ENGINE OIL

[Ric]

The big benefit is the oil doesn't have to be changed as often with synthetic. My large the mower takes only 1 and haft quarts of oil and the small engines take only 1/2 quart. Not a very big expense as I see it so why not use the best. No one agrees on oil so as I see it you can put last nights recycled beer in your mower for oil for all I care but I will keep using Ams oil myself. :confused2:

Here's part of an article below about synthetic oils. I've owned a lot of different mowers and every manual has said yes you can use a synthetic but not one manual has ever said that doing so you could extend changes in fact they warn against it and specifically not to do that.

Increasing the oil change intervals for your mower when using a Synthetic oil is a misconception. There are automotive oils out there that are Synthetic. These go through even more processing than a regular multi-weight and are even more expensive. Their advantage in automobiles is to provide even better protection across an even wider operating range than a standard multi-weight does. Often these oils boast longer intervals between oil changes to offset some of their cost.

Synthetic oils will work in your riding lawn mower and generally increase oil consumption less than a regular multi-weight does. However, the conditions where Synthetic oils claim to add protection, and therefore increase oil change intervals, are not typically present on a riding mower. So Briggs & Stratton do not recommend increasing the oil change intervals for your mower when using a Synthetic oil. And, once again, you will spend more to gain features that your riding lawn mower simply will not need under normal operating conditions.

 

[reynoldston]

Two places I don't use synthetic oil, my camp mowers and customer jobs. The reason I use standard oil at camp is the ease of buying it. Everything else I use Ams oil, motorcycles, scooters, ATV's, cars, mowers. Everything I use Ams oil in is very clean and I don't have any oil consumption or leaks. Yes back in the 50's when I first started in the mechanic trade it was standard practice to change oil often, 1000 miles for a car. Times have changed 20,000 mile oil change for cars and 100 hours oil change for small engines. On top of it newer engines run much cleaner and a lot more miles or hours. Back in the early part of my trade we did a lot of major engine work and 100,000 miles a car was worn out, the newer cars is just getting broken in in that many miles. If anybody just wants to keep thinking 1950s about lubrications just do so, no harm. Also I can recall in my earlier days when synthetic oil first came out they had a lot of problems with it, that was then not now.

 

[X-man]

The big benefit is the oil doesn't have to be changed as often with synthetic...

Not exactly true.

One of oil's main jobs is to keep the engine clean. The reason why we change the oil is so we can get all the junk out and replace it with new oil to, again, keep the engine clean.

Good motor oil should start getting black around the first 500 miles (in terms of cars).

With that said, synthetic oil should have the same amount of dirt as regular oil after 3000 miles of use. Which, in turn, means that you should change it just as often as regular oil.

 

[Ric]

Not exactly true.

One of oil's main jobs is to keep the engine clean. The reason why we change the oil is so we can get all the junk out and replace it with new oil to, again, keep the engine clean.

Good motor oil should start getting black around the first 500 miles (in terms of cars).

With that said, synthetic oil should have the same amount of dirt as regular oil after 3000 miles of use. Which, in turn, means that you should change it just as often as regular oil.

Exactly the point I've been trying to make, and because of the dirty dusty conditions we run a mower in your oil needs to be change every 50 hours with a filter. Using a synthetics and changing oil the way you need too you will spend more money to gain features that your riding lawn mower simply will not need under normal operating conditions.

 

[reynoldston]

Not exactly true.

One of oil's main jobs is to keep the engine clean. The reason why we change the oil is so we can get all the junk out and replace it with new oil to, again, keep the engine clean.

Good motor oil should start getting black around the first 500 miles (in terms of cars).

With that said, synthetic oil should have the same amount of dirt as regular oil after 3000 miles of use. Which, in turn, means that you should change it just as often as regular oil.

That is the oil filters job not the oil. We don't agree on oil and no matter what we wouldn't change our thought on it. So you change your oil at 3000 miles and I will change mine at 20,000 miles as Ams oil recommends.

 

[Derson59]

The oil you use should be based on what type of conditions you mow/drive in. And yes oil does lubricate and clean and protect the engine no matter what type of oil you use. The oil filter cleans the debris out of the oil. All oil breaks down and looses it viscosity. Can we all agree on that?

 

[X-man]

That is the oil filters job not the oil. We don't agree on oil and no matter what we wouldn't change our thought on it. So you change your oil at 3000 miles and I will change mine at 20,000 miles as Ams oil recommends.

The oil filter cleans the debris out of the oil, the oil cleans & lubricates the engine.

If your oil isn't black after 5000 miles, your oil isn't doing a very good job at cleaning the engine.

 

[exotion]

No kidding I would be scared if my oil wasn't dark after 3000... At 5000 I would investigate. Anyone who waits 20000 miles is asking for trouble....

 

[Ric]

No kidding I would be scared if my oil wasn't dark after 3000... At 5000 I would investigate. Anyone who waits 20000 miles is asking for trouble....

I agree 20000 is a little much. The Thing is anyone that changes oil in a car or truck today is crazy anyway. I haven't changed oil in a truck in the last 30 years and I haven't paid for one oil change in 30 years.

 

[exotion]

My Titan I change every 3000 like clockwork. Oil isn't black but its dark. My jeep gets changed every 2500 and it is black 1989 (210000 miles)