Favorite Oil Brand for OPE

I use Motul 300V and change oil/clean air filter after every mow. My weed whacker and chain saws run exclusively on Motul 800 jetted for 32:1 with new spark plugs and top ends annually. Powered yard equipment is no different than any other engine used in extreme conditions.
300V in the push mower or tractor?
 
Great thread. I just picked up a new pressure washer with a Honda GX270. Should I break-in the engine with a dino oil, or am I good to go with a synthetic?
Small engines usually call for an initial oil change at 5 to 8 hours. That being the case, you could save a dollar or two at most by breaking it in on conventional oil. I may be wrong, but I believe the argument around proper ring seating originates with engines built for drag racing, and that information is rather dated.
 
Small engines usually call for an initial oil change at 5 to 8 hours. That being the case, you could save a dollar or two at most by breaking it in on conventional oil. I may be wrong, but I believe the argument around proper ring seating originates with engines built for drag racing, and that information is rather dated.
Thanks. I'll start with some PYB 10w-30 for a few hours and maybe graduate to some T5.
 
I'm running Interlube International's Opti-4 SAE30 in my four-cycle equipment (briggs 5 HP vertical shaft tiller from 1975, briggs 3.5 HP horizontal shaft edger from 1992, Kawasaki FD440V powered John Deere mower from 1994) and I plan on adding it to my Honda GX270 powered pressure washer at first oil change next year.

I use SAE30 in all of my 4-cycle OPE. I use Opti-2 at 100:1 in all of my 2-cycle equipment.
 
I gave the new pressure washer a good going over today and made a few observations. The no load rpms were 3850, and I backed it off to 3650 which made the loaded rpms 3450. My Cat 66DX pump is max rated at 4k psi but I set it up for 3600 psi max to hopefully increase the pump life. Engine break-in should be pretty quick.
 
I have used many different weights and brands. Once upon a time straight 30 weight was the norm. Now 5 or 10w-30 is acceptable provided it is synthetic by most engine manufacturers. The old Kohler K series and most Briggs engines were happy with a good straight 30. I had a lawn care business for many years. I ran Exmark mowers with Kawasaki FC420 and FH 500 engines along with a few Kohler Command 20 hp engines. I used straight 30 and 10w30 dino oil. Pennzoil, Rotella, Castrol, and house brand cheap oils. Never lost an engine despite the hot and sometimes dry, dusty conditions. Trust me, those engines worked hard and were at run at full throttle. I changed oil every 50ish hours and checked the oil level before I used the mower for the day. When I bought my first diesel truck, a Dodge dually, I began to use 15w40 Rotella and Supertech in my mowers.

Now I repair and rebuild commercial mowers. I have replaced 2 Kawasaki 25 hp engines that had over 3000 hours on them. Those were the highest hour air cooled engines that I had ever seen. Both from a guy who bought the mowers new and he had a 2 man crew. His secrets were to check the oil level each day before using the mower, keep the air filters "clean", once a month he ran a tankfull of premium fuel with additional carb cleaner added to it in each mower. A new fuel filter, spark plugs every season and keep the cooling fins clean of dirt and clippings. The oil he used was Mobil1 10w30. Oil and filter change every 100 hours.
 
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