Best engine oil for pushmower??

H

Hossman

Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

Fellas, Recently inherited a murrey pushmower with 3.5 briggs motor cleaned the fuel tank carb an airbreather an the ol gal fired right up. The oil is really dirty lookin so figured i would change it also. I have no manual with this thing and was wonderin what the best oil to use would be 10-30 or a sraight 30non detergent?? thanks for any help. Hoss

 

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David G

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

10w30 detergent oil will work fine

 

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old

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

Any good oil will work just fine but do not use a non-detergent type oil. I use a straight 30W oil in all my lawn mowers but that is also what I use in my tractors and all also

 

M

MarkinOhio

Member

Location

Ohio

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

10W-30 would be a distant second choice. I've used nothing but straight 30 DETERGENT oil in all of my small engines for the last 40 years with no oil related problems. The exception is my snowblower. 5W-30 goes in it just because it gets used in cold, sometimes below 0 temps.

 

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David G

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

I just looked at the online manual, and stand corrected, it calls for 30W 4 cycle oil. I do not know if the B&S oil is detergent or non detergent.

 

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RayP(MI)

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

30 detergent. That's what they recommended with the older motors. Latest ones I had any infro on still recommend it.

 

OP

OP

H

Hossman

Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

Guys, Thanks so much for the help. Hoss

 

W

WGM

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

Non-detergent oil should not be used in any engine.

 

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

I have used Shell 15-40 Rotella in all my lawn mowers ( push or riders). My oldest garden tractor is 27 years old and 1,200 hours. Never been wrenched. At the time I bought this tractor Rotella 15- 40 was the only multi grade oil b & s would let you use under warranty.

 

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Duner Wi

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

Briggs oil in stores I visit is 30 Wt SL rated. SL means it is detergent and is desirable to some people with flat tappet engines.I use nothing but SL oil in my old Briggs.

 

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old

Well-known Member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #1

Can not say you did right or wrong but I have an old MTD lawn mower, a rider that was made in 1967 that the last time I tried to start it it started right up and it has had 30W oil in it from the day O got it but I am the 2nd or 3rd owner

 

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Dean

Well-known Member

• Jun 3, 2011

• #1

I use 30W (not 10W30) in all of my air cooled engines as per the manufacturers recommendations.

Dean

 

MarkB_MI

Well-known Member

Location

Motown USA

• Jun 3, 2011

• #1

Detergent oils are recommended not because the engine needs it but because non-detergent oils aren't generally available. It's getting to where it's hard to find straight weight oils any more as well. I tend to use 10W-30 in my small engines because I usually have some around, but I prefer either straight SAE 30 or a 15W-40 oil such as Shell Rotella.

 

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Puddles

Well-known Member

• Jun 3, 2011

• #1

I use Castrol Heavy Duty straight 30W in my gas engines, (welders, lawn mowers) and Delo 400 30W in my diesels, (Cummins, John Deere).

 

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greygoat

Well-known Member

• Jun 3, 2011

• #1

In rebuilding Wisconsin engines...I always take
the base off for cleaning, and in every case
except one, find them full of sludge, and the
oil pump screen full of sludge. I think thats
from the "old days" when they recommended non
detergent oil.I've used nothing but 10-30 for
40 years and had no problems.

 

D

dixon boy RL

Member

• Jun 3, 2011

• #1

al of them I work with be it Briggs,Kohler,kawasaki etc say either 10w/30 or straight 30. i n my shop most all of them leave with 10W 30 simply because that same oil is used in alot of the hyd tranny as well. you won't know any difference in running them from what i have seen, Its mental thing far as i am concerned. Just fill it to the correct level and keep it changed on regular basis along with air filter and they will last for years.

 

J

JOHNNYfromMI

Member

• Jun 3, 2011

• #1

Next time you in the oil store, look for pushmower oil.

 

S

sotxbill

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2011

• #1

as a rule.... 30wt non detergent oils is about the cheapest oil you can find. It does not have any anti wear additives, any anti coking additives and does is full of heavy ash and wax chains that end up forming sludge in the engine. It is pretty much the cheapest oil you can find.

It was used when the bearings were made out of babbit and were poured into the the cups. The babbit was so soft that any detergents would wash it out of the engine. BUT remember, those engines were designed to last 10,000 miles between new bearings and rings.

UNLESS you have a soft babbit bearing engine.. there is NO reason to use non detergent oil.. other than stupidity and wives tales....

 

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eastexan

Member

• Jun 5, 2011

• #1

(quoted from post at 06:09:44 06/03/11)
I use Castrol Heavy Duty straight 30W in my gas engines, (welders, lawn mowers) and Delo 400 30W in my diesels, (Cummins, John Deere).

Click to expand...

Good plan, Puddles.
I've thought about using the same diesel spec 30W that I use in my tractor (e.g. Delo, Rotella, Delvac) in all my 4 cycle gas as well, since they're also spec'd for gas engs.

I notice you don't. Would the heavier additive packages be the reason?