Hours between oil changes

djdicetn

djdicetn

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Ric said:
As much of a believer as you are in synthetic, I'm just the opposite. I see no advantage to running synthetic. If synthetic oil is called for in a car or a mower engine the manufacturer would say so and not list it as an alternative. People go out and spend from $7 to $11 a quart for the stuff depending what you buy and believe me that's great if you want to spend that much money to make yourself feel good, but if you change oil as often as I do, in five different mowers you'd change your tune in a hurry. I mean really 26 plus dollars a change for each or both my ZTR's every three weeks or fifty hours can get rather expensive when you consider it cost me less than $12 with a filter now. View attachment 17321
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That's another reason(price) that I've never been convinced of the benefits of synthetics(aside from the fact that I have a Chevy Silverado that has 135K miles on the original 350 V8 using regular ole Penzoil and still it's oil consumption is negligible). With my retirement looming, I wouldn't be able to justify the cost of synthetic on a fixed income(of course in reality I've ALWAYS been on a fixed income, just a little more each month:0)
And, the argument of only changing the oil "once a year" with synthetic just won't get it with me....I'm just too "old school" for automotive applications(dirty oil is dirty oil:0) and religiously put fresh oil and new filter every 3,000 miles(even though Ford recommended every 5,000 on the 2001 Lincoln LS I bought my wife). Again, regular Penzoil and with 135k+ miles on it the oil level doesn't drop ANY between oil changes. If it ain't broke.....I'm not gonna fix it:0)
 
M

Mad Mackie

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To my knowledge, Briggs & Stratton is the only small engine manufacturer that recommends synthetic engine oil in some of their engines. I use B&S 30 weight oil in my Briggs powered Scag, 5W30 synthetic in my Vanguard powered Ingersoll GT, mostly winter use. I use Kawasaki 30 weight in my Kawasaki powered Hustler X-ONE.
Having found some info about the differences in synthetic engine oils between manufacturers, I've decided to use quality fossil oil in my summer use machines and should an engine warranty situation arise, I have the records of what the oil, filters, and change intervals are.
Mad Mackie in CT
Retired aircraft mech!!
 
MBDiagMan

MBDiagMan

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Mad Mackie said:
To my knowledge, Briggs & Stratton is the only small engine manufacturer that recommends synthetic engine oil in some of their engines. I use B&S 30 weight oil in my Briggs powered Scag, 5W30 synthetic in my Vanguard powered Ingersoll GT, mostly winter use. I use Kawasaki 30 weight in my Kawasaki powered Hustler X-ONE.
Having found some info about the differences in synthetic engine oils between manufacturers, I've decided to use quality fossil oil in my summer use machines and should an engine warranty situation arise, I have the records of what the oil, filters, and change intervals are.
Mad Mackie in CT
Retired aircraft mech!!
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I lifted the text below from the Kohler owner manual. It is in Kohlers best interest to push the sale of their own oil.

"We recommend use of Kohler oils for best
performance. Other high-quality detergent
oils (including synthetic) of API (American
Petroleum Institute) service class SJ or higher
are acceptable. Select viscosity based on air
temperature at time of operation as shown in
table below."

The important thing for everyone is to use what they see fit. The good news is that most all modern premium oils are very good. It's tough to go wrong.

I am of the belief that synthetic has a higher useful temperature. Right or wrong, this is why I choose synthetic. Changing two quarts every 50 hours costs about $8 or so more money with synthetic. As expen$ive as small engines are these days, I am perfectly willing to lay out a few extra bucks for what I feel is the best insurance.

Larry
 
djdicetn

djdicetn

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MBDiagMan said:
I lifted the text below from the Kohler owner manual. It is in Kohlers best interest to push the sale of their own oil.

"We recommend use of Kohler oils for best
performance. Other high-quality detergent
oils (including synthetic) of API (American
Petroleum Institute) service class SJ or higher
are acceptable. Select viscosity based on air
temperature at time of operation as shown in
table below."

The important thing for everyone is to use what they see fit. The good news is that most all modern premium oils are very good. It's tough to go wrong.

I am of the belief that synthetic has a higher useful temperature. Right or wrong, this is why I choose synthetic. Changing two quarts every 50 hours costs about $8 or so more money with synthetic. As expen$ive as small engines are these days, I am perfectly willing to lay out a few extra bucks for what I feel is the best insurance.

Larry
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You're right it's all about what gives each individual that warm & fuzzy feeling and in our effort to avoid a "contentious thread"........maybe we just need to address the OP's question with a simple "change your oil of choice every 50 hours":0)
 
Ric

Ric

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djdicetn said:
You're right it's all about what gives each individual that warm & fuzzy feeling and in our effort to avoid a "contentious thread"........maybe we just need to address the OP's question with a simple "change your oil of choice every 50 hours":0)
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I agree with you djdicetn use what you want and I think I as much as said that in my last post when I said believe me that's great if you want to spend that much money to make yourself feel good. The side note in the manual about ( synthetic oil) is what made a believer out of me that and my Kohler single. Any way I have nothing more to add to the subject :thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
M

Mad Mackie

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MBDiagMan said:
I lifted the text below from the Kohler owner manual. It is in Kohlers best interest to push the sale of their own oil.

"We recommend use of Kohler oils for best
performance. Other high-quality detergent
oils (including synthetic) of API (American
Petroleum Institute) service class SJ or higher
are acceptable. Select viscosity based on air
temperature at time of operation as shown in
table below."

The important thing for everyone is to use what they see fit. The good news is that most all modern premium oils are very good. It's tough to go wrong.

I am of the belief that synthetic has a higher useful temperature. Right or wrong, this is why I choose synthetic. Changing two quarts every 50 hours costs about $8 or so more money with synthetic. As expen$ive as small engines are these days, I am perfectly willing to lay out a few extra bucks for what I feel is the best insurance.

Larry
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Hi Larry,
I just looked at the Kohler website and you are correct. Kohler has updated their website as it has changed and is easy to navigate and indicates that synthetic engine oils are acceptable. Been about 5 years or more since I had reason to go to the Kohler website.
I soloed in a Cessna 140A in the late 50s. Got my draft notice in 1961 and volunteered for the US Navy Submarine Service and flying was over until I took a tour with the US Army in 1980 and got involved in aviation, stayed until 1994. I was part owner of a 1978 Cessna 172/Penn Yan Conversion, big engine, constant speed prop, droop wingtips, new avionics, nice aircraft!!!:thumbsup:
Mad Mackie in CT
Retired A&P Mech
 
MBDiagMan

MBDiagMan

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I thought that I wanted the metal wing 140A version when I was looking for mine, but as it turned out with synthetic fabric being so long lived, I'm glad I have a rag wing now. She's like me and has been gaining weight ever since 1948, so any weight savings is welcome. Mine has an O200, a custom IR panel and many other modifications that have decreased my useful load, so I'm glad it was never metalized. The 140A is the only metallized wing I would want because they increased the gross weight number with that model.

A few pics:
 

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M

Mad Mackie

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Hi Larry,
Nice looking bird, very impressive panel!!!
After the conversion of my 172 it was called a Super Hawk. Lycoming 0-360 and constant speed prop increased performance greatly. I was one of four owners and the only A&P so I was able to save the group some maintenance money. The aircraft was originally located in SE Connecticut, but was moved to several western CT airports and then to New Jersey to a flight school and I wasn't happy with that so I sold my share. It eventually ended up with one owner who sold it to a European buyer in 1995 for big bucks!!!
I initially wanted the group to buy a 182, wider in the front seats, but they didn't like the thought of the maintenance costs. However the cost of the conversion and added maintenance costs made a 182 look very good. I have looked around for some pics but I must have misplaced them, it was white with curved blue feature stripes, tinted windows, wheel pants.
Mad Mackie in CT
 
BWH

BWH

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Ric said:
Change your oil and filter every fifty hours or If you are working in a dusty/dirty environment more often. I'd go with what the manual and the manufacturer says to run. Most all the manufacturers call or recommend a detergent oil of SG, SH, SJ or SL for oil type, not a synthetic. I don't think I've ever seen a manual that recommended synthetic oil for a mower. View attachment 17317
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The Briggs & Stratton manual that come with my 1992 Grasshopper 612 does have a synthetic or detergent oil listed in its recomendations. I run the first two oil changes with detergent oil then due to cold starts I switched to synthetic never changing back. At this point I have just short of 2000 hours and have never had it opened up plus it stills pulls the 48 inch deck around without laboring the engine at all nor does it use any oil between changes (20 hour intervals)
 
djdicetn

djdicetn

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BWH said:
The Briggs & Stratton manual that come with my 1992 Grasshopper 612 does have a synthetic or detergent oil listed in its recomendations. I run the first two oil changes with detergent oil then due to cold starts I switched to synthetic never changing back. At this point I have just short of 2000 hours and have never had it opened up plus it stills pulls the 48 inch deck around without laboring the engine at all nor does it use any oil between changes (20 hour intervals)
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Wow, you must have a real nice customer base and lawn service income cash flow to afford synthetic oil & filter changes every 20 hours(for most commercial guys that would easily be a weekly expense).
 
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