2-Stroke mower oil upgrade

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SR5

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I have a small domestic lawn mower with an air-cooled 2-stroke engine.

The 2-stroke oil I have been using recently is Chief brand oil that is rated JASO FB, API TC and ISO-L-EGB (same as ISO-GB ?) or similar lawn oils from Caltex (Chevron) and Shell. Ratio is 25:1

They all work and I cut my grass. No problems

There are some sales about and for not much more I can pick up some Valvoline 2-Stroke MotorCycle "Racing Oil" that is JASO FC, API TC and ISO-GD. There is also Castrol Activ 2T MotorCycle oil that is JASO FC for the same price.

Any advantage in stepping it up to a motorcycle oil? Worth the extra dollar or two ?

Also at the boating and fishing stores I often see Valvoline 2-Stroke OutBoard oil at a very good price, it's rated NMMA TC-W3, how would this stuff go in a simple lawnmower?

I don't know much about all these two stroke oils or ratings. When I rode 2-stroke Yamaha bikes (RD and RZ series) they only sold mower or bike or outboard oil. So I got the bike stuff, pretty easy back then.

BTW They also have Castrol Power TTS full synthetic bike oil that's JASO FD and IDO-EGD, but it's three times the price and I'm not getting that for a garden mower.
 
I would go with the Castrol or Valvoline Racing oil. Stay away from any Outboard oil/ Boat oil. It produces hard carbon, causes ring sticking in air cooled engines. I ve seen some bad carbon from Boat oil in air cooled two strokes. I also stay on the rich side of mixs and it's worked well for me.
 
Last edited:
SR5,
I've got a few in my shed...the Valvoline outboard is for my diesels, and I can confirm that the spark catcher on my whipper snipper clags up very frequently if I use it (for experimental purposes).

For the price, I use Valvoline Racing in the whipper snippers, no issue at all.

Benefit ?...my 20 year old whipper snipper (homelite) has a perfect bore, but I attribute that more to 24:1 rather than oil per se.

I chick a little (chemist brand) castor oil in it every now and then to remind me of the speedway while I mow...childish, but it's my gear, my yard, and my time.

If I ever see Some Castrol R30 on super sale, I'll get that.
 
Thanks for the heads-up Panzerman and Shannow about the out-board oil, as I may have been tempted to give that a go.

Yes I like the look of the Valvoline Racing motorcycle oil, it's only a dollar or two more to go up to a JASO FC oil. I was happy to try the Chief brand FB oil, as I wanted to buy one of those 1L canteens of oil, just for the fun of it.

I like that Castor oil smell, I have a 5 L fuel jerry, how much should I throw in with the standard 25:1 mix ? It takes me a few months to get through 5L, will it last OK and no mixology problems with the regular 2-stroke oil ?
 
From here:
http://www.oilspecifications.org/jaso.php
Quote:
Japeneese motorcycle manufacturers found the limits demanded by the API TC specifications too loose. Oils meeting the API TC standard still produced excessive smoke and could not prevent exhaust blocking. Therefore the Japanese Engine Oil Standards Implementation Panel (JASO) introduced the following specifications:


Quote:
JASO FC
Lubricity and initial torque requirements same as FB, however far higher detergency, exhaust smoke and exhaust system blocking requirements over FB.


Also thinking I should just add the Castor oil to the mower as I'm using it, not pre-mix in the jerry
 
And from the same place
http://www.oilspecifications.org/iso_2t.php

Quote:
During the mid-90s it became clear that the JASO Specifications cannot satisfy the requirements of the modern European two-stroke engines. The ISO standards listed below were developed to address this shortcoming. Their basis is the relevant JASO standard + they require an additional 3h Honda test to be run to quantify piston cleanliness and detergent effect.


Quote:
ISO-L-EGB
Same requirements as JASO FB + test for piston cleanliness.
ISO-L-EGC
Same requirements as JASO FC + test for piston cleanliness.


So it looks like JASO is an improvement on API TC, which appears to be the only current API 2-stroke standard. While ISO is an improvement on JASO.
 
Originally Posted By: SR5
They also have Castrol Power TTS full synthetic bike oil that's JASO FD and IDO-EGD, but it's three times the price and I'm not getting that for a garden mower.


Just to correct my typo above, it's JASO FD and ISO-EGD, which looks like the two highest specs for 2-Stroke oil you can get.

Looks like the Valvoline Racing (FC) for me.

Here is another BITOG thread on 2-stroke oil
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/772276/
 
Jaso FD is basically the highest classification.

Jaso FC has similar lubricating properties but will not burn as clean.

API TC is generally for air cooled 2 cycle.

API TC-W3 is generally for water cooled 2 cycle.

For me I use Jaso FC or FD rated oils but they are pretty cheap here.

in your use I would step up to the jaso FC rated oil.. probably not worth extra to go for the Jaso FD rated oil.

Some of the newest oils are actually api TC AND TC-W3 which used to be mutually exclusive.. Kind of a head scratcher there.

I got 6 bottles of http://www.getg.com/G-OIL/2_cycle_bio-synthetic.php
for $10 total. Which says JASO FC


Their PDS used to be exceeds JASO FD,
http://www.getg.com/article.php?id=73
So which is it??

It is definitely very low smoke/smell which is great. Some of the evinrude api tc-w3 will put off an eye watering fog in the 15hp outboard.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Jaso FD is basically the highest classification.

Jaso FC has similar lubricating properties but will not burn as clean.

API TC is generally for air cooled 2 cycle.

API TC-W3 is generally for water cooled 2 cycle.

For me I use Jaso FC or FD rated oils but they are pretty cheap here.

in your use I would step up to the jaso FC rated oil.. probably not worth extra to go for the Jaso FD rated oil.

Some of the newest oils are actually api TC AND TC-W3 which used to be mutually exclusive.. Kind of a head scratcher there.

I got 6 bottles of http://www.getg.com/G-OIL/2_cycle_bio-synthetic.php
for $10 total. Which says JASO FC


Their PDS used to be exceeds JASO FD,
http://www.getg.com/article.php?id=73
So which is it??

It is definitely very low smoke/smell which is great. Some of the evinrude api tc-w3 will put off an eye watering fog in the 15hp outboard.


I noticed this too, when they switched to the latest 2 stroke oil from fc to fd or whatever. My trimmers always had a an oily exhaust type smell to them. Of course the newer trimmers have catalytic converter mufflers, but even then I ran the old formula that I had left over when I ran low and man did it smell worse.
 
I got a quart of Synthetic 2 stroke oil for dirt bikes the was on clearance (they only had one left) at a local motorcycle shop for $4. It's been over 3 years and I still have plenty left. I use it in my string trimmer and Chainsaw. I also gave some to my dad for his trimmer. Works perfect.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand

Some of the newest oils are actually api TC AND TC-W3 which used to be mutually exclusive.. Kind of a head scratcher there.

I got 6 bottles of http://www.getg.com/G-OIL/2_cycle_bio-synthetic.php
for $10 total. Which says JASO FC
.


Did you notice word BIOsynthetic?
smile.gif
This is most probably ester based 2stroke oil.... Esters are biodegradable...thats why TC + TCW-3 in the same time...
 
Originally Posted By: Kamele0N
Originally Posted By: Rand

Some of the newest oils are actually api TC AND TC-W3 which used to be mutually exclusive.. Kind of a head scratcher there.

I got 6 bottles of http://www.getg.com/G-OIL/2_cycle_bio-synthetic.php
for $10 total. Which says JASO FC
.


Did you notice word BIOsynthetic?
smile.gif
This is most probably ester based 2stroke oil.... Esters are biodegradable...thats why TC + TCW-3 in the same time...


Did you notice the oil I posted was api TC and not API TC-W3 at all.. so I'm not sure where you are going with that.

I was not talking about g-oil...
IIRC the additives are more important for low ash/ashless than the base oil. Base oil has more to do with cleanliness and lubrication(and being an additive carrier).. than ash formation.
 
SR5, In my uneducated opinion I think you should stick to the 'right' stuff. Bike oils may be made for high revving or a metered oil-pump which doesn't use premix.

Maybe you could try a liter of each and weigh the pros and cons, re. smell from being burned, smoke level, smooth running, easier starts, etc.
 
I would use 2-stroke oils designed for mixing with fuel in power equipment just to be safe. Like others have said a lot of 2 stroke bikes and outboards have a separate oil tank and meter the oil/fuel mix.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
I would use 2-stroke oils designed for mixing with fuel in power equipment just to be safe. Like others have said a lot of 2 stroke bikes and outboards have a separate oil tank and meter the oil/fuel mix.


Oils wich are recommended for self mixing are SAE30 in viscosity....

SAE 40&50 oils are premix only...

Thats the only magic here...

Motul800: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/MOTUL/800-2T-Factory-Line-Off-Road-8371-%28GB%29.pdf
Viscosity at 100°C (212°F)ASTM D445 15.5 mm²/s (SAE50!!!)

NOTE that statement:
Quote:
For road bikes, use MOTUL 800 2T ROAD RACING. For oil injector systems, use MOTUL 710 2T.


Motul710: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/MOTUL/710-2T-8373-%28GB%29.pdf
Viscosity at 100°C (212°F)ASTM D445 8.9 mm²/s (SAE30)
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
I would use 2-stroke oils designed for mixing with fuel in power equipment just to be safe. Like others have said a lot of 2 stroke bikes and outboards have a separate oil tank and meter the oil/fuel mix.



Also, likely, an entirely different RPM range/powerband.
 
Only 2 stroke oils in my knowledge that are advertising its "RPM" range are those intended for go-karts......20-23.000 rpms++
 
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