Would like to buy one 5 quart jug of oil instead of separate quarts for oil changes. I have a Riding mower with a Kohler that calls for 10w30, a cheap push mower that also calls for 10w30 and a cheap snowblower that calls for 5w30. I live in northern connecticut so temperature swings but nothing too extreme. Would 5w30 provide enough protection for the mower? Would 5w40 be an option?
One oil for mowers and snowblower?
- Thread starter Matt1357
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I prefer m1 0w40 fs but it's not always on sale when I need it as I don't buy huge stockpiles at a time, because I need to show receipts for maintenance on my truck for tax purposes...but my personal feeling is anything that is a3/b4 etc is way better than anything I own requires (Briggs and Stratton flatheads x 2, Kohler ohv twin, Tecumseh 8hp snowblower, Briggs and Stratton ohv snowblower, champion generator, GM truck LS engine, 1976 Oldsmobile 350 v8). Only thing I stick to a 5w30 that meets requirements in the owners manual is my wife's Hyundai Sonata because of the engine recall. I want receipts for the proper oil in it in case of rod bearing failure.
Nothing else has warranty so I choose to use the best available in my budget.
After tons of reading up on here I switched all of my equipment to Mobil 1 0W40. My Snapper 7hp mower, B&S edger, 1970's vintage Craftsmen snow blower, Honda industrial pressure washer and a 9500W Predator Generator. All seem to run awesome on it. I'm in Colorado where we can see -25 winters and 100+ summer temps so its not to have the zero for cold use and 40 for hot.
2004 Mini Cooper, 2006 Dakota 4.7, 2006 Silverado 5.3, and 2001 Subaru all call for 5W-30
Which is pretty irrelevant, you don’t have to follow their grade suggestions.
All run good. No UOA's done. Oil consumption is a non issue and cold starting is not a problem.
I've been a bit baffled by the charts etc I see in small engine manuals, these are all for snowblowers.
Here's a few as examples.
My understanding is 0W30, 5W30 and 10W30 should all behave the same when hot so why are all of these air cooled engine manufacturers saying to use 10w30 unless it's below a certain temperature out? Shouldn't 0w30 cover all of the temperatures 10w30 does?
Am I misunderstanding something? If I didn't see this info, and the engine called for 10W30 I wouldn't even second guess putting 0w30 or 5w30 in it.
Here's a few as examples.
My understanding is 0W30, 5W30 and 10W30 should all behave the same when hot so why are all of these air cooled engine manufacturers saying to use 10w30 unless it's below a certain temperature out? Shouldn't 0w30 cover all of the temperatures 10w30 does?
Am I misunderstanding something? If I didn't see this info, and the engine called for 10W30 I wouldn't even second guess putting 0w30 or 5w30 in it.
Like so many oil grade charts they are based on information that may be incomplete, outdated or geared towards a general audience rather than taking specific instances into consideration.
All are 30-grade oils yes. And cheaper oils use cheaper viscosity index improvers to achieve viscosity stability, and therefore it is possible that the chart allows for this possibility. But I'd put any Euro 0W-30 with a BMW or Mercedes-Benz approval up against a monograde in this application. VII instability is the genesis of the warning against 10W40 in that chart as well, but again a good 10W-40 would be appropriate above 0F.
Sometimes the grade charts in a manual haven't really been updated in years. In a way it doesn't matter since it still will work as printed.
All are 30-grade oils yes. And cheaper oils use cheaper viscosity index improvers to achieve viscosity stability, and therefore it is possible that the chart allows for this possibility. But I'd put any Euro 0W-30 with a BMW or Mercedes-Benz approval up against a monograde in this application. VII instability is the genesis of the warning against 10W40 in that chart as well, but again a good 10W-40 would be appropriate above 0F.
Sometimes the grade charts in a manual haven't really been updated in years. In a way it doesn't matter since it still will work as printed.
That chart lists ''thru SJ''. We are well into SN oils currently.
I've been doing this for years. What ever 5w30 I have left over from my gasser vehicle oil changes will go in my mower and blower. This is whatever cheap group 3 I can get on sale. Has been Mobil, Castrol, Pennzoil, Motomaster, Quaker State..... the whole lot. Any issues? If there was I'm sure something would have grenaded by now.
Using a good SYN oil i don't feel there is any need to step up to a 40wt. Syn will stay in grade. I've use 5w/30 M1 in all my OPE for probably 20+yrs. None of my equipment specs a 40wt oil. Not saying anthing is bad about using a 40wt but that is just adding some drag and probably run a tad hotter. Just use what grade is recommended by the manufacturer which is almost always a 5or10w/30. In extreme cold I might recommend a 0w/30 but really a good SYN 5w/30 should meet the needs of 99.9% of OPE and the given operating temps.
I guess I don’t really see how being a synthetic would help it to stay in grade any better?
Not known by me. Do you have anything to support that? What is the antagonist for causing the viscosity deviation?
Oil molecules (whether synthetic or conventional) don’t shear by the way. They are way too small for that.
^ Except with synthetic multi-weight you don't need as much viscosity modifier which does shear, plus the less uniform molecule size of conventional oil results in the smaller molecules dropping the viscosity index more as temperature rises.
Which would depend on the specific grade and the desired winter rating, the specific base stock composition and the quality and type of the VII. I’m not sure what uniform molecules have to do with it exactly. Not all synthetic stocks are the same in this regard.
Plus if he’s talking about fuel dilution it doesn’t matter. I was wondering what the cause of the deviation is supposed to be.
I run 5w30 in all my OPE. Never a problem. Snow blower is 20 years old, Lawn mower is 7 years old.
