The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

I feel that the Full-Synthetic With "MaxLife" Technology (or) a Similar Synthetic is the ONLY Logical Choice for "4-Cycle" push mower engines.
The Reason I feel this way: Is because it says on the bottle that it's made for older engines with running temps over 400ºF.
And Because Push Mower Engines are air-cooled and don't have radiators they typically run a tad hotter then car engines anyway
between 220ºF and 250ºF on average give or take a little. Most Mower Manufactures Recommend a SAE-30;
However My Briggs And Stratton Engine allows me to use a Synthetic 5W-30 (i.e. small engine manufactures vary)

So I plan to always use Valvoline High Mileage Full-Synthetic Max Life 5W-30 in my personal mower because it allows for it.

Lastly;

Most Full-Synthetic Motor Oils are said to be capable of protecting an engine “at well over 400ºF" degrees;
However; in the real world, most Nascar Teams and other Motor-Sports Racers have
NO problem running Full-Synthetic Oil's up to 290ºF degrees under prolonged Track Use;
However they do tend to get really Jumpy... When a Conventional exceeds 270ºF.

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

Whatever ya run, I'd stay away from hi-mileage oils. They have additives to swell oil seals & after time the seals can become brittle & leak.

Sounds like you have a newer push mow.

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

If it makes you feel good, then do it.
There is little advantage in using a synthetic oil in most mowers with a carb on them.
EFI is a bit different.
just remember what gets used in a race car on a race track where it gets changed at the end of every track day if not every race might not be what an air cooled engine that sits for 4 months a year actually needs .
While overall oil temperature stability is important, being able to withstand very short term exposure to very high temperatures is more important still.
As is overall performance over a wide range of operating temperature.
In a car, even a top fuel NASCAR drag racer, the engine temperature is controlled by the water jacket and remains very constant.
In an air cooled mower engine temperatures are all over the kitchen.
And lastly, what MEN in particularly seem to forget.
Its only a bloody lawnmower, built to lawnmower specifications & internal clearences.

OTOH it is YOUR lawnmower so if it makes you feel good then do it.


Why do I feel it is a waste of time & money ?
All the mowers I service that get an oil change once every blue moon and come in with oil that thick I have to dilute it to drain it out then go on and do another 500 trouble free hours before I put my hands on them again on a belly full of SAE 30

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

bertsmobile1 said:

Why do I feel it is a waste of time & money ?
All the mowers I service that get an oil change once every blue moon and come in with oil that thick I have to dilute it to drain it out then go on and do another 500 trouble free hours before I put my hands on them again on a belly full of SAE 30

Click to expand...

bertsmobile1; isn't it true that Synthetic's Hold-up longer in the heat?

I have also read that Most Race Drivers have NO problem running
Full-Synthetic Oil up to 290ºF degrees under prolonged Track Use;
However they do tend to get really Jumpy... When a Conventional exceeds 270ºF.

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

I have also read that Most Race Drivers have NO problem running
Full-Synthetic Oil up to 290ºF degrees under prolonged Track Use;
However they do tend to get really Jumpy... When a Conventional exceeds 270ºF.

Click to expand...

I am really tempted to quote from "a Fish Called Wanda" about monkeys reading philosophy.
But I will put it this way.
There are fully synthetic oils that have been developed for lawn mower use.
There are fully synthetic oils that have been developed for NASCAR use.

Which bit of NASCAR technology is relevant to lawnmowers and why is it relevant ?

How do "extra miles" equate to operating hours ?
What are the operating temperatures inside your engine , any idea?
Where were the operating temperatures of 290 F measured ?
In the sump, in the head , around the red hot exhaust valve ?

Race car drivers run on slick tyres, does that mean you should go and grind the tread off your car tyres to make it handle better ?

In a mower engine if a conventional oil ever gets to the thermal break down temperature then the engine is already trashed so what advantage do you gain from having an oil in there that can go 10% higher ?
The only time conventional oils usually go beyond their temperature limit is when there is not enough oil in there and again the engine will be trashed.

There is one and only one advantage to running a synthetic in a mower.
Synthetics have a lower viscious friction so at cranking speeds will offer slightly ( and I mean very slightly ) lower resistance to cranking so an engine with 20 times the valve lash it should have and thus no decompression, might just spin fast enough to start.

To gain the advantages that synthetic oils can offer, and I will not arge that they do offer advantages,
THE ENGINE HAS TO BE DESIGNED TO USE THEM
Otherwise you are wasting money.
I would liken it to your buying a pair of $ 3000 state of the art running shoes in a size too big for your feet then expecting them to propel you to a victory in the Boston Marathon.
Further more at $ 5 a time very few care how often they change their oils so mid season at the recommended hours then at the end of season, only at 1/3 the hours, no problems.
But when the oil is $ 20 and supposed to last 3 times as long no one wants to change it at the most important time.
Before the engine is laid up over winter.
Synthetic or non synthetic, sitting in the sump for 4 months going nowhere and gravity will do its dirty work and deposit all of the heavy nasties that were suspended in the oil into the lower bush and all of the lighter acidic nasties will float to the top doing their best to turn your engine into scrap metal.
This efect is worse in synthetics than std oils because they are freer draining

But again, it is a free world and if it makes you feel good having NASCAR grade oil in your mower, buy a bottle, shove it in get a sticker for the side and feel good about it.

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

bertsmobile1 said:

THE ENGINE HAS TO BE DESIGNED TO USE THEM
Otherwise you are wasting money.

Click to expand...

Briggs and Stratton Engine owner asked:

“Should I use synthetic or conventional (regular) oil in my 4-Cycle Briggs & Stratton Engine?

Brigg and Stratton Answered:

Our engines are designed to run on conventional oil, full synthetic, or synthetic blends. It’s an owner’s personal decision if the extra cost is worth the additional benefits synthetic oils offer. When a customer calls the Answer Center, we recommend the synthetic as it offers the premium protections we talked about earlier.

My Source: http://blog.briggsandstratton.com/s...oil-what-do-i-use-in-my-small-4-cycle-engine/

Bertsmobile1; So there you have it; since the engine on my mower is a Briggs and Stratton it is capable of and designed to run on Synthetic!

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

bertsmobile1 said:

THE ENGINE HAS TO BE DESIGNED TO USE THEM
Otherwise you are wasting money.

Click to expand...

Briggs and Stratton Engine owner asked:

“Should I use synthetic or conventional (regular) oil in my 4-Cycle Briggs & Stratton Engine?

Brigg and Stratton Answered:

Our engines are designed to run on conventional oil, full synthetic, or synthetic blends.
It’s an owner’s personal decision if the extra cost is worth the additional benefits synthetic oils offer.
When a customer calls the Answer Center, we recommend the synthetic as it offers the premium protections we talked about earlier.

My Source: http://blog.briggsandstratton.com/s...oil-what-do-i-use-in-my-small-4-cycle-engine/

Bertsmobile1; So there you have it; since the engine on my mower is a Briggs and Stratton it is capable of and designed to run on Synthetic!

and they also provide this chart
with the stipulations that
1.) Running an 10w-30 in outside temps over 80ºF may cause increased oil consumption
2.) Running an SAE-30 in Temps below 40ºF may cause hard starting.
This is why I chose to go with the Synthetic 5w-30 of the options recommended in the Manual

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

bertsmobile1 said:

THE ENGINE HAS TO BE DESIGNED TO USE THEM
Otherwise you are wasting money.

Click to expand...

Briggs and Stratton Engine owner asked:

“Should I use synthetic or conventional (regular) oil in my 4-Cycle Briggs & Stratton Engine?

Brigg and Stratton Answered:

Our engines are designed to run on conventional oil, full synthetic, or synthetic blends.
It’s an owner’s personal decision if the extra cost is worth the additional benefits synthetic oils offer.
When a customer calls the Answer Center, we recommend the synthetic as it offers the premium protections we talked about earlier.

My Source: http://blog.briggsandstratton.com/s...oil-what-do-i-use-in-my-small-4-cycle-engine/

Bertsmobile1; So there you have it; since the engine on my mower is a Briggs and Stratton it is capable of and designed to run on Synthetic!

and they also provide this chart
with the stipulations that
1.) Running an 10w-30 in outside temps over 80ºF may cause increased oil consumption
2.) Running an SAE-30 in Temps below 40ºF may cause hard starting.
This is why I chose to go with the Synthetic 5w-30 of the options recommended in the Manual
and I figure since Valvoline Full-Synthetic meets the Latest "SN" oil Standard; it should be good enough for my mower.

View attachment 30407

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

Quite simply put full synthetic is the best oil out there.

I run it in everything except 2-cyclers and boat engines, same grade too.
One oil for all 4-cyclers, simplifies life a lot.

In my case it happens to be 5w-20.
I put it in my car, truck, motorcycle, mowers, push blower, aerator, tiller, you name it.
Been doing it for a good many years.

Re: The Reason I think Synthetic Oil is Best for 4-Cycle Mower Engines. "Who Agrees?"

bertsmobile1 said:

THE ENGINE HAS TO BE DESIGNED TO USE THEM
Otherwise you are wasting money.

Click to expand...

Briggs and Stratton Engine owner asked:

“Should I use synthetic or conventional (regular) oil in my 4-Cycle Briggs & Stratton Engine?

Brigg and Stratton Answered:

Our engines are designed to run on conventional oil, full synthetic, or synthetic blends.
It’s an owner’s personal decision if the extra cost is worth the additional benefits synthetic oils offer.
When a customer calls the Answer Center, we recommend the synthetic as it offers the premium protections we talked about earlier.

My Source: http://blog.briggsandstratton.com/s...oil-what-do-i-use-in-my-small-4-cycle-engine/

Bertsmobile1; So there you have it; since the engine on my mower is a Briggs and Stratton it is capable of and designed to run on Synthetic!

and they also provide this chart:
with the stipulations that
1.) Running an 10w-30 in outside temps over 80ºF may cause increased oil consumption
2.) Running an SAE-30 in Temps below 40ºF may cause hard starting.
This is why I chose to go with the Synthetic 5w-30 of the options recommended in the Manual
and I figure since Valvoline Full-Synthetic meets the Latest "SN" oil Standard; it should be good enough for my mower.

View attachment 30407