Low priced oil / filters for riding lawn tractors with Briggs and Stratton engines.

B

Bill7

Joined
Nov 30, 2013
Messages
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Location
USA
Hi,

I have a Husqvarna YTH 24V48 riding lawn mower with: Mulching kit, 48 Inch deck and 24 Horse Power Brigs and Stratton engine (724 cc).

The recommended engine oil is genuine Briggs & Stratton SAE 30 Premium 4-Cycle small engine oil with API SG-SL rating.
The mower is 5 years old. It's possible the owner's manual excluded API SM or higher due to reduced phosphorous content.

The recommended high efficiency oil filter is a genuine Briggs & Stratton 696854.

The Briggs and Stratton oil is expensive with a high unit price per quart
even if you buy in the 1.5 quart jugs, and its just SAE 30 API SG-SL conventional oil.
The oil filter is expensive also.
I would prefer to stock up and buy bigger container of oil and use for the next 3+ years (as I change the oil/filter at the begging of every mowing season (End of April of each year).

I wanted to find a low price (but just as good) alternative for the Briggs & Stratton oil / filter.

The only decent choice I could find for the oil was:
Walmart Super Tech Conventional SAE HD 30 Motor Oil, 1 Gallon Bottle for $13.97 (3.49 a quart) which is good, but it's not synthetic oil,
and it doesn't have the API SG-SL rating. Instead it has this diesel engine rating: Heavy Duty Diesel Oil: CF-2.
Would CF-2 rating mean it has plenty of detergents and phosphorus?


I'd prefer to keep the same viscosity oil, but just to receive some recommendations on low priced but compatible oil/filter brand(s)
and a low priced store to buy them from.

Any and all suggestions are welcome of other brands / other stores for both the SAE 30 oil and the lawn tractor filter.
Also, is there any SAE-30 Synthetic oil in 5 quart or gallon jugs from any store at low unit prices per quart?
 
Last edited:
That oil filter is a 3/4-16 thread filter. It directly crosses to Fram PH8170, but I'm sure many people would use the PH3614 size, if you have the space as it's a hair taller than OEM. The 3600 is even taller.

Cheap SAE 30 synthetic?

HPL has a SAE 30 but it's certainly not cheap.
Amsoil offers a 30/10w30 but it's currently labeled as only a 10w30 in their small engine oil lineup, but again, not cheap.

IMO, unless you're putting an obscene number of hours on a year, run that SuperTech SAE 30 and rest easy. There's also a Rotella SAE 30 diesel oil that would likely work well too.
 
Oil- Shell Rotella T4 or T5 in 10W-30,
or T6 in 5W-40…

Filter - Fram 3614 size or 3600 if it fits…
Look at Rock Auto, but watch the shipping costs…
 
Bill7 said:
Hi,

I have a Husqvarna YTH 24V48 riding lawn mower with: Mulching kit, 48 Inch deck and 24 Horse Power Brigs and Stratton engine (724 cc).

The recommended engine oil is genuine Briggs & Stratton SAE 30 Premium 4-Cycle small engine oil with API SG-SL rating.
The mower is 5 years old. It's possible the owner's manual excluded API SM or higher due to reduced phosphorous content.

The recommended high efficiency oil filter is a genuine Briggs & Stratton 696854.

The Briggs and Stratton oil is expensive with a high unit price per quart
even if you buy in the 1.5 quart jugs, and its just SAE 30 API SG-SL conventional oil.
The oil filter is expensive also.
I would prefer to stock up and buy bigger container of oil and use for the next 3+ years (as I change the oil/filter at the begging of every mowing season (End of April of each year).

I wanted to find a low price (but just as good) alternative for the Briggs & Stratton oil / filter.

The only decent choice I could find for the oil was:
Walmart Super Tech Conventional SAE HD 30 Motor Oil, 1 Gallon Bottle for $13.97 (3.49 a quart) which is good, but it's not synthetic oil,
and it doesn't have the API SG-SL rating. Instead it has this diesel engine rating: Heavy Duty Diesel Oil: CF-2.
Would CF-2 rating mean it has plenty of detergents and phosphorus?


I'd prefer to keep the same viscosity oil, but just to receive some recommendations on low priced but compatible oil/filter brand(s)
and a low priced store to buy them from.

Any and all suggestions are welcome of other brands / other stores for both the SAE 30 oil and the lawn tractor filter.
Also, is there any SAE-30 Synthetic oil in 5 quart or gallon jugs from any store at low unit prices per quart?
Click to expand...
If that’s the same SAE HD30 I have - it’s SN and likely a semi
 
racer12306 said:
That oil filter is a 3/4-16 thread filter. It directly crosses to Fram PH8170, but I'm sure many people would use the PH3614 size, if you have the space as it's a hair taller than OEM. The 3600 is even taller.

Cheap SAE 30 synthetic?

HPL has a SAE 30 but it's certainly not cheap.
Amsoil offers a 30/10w30 but it's currently labeled as only a 10w30 in their small engine oil lineup, but again, not cheap.

IMO, unless you're putting an obscene number of hours on a year, run that SuperTech SAE 30 and rest easy. There's also a Rotella SAE 30 diesel oil that would likely work well too.
Click to expand...
Nice recommendation on the Fram filter replacement sizes. Will check the clearances to see if a taller filter can fit.
 
4WD said:
If that’s the same SAE HD30 I have - it’s SN and likely a semi
Click to expand...
Would the Supertech Heavy Duty Diesel SAE 30 Oil: API CF-2 be a lot thicker than the regular SAE 30 API SG-SL Briggs & Stratton oil, or would the CF-2 HD Diesel oil be fine to use in this application? I assume both would be in the 30 grade range for HTHS, but would the HD Diesel oil be near the high end of the thickness scale for SAE 30 oils?

I am unfamiliar with the CF-2 spec. Does it contain a lot of detergents and phosphorous?
 
Not sure if it is the same but my B&S 810cc commercial turf engine will accept the FL-400S filter. Does you engine have the oil cooler on the side of the motor?
 
4WD said:
Looks like the newer is SP …
Think it’s made by Citgo - SDS out there …
The SAE HD30 will not shear and is great for OPE …
Click to expand...
Sorry, what does OPE stand for.
Would you have the url link to the SAE HD30 API SP version?
 
Most of the manuals state to use oil that meets or exceeds SG-SL. Small engines do not need high levels of zinc in the oil, they do have flat tappet cams, but the valve spring pressures are very low.

I typically use the cheapest 15w40 I can find, and have done so for years now. For filters, a SuperTech ST3614 would fit and be identical to the Briggs filter inside.
 
The B&S engines are not too picky with what oil or oil filter is used - just change them on a schedule and make sure the oil is kept full. I've been using Havoline Conventional 10W30 for over 15 years with zero problems (no oil burning, consumption, or other issues) and I've been primarily using Purolator L10241 filters that were part of a "Purchase an oil filter 5 quarts of Havoline for $18.99" deal some years back.
 
I've used a lot of the Supertech HD30 oil, both gas and diesel versions in mowers for years with no problems or complaints. I'm still using my dads lawn chief push mower he bought new in 1977 - that's 46 years of continuous use now with a 3.5HP B&S and it's had everything you can think of for oil put in it over the years. It's always been kept clean and full and keep a good air filter on it. It starts and runs better than most new lawnmowers I have used and worked on.
 
Would anyone have a link to a good SAE 30 oil other than Briggs and Stratten?
 
I don't know why you're hung up on using SAE 30 oil. The owners manual for my 2012 Snapper 48 inch tractor with the 24 HP Briggs 440000 Intek motor recommends synthetic 5w-30 oil for the widest range of temperatures. Any brand name will do. I've used it for 11 years with almost no oil consumption in 300 hours of use. I'm now using the Fram PH3614 filter, about as inexpensive as it gets.
 
Last edited:
NormanBuntz said:
I don't know why you're hung up on using SAE 30 oil. The owners manual for my 2012 Snapper 48 inch tractor with the 24 HP Briggs 440000 Intek motor recommends synthetic 5w-30 oil for the widest range of temperatures. Any brand name will do. I've used it for 11 years with almost no oil consumption in 300 hours of use. I'm now using the Fram PH3614 filter, about as inexpensive as it gets.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the Info. You mentioned your using a Fram PH3614 oil filter.
One of the other posters (racer12306) mentioned that the Fram PH3600 is slightly taller.
Did you ever try a PH3600, and if so, was it too tall and didn't fit?
 
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