Did You Do A "Break-In" Oil Change On Your Riding Lawn Mower/Zero-Turn?

[john_pifer]

Thanks MParr, and everyone else for the replies, My plans changed lol, I did get a Fram TG4967 filter, but the kaw. dealer had nothing for oil, just the cheap mineral oil, and I wanted to change it tonight as i'm pushing 5 hours and I'll have a long day tomorrow, So I ended up getting a 10w30 kohler synthetic blend. not ideal but I'll put maybe 8-10 hours on it.

Funny you mention Rotella T5 15w40 that looks like the only oil I'll be able to source locally, one of the box stores (canadian Tire) carries it. I'l pick up a jug in the next few days. Thanks .

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your new mower.

The Kohler synthetic blend will be fine.

The most important thing, as I think that most of these guys will tell you, is that you keep the oil level within spec.

By the way, my mower with the Kawasaki FR651V engine has also occasionally puffed out some blue smoke on start up, as well.

I now have between 25 and 30 hours on mine. At about 25 hours, I did the first oil change, and used the M1 15W-50.

Next time I start it up, I will try to pay attention and see if it puffs any smoke at all.

I have not done a ton of mowing in the last few weeks, because we have had pretty much drought conditions here.

 

[MParr]

It seems FRAM website references PH4967.
But let me ask...why not a XG4967?

It’s your money, you can use what you like. Personally, I won’t put an Orange Can on anything that I own. I’ve used the Ultra Guards on my mower and Kawasaki Mule. I just consider the XG4867 too pricey. With a mower, ATV, or UTV, a clean air filter is more important that oil filter choice.

 

[SA1]

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your new mower.

The Kohler synthetic blend will be fine.

The most important thing, as I think that most of these guys will tell you, is that you keep the oil level within spec.

By the way, my mower with the Kawasaki FR651V engine has also occasionally puffed out some blue smoke on start up, as well.

I now have between 25 and 30 hours on mine. At about 25 hours, I did the first oil change, and used the M1 15W-50.

Next time I start it up, I will try to pay attention and see if it puffs any smoke at all.

I have not done a ton of mowing in the last few weeks, because we have had pretty much drought conditions here.

Thanks for the info, I was actually looking to buy a Gravely just like yours but there is no inventory up here of those any where's. So I got the apex which is pretty much the exact same thing. They are fine mowers, I really like mine, up to 7 hours now lol, its only my son and I that use our equipment, and we are very diligent in looking after it. We check oils everyday and do regular maintenance.

 

[jeepman3071]

It’s your money, you can use what you like. Personally, I won’t put an Orange Can on anything that I own. I’ve used the Ultra Guards on my mower and Kawasaki Mule. I just consider the XG4867 too pricey. With a mower, ATV, or UTV, a clean air filter is more important that oil filter choice.

Nothing wrong with an orange can Fram, especially on a mower engine. I've cut open several, some of them after years of use and hundreds of hours, which is way over the engine manufacturer's specified intervals, and they have all looked good. The Honda OEM filters are basically a Fram Tough Guard inside, both for their mower engines and their cars.

 

[MParr]

Nothing wrong with an orange can Fram, especially on a mower engine. I've cut open several, some of them after years of use and hundreds of hours, which is way over the engine manufacturer's specified intervals, and they have all looked good. The Honda OEM filters are basically a Fram Tough Guard inside, both for their mower engines and their cars.

I refuse to use an Orange Can on anything. I don’t have a problem with the Tough Guard.

 

[john_pifer]

If we’re going to down on the Fram Orange Can, let’s at least use the proper BITOG abbreviation (OCOD - orange can of death)!

 

[MParr]

If we’re going to down on the Fram Orange Can, let’s at least use the proper BITOG abbreviation (OCOD - orange can of death)!

I didn’t want to go that far. However, I had problems with a PH3600 many years ago and vowed then to never use another Orange Can.

 

[SA1]

Hey guys one more question, how did you breakin your engines as far as RPM goes, load etc, did you idle then, then maybe half speed, did you do that under load as well, blades running etc, or did you just full throttle and mow.

 

[MParr]

Wide open and mow.

 

[spasm3]

Wide open and mow.

Same here.

 

[SHOZ]

Here's some gold I found on the first change of my new JD Z320M @5hrs.

 

[Skippy722]

Hey guys one more question, how did you breakin your engines as far as RPM goes, load etc, did you idle then, then maybe half speed, did you do that under load as well, blades running etc, or did you just full throttle and mow.

Followed Kawasaki’s recommendation. Start it, go to half throttle and let it warm up for 3-5 minutes (I find a podcast/music during this time), then full throttle and engage the blades.

 

[#18FAN]

Wide open amd hope grass is long for a good load on it.

 

[jeepman3071]

Always mow at full throttle, that is how the engine is designed to run under load, and how it receives the best cooling from the flywheel cooling fan.

 

[odie]

Hey guys one more question, how did you breakin your engines as far as RPM goes, load etc, did you idle then, then maybe half speed, did you do that under load as well, blades running etc, or did you just full throttle and mow.

Broke in when mowing at full throttle for the required hours . Not a 0 turn , D130 riding mower w/ 42" deck , but still the should apply to engines .

 

[SHOZ]

My new mower with Kaw FR651V says start and mow at full speed. Wait 20 seconds after starting for full power. It also discourages low speeds as it restricts cooling. Once warmed up no choke is needed for restarts.

 

[Torrid]

I did a break in change on my Honda push mower, but the owner's manual says to.

 

[ctechbob]

Not a mower, but this is from the manual of the Wen Inverter Generator I just ordered:

Reading the rest of the book, it seems as though they have some pretty reasonable people writing their manuals. They even recommend a magnetic drain plug.

 

[SA1]

Hey guys, what do you all think of this, anything or nothing, My mower has been setting for about 4 days, not running at all, it has the FR691V. Went to start it up today, started after only a few rolls, and only chocked for a second, but man did it smoke, i'm talking clouds of blue smoke, smoked the building out so I moved it outside, where it continued to roll blue smoke, I bet it smoked for close to 2 minutes. then cleared up. wish I had my phone on me to get a video, loaded it on trailer, did like 3 yards with it, each time I started it after the initial start, it barely smoked, only a tiny bit on start if any. what you all think that. it had like 8.5 hours on it.

 

[john_pifer]

Hey guys, what do you all think of this, anything or nothing, My mower has been setting for about 4 days, not running at all, it has the FR691V. Went to start it up today, started after only a few rolls, and only chocked for a second, but man did it smoke, i'm talking clouds of blue smoke, smoked the building out so I moved it outside, where it continued to roll blue smoke, I bet it smoked for close to 2 minutes. then cleared up. wish I had my phone on me to get a video, loaded it on trailer, did like 3 yards with it, each time I started it after the initial start, it barely smoked, only a tiny bit on start if any. what you all think that. it had like 8.5 hours on it.

Mine is the FR651V.

For the first few hours, it puffed a small amount of smoke on startup, but now, at approximately 30 hrs, it hasn’t done that for several hours now.

I think it quit doing it at about 15 to 20 hours or so.

Without a video showing, how much smoke came out, it’s hard to say, but I would say, keep an eye on it, and, if it doesn’t stop doing it within a few hours, after it’s completely broken in, you may need to take it in and have it looked at.

Keep an eye on the oil level. Mine did use a little bit during break in, I would say, for the first 10 to 15 hours. Now, it does not use much. Especially after changing the oil (M1 15W-50).