Engines with a lot of hours! What oil used?

[Pete591]

In my case it's the 20yr old Briggs VanGuard 16HP on a Simplicity Tractor.


About 600 hrs.

Used Optimol Conventional 30wt first 2 years.

Then M-1 15W-50 Redcap and Goldcap

Now Motul 300V Diester 15W-50

B&S oil filters now M-1

Had a few Blackstone samples done and they showed usually 2-3 ppm iron everything else was clean.

Engine runs better than new!!

How about you folks?

What engines? Applications? Hours? Oil used? How often changed? Oil filter; what brand?

 

[StevieC]

My dads 4hp B&S that is almost 30 years old has had "whatever he could find" 10w30 regular engine oil in before we changed it and it had over 640 hours / 10 years.

The oil came out thick and like syrup but the engine still runs ok. Just a tad of blue smoke on start-up is all!

The mower is 28 years old and was used about 1920 hours in total.

 

[mitsuman47]

500 hrs. on an 8 year old briggs 20hp intek. It's on a huskee (MTD) rider with a 46" cut.

It gets yearly oil and filter, air filter, fuel filter, plugs. I was using whatever left over oil I had: 5-20, 5-30, 10-30 and briggs filters. But, now it gets wix oil filters and mobil1 0-30 that I got on sale. 10 quarts for $24.

The motor has been flawless. But, I can tell that the rest of the mower is going to fall apart around it. Oh, well. When it bites the dust I'll take the motor and put it on my pos push mower and make a 20hp frankenmower. Why not?

 

[Barkleymut]

Gotta love the frankenmower but it may be really tough to push that beast around. I had a1998 Dixie chopper a 25hp kohler that had 2600 hours when I sold her. I usually used amsoil 5-30. Some mobil 1 also. It got a change every 50 hours.

 

[FrankN4]

I have a JD turf tractor with a Kawasaki engine. I used it today and it now has 1521 hours. I use 10W-40 synthetic motorcycle oil in it and have for some time now. My new, 2008, JD lawn tractor got 10W-40 synthetic from 5 hours. I change oil and filter again at 30 hours and plan to change oil and filter every 25 hours as I have done with the Kawasaki. My 2007, 5 HP B&S, trim mower got 10W-40 synthetic the day I got it. I change it very often as it is very easy to do and it holds less than a quart.

 

[Brett Miller]

My Dad has a 1988 Wheel Horse 520H with a 20hp Onan Twin. 1,005 hours on either Valvoline or Pennzoil HD30. It has always used a little oil from new. Oil changed every 25 hours, filter every other change. It still runs strong.

 

[JTK]

The 10hp Kohler K-series in our ~1970 JD 110 saw whatever we happened to have in the garage; 10w40 SAE30, 10w30 or 5w30. The engine was used year-round for ~30yrs w/out a rebuild. It did burn some oil for the last 6-8yrs we owned it. This was all way before my BITOG years!

Joel

 

[Brett Miller]

You can't beat a Kohler K-series. Certainly one of the best small engines ever built.