Oil question...but not motorcycle related

[hogcowboy]

Oil has got so confusing for me. I thought oil was oil and you could just about use any oil in anything. But I do look at the owners manuals to see just how much that's so wrong these days. But here's my question info getting to it. Got this darn lawn mower that lists a bunch of SAE letters they say is safe. You know, SJ, SM, SL and weights of oil. 30W, 10W-40. I have some 10W-50 I'd like to get rid of. Of those numbers, the owners manual listed one of those SAE letters that matched what the 10W-50 listed but 10W-50 wasn't one of the weights listed. But being that we are constantly in triple digits, I thought it would be safe. But when I pulled the dip stick, it listed the SAE letters as well, but that one letter that matched wasn't listed. So what exactly would happen if I went ahead and used that oil in this silly lawn mower? Crazy things is it's a Kawasaki engine.

[rhino 2]

Oil has got so confusing for me. I thought oil was oil and you could just about use any oil in anything. But I do look at the owners manuals to see just how much that's so wrong these days. But here's my question info getting to it. Got this darn lawn mower that lists a bunch of SAE letters they say is safe. You know, SJ, SM, SL and weights of oil. 30W, 10W-40. I have some 10W-50 I'd like to get rid of. Of those numbers, the owners manual listed one of those SAE letters that matched what the 10W-50 listed but 10W-50 wasn't one of the weights listed. But being that we are constantly in triple digits, I thought it would be safe. But when I pulled the dip stick, it listed the SAE letters as well, but that one letter that matched wasn't listed. So what exactly would happen if I went ahead and used that oil in this silly lawn mower? Crazy things is it's a Kawasaki engine.

I would use the 10W 50.......Without even thinking about it, But then i'm a Rebel..

I even mixed and matched oil brands in my mowers, And never had one blow up on me.

...I always thought mowers were the perfect place to use some left over oil that i didn't know what else to do with.....

[Burnerboy]

Because I change the oil in my Goldwing so often (everytime I go on a very long trip) I just change oil... So manytimes I change even if I have under 1000 miles on it...I then use this oil for my lawnmowers.... No problems..........

Ronnie

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I know nothing about mower engines, and almost as much about oil ... LOL ... but, I do know that certain engines don't like certain additives. I think in the older days when we just added dead dinosaurs to our engines, you'd be safe, now a days we add entire chemistry labs to a quart of oil. I'll be honest, I just don't know.

Because of that, I go ahead and buy the recommended oil for every engine I service ... I mean really ... what's a quart of oil cost? Like $5-10, less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks (not really coffee). On the other hand, what's a lawn mower cost? I mean compared to a trike or car ... my dad used to say, "Ya spins the dice and takes your chances".

[hogcowboy]

If I didn't care if this mower engine would blow up or freeze up, I'd just use it. But I did see in the owners manual a statement about the 10W-40 might use more oil than the straight weight oil. So that part concerns me enough not to try it. Especially since I end up mowing more dirt than grass sometimes. But darn it, I sure like the days when oil was just oil. And what I got is good Mobile 1 oil !!!! I wish I had the nads to use the stuff.

[rhino 2]

If I didn't care if this mower engine would blow up or freeze up, I'd just use it. But I did see in the owners manual a statement about the 10W-40 might use more oil than the straight weight oil. So that part concerns me enough not to try it. Especially since I end up mowing more dirt than grass sometimes. But darn it, I sure like the days when oil was just oil. And what I got is good Mobile 1 oil !!!! I wish I had the nads to use the stuff.

Owners manuals are for rookies ......

I give you permission to use it...........

[1dn5up]

It has been determined by the EPA that all internal combustion lawn equipment , can be used as a waste disposal unit for old fuel , old unwanted oil of any type and grade , and anything else that burns and or lubricates But not approved in the state of cancer causing California.

[rhino 2]

It has been determined by the EPA that all internal combustion lawn equipment , can be used as a waste disposal unit for old fuel , old unwanted oil of any type and grade , and anything else that burns and or lubricates But not approved in the state of cancer causing California.

In all my many years of monkeying around with mowers , And using what ever oil was left over from my many vehicles oil changes , I never had an engine fail..... The medal deck would rust out first......Or a bent shaft from hitting a stump would end that mowers life.........

[hogcowboy]

Yeah, I should never have looked at the owners manual. But I did to see what oil filters could be used a over there on the next page was types of oil. So I made the mistake of looking. Heck, I already had a filter from a car that fit and had it filled with oil and on the darn thing.

[Phu Cat]

Why do car manufacturers recommend a certain weight oil in their engines? One reason is due to the amount of heat the engine can produce, the second is due to the size of the orifices in the oil passages. Using a heavier oil could slow the volume of oil to critical areas. But that's with an engine with an oil pump as opposed to the splash system most low horsepower engines can get away with. That's may be why many lawn mower manufacturers recommend running the engine at full speed when under load.

PC

[BillR]

Why do car manufacturers recommend a certain weight oil in their engines? One reason is due to the amount of heat the engine can produce, the second is due to the size of the orifices in the oil passages. Using a heavier oil could slow the volume of oil to critical areas. But that's with an engine with an oil pump as opposed to the splash system most low horsepower engines can get away with. That's may be why many lawn mower manufacturers recommend running the engine at full speed when under load.

PC

That, and maximum cooling from the fan blades on the flywheel.

[peteg59]

Yeah, I should never have looked at the owners manual. But I did to see what oil filters could be used a over there on the next page was types of oil. So I made the mistake of looking. Heck, I already had a filter from a car that fit and had it filled with oil and on the darn thing.

This doesn't sound like a standard, run of the mill push lawn mower if it uses an oil filter.

Is it a riding mower? If so, you should probably stick with the manufacturers recommended oil type. Especially if a warranty is still in effect.

If that oil is all you have, and you need to cut grass right off, any type of clean/fresh oil will work for awhile...