New here , with a question

[catilac]

I just found the small engines board so I am re-posting here from the passenger car/gas forum:

I'm helping my college bound son as he gets a small commercial lawn and landscape business up and going. He has a couple of Walker commercial mowers with Kohler Command Pro engines, 20-24 hp (air cooled), one with just over 100 hrs

When asked, the dealer is very much a "any 10W-30 will do just fine" type of guy.

I want to get a couple of thousand hours out of these engines, and the heat environment is pretty extreme given that the design of the mower air movement around the engine is limited and it gets to 105+ here in the summer.

I picked up some Mystik JT8 Super HD blend yesterday, it has the SL, SJ API id on it.

Might this be a good way to go? by that I mean a Super HD diesel "approved" syn blend

Thanks

 

[skellyman]

Mystic is a good oil, though in commercial use , I'd opt for the 15w40 an do uoa's on the equipt. to be sure of how often it needs changeing.
Commercial use:long hours of mowing or large areas mown.

 

[2KBMW]

Originally Posted By: catilac
I just found the small engines board so I am re-posting here from the passenger car/gas forum:

I'm helping my college bound son as he gets a small commercial lawn and landscape business up and going. He has a couple of Walker commercial mowers with Kohler Command Pro engines, 20-24 hp (air cooled), one with just over 100 hrs

When asked, the dealer is very much a "any 10W-30 will do just fine" type of guy.

I want to get a couple of thousand hours out of these engines, and the heat environment is pretty extreme given that the design of the mower air movement around the engine is limited and it gets to 105+ here in the summer.

I picked up some Mystik JT8 Super HD blend yesterday, it has the SL, SJ API id on it.

Might this be a good way to go? by that I mean a Super HD diesel "approved" syn blend

Thanks


Welcome to the board. You can't go wrong with a 10w30
or 15w40 diesel oil. Thats what I would use.
Oh, all the best to your Son's business and College.

 

[TC]

Kohler appears to recommend an API SJ 10W/30, so "any 10W/30 will do just fine" is basically technically correct. Since these air cooled (and I assume high-heat) engines only hold about 2 qts of oil, it wouldn't cost much more to opt for synthetic if you wanted to go that route. O'Reilly's currently has Pennzoil Platinum for $5.99, plus a $15 gift card back.
http://www.kohlerengines.com/onlinecatalog/serieslanding.htm?series=Command PRO

 

[JimPghPA]

15W-40 in Shell Rotella® T5 is a very good oil that you can get for a good price at any Wall-Mart. Probably one of the best oils for the cost when it comes to air cooled outdoor engines.

For winter outdoor engines the more expensive Rotella T6 5W-40 would be a better choice.

If you had an expensive piece of equiptment like a riding mower you might go with something a little more costly like M1 15W-50

 

[meep]

I'll echo the heavy duty engine oils... rotella, delo... or a quality synthetic. lots of folks like mobil 1, the heavier duty variants. I personally had trouble with the standard M1 5-30 in one mower and avoid it now.

Those engines can run well up into the 250F+ range under load.

Good Luck!!!

M

 

[Fordiesel69]

Your Choices are:

1. Castrol German 0w-30 avail at autozone
2. Shell Rotella T 5w-40 diesel oil avail at walmart
3. Any 10w-30 that is full synthetic.

Even if it is mineral based oil like pennzoil platinum, its the engineering behind the oil that matters. Many frown on this but consitent exellect UOA;s prove this to be an excellent oil.

With these small engines that burn dity compared to modern direct injected / traditional EFI engines, you cannot extened the oil drain intervals. Changeing the oil frequently is more important than the oil choice which means not an hour more than the manufactures interval.

25HRS on my kohlers, and the oil is a mess.
50HRS on the full pressure briggs was better but did need changed.

I can;t imagine 100+ hrs on a 2 quart sump.

 

[JTK]

I ran Rotella-T 15w40 and 5w40 in my Kohler V-twins. One was a Command 20, the other a Courage 20. Ran it in my old Kohler-K even. Given the heat that pours off these engines, I would not feel comfortable running a regular automotive 10w30 in it.

Joel

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: JTK
I ran Rotella-T 15w40 and 5w40 in my Kohler V-twins. One was a Command 20, the other a Courage 20. Ran it in my old Kohler-K even. Given the heat that pours off these engines, I would not feel comfortable running a regular automotive 10w30 in it.

Joel



Then why do they recommend 10W-30? This is kind of like is 5W-20 okay to use in the Texas heat for my new Hyundai sort of scenario.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: lexus114

Then why do they recommend 10W-30?...


My take on that is a 30wt is a good blanket oil and covers a fairly broad range of operating conditions. It's an oil that's easily recognizable by the masses and it's readily available.

IMO, those are the reasons OPE manuals have recommended it for decades.

Supposedly the hydraulic lifters in Kohler Commands can be tappy on anything other than 10w30, but I've not found that to be the case.

Joel

 

[doitmyself]

Only parroting info from lawnsite.com: The Command Pro has hydraulic lifters and many people at lawnsite say that it is imperative to only use 10w30 due to the hydraulic lifters. Some even go so far to say that the Kohler branded HDEO 10w30 is best at reducing lifter noise.

Kohler also put out a tech. bulletin a year ago o.k.ing 30 wt oil above 50F in this engine.

IMO, Rotella T5 synthetic blend 10w30 might work great.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Only parroting info from lawnsite.com: The Command Pro has hydraulic lifters and many people at lawnsite say that it is imperative to only use 10w30 due to the hydraulic lifters.



Yep, it's not just Command Pros, it's all Command series Kohlers.

I've heard this for years, but like said, the ones I ran 5w or 15w40 in purred like kittens.

Joel

 

[lexus114]

Thats great, but I still get different answers re; my Kohler Courage V-twin. Some say it has hydraulic lifters, some say it doesnt. Either way though it call`s for 10W-30.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Thats great, but I still get different answers re; my Kohler Courage V-twin. Some say it has hydraulic lifters, some say it doesnt. Either way though it call`s for 10W-30.


If you're getting different answers on that, you need to find a better source. Your Courage V-twin most definitely does not have hydraulic lifters. They are jamb nut lash adjustment engines like old school Honda and Kawasaki OHV's.

Joel

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Thats great, but I still get different answers re; my Kohler Courage V-twin. Some say it has hydraulic lifters, some say it doesnt. Either way though it call`s for 10W-30.


If you're getting different answers on that, you need to find a better source. Your Courage V-twin most definitely does not have hydraulic lifters. They are jamb nut lash adjustment engines like old school Honda and Kawasaki OHV's.

Joel




Cool, that`s cleared up now anyway. Thank`s Joel.

 

[JTK]

Hey no sweat lex.

I believe the Kohler site has a service manual *.pdf where you can see the inter workings of your Courage SV series, lash adjustment, etc..

Joel

 

[Bgallagher]

I agree that you should use any 15w-40 and change it every 1,000 hours.

 

[catilac]

Thanks all for the input. These Walker mowers are top flight machines and come with a price tag to match. The engine bay sets very low to the ground and under the a grass hopper, a very dirty and hot environment. I would agree that oil change intervals will be very important.

interesting thread here:

http://www.lawnsite.com/archive/index.php/t-279625.html