Push mower OCI question?
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I always change it before I put away for the winter and change it once during the season in late July, I mean it isnt like the mower holds a lot of oil. My old Brigss I got 16 years out of and I think it only held 22 ounces of oil. Changing it gets the crud out since they operate with lots of dust and no oil filter.
I would change the air filter once a year with a new plu when I put it away.
I just upgraded to Ariens with the FJ 180 Kawasaki engine. Will do like wise, it even has a oil filter and will change that once a year.
I would change the air filter once a year with a new plu when I put it away.
I just upgraded to Ariens with the FJ 180 Kawasaki engine. Will do like wise, it even has a oil filter and will change that once a year.
I had a very similar B&S push mower I used for three years mowing lawns in the neighborhood in college. My dad then used it to mow his yard after I graduated and had an apartment. The mower lasted about six years before he hit a rock with it and ruined the motor. I always changed the oil with Havoline HD 30 and put a new air filter and plug in it once a year. Keep in mind the first three years was light "commercial" use and the motor was still running strong when it was ruined. Once a year should be fine.
This is my approach. Change it before I store it away so any acids in the oil don't work on the engine, rings, etc over the winter.
Change it again mid-season, say end of June, early July.
One's approach likely depends on where they live and the length of the mowing season.
Originally Posted By: VNTS
I always change it before I put away for the winter and change it once during the season in late July, I mean it isnt like the mower holds a lot of oil. My old Brigss I got 16 years out of and I think it only held 22 ounces of oil. Changing it gets the crud out since they operate with lots of dust and no oil filter.
I would change the air filter once a year with a new plu when I put it away.
I just upgraded to Ariens with the FJ 180 Kawasaki engine. Will do like wise, it even has a oil filter and will change that once a year.
Change it again mid-season, say end of June, early July.
One's approach likely depends on where they live and the length of the mowing season.
Originally Posted By: VNTS
I always change it before I put away for the winter and change it once during the season in late July, I mean it isnt like the mower holds a lot of oil. My old Brigss I got 16 years out of and I think it only held 22 ounces of oil. Changing it gets the crud out since they operate with lots of dust and no oil filter.
I would change the air filter once a year with a new plu when I put it away.
I just upgraded to Ariens with the FJ 180 Kawasaki engine. Will do like wise, it even has a oil filter and will change that once a year.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Shannow
as to deck rusting out, I dismantled it this year, wire brushed the under deck, and killrust black epoxy enameled it.
outer upper was wire brushed, then rolled on thinned rust paint for 8 coats in red, then detail work in british racing green for Victa.
OK you win.
Not for the win.
It was something silly to get my mind of our major shutdown.
My 5 year old son came out and told me that I'd painted the thing enough, and could stop now.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
as to deck rusting out, I dismantled it this year, wire brushed the under deck, and killrust black epoxy enameled it.
outer upper was wire brushed, then rolled on thinned rust paint for 8 coats in red, then detail work in british racing green for Victa.
OK you win.
Not for the win.
It was something silly to get my mind of our major shutdown.
My 5 year old son came out and told me that I'd painted the thing enough, and could stop now.
Change it once a season unless you're mowing a LOT. Even that will be more maintenance than the average mower will see.
I change at the beginning of the season... I figgure; that oil is pretty hot at the end of the last mow so probably not much water in there. And the oil has agents that neutralize the acids from combustion, right? That's why you can measure an oils TBN I thought..
I change at the beginning of the season... I figgure; that oil is pretty hot at the end of the last mow so probably not much water in there. And the oil has agents that neutralize the acids from combustion, right? That's why you can measure an oils TBN I thought..
I change my push mowers once a year and they get used pretty used continuously in Florida, because of lack of seasons. The oil always looks like new when it comes out and I sometimes think that is overkill. The generators, with the Briggs motors, I change once a year too, they get synthetic oil, but that oil looks black when I drain it, but they run continously for sometimes 8 hours, when camping.So they get alot more of a workout.
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
I mow every week for 10 months of the year....2-3.5 hours running time per week. The remaining two months are every two weeks. I change mine twice a year with 5W30 synth.......whatever is on sale at the time.
That is a whole lot of mowing.
I mow every week for 10 months of the year....2-3.5 hours running time per week. The remaining two months are every two weeks. I change mine twice a year with 5W30 synth.......whatever is on sale at the time.
That is a whole lot of mowing.
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I mow once weekly between mid-March and early November, with a break during July and August when the lawn goes dormant. Usually run Amsoil ACD now (it's had synthetic oil all its life and even an Auto-Rx treatment a couple of years ago) and change it once yearly, I try to do so at the end of the season but it doesn't always happen. It takes about one hour per mowing, so the oil over a season probably isn't even close to being taxed IMO.
That ACD is excellent oil.
In my opinion once a year/25 to 50 hours is good enough, maybe twice yearly if you have a very large yard and mow it a lot.
That ACD is excellent oil.
In my opinion once a year/25 to 50 hours is good enough, maybe twice yearly if you have a very large yard and mow it a lot.
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