It’s a good oil for those applications unless you’re after a 50-grade.
kohler command pro 10w30 or 10w50?
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But 15W40 same brand full synthetic would be better than a 0W or 5W on a mower cutting grass in the summer.
I would even go straight 40 and since it will cost less than a high end 5W40 change it more often and still save a few $.
5W40 in a mower is like putting snow tires on a motorcycle you only ride in the summer.
What is this fixation with 5W40????????
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Availability, cost and minimizing amount purchased using the same oil in all OPE is why I buy M1 0W-40 FS for everything. It's a good formulation that I know will at most shear down to a 30 which is what is spec for all my equipment. On the mower I probably put 30 hours per year on it, and even less on the snow blower. I just bought 3 quarts of oil which will cover my mower, blower, and pressure washer. Easy.
Mower: Briggs 223cc
Blower: MTD 357cc
Washer: Honda 190cc
Why? Those Euro grades have very stringent stay-in-grade, oxidation resistance, and deposit formation requirements. Perhaps learn about that and it will help you to understand the question you keep asking.
+1
I have used Euro 5w40 in quite a few pieces of OPE, especially when I had a garden tractor that saw year-round use for mowing and snow clearing. Straight 40 is for either really worn out engines that consume a lot of oil, or 2-stroke Detroit Diesels.
How much is a straight 40 weight?
At Walmart their straight 30 weight tractor oil is close to the same price as their cheap 10w-30 and cheap 15w-40.
For a time the straight 30 weight tractor oil was $10.33 per gallon but now it's $13 something, same as the cheap 10w-30 and 15w-40.
0w-40 and 5w-40 are just overkill most of the time unless it's for a generator and you live where it gets cold.
Yes the euro oils are formulated to last longer they have more detergent and better oxidization stability.
If you're changing the oil every year at 20 to 50hrs you don't really need euro oil.
To select ope oil I say:
#1 know your engine run temperature. That way you'll know if you need a 30, 40 or 50 weight oil.
#2 know your coldest start temperature. If you know you'll never start it below 40f don't even worry about the winter grade.
#3 how long will you run the oil for and does it have a filter.
+1
I have used Euro 5w40 in quite a few pieces of OPE, especially when I had a garden tractor that saw year-round use for mowing and snow clearing. Straight 40 is for either really worn out engines that consume a lot of oil, or 2-stroke Detroit Diesels.
Also a good choice if you are running a back up generator 24/7 after a hurricane in the 98 degree heat.
If you can use a 0w40, 5w40 or 10w40 and the temp outside is hot it will do a good job.
I am not saying 0w40 won't work - it is just not as good as 15W40 or straight 40 in the hot summer running an air cooled engine.
I have 41 quarts or OPE oil on hand -
I usually buy it when it is on sale - so I save a few $$ and I have a variety so I can pick the grade that best matches the need.
If it is below freezing I use 5W30 that I keep on hand for my Tahoe.
You feel good using a 0W40 when it is below zero outside?
I would rather have 0w30 -
My view may be bias
because I am in Houston and the coldest I can recall in the 36+ years I have been here is 13 degrees.Typically we get a few days under 30, but rare for me to see low 20 degree.
I am more concerned with it being close to 100 and running for hours and hours straight -
Running a generator for hours on end in Houston heat you probably want a 50 weight oil.I have 41 quarts or OPE oil on hand -
I usually buy it when it is on sale - so I save a few $$ and I have a variety so I can pick the grade that best matches the need.
If it is below freezing I use 5W30 that I keep on hand for my Tahoe.
You feel good using a 0W40 when it is below zero outside?
I would rather have 0w30 -
My view may be bias
Typically we get a few days under 30, but rare for me to see low 20 degree.
I am more concerned with it being close to 100 and running for hours and hours straight -
There is no perfect answer for OPE oil. 15w40 and 5w40 especially a HDEO is usually the default I give because it is easy to find, and seems to help with consumption in air cooled engines. There are many variables. Some OPE engines run hotter and consume more oil due to their design, ambient conditions, and engine load. Others you could probably run a 5w30 in year round and not notice any difference. Let's remember the average person usually runs whatever cheap PCMO they find on sale (usually a 5w30) and dumps it in when they buy the machine then forgets about it.
I'm not saying that is correct maintenance, but small engines are pretty tolerant. The failures I usually see are from low or no oil, not from a viscosity other than recommended, or even lack of changes. The splash lubed engines are very simple, and while they have flat tappet valve train systems, the valve springs are so weak I can push the valves open on many of them with my hand. High-load and long run time engines like generators usually fail from a lack of oil. I'm pretty sure the oil that is suitable for track-use in a direct injection turbo-charged engine like a BMW or Porsche is good enough for a flathead Briggs and Stratton buzzing along at 3600 RPM.
I'm not saying that is correct maintenance, but small engines are pretty tolerant. The failures I usually see are from low or no oil, not from a viscosity other than recommended, or even lack of changes. The splash lubed engines are very simple, and while they have flat tappet valve train systems, the valve springs are so weak I can push the valves open on many of them with my hand. High-load and long run time engines like generators usually fail from a lack of oil. I'm pretty sure the oil that is suitable for track-use in a direct injection turbo-charged engine like a BMW or Porsche is good enough for a flathead Briggs and Stratton buzzing along at 3600 RPM.
Ambient temperature doesn't matter whatsoever when choosing base viscosity. As long as it is able to flow at cold temps (in my case, either a 5W or a 0W) that is all that matters in the cold.
I change it every 24 hours - sometimes even before that, if I am at say 20 hours and I need to fill with gas I will do the oil change early.
IMHO - changing it this often the chance oil with a 40 in it will breakdown is small.
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I guess I see your point - but would have automatically gone with a 0W30 in a snowblower.
Seeing you are in North Dakota you know winter -
I grew up in South Dakota so I have some exposure - froze my butt off in Minnesota for 4 years too.
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That briggs 223cc was such a pos on my time master
So far so good, but this is my first season with the Timemaster and I only run it about 40 minutes per mow so we will see how it does long-term. If/when it goes or starts being problematic I'll put the Kohler 224 on it. My previous mower had a Honda GCV160 that I miss, but in this weight class my options are limited.
