What should oil look like when it is due for a change ?

[Ric]

Should it be really dark, like dirty car oil (almost pitch black), or just a bit streaky with brown/black ?

Thanks in advance.

What oil looks like when it's due to be changed depends on how much the mower is being used and the conditions it's being used in. If the mower is being used in extremely dusty conditions you'll need to change more often.

You can change your oil once a month and have it be almost pitch black regardless of the type of oil you use, regular or synthetic oil it doesn't matter.

Someone asked How many hours do you typically put on your mower per season? If you're a person who typically mows once a week for an hour to an hour and a half then changing your oil once a year would be fine.

 

[Black Bart]

What oil looks like when it's due to be changed depends on how much the mower is being used and the conditions it's being used in. If the mower is being used in extremely dusty conditions you'll need to change more often.

You can change your oil once a month and have it be almost pitch black regardless of the type of oil you use, regular or synthetic oil it doesn't matter.

Someone asked How many hours do you typically put on your mower per season? If you're a person who typically mows once a week for an hour to an hour and a half then changing your oil once a year would be fine.

Really How would you explain the fact that after mowing all season my oil is so clear you can't see it on the stick.

Not only will different oils look different but the same oil in different engines will look different

Some engine have less blow-bye and not all oils have the same add-pack you can prove that by a TBN count on a virgin sample of different oils.

 

[Ric]

Really How would you explain the fact that after mowing all season my oil is so clear you can't see it on the stick.

Not only will different oils look different but the same oil in different engines will look different

Some engine have less blow-bye and not all oils have the same add-pack you can prove that by a TBN count on a virgin sample of different oils.

Yes you can mow all season and your oil can be so clear you can't see it on the stick if you only mow once a week or four hours a month but if you're mowing everyday and put fifty hours a month on your mower, guess what it's going to turn black. I've used Regular oil and synthetic oil both and it doesn't matter.

At the present time I run a Honda, Kawasaki and two Kohler engines in the business and I use Mobil and have used Mobil 1 synthetic oil both and I change every 25 hrs.
I've also run B&S Onan and Generac engines when I worked for the county and every oil change I have ever done (50hrs with the cheapest crap the county could find) regardless of oil type has always been black as coal so I really don't see where engine type will make a difference.

That's why I said when it's due to be changed depends on how much the mower is being used and the conditions it's being used in, not the color of the oil.

 

[Black Bart]

Yes you can mow all season and your oil can be so clear you can't see it on the stick if you only mow once a week or four hours a month but if you're mowing everyday and put fifty hours a month on your mower, guess what it's going to turn black. I've used Regular oil and synthetic oil both and it doesn't matter.

At the present time I run a Honda, Kawasaki and two Kohler engines in the business and I use Mobil and have used Mobil 1 synthetic oil both and I change every 25 hrs.
I've also run B&S Onan and Generac engines when I worked for the county and every oil change I have ever done (50hrs with the cheapest crap the county could find) regardless of oil type has always been black as coal so I really don't see where engine type will make a difference.

That's why I said when it's due to be changed depends on how much the mower is being used and the conditions it's being used in, not the color of the oil.

I don't know where you got your degree as a Tribologist but you must have been sleeping through most of the course.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[reynoldston]

I change mine every 100hrs or once a year. That is my own equipment. The repairs that I have coming in it just seems the person with oil problems is the one that try run run with no oil in the engine. Now when it lets loose they fill it with fresh oil and tell me how well they change the oil. I agree with them but know better. I think A lot of home owner just don't change oil but never have a problem as long as they keep adding. Is this a good thing to do NO. As said earlier I don't think the average home owner doesn't puts that many hours a year on their mower and that is why they can get away with it for years. Now when it starts to smoke and give them headaches they just buy another new cheap mower and start the cycle over again.