What type of oil lawn mowers use

Please keep in mind that the use of synthetic oil does not preclude you from performing your regularly scheduled lawn mower maintenance i.

Engine oil capacity is, just like oil type, dependent on your specific engine model. Learn how to properly and safely use, troubleshoot, and maintain your lawn mower, tractor, snow blower, and other lawn and garden equipment. View How-To Articles. Browse Videos. All rights reserved.

Innovations Products YOU. Change Region. United States. New Zealand. Latin America. Engine Innovations. Portable Generator. Pressure Washer. Even the climate you live in can make a difference when the time comes to change or add oil, since each type of oil for lawn mowers has its own recommended temperature range.

If you live in a place that frequently heats up to more than degrees, for example, it might be wise to choose an oil made to withstand a wide range of temperatures. In fact, lawn mower engine oil as well as oil for other small engines might actually be the only type your mower can tolerate. Using motor oil meant for a tractor or car can clog and disable some units completely due to its higher viscosity.

Talk about a shortcut! Not all oils are equal, and it helps to get to know the subtle differences to determine the best oil for a lawn mower and avoid a costly mistake. In general, there are two main types of oil: motor oil and small-engine oil. Brands vary in their formulas, with some being regular oil, some a mix of regular and synthetic and some fully synthetic.

Older oils typically were one weight or grade only, but newer oils have a viscosity rating added. Viscosity loosely relates to weight, or thickness, and more accurately as a measure of how the oil flows at specific temperatures. In colder temperatures, thinner single-grade oil performs better in engines.

It gets a little more complicated with multigrade engine oil. Look at the first number, with a W 10W, for example as a measure of flow in cold temperatures. Both four-stroke and two-stroke oils can be either conventional also called regular or synthetic. Conventional lawn-mower oil is made from crude oil, whereas synthetic oil is more refined and blended with other chemicals. That said, the quantities involved are modest, so some owners choose to use synthetic oil anyway.

The acronym of SAE, for example, is a popular lawn-mower oil. Oil generally becomes thinner as it gets hotter, so low viscosity thinner oils work better at low temperatures and high viscosity oils work better at high temperatures. However, single-grade types, like the SAE mentioned above, have limited flexibility. The solution: multigrades. A 10W oil is a common example. Such an oil offers good performance at a range of temperatures; thus multigrades offer a better all-around solution.

However, while this can make a big difference to owners of road vehicles, they offer minimal benefit in areas where the temperature during the mowing season remains moderately warm or hot. As a result, single-grade lawn-mower oils remain popular. Modern lawn-mower oils can be highly engineered lubricants with variations tuned to particular performance aspects. Additives generally focus on protecting engine components from excess wear. They may also be designed to optimize performance in older engines.

Detergents help stop the buildup of sludge and other deposits to reduce wear. The precise content of these oils, however, is a closely guarded secret. All lawn-mower oils are derived from fossil fuels, so their eco-friendliness is subjective.

Oils made from natural gas are the cleanest burning, but at present something of a rarity. However, there are a couple of things that have an impact on the environmental aspects of these products. Two-stroke engines tend to produce higher emissions than their four-stroke counterparts.

Some manufacturers have responded by making their two-stroke engines less polluting, and several comply with CARB and EPA restrictions. Register Product. Locate Model Number. Dealer Locator.

Maintenance How-To. Warranty Information. Vocational Education. What type and how much oil for my lawn mower? Oil Types Oil Capacity. Oil Finder. Lawn mower oil type recommendations. SAE 30 - Warmer temperatures, most common oil for small engines. SAE 10W - Varying temperature range, this grade of oil improves cold-weather starting, but may increase oil consumption. Synthetic SAE 5W - Best protection at all temperatures as well as improved starting with less oil consumption.

SAE 5W - Very cold temperatures. Vanguard 15W - Varying temperature range. For continuous-use, such as commercial lawn cutting or pressure washing. Lawn mower oil capacity. Change engine oil every 50 hours or annually, which ever comes first. Change engine oil every hours or annually, which ever comes first.

Can you use synthetic lawn mower oil? How to check your oil level? Remove the dipstick cap, apply some pressure and twist counter clockwise. Remove dipstick and wipe with a clean rag so reading will be accurate.