Syn or Dino for New Snowblower

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Picked up a new Ariens Pro for my pops.

Whaddya say. Dino or syn.
I can't recall what the ~spiel~ was but I've always used Dino in my lawnmower.
Don't have a snowblower no more - I have a guy with a truck for that ;-)
 
Whatever's in the right grade that's on hand. Changing it regularly will have a far greater effect on lifespan than whether it's dino or syn.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
I would use dino for the first season for engine break in and then synthetic thereafter.


That is what I did with mine. I changed the oil after a short time (an hour or so), and there were lots of metallic flakes in the oil. I put 5W30 dino in, and changed it after a couple more hours. Ever since, I've changed it once a year with syn.
 
I used the regular oil that came with my mower and air compressor. After that I switched to 10w30 syn after the break in.
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
A well chosen synthetic will make cold starts a bit easier. So, I'd go with a synthetic.


I think this is the best decision. I am going to run a syn in mine.
 
agree with bandito440, run out the debris with some simple 10w30 and then use a synthetic with as low pumpability number as possible to make it easier to start in the cold, 5w-30 or 0w-30, maybe a 0w-40?
if you store it inside a warm garage, just use same oil as your mowers.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
I would use dino for the first season for engine break in and then synthetic thereafter.


Bubbatime.... Do you recommend a synthetic for most typical residential OPEs?
 
I switched to syn in my snowblower after two seasons and noticed a marked improvement in cold starting and I also got a few extra minutes of run time between fill ups.
 
Just bought a Ariens Platinum 24 SHO, has the LCT 306 cc engine.

Supposed to snow tonight6-10" so I can use it tomorrow, I intend to dump the orignal factory oil afterward, have some 5w-30 Dino Valvoline HM oil, will throw that in and use a few more hours and then to amsoil 0w-30.

Would rather have better oil in it and it only holds 1 qt

In the cost of a good snowblower the cost of oil is insignificant.


Originally Posted By: zrxkawboy
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
I would use dino for the first season for engine break in and then synthetic thereafter.


That is what I did with mine. I changed the oil after a short time (an hour or so), and there were lots of metallic flakes in the oil. I put 5W30 dino in, and changed it after a couple more hours. Ever since, I've changed it once a year with syn.
 
I have a 37 year old Ariens and it has never seen synthetic oil in its life. Still on the original engine and it has started on first pull every time all these years. Still handled this 7 foot snowstorm we just had last week with no problem either. If you want to use synthetic go ahead and use it but I personally don't think it's necessary. Changing it regularly and on time is the most important thing.
 
Either way, I doubt your dads snow blower will care what oil it uses.

I have yet to see a snow blower start any more or less easily with a synthetic vs. dino. The manual for the GF's dads most recent snow blower says to use 5w30 conventional, but if synthetic is preferred... use 0w30. Whatever that means.

That 0w30 will most likely be as thick or thicker than that 5w30 assuming one isn't running it in harshly cold weather.
 
The main advantage of synthetic in a snow blower is easy of starting in the cold. If your blower is stored in a heated (or semi-heated) garage, you will be fine with dino.

But, these engines shed a lot of metal when new. Change the oil at or around the 2 hour mark to drain off some of this nasty shrapnel. See for yourself:

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee149...zps40854167.jpg

Change the oil 2-3 times in the first 15 hours. Don't bother with syn oil at this time ... it's just a waste. After the third oil change, use whatever you want depending on the conditions you have.
 
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