[Jaybaar]

With my new machine sitting in the shed I was giving some thought to upcoming maintenance. I have been using Shell Rotella T-6 5-40 synthetic for years in small engines. I live in the northeast and run it year round. The results have been amazing. I'd like to hear what you guys and gals use.

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[motorhead12]

Rotella T-6 all the way! Works great!

 

[wizzo]

You're already using a great oil... I've been sticking to a 30W so I've been using Mobil 1 10W30 High Mileage.

 

[slimdaddy]

I use Wolf's Head 10 W 30

 

[SwedishRider]

Amsoil ASE Formula 4-Stroke 10W-30/SAE 30 Small Engine Oil: http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produ...mula-4-stroke-10w-30-sae-30-small-engine-oil/

I use it in pretty much everything but 2-stroke engines and my vehicles. It's an excellent oil for small engines. :thThumbsU

 

[txsteve]

I use only Amsoil or Lucas oil for air cooled engines and also hydrostatic units.

 

[JayC]

With my new machine sitting in the shed I was giving some thought to upcoming maintenance. I have been using Shell Rotella T-6 5-40 synthetic for years in small engines. I live in the northeast and run it year round. The results have been amazing. I'd like to hear what you guys and gals use.

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I use Rotella T 15W-40 dino for everything (tractors - diesel and gas, dirt bikes - both strokes, snowblower, mowers, truck, generator, etc.). Synthetic is OK too, I guess, but I have yet to experience anything with the dino oil that makes me think synthetic might be better.

JayC

 

[Jim_WV]

I run regular ole dino 10W30 year round. Just got a new JD and thats what it's going to get in it as well soon as 8 hours rolls around on the engine :trink39:.

 

[rayjay]

I was using Pennzoil 10-30 in my refurbs but recently I bought some Delvac 20-40 diesel oil to use in my 'keepers' ( JDs with air cooled Kawi twins and my water cooled Gator ).

 

[jd2007]

Regular John Deere dino 10w30 changed yearly & haven't had any issues or problems in years!

 

[Harry Ferguson]

It depends... In my aircooled equipment I use Mobil1 15w-50 because synthetic oil stays clean and doesn't burn off at high temp. The Kubota has Kubota oil in it and is changed yearly, never uses oil. F-150 uses Rotella-T 10w-30 per machine shop's recommendation at recent overhaul. They tell me other oils now lack Zinc and do not protect flat tappets and cams well. The old Allis was using WalMart 20w-50 in the 5 quart jug because it didn't leak out as fast and was cheap, will use Rotella when back in service after o-haul. T-Bird uses Valvoline 10w-40, Harley UL uses Valvoline SAE60 (both have roller lifters). Different strokes...

 

[slomo]

You're already using a great oil... I've been sticking to a 30W so I've been using Mobil 1 10W30 High Mileage.

A 10w-30 oil is a 10 grade oil. It's not even close to a 30w in grade. Using water cooled car oil in an air cooled engine, needs to be revisited.

Please let me know when it pops up on Craig's List in the free mower section.

slomo

 

[sadixon49]

A 10w-30 oil is a 10 grade oil. It's not even close to a 30w in grade. Using water cooled car oil in an air cooled engine, needs to be revisited.

Please let me know when it pops up on Craig's List in the free mower section.

slomo

In the near future no straight 30 oil will exist. Lube engineers have decided that there is no need to keep the straight weight oils as there is so little use for them. I use 0W-30 Mobil 1 in my X304. Kawasaki and JD recommend 10W-30 for their air cooled engines.

Most of us "know" that 90% of engine damage comes not when running hard flat out, but at the first 30-60 sec. after start-up when the oil is still thick and not flowing well. What most people don't know, is that even 0W oil is too thick at 100*F to properly flow and lube at startup. Let me repeat that, 0W oil is too THICK at 100 deg. F. So what do we do? We spec our oil for that 1 day in late July when we just got to mow the yard and it's 104*F outside. If 10W-30 is good, well 15W-40 must be better. If we're hot and miserable, then our engines must be hot also.

I run 0W-30 Mobil 1 in all of my engines. I accept that they may use more oil than straight 30HD, but I check my oil everytime I start my equipment anyway, and have not yet needed to add any oil between my annual changes, yet. I've been using 0W-30 for about 5 years now. I don't really know if this is better, and barring catastrophic failure will likely never know, but I think the engines start easier, and I feel better about it.

steve

 

[zak]

A 10w-30 oil is a 10 grade oil. It's not even close to a 30w in grade. Using water cooled car oil in an air cooled engine, needs to be revisited.

Please let me know when it pops up on Craig's List in the free mower section.

slomo

I ran 5w-30 castrol GTX in my yamaha warrior atv the entire time i owned the quad, about 10 years, and in those years i put a TON of miles on it. I drove it in the middle of winter and in during the dog days of summer, a decent portion of that time was WOT for extended periods of time on the road. If that 5 weight oil was so horrible, why were there still cross hatches on the cylinder from it being honed over 10 years prior? What finished the quad off for me was the constant break-downs(bearings, seals, bushings, etc) of just about every part on the quad due to wear, hey it's a quad and i know the previous owner put a ton of miles on it and so did i, so i dont expect things to last forever. I ended up tearing into the engine due to a broken stator, which actually dropped one of the magnets onto the flywheel but still ran and the flywheel showed no signs of waear. The cam tensioner was worn out also but after that much use, it's expect it. I do not buy that a "10 grade" oil will not protect an engine, especially after what i put an air-cooled machine through for 10 years and saw proof myself what the engine looked like when i tore into it.

I run 10w-30 synthetic from Tractor supply in my lawn equipment and 10w-40 mobil 1 synthetic in my quad(honda Foreman).

 

[slomo]

Lots of failed engines going on around here. Manual says run "this" oil, owners use "that" oil.

So in trying to tell me how great running a 0 or 5 grade oil is you mention your engine failure. Something doesn't make sense brother.....

slomo

 

[zak]

Lots of failed engines going on around here. Manual says run "this" oil, owners use "that" oil.

So in trying to tell me how great running a 0 or 5 grade oil is you mention your engine failure. Something doesn't make sense brother.....

slomo

Unfortunately you didnt even read my post because if you had, you would've seen the part where i explain why i had to open the engine up. It was because of a failed stator, which has absolutely nothing to do with the oil used. The pickup coil on the stator is dovetailed into the main body of the stator, which i sent out to be repaired many years ago. The company i sent it to epoxied the pickup to the main body and claimed that would be a permanent fix, well i guess not. After many more hours of hard use, the vibrations took it's toll and the epoxy failed. This caused an odd sound on the left side engine cover, which is why i opened the engine.

So, allow me to re-explain my stance in a clearer manner. The reason i tore into the almost perfect running engine was due to a stator failure and upon me removing the head i found honing hatch marks in the cylinder which would not have been there had i been using an inferior oil. Hence proving your theory, that 5 or 10w-30 is not sufficient to use in an air-cooled engine, is simply incorrect. Buy hey, what do i know? And all the engineers that spec out 5 or 10w for new engines and the manufacturers that support these specs. And the numerous individuals here that run 5w or 10w multiviscosity weight oils without engines dying all the time.

 

[MacLawn]

Lots of failed engines going on around here. Manual says run "this" oil, owners use "that" oil.

So in trying to tell me how great running a 0 or 5 grade oil is you mention your engine failure. Something doesn't make sense brother.....

slomo

Well slo, don't tell me 1983 11 HP Briggs/Stratton Ariens riding lawn mower about that! Been using it over 20 years now since I got the mower from a friend. Mobile 1 10w-30. My small motor mechanic said that full synthetic multiple viscosity is okay to use too. All I use now if full synthetic. Reminds me, me JD 2210 is due for oil/filter change...