Oil for a Toro 6.5 HP mower?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 16, 2003
Messages
3,690
Location
Colorado
I'm helping my sick uncle care for his house and yard. He has a newer Toro "Guaranteed to start" "Personal Pace" 6.5 hp lawn mower. He does not have the owners book and can not tell me what kind of oil to use. What oil would be good for this engine? I'm using Castrol GTX 5w30 in my Honda mower and for the last 3 years it has ran smooth with no problems. Can I put the Castrol GTX in the Toro? Also how many ounces does it take? Many thanks for the help!!!
 
I would search toro.com support with the model number for the mower to see the owners manual.

https://homeownersolutions.toro.com/portal/server.pt/community/product_center/225#manualsResultPage

Here is the info from a 2009 walk behind mower owners manual - with a B&S 6.75 ft/lb torque engine-
(another model with a 6.5 HP Tecumseh engine says the exact same thing)

Remove the dipstick and check the oil level
(Figure 12). If the oil level is below the Add mark on
the dipstick, slowly pour oil into the oil fill tube to
raise the oil level to the Full mark on the dipstick.
Do not overfill. (Max. fill: 20 oz. (0.59 l), type: SAE
30 detergent oil with an API service classification of
SF, SG, SH, SJ, SL, or higher.)
 
Originally Posted By: Superbuick96
Most briggs including the quantum family of engines reccomend sae 30...


30W is second choice if your engine is a B&S. Their #1 recommendation is 5W30 synthetic for all temperatures between -20 and +120. They sell a 5W30 sythetic oil that is still an SL formulation under their own name.
 
Above 40F use SAE-30 below 40F use 10w30 I would never use 5w30 in an air cooled engine. Remember B&S recommends using THEIR brand 5w30 synthetic NOT another brand. I have had great results using Napa SAE-30 and 10w30 in my air cooled equip.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: zddp77
Above 40F use SAE-30 below 40F use 10w30 I would never use 5w30 in an air cooled engine. Remember B&S recommends using THEIR brand 5w30 synthetic NOT another brand. I have had great luck using Napa SAE-30 and 10w30 in my air cooled equip.


I used M1 5W30 in my mower for about 8 years, until I ran out of my old stock M1 that was SL formulation. Now, I am using M1 High Mileage, which is still SL formulation. I notice that the Amsoil 10W30/30 for small engines is an SL formulation, as is the well- thought of German Castrol 0W30.

My mower engine, a Honda 160GCV, still, after 10 years, burns no oil in a one year, 55 to 60 hour OCI. I am thinking of getting a few quarts of German Castol and trying it in my mower and other OPE.

Do not forget that, at operating temperature, a 0W30 is just as thick as a 5W- or 10W30 oil.
 
I have found my 6.5 Toro personal pace engine sounds the best/smoothest on Pennzoil straight 30 weight.It had some kind on knock on the GC.
 
Lexus 114 : These little air cooled engines shear down milti-grades very fast , GC has VII improvers and it will shear down . Always go with the least amount of VII oils for air cooled engines. That means no 0w30 or 5w30 for air cooled engines, the knock you heard was from GC thinning down and losing fluid film thickness.
 
Originally Posted By: zddp77
Lexus 114 : These little air cooled engines shear down milti-grades very fast , GC has VII improvers and it will shear down . Always go with the least amount of VII oils for air cooled engines. That means no 0w30 or 5w30 for air cooled engines, the knock you heard was from GC thinning down and losing fluid film thickness.


I believe your right,but why do they recommend 5W-30 Synthetic oil ? That baffles the [censored] out of me. I remember also around 30 some years ago,They used to recommend non detergent straight 30 weight oil. Reason being the detergent oils would foam up inside their,I guess they figured out a way around that too.
 
lexus114 : B&S only recommends their own 5w30 synthetic not another brand. Stay with the Pennzoil SAE-30 in your mower its a good choice.
 
GC 0W-30 is known to be two things at least: a thick 30 weight and shear stable.

I've used it in my mowers before. I went to RTS 5W-40 and everything I put this oil in is quieter and feels more powerful. And they stay that way.
 
According to B&S, consumption is an issue only with multigrade dino oil, not synthetic, and only above 80 degrees. The B&S recommendation of 5W30 synthetic as their first choice does not say anything about using their own oil.
 
Originally Posted By: 1999nick
According to B&S, consumption is an issue only with multigrade dino oil, not synthetic, and only above 80 degrees. The B&S recommendation of 5W30 synthetic as their first choice does not say anything about using their own oil.


Something about this recommendation just doesnt sit too well with me. Just as the detergent straight 30 weight. They must have done some pretty extensive testing their,but 5W-30 Synthetic is a whole lot different from straight 30 weight. As I mentioned above,my Toro sounds best on the straight 30.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top