Why 50 weight I wonder. Do they expect it to shear way down during those 300 hours or maybe get badly diluted with fuel? Seems thick unless you‘re mowing in the tropics.
Kohler/Amsoil 10W-50
- Thread starter hondared
- Start date
It's the way it's going in commercial small engines, Briggs specs 15W50 in their Vangaurd series of engines when used for commercial mowing.
Just me i guess, but 40wt is about as far as I think you need to go east of the Sahara. All the jumping on thicker oil is just not for me. I use 30wt and 15w40 in my water cooled garden tractor, JD 425 and never a hiccup in over 800 hours so far. I just don't think it calls for super thick oil, even in really hot temps. I wouldn't be afraid to use a straight 30wt in 100 degree weather. If I lived where temps were regularly above 100, then I'd maybe go 40 or even 50, but it's a rare climate that has sustained temps that high. I don't even think air cooled engines need 50wt oil, it's much harder to sling, and even in full pressure lube engines, it's harder to pump. Will it hurt? Probably not, but it's just not what the doctor ordered.
I would bet if you talk to a dozen industry professionals, they would recommend something around 30-40wt and forget it.
I would bet if you talk to a dozen industry professionals, they would recommend something around 30-40wt and forget it.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Yes - keep in mind the big premium motors move enough air to offset heat from a 50 … and have an oil pump
(many small motors just have “sling”) …
I run 10W30 in my 457cc portable generator - but it’s Redline ester base so not hurting for HTHS …
Smaller (pull start) gens get Delvac 1 5W40 …
Only my B&S Vanguard (house gen) even has a filter …
Or neither one. Perhaps they are worried about oil temperature and insufficient MOFT. This may be an issue as you say in the tropics, or just Florida or Texas in the summer.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Yeah - this goes round and round over liquid cooled engines - but I’m sure our 100F summers don’t air cool as well as our 20F winters (the two times we might be dumped off the grid) …
The oil change kit for the 300 hour oil recommended by Kohler was only ~ $15 more expensive. than the Kohler 50 hour kit. I figure if I use it to 100 hours I'm ahead of the game. I also have a little peace of mind if I go over 100 hours. I had enough left over to top off for quite a while since it hasn't used any so far. The best part is it maintains the Kohler engine warranty.
Which Amsoil oil for your OPE's?
This is the series I run generally the ASE10W30 in anything 4stroke none of the equipment I own burns a single drop.
https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/databulletins/g2217.pdf
Since it is so hard to change the oil in most OPE - I mean you need to remove a drain plug and let oil drain into a container then put the drain plug back in, and then to make it even harder - on some engines you need to use a funnel to refill it!!!!
But the worst part -- I might get my hands dirty - I may end up with that black stuff under a fingernail -THE HORROR!!!!
OMFG I change the oil in my OPE and it cost me $5 more a year since I didn't go 300 hours between changes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even if you thing ?W50 is the cat's meow -why not change it anyway?
But the worst part -- I might get my hands dirty - I may end up with that black stuff under a fingernail -THE HORROR!!!!
OMFG I change the oil in my OPE and it cost me $5 more a year since I didn't go 300 hours between changes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even if you thing ?W50 is the cat's meow -why not change it anyway?
My 3yo Kawasaki takes 10w40… when did they switch to a 50?
Should I run out and buy some Kendall Nitro 60 for it right now? /sarcasm
This is just a guess / observation but years ago the mower techs at my retired job, Sears, said that the rear engine mowers ran so much hotter and burnt up more engines than the front engine machines with identical motors also. They claimed the rear engine ones has so much less cool airflow than the front engines ones and ran way hotter. Maybe that's why the 50w oils are now the spec for ZTR's and rear engine machines due to less cool airflow.
As was already said, the 300hr kits are most likely intended for industrial/commercial applications that run mega hours a season - obviously not for the average home owner like you or I.
They dont make it available for the 1000 twin which has a 150 hour OCI/FCI.
This is the engine in their 20K whole house unit.
Not that Id need to buy this kit from them to duplicate the formula.
I put 0W-40 in it in the summer.
This is the engine in their 20K whole house unit.
Not that Id need to buy this kit from them to duplicate the formula.
I put 0W-40 in it in the summer.
Here is link to fully explain their position:
Change Oil Viscosity For Air Cooled V-Twin 4 Cycle Engine.pdf
No manufacturer solely changed their recommendation to a 50 weight oil, but just added as an option. Kawasaki added 20w50 to their recommendation in Dec. 2014.
Well not really -
I bought a basic Simpson MegaShot power washer at Sam's Club, it has the 6.5 HP SH270 Kohler engine - it was on clearance for $250 I couldn't resist.
In the owners manual it specs the Kohler 10w50 weight oil and the 300 hour change interval -
I doubt many people that power wash stuff for a job, or in an industrial / commercial application use a light duty set up like this -
I have owned it for almost 2 years and in total it has maybe 12 hours on it.
Six hours per year - so that 10w50 would last me 50 years.
If you look at the maintenance schedule it says 100 hours or every year if using 10w30 , SAE 30 or 5W30
But only every 300 hours if using 10w50 Kohler oil.
Even more dumb - if you start off with the 10w50 Kohler oil you don't even have to change it after the first 5 hours of run time - that is required if using any other oil. So all the crud in your new engine and any metal glitter produced during break in gets to stay in the engine for 300 hours.
Crazy -
Well I think we're pretty much in agreement... I certainly wouldn't run 300hr changes for my uses, nor would I not do several short changes on a new engine... Maybe if I ran a commercial mowing or pressure washing biz and after I ran the glitter out of it.
At highway speeds 300 hours is equivalent to 21,000 miles. I’m not going 21k miles between oil changes.
I will change it at 100 hours. I'm in South Carolina and it gets HOT so I'm ok with the 10w 50wt. I usually don't need to use the mower below 55-60 degrees. It was 70 degrees on Christmas Day last year.
On a heavily loaded air-cooled, carbureted engine with no oil filter, I'd never run over 50 hours on any oil. If not for the sake of engine performance and longevity, the warm fuzzy feeling I get working my engines with clean oil makes it worth while.
