So what actually is the best small engine oil?
- Thread starter Jmoney7269
- Start date
It completely depends on the tendency of a specific engine to actually shear the VII (not prevalent in OPE), the quality of the VII and the specific base stocks. ExxonMobil does not use inferior VII.
Even if it does happen to some extent, the increased HT/HS over a typical 30-grade is the point for hot weather usage.
I have a Honda powered mower too that takes about 12oz. I put 18 oz in it anyway and have no problems. You check with the dipstick just resting on the threads, not screwed in.
Elkins45
Site Donor 2026
I used to buy HD30 up until I bought a tractor and started buying 15w-40. Now I just use it in my mowers too.
I don’t know what the best small engine oil is.
I run Mobil 1 15w50 in my mower because 5qt jugs are dirt cheap and available at the local Walmart. It’s certainly not a very good oil it’s a group 3 and uses cheap VI improvers that quickly shear down. However I change it every 10 hours so it really doesn’t have a chance to shear out of grade. Being a 15w50 ita allowed to have more ZDDP then the 800 PPM limit for an API rated say 10w30 oil. Testing has shown it has around 1100 PPM zinc and phosphorus and with an SM low detergent additive package thats a good amount of ZDDP.
All in all I think it’s the best choice for a small engine operated above +20F when you consider everything including price, and local availability two things that many people don’t consider when choosing the “best oil”. Also I run my equipment on leaded gasoline and TEL and real (PAO) synthetic oils are incompatible.
Anyway thats my 2 cents on the subject. Honestly anything in the 15w40 to 20w50 range would be fine in a mower. I wouldn’t hesitate to use 15w40 Rotella and thats all I used to use in everything at work from cranes to small engines, as that was the only oil on site and they bought it in 55 gallon drums. It went in anything and everything. I can’t recall a singe oil related engine failure that wasn’t the result of running an engine out of oil.
I run Mobil 1 15w50 in my mower because 5qt jugs are dirt cheap and available at the local Walmart. It’s certainly not a very good oil it’s a group 3 and uses cheap VI improvers that quickly shear down. However I change it every 10 hours so it really doesn’t have a chance to shear out of grade. Being a 15w50 ita allowed to have more ZDDP then the 800 PPM limit for an API rated say 10w30 oil. Testing has shown it has around 1100 PPM zinc and phosphorus and with an SM low detergent additive package thats a good amount of ZDDP.
All in all I think it’s the best choice for a small engine operated above +20F when you consider everything including price, and local availability two things that many people don’t consider when choosing the “best oil”. Also I run my equipment on leaded gasoline and TEL and real (PAO) synthetic oils are incompatible.
Anyway thats my 2 cents on the subject. Honestly anything in the 15w40 to 20w50 range would be fine in a mower. I wouldn’t hesitate to use 15w40 Rotella and thats all I used to use in everything at work from cranes to small engines, as that was the only oil on site and they bought it in 55 gallon drums. It went in anything and everything. I can’t recall a singe oil related engine failure that wasn’t the result of running an engine out of oil.
IDK about the best but I use either Briggs straight 30 or NAPA straight 30 in my mowers.
It is, but its the same oil, just different viscosity
I have worked on a dozen or so kawasaki brute force 650-750 quads that were popping back through the intake and found they had wiped the exhaust cam lobes. Every customer admitted to one of two things. Running cheap oil or extended intervals under heavy use and just adding oil when needed. Its a very rare thing to see a cam failure in these engines. Ive worked on many quads with over 10k hrs and 35-40k miles still running great. Probably not the camshaft fault
Had marvelous success using Valvoline High Mileage Full Syn 10w-30. IIRC when I bought this the Nooak was around 6.5 Motor still runs good after 25 years but the frame died last year.
I was kind of wondering the same thing. I run castrol euro or pennzoil platinum euro in my maxima, tundra, tahoe, tacoma, lawn mowers, generators, etc. Zero issues. Both oils are a40 and LL01 rated
thats a lot different compared to a 190cc lawn mower or generator engine
The best? Whatever leftover oil that meets the grade that's sitting in my stock.
There is no best, but A40 approved oils are a sweet spot.
I wouldn't say so. My kohler command is a 1000cc 40hp engine that works hard on my exmark in 100⁰+ texas heat. All engines pretty much work the same way. They all use oil as a coolant and a lubricant. IMHO small engines work harder and would benefit from better protection. My exmark has 1650 hrs on it and the hydros are commercial parker units and have a small capacity compared to hydrogear systems. Ive ran nothing but motul 300v 15w50 (group 5 ester) changed every 500hrs and the fluid comes out looking brand new. Ive serviced several identical machines to mine and the hydro oil was burnt or had a burnt smell. But of course I dont abuse my machine near as much as a lawn care worker would abuse the employers equiment.
Does that machine have a filter and oil cooler?
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