OVERKILL
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Yup, see what I posted above.
Oil for older B&S engines
- Thread starter wayne55
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Jackson_Slugger
$50 Site Donor 2022
This is the new recommendation for about the lest 5 years or so. The older B&S manuals (mine circa 2009 for a Toro mower) only state SAE30. Not sure why but I do think these engines may need the higher oil pressure to get the best out of them. In warm weather the engine starts on the first or second pull so I'd only use SAE30 in the ones calling for it...
Jackson_Slugger
$50 Site Donor 2022
Not sure it's really harder to find, Rotella would probably be more expensive and unnecessary. I've used 10W-30 in my Toro from 2009 and think these machines tend to burn through it and maybe need the thicker oil for compression. SAE30 should be pretty easy to obtain, even if you have to use off brands like Tractor Supply's Traveller. I happened to buy up some Valvoline WB SAE30 at TS a while back on clearance but it's still around just for older tractors and PE...
Jackson_Slugger
$50 Site Donor 2022
Again the older B&S from ten or more years ago call for ONLY SAE30 (SJ or better I think). The above chart is for their newer motors...use a 20w50, note Briggs viscosity recommendations
What type and how much oil for my lawn mower? | Briggs & Stratton
Let Briggs & Stratton help you find how much and what type of oil to use for your lawn mower. Choose the best oil for your engine with the Oil finder tool.www.briggsandstratton.com
View attachment 115803
I’d say it’s because of the improved VM present in many modern oils.
My older manuals say SAE 30 (or 5w-30 synthetic ONLY) for the reasons in kschachn's post.
SAE 30 is at home depot, lowes or walmart in the mower section.
They have 20oz bottles which is perfect for my little briggs.
With the heat down in south texas, i don't burn a drop of oil, and my mower is 15 years old.
Its usually 90-100 degrees when i mow.
Last year I ran 10w30 diesel oil and had to top off a couple times.
Take that for what its worth.
They have 20oz bottles which is perfect for my little briggs.
With the heat down in south texas, i don't burn a drop of oil, and my mower is 15 years old.
Its usually 90-100 degrees when i mow.
Last year I ran 10w30 diesel oil and had to top off a couple times.
Take that for what its worth.
I just swapped in a new Briggs 20HP V twin on my riding mower yesterday. I filled it with Supertech 15w-40 but I plan to dump it and change the filter after the first few hours of run time. I’ll probably add the same back in just to use up the jug, then switch to Rural King 30 grade until I use up my supply.
Between 2005 and today they have doubled their oil change interval from 25 to 50 hours with the small filter, up to 100 with the bigger one.
Between 2005 and today they have doubled their oil change interval from 25 to 50 hours with the small filter, up to 100 with the bigger one.
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Jackson_Slugger
$50 Site Donor 2022
It would seem a synthetic 10W-30 might be a better choice in that case...
Incidentally the only reason I put 10W-30 in the thing was that the previous Toro mower we had from the early nineties preferred 10W-30, but said you could use SAE30 and other thicker weights. But that was a Tecumseh engine so I was surprised that the B&S only listed SAE30...
The newer manuals do list 5w-30 synthetic and 10w-30 synthetic. I use SuperTech Blend 10w-40 in all my 4 cycle OPE's and they seem to run very well on it with no loss of oil which is unusual.
Jackson_Slugger
$50 Site Donor 2022
No offense but if you read my previous posts I am quite aware of this and actually posted quite a bit in a thread in the actual appropriate forum on this a while ago. B&S has obviously redesigned their engines and the use of thinner oils no doubt stems from the success in the use of synthetics in snowblowers which seemed to be the first small engines to spec it. They went to 5W-30 syn sometime in the 2010's....
The other mower is a Club Cadet which leans toward either a 10W-30 or10W-40 and only says to use 5W-30 full syn in colder Fall temps if hard starting occurs...
You can always order some Provident SAE 30 from Rural King online.
Those old engines are pretty flexible on what they will run on, but SAE 30 does usually have lower oil consumption compared to 5w-30 or 10w-30. Most hardware stores and power equipment dealers will have some sort of SAE 30 on the shelf, and there are tons of options if you want to shop online.
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Our 2010 Craftsman lawn tractor with a 17.5 hp Briggs and Stratton engine has never consumed any 5w30 oil in the 4 years now we've owned it. SAE 30 is overrated imo 😉
I wouldn’t consider that “old”.
Just use oil somewhat close to what it says. Most all small engines die from to little oil rather than the wrong oil.
I have an opposed twin and it seems to run the best with 30w or 5w40, these can be picky on oil and if anyone that has experience with these should know that. I've found certain oils cause it to "rap" more, I've tried Castrol 30w and it definitely had it but when I use the Pennzoil it's nice and smooth.
The older manuals stated 5w30 synthetic and 10w30 conventional, I didn't know they dropped 5w30 synthetic from the new ones. B&S does have their own 5w30 synthetic and 30w oils.
The older manuals stated 5w30 synthetic and 10w30 conventional, I didn't know they dropped 5w30 synthetic from the new ones. B&S does have their own 5w30 synthetic and 30w oils.
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