Tag: what oil to use in my mower

Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

What Kind of Oil Do I Use In My Push Mower?

It all comes down to what the engine manufacturer recommends for your particular engine. There are not a lot of wide variations of engine oil recommendations but they do vary with American and Japanese manufacturers.

For example, American engine manufactures normally call for a straight 30 weight conventional motor oil. Conventional means organic or just plain old motor oil. After the first break in oil has been changed, you can switch over to synthetic oil if it is a newer small engine. Older small engines such as Tecumseh or Kohler may smoke if you put synthetic oil in them.

Japanese engine manufactures take a different approach and normally use 10W30 conventional motor oil. This oil provides a greater temperature range to protect your engine. You can also switch to synthetic motor oil after the 25 hour break in time for your engine.

Motor oil brands are a matter of choice for you as the end user. It comes down a preference on price and the trust that you have in the manufacturer. I am a fan of Castrol, but it merely is my personal preference. Choose the brand that you feel is best for you.

Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair, Riding Lawn Mower Repair, Zero Turn Lawn Mower Repair

What Type of Oil Should I use in My Lawn Mower?

Oil is the lifeblood of any engine and an oil change is the most important thing to do for your lawn mower.

You always want to use the type and viscosity of oil that the engine manufacturer recommends and this information can be found in the engine owner’s manual. But, you do not always have one of these if you purchased the lawn mower secondhand.

As a general rule, most small engines use SAE30 conventional motor oil. Conventional means that it is made from crude oil. Synthetic oils use different chemicals to create these lubricants.

More recently, engine makers have been moving to 10W30 engine oils. Honda is one of those companies that requires it in most of their lawn mowers.

Synthetic oils are far superior than conventional motor oils and once the engine has had its first required oil change, it is fine to switch it over to synthetics. Synthetic oils do not create sludge, have better lubricating properties and provide less friction for your engine. They are more expensive, but that added expense is worth the price of protecting your lawn mowers engine.

If you need help changing your lawn mowers engine and don’t want to tackle that job, visit our Locations page for a shop near you.