upgrade the air filter as well?

Well duh. I got a ram-air K&N air intake system for it. Also got a flowmaster can exhust and put a couple 10" subs in the back.



Nope, still factory just dust it. Did add wheels to the deck and a front bumper.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Is it good to run synthetic in your lawnmower?

I wonder if high octane gas would make a difference. :Q

Actually there's a lawnmower in the trash near my house. I was trying to think of a project for the motor.

I run 10w30 Syn oil in my riding mower. I change it at the start of every year and I have never had to add any, but I still check each time before I start.

Did you upgrade the air filter as well?

Well duh. I got a ram-air K&N air intake system for it. Also got a flowmaster can exhust and put a couple 10" subs in the back.



Nope, still factory just dust it. Did add wheels to the deck and a front bumper.

See, with the K&N you could probably mow through 2' long grass like it was nothing. The thing wouldn't even get clogged. It would probably blast the cut grass right off your property so you would have nothing to clean up. :beer:

 

[eldorado99]

I changed the oil in my ride on 4 stroke 12HP maybe 2 times in the last 20 years, still works just fine.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: BUTCH1
Wow, shocked to see how many don't change their oil, these engines run hot and are asked to do a lot of work, I change mine 3 times a season and it pays, my $200 Murray 4.5HP Tecumseh still runs like a champ and it's 9 years old..

[/quote]

I've changed the oil in my push mower twice and I've had it for 14+ years. Walmart special for $99 with a Briggs 3.75HP engine. Never an issue.

 

[StageLeft]

Well there's no way I'm changing the oil twice/year on my $140 mower (just finishing season 6 on it now), especially since I have to lift it upside down. In my $650 snow blower, however, I may start doing this. Rteally, though, it doesn't get used a ton of times throughout the winter so the oil is still in pretty good shape after a season.

 

[boomerang]

I go by what the manufacturer recommends. If they say to change the oil after x hours of operation, then that's what I do.

The manufacturer of my lawn tractor wants the oil changed at a frequency that amounts to essentially once a season based on my mowing time and frequency. They want the oil filter changed every second oil change. I give it a treat and change it once a year.

It's a free country (so far ....) so everyone may do as they see fit.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Ideally both, but in my case I've always done it at the beginning so that I have fresh oil and not stuff that's been hanging around for a while. I don't know which is ideal, though if you can only do once.

Yep. I don't see the big deal about spending what, $5 to change the oil twice a year?

Maybe you could use a synthetic and just do it once a year. I don't think the time of year is going to matter; but really, why not just drain the oil out in the fall and put new oil in in the spring? It's not going to need oil in it while it sits idle is it?

More surfaces for rust to form on.

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: BUTCH1
Wow, shocked to see how many don't change their oil, these engines run hot and are asked to do a lot of work, I change mine 3 times a season and it pays, my $200 Murray 4.5HP Tecumseh still runs like a champ and it's 9 years old..

I've changed the oil in my push mower twice and I've had it for 14+ years. Walmart special for $99 with a Briggs 3.75HP engine. Never an issue.[/quote]

You got lucky, ignorance is not a virtue here, what does the owners manual suggest?.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Is it good to run synthetic in your lawnmower?

I wonder if high octane gas would make a difference. :Q

Actually there's a lawnmower in the trash near my house. I was trying to think of a project for the motor.

I put 93 octane in mine this summer, couldn't really tell a difference. The manual for mine says to use "at least" 87 so I was curious. I only use about a gallon a summer so it's not like I wasted a ton of money.

 

[LTC8K6]

http://www.briggsandstratton.c...ntenance/changing_oil/

For optimum performance, you should change the oil in your small engine after the first five hours of use and then annually, or every 50 hours of use (whichever comes first).

For Hondas it's the first 10 hours, then every 50, IIRC.