What's the best way to change a lawn mower's oil? (push and rider)
- Thread starter EngineEar
- Start date
I hate changing my oil. It is a messy experience... so what do I do... I procrastinate doing it...
And that is what a lot of folks do...
ANOTHER great reason to always use a good synthetic .... much more forgiving on change interval....
:smile:KennyV
PS welcome to a great forum....
RobertBrown
Lawn Addict
You must be going about it the hard way...it's 5 minutes. I change it when I change the oil in the transporter (truck).I hate changing my oil. It is a messy experience... so what do I do... I procrastinate doing it...
I use one of those oil change pans that has the spout built in. get your 3/8" ratchet with a 8" extension ready, tilt the mower up on the 2 side wheels, the side without the discharge, if it has side discharge.
Then push the pan up against the two wheels left on the ground. Remove the drain plug and lay the mower on the pan. Go eat lunch. Get the drain plug ratchet and extension, tilt the mower up and replace the drain plug, pull out the pan, set the mower on all 4 wheels and fill it with the correct amount of oil.
Done.
Come on man!:laughing: easy peasy lemon squeezy
Attachments
junebug1701
Member
The easiest way is to remove the dipstick, tilt the mower, and let the oil drain out of the filler tube. That's how the owner's manual says to do it on most modern mowers. In fact, Briggs & Stratton has started phasing out the bottom drain plug on their engines.
JDgreen
Lawn Addict
The easiest way is to remove the dipstick, tilt the mower, and let the oil drain out of the filler tube. That's how the owner's manual says to do it on most modern mowers. In fact, Briggs & Stratton has started phasing out the bottom drain plug on their engines.
I have been buying push mowers since 1982 and have NEVER seen one with a bottom drain plug...what is so hard about changing oil anyhow? I do our three cars, my truck, my motorhome, my tractor, our two ATV's, all my push mowers, have been doing my own oil changes for forty years !!!
RobertBrown
Lawn Addict
How strange is that? I've never seen without a drain plug. It never occured to me to tip the mower over and spill the oil out the fill hole:ashamed:
JDgreen
Lawn Addict
Every paper manual I have for my pushers say to tip it over and empty the oil out of the fill tube...makes sense to me, otherwise you would have to set the mower deck on sawhorses or another type of stand to get access to the drain plug.
RobertBrown
Lawn Addict
Manual? I guess I should have read the manual......
Most have never seen the drain plug on a push mower because it is covered with grass plus they are looking for a hex head plug. The drain plugs on push mowers are square female plugs and you have to use a square ended ratchet extension to remove it. They look like this.
Briggs & Stratton 691680 Plug-Oil Drain
Briggs & Stratton 691680 Plug-Oil Drain
Ric
Lawn Pro
The manual I have for my Honda says to tip it over and empty the oil out of the fill tube same as JD Green says, I haven't seen a drain plug on a push in years. View attachment 813