No oil change required….ever?

[mattwithcats]

Anyone remember the ”no change required” automatic transmissions?

When they started grenading, the wording was rapidly changed to 60,000 miles...

 

[DGXR]

I've been waiting for the oil in my 15+ year old Craftsman mower to get dirty and/or low, when I will change it. But it hasn't done either in over 2 years and it gets a good run 2-3 times each month. I think that the oil may be getting some fuel dilution, maybe I should do a sniff test LOL.
This mower actually has a drain plug with 3/8 inch socket square drive and holds about 12 ounces of oil. Currently running Mobil 1 10w30 and will switch to 15w40 Rotella HDEO at next change, whenever that is.

 

[wdn]

Briggs and Stratton went bankrupt eight months ago. Now they are just a brand name of a private equity firm. Do they even still have a team? They fired almost everybody.

 

[RyanY]

That's why HONDA want you to turn off the fuel flow to the carb and use up the gas in the carb. Years ago, I heard that when HONDA small engines are turned over to change the oil, the fuel/gas left in the float bowl can mess up the carb when turned over...IDK!

I usually just tip my 1997 Honda mower (GCV 160) on its side, even with a full gas tank. Never had any problems restarting. Of course, draining the carb would be the safe way to change oil, but so far it has been fine!

 

[Lubener]

Over the holiday weekend I had to purchase a pressure washer due to my old one being 25 years old and finally gave up. I ended up buying a pretty nice one on sale at Lowe’s with the Briggs and Stratton engine. Unpacked it, put the oil from the little container they send with it and all was good, wife’s car was clean again. While enjoying the evening I got curious as to how many hours before it needed an oil change. I opened the book and to my surprise it says no oil change required just check and add. Looked at the sticker on top and it says the same thing. Am I correct in assuming that now a days small engines are throw aways? Seems absolutely insane and wrong you pay $400 for something and you are told right off the bat to neglect it until the point it starts using oil. I have a small pump I think about mid summer I will extract the oil and do an oil change anyway. My grandpa called it a millennial engine I’m not entirely sure he is wrong

Your Grandfather is very correct. It is a sales gimmick to cater to the younger generation who would just put gas in it and perform no maintenance on it. As long as the engine makes it through the warranty period, that's all the manufacturers are concerned about.

 

[PWMDMD]

I think they're capitalizing on people who get 20 years of service out of these things without ever changing the oil anyway. Same with lawnmowers and snowblowers. Some people never change the oil in their home lawnmower or snowblower and it still lasts until it rusts away.

I have a 20-year-old Honda pushmower - never changed the oil or air filter and spends 100% of its time outside in the elements and it still runs beautifully - starts on the first or second pull year after year.

 

[CharBaby]

I usually just tip my 1997 Honda mower (GCV 160) on its side, even with a full gas tank. Never had any problems restarting. Of course, draining the carb would be the safe way to change oil, but so far it has been fine!

^^^I've been fine as well doing the same thing as you however, I do try to at least run out the gas in the tank and subsequently the carb as well. And I do plan the oil change on that particular day...cut part of the grass(w/o prior filling the tank) and then let it run out of fuel to change the oil.

 

[javacontour]

1) "Seems absolutely insane and wrong you pay $400 for something and you are told right off the bat to neglect it" Even the Pope condemned the manufacturing of throw away stuff as immoral and wasteful.

2) Assuming the term, "millennial" can mean, "younger than me" (and it does) please remember that pimple-faced kids didn't make the corporate decision to make cheap, self destroying engines. Older guys did while hiding behind the credo of "maximizing profits for our shareholders".

3) Why don't we teach, "anti-wastefulness" in schools?

On number 3, why expect schools to teach what parents should be teaching? All my kids and even the neighbor kid when his dad was deployed to Afghanistan were trained on basic car care, how to change a tire, etc.

Schools have a lot on their plates, even before the 2020 events. At some point, parents have to step up and teach their children what we think they need to know.

I don't disagree with your idea of teaching kids, just the tacit assumption that it's someone else's job.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I have a 20-year-old Honda pushmower - never changed the oil or air filter and spends 100% of its time outside in the elements and it still runs beautifully - starts on the first or second pull year after year.

That's how my mix and match troybilt/craftsman is. It sits outside in the yard and always starts on the first pull. In the spring after it sits all winter, sometimes a second pull is needed.

 

[Kira]

To javacontour: You're 100% right. A catch-all expression I employed sloppily.
To others who leave their OPE outside all year long and claim instant starts: You kidding me?

 

[BMW Dom]

To javacontour: You're 100% right. A catch-all expression I employed sloppily.
To others who leave their OPE outside all year long and claim instant starts: You kidding me?

It is very sad. I hate the "I never changed the oil in my OPE for 20 years", or the "I put whatever fluid I find in the garage". If a mower holds half a quart, that is only a few dollars a year.

 

[Drosselmier]

I have a 20-year-old Honda pushmower - never changed the oil or air filter and spends 100% of its time outside in the elements and it still runs beautifully - starts on the first or second pull year after year.

Change it at the end of the season. Be nice to it. It loves you.

 

[PWMDMD]

Change it at the end of the season. Be nice to it. It loves you.

I'm afraid to be nice to her - she may not know how to handle it. I'm going for 30 years with absolutely no maintenance.

 

[odie]

Yes, also that’s how you change it on a normal GCV Honda engine anyway. They never had drain plugs. You’ll probably spill oil the first time. I just use my oil pan that I use for my car.

That's where an oil extractor comes in handy . No more lifting .

 

[supton]

To others who leave their OPE outside all year long and claim instant starts: You kidding me?

Well, I do have to pull the cord a couple of times, after adding gas.

The snowblower with the Predator engine seems to start the hardest, but I've never changed the plug and supposedly they are lousy from the factory. Might have to change that out this year.

 

[drkbrent]

I had an old 1970’s John Deere 56 riding mower with a Tecumseh engine. It had no oil filter, no dipstick, and I never changed the oil (just topped it off every few years). Had that mower for decades…crazy!

 

[4WD]

my craftsman mower is the same concept i still change it every season..

Just gave my 3 year old Craftsman to my son … it will start that never change oil program now

 

[mightymousetech]

The “younger generation” are not buying these. They either can’t afford to buy a house with a lawn, or are buying electric mowers because they care more for the environment.

 

[twouvakind]

Over the holiday weekend I had to purchase a pressure washer due to my old one being 25 years old and finally gave up. I ended up buying a pretty nice one on sale at Lowe’s with the Briggs and Stratton engine. Unpacked it, put the oil from the little container they send with it and all was good, wife’s car was clean again. While enjoying the evening I got curious as to how many hours before it needed an oil change. I opened the book and to my surprise it says no oil change required just check and add. Looked at the sticker on top and it says the same thing. Am I correct in assuming that now a days small engines are throw aways? Seems absolutely insane and wrong you pay $400 for something and you are told right off the bat to neglect it until the point it starts using oil. I have a small pump I think about mid summer I will extract the oil and do an oil change anyway. My grandpa called it a millennial engine I’m not entirely sure he is wrong

Don't forget pump oil if it has way in/out.

 

[BMW Dom]

The “younger generation” are not buying these. They either can’t afford to buy a house with a lawn, or are buying electric mowers because they care more for the environment.

I’m young, but one of my favorite things to do is change lawn mower oil