Change lawnmower oil at beginning or end of season?

[Howard]

Storage will be outside over the winter (covered, of course). It's a 4-stroke.

 

[jlee]

I would say the beginning of season - any collected moisture/etc would get drained out and replaced with fresh oil. I'm not a pro, though - but it's what I do with my car & will do with my bike.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

If you replace it at the end of the season it is just going to sit for months doing nothing...

 

[boomerang]

The combustion process creates compounds that are essentially acids. These get into the oil as the season progresses. If you change the oil at the end of the season, you greatly dilute those acids. There is far less eating away of bearings, etc.

The moisture argument is a valid one IMO. Condensation is the enemy there. But, my thinking has always been that there is little air movement through the crankcase when the engine is not running. I've never pulled a rusty dipstick in the spring.

 

[StageLeft]

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.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: boomerang
The combustion process creates compounds that are essentially acids. These get into the oil as the season progresses. If you change the oil at the end of the season, you greatly dilute those acids. There is far less eating away of bearings, etc.

The moisture argument is a valid one IMO. Condensation is the enemy there. But, my thinking has always been that there is little air movement through the crankcase when the engine is not running. I've never pulled a rusty dipstick in the spring.

this, you want to get the used oil out and not leave it sit.

 

[slag]

I never ever ever change the oil in my push lawnmowers..

Then again, I use 2 stroke lawnboys so neener neener!!!

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: slag
I never ever ever change the oil in my push lawnmowers..

Then again, I use 2 stroke lawnboys so neener neener!!!

You change your oil after every fillup.

 

[Demo24]

I think I typically just drain the oil after the last mow and let it sit until spring when I add fresh oil.

 

[MustISO]

I don't think I've changed my LM oil for a few years. I really should, at this point it probably doesn't look too good.

 

[MovingTarget]

I don't think I've ever changed the oil in my lawnmowers, but I probably should.

This situation usually isn't a problem for me as I live on the coast, so we don't have grass "seasons". We still cut the grass in the winter, just much less frequently...

 

[Kaervak]

Change it out at the beginning and end of season. Oil is cheap.

 

[Gillbot]

My old push mower never got an oil change. My new one gets it changed every other year.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Kaervak
Change it out at the beginning and end of season. Oil is cheap.

I know, but I hate getting rid of the stuff...

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: XZeroII

Originally posted by: slag
I never ever ever change the oil in my push lawnmowers..

Then again, I use 2 stroke lawnboys so neener neener!!!

You change your oil after every fillup.

nope, I never change it.. I consume it in the mower.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Kaervak
Change it out at the beginning and end of season. Oil is cheap.

I know, but I hate getting rid of the stuff...

I used to gather mine, pour it through a fine filter media and run it in my beater car. It disposed of it for me into the air via smoke, LOL! Sadly, my oil recycling car is gone so now I have to find a recycling place.

 

[Kaervak]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Kaervak
Change it out at the beginning and end of season. Oil is cheap.

I know, but I hate getting rid of the stuff...

It's not that bad, parts stores will recycle it for free. Or if you have a regular hazardous waste collection, they'll take it.

 

[waffleironhead]

Originally posted by: Gillbot

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Kaervak
Change it out at the beginning and end of season. Oil is cheap.

I know, but I hate getting rid of the stuff...

I used to gather mine, pour it through a fine filter media and run it in my beater car. It disposed of it for me into the air via smoke, LOL! Sadly, my oil recycling car is gone so now I have to find a recycling place.

just find someone with a 1.9l saturn. They could use the oil.

 

[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..

 

[brblx]

i rarely change the oil in mine.i'd worry about it more, but usually the engine outlasts the rest of the mower.

 

[LTC8K6]

The last 3 mowers I bought, one for home and 2 for work, all said to change the oil after the first 5 hours of operation, and then follow the regular schedule in the manual. This was on a tag attached to the engine on all three.

It doesn't make sense to let the old oil sit in the crankcase over the winter. We change it each year end.

We use stabil as well, and we run the engines once in a while in the winter.

 

[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.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Gillbot

Originally posted by: boomerang
The combustion process creates compounds that are essentially acids. These get into the oil as the season progresses. If you change the oil at the end of the season, you greatly dilute those acids. There is far less eating away of bearings, etc.

The moisture argument is a valid one IMO. Condensation is the enemy there. But, my thinking has always been that there is little air movement through the crankcase when the engine is not running. I've never pulled a rusty dipstick in the spring.

this, you want to get the used oil out and not leave it sit.

I 3rd this.

*EDIT* By the way, condensation is not a problem in brand new oil. The first time you run it in the spring it'll evaporate with in a few minutes. Letting contaminated oil sit in the engine for 4-5 months out of the year will do more damage than a little condensation in the oil the first time you use it.

 

[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?

 

[boomerang]

The quick oil change places will take used oil here. When we had just a Pennzoil, they'd charge to take it. $.50 a gallon. Now that there is a Valvoline across the street from them, it's free. I don't know how this small town supports two quick oil change stores. The bays in both are near empty whenever I drive by.

For those of you that leave your mower devoid of oil in the off season, do you tie a tag on it saying their's no oil in it, or do you rely on memory? I can foresee some members of the household not checking the oil level in the spring.