Breaking in a B&S Push Mower Engine
- Thread starter Gebo
- Start date
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
No filter? 10W30 name brand - Run it a couple times cutting grass - change oil - motor on ...
Change before summer each year ...
Change before summer each year ...
Maybe it's due to the age but my Briggs&Strattons engine on my yard machines push mower smokes less and burns less oil using a synthetic oil. I've put 0w-40 Mobil 1 and castrol in it. The manual highly recommends synthetic oil for mowing over 80F
I'm willing to bet that 99.9% of B&S, and other engines used in the lawn & garden industry, receive no break in whatsoever. Because they don't need them.
Most are lucky if they ever receive an oil change. Most of these engines, (unless used by professional landscapers), are run until they quit, then taken in for repair.
Most are lucky if they ever receive an oil change. Most of these engines, (unless used by professional landscapers), are run until they quit, then taken in for repair.
Won't happen here because, well, BITOG
.My first B&S powered lawn mower lasted 8 years without even having the oil level checked before it locked up due to having nearly no oil in it. It was used 2-3 times every month for about 90 minutes each time. When it stopped, I removed the spark plug and poured a cap full of oil into the cylinder. I also filled the oil pan with fresh 10w40 oil. After it cooled down, I restarted the motor and finished my mowing. I then used it in the same manner for another 4 years before it finally gave up and broke the conrod. So, in my opinion, it's not necessary to break in the motor or even check the oil level.
It's "not necessary to....check the oil"? BITOG heresy.
Get a Honda mower Home Depot on line still has in stock. Have it shipped to store and open box at store make sure everything is okay. If I remember correctly Briggs calls for 5/30 oil. After 5 hours use drain n refill. I use a hour meter on my mower cheap on Amazon change at 40 hours
We shouldn't even be discussing this, because the latest B&S engines are "designed" not to ever require an oil change. The sticker says to just, "Check & Add". 
I think having to turn the mower over to get the oil out, because there is no drain plug is a nice feature. Just like the special automatic trans fluid in the new cars. It lasts a, "lifetime" and never even needs to be checked. No dipstick!
However they're a bit more difficult to turn over.
I think having to turn the mower over to get the oil out, because there is no drain plug is a nice feature. Just like the special automatic trans fluid in the new cars. It lasts a, "lifetime" and never even needs to be checked. No dipstick!
However they're a bit more difficult to turn over.
Mine usually gets an oil change when I put it on the side to change the blade, forget to put it dipstick up and not down, and it leaks all over the floor.
Daniel, as a BIOG I don't think I would have told that story. Didn't check the oil level in 8 years!
Typically, they want you to change the oil after about 5 hours, then normal intervals after that. Clean out your oil drain pan before changing oil the first time. Then look at the drained oil in the sunlight. You will see a lot of break-in glitter in the oil.
I changed the oil in my new mower after a couple of mows (about 2 hours), and then about every 5 hours after that until the oil drained out without any sparkles (I think it took 3 or 4 changes). I now change its oil every two years (about 60 hrs of use). Its going on 22 years of service, doesn't use any oil and although darker, the oil still looks amber.
Use it normally and change the oil after five hours of use. Then you can go with a normal interval of 50 hours thereafter.
my new Toro with that Briggs engine came with a bottle of Toro straight 30 weight oil to use. It recommends a 5 hour oil change at first and does recommend oil changes. It says you 'can' just top off but certainly recommends changing the oil. I will definitely be changing the oil. It only takes 15 oz.
Start it. let it idle for a minute or two for a little warm up then crank it up to cutting speed.
As soon as oil starts to get ''color'', change it with a full synthetic oil. Then do end of season full synthetic oil changes.
That engine will outlast the rest of the mower as long as oil levels are maintained.
I've several over 25 yr. old motors, Briggs and Tecumseh's one lungers still going strong.
As soon as oil starts to get ''color'', change it with a full synthetic oil. Then do end of season full synthetic oil changes.
That engine will outlast the rest of the mower as long as oil levels are maintained.
I've several over 25 yr. old motors, Briggs and Tecumseh's one lungers still going strong.
We shouldn't even be discussing this, because the latest B&S engines are "designed" not to ever require an oil change. The sticker says to just, "Check & Add".
I think having to turn the mower over to get the oil out, because there is no drain plug is a nice feature. Just like the special automatic trans fluid in the new cars. It lasts a, "lifetime" and never even needs to be checked. No dipstick!
However they're a bit more difficult to turn over.
The first time I had to flip the mower I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. Now I love it. No tools needed. No need to balance the mower on something to drain it from the bottom. Just tip and drain. It's so easy.
If you have the spare pocket change, don’t flip it over. Purchase an oil extractor. There are several methods. The mityvac and equivalent competitors are a vacuum pump handle in a jug - with a slender tube which you feed down the dipstick channel. Or they have other variants that source their vacuum from a compressed air line. Or there are $30 variants on amazon that are simply a 12V gerotor pump with the thin plastic extraction tubes. Good for oil, ATF, gear oils - It’s a good solution. NOTE - I recommend against sending the extraction tube down into a hot engine. I had one case where it almost didn’t come back out, an outlier - I’ve done this so many times I wore out my first mityvac and am currently one #2.
