Briggs & Stratton 30W
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Hermann
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Probably OK to use the bulk, but I would change it more often, as it is more likely to shear. I am using 10w-30 Maxlife Full Syn in my Chonda and it is real smooth. It is a half qt leftover from a OCI. It will get changed next spring after 20 or so hours of use.
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Originally Posted By: Lubener
5W/30 is too light for summer use. I would either use straight 30 or a 20W50. The only time I would use 5W30 in that engine is the winter time pushing snow.
Wow. Now there is a serious jump going from straight grade 30 to a 20w-50. I've gotta hear the theory behind this one.
Op. I depend on my generators and air compressors for my living. I run everything on a 100 hour interval. I use rotella 15w-40 in the summer just because I can get 5 gallon pails cheap. I used to use whatever was on sale at Walmart with no ill effects so go ahead and use whatever xw-30 or xe-40 you can find easily. Your machine won't k ow the difference.
5W/30 is too light for summer use. I would either use straight 30 or a 20W50. The only time I would use 5W30 in that engine is the winter time pushing snow.
Wow. Now there is a serious jump going from straight grade 30 to a 20w-50. I've gotta hear the theory behind this one.
Op. I depend on my generators and air compressors for my living. I run everything on a 100 hour interval. I use rotella 15w-40 in the summer just because I can get 5 gallon pails cheap. I used to use whatever was on sale at Walmart with no ill effects so go ahead and use whatever xw-30 or xe-40 you can find easily. Your machine won't k ow the difference.
Dp
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The bulk oil will be fine. Just actually change it once in a while.
Briggs motors will run on pretty much anything. They are really incredibly durable. If you actually change the oil, that's more maintenance than most of them get.
Briggs motors will run on pretty much anything. They are really incredibly durable. If you actually change the oil, that's more maintenance than most of them get.
Originally Posted By: 05Blazer
I saw the VOA of this oil from 2009, it looks pretty good.
If you have that VOA could you post it?
I saw the VOA of this oil from 2009, it looks pretty good.
If you have that VOA could you post it?
Being in Texas, and it's already getting into the 90's during the day here, I've been running 40 weights in all my lawn equipment.
I have some older stuff, so I chose Valvoline Maxlife in their 5w40 weight. It seems to work really well.
I've run Rotella 15w40, Rotella T 5w40, Maxlife 5w40, and Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w40 in my machines.
I'm really liking the High Mileage and how my older lawn equipment has stopped weeping oils from their seals.
Personally, I wouldn't go above a High Mileage 40 weight, HM oils are typically a little thicker than your average 40 weight.
I've seen to many UOA's on cars with 50 weights that have sheared down into a 40 weight. I'd be worried about the shear that would happen in a air cooled yard equipment.
I have some older stuff, so I chose Valvoline Maxlife in their 5w40 weight. It seems to work really well.
I've run Rotella 15w40, Rotella T 5w40, Maxlife 5w40, and Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w40 in my machines.
I'm really liking the High Mileage and how my older lawn equipment has stopped weeping oils from their seals.
Personally, I wouldn't go above a High Mileage 40 weight, HM oils are typically a little thicker than your average 40 weight.
I've seen to many UOA's on cars with 50 weights that have sheared down into a 40 weight. I'd be worried about the shear that would happen in a air cooled yard equipment.
Also in TX, I use old cases of 20-50 FIL had stashed away. Its 15+ years old, but works great in our lawn tractors.
Here's the VOA:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1470947#Post1470947
KV100 is 9.8cSt with 1045 ppm of Phos'.
It's like a light HDEO 30wt.
I've run everything in my 35 years old B&S mower including some used 25 year old 20W-50 dino drained out of my Europa over the past many years.
The only issue I can see in running any 5W/10W-30 PCMO is the lower ZDDP level but if you keep the running hours short between OCIs that should mitigate.
A 10W-30 HDEO is simply a heavier than necessary oil as if that really matters.
A classic car oil like QS Defy 10W-30 (KV100 11.9cSt, HTHSV 3.36cP) is a bit lighter than a HDEO but still heavier the B&S oil.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1470947#Post1470947
KV100 is 9.8cSt with 1045 ppm of Phos'.
It's like a light HDEO 30wt.
I've run everything in my 35 years old B&S mower including some used 25 year old 20W-50 dino drained out of my Europa over the past many years.
The only issue I can see in running any 5W/10W-30 PCMO is the lower ZDDP level but if you keep the running hours short between OCIs that should mitigate.
A 10W-30 HDEO is simply a heavier than necessary oil as if that really matters.
A classic car oil like QS Defy 10W-30 (KV100 11.9cSt, HTHSV 3.36cP) is a bit lighter than a HDEO but still heavier the B&S oil.
I posted the following here on bitog a while ago. The reference to T5 not being JASO-MA rated was about the 30 weight of Rotella.
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Cujet post here on BITOG #1780297 - 02/13/10 11:06 AM
would be a good read. Cujet has several post here on BITOG about how good Mobil 15W50 is and in some of those post he wrote about neighbors air cooled engines not surviving in the Florida heat while his continue to run without problem with the 15W50.
There are many good oils. GC, Rotella T6 5W40, M1 TDT, Mobil 0W40, Mobil 5W40, Mobil 15W50, Mobil V Twin 20W50 The thicker oils (50 weights) would be for HOT days.
Personalty I would stay away from Rotella T5 if it is still not JASOMA rated. Rotella T6 is JASOMA rated.
I keep GC in my two gen-sets, 5000 / 6250 Watt with Tecumseh 10 HP, and Generac inverter type 2000 watt.
However I also keep two quarts of Mobil V Twin 20W50, and two quarts of Mobil 15W50 for hot days.
There use to be an oil for air cooled engines that run on natural gas. I think RedLine made it, but I looked on their site and do not see it.
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Cujet post here on BITOG #1780297 - 02/13/10 11:06 AM
would be a good read. Cujet has several post here on BITOG about how good Mobil 15W50 is and in some of those post he wrote about neighbors air cooled engines not surviving in the Florida heat while his continue to run without problem with the 15W50.
There are many good oils. GC, Rotella T6 5W40, M1 TDT, Mobil 0W40, Mobil 5W40, Mobil 15W50, Mobil V Twin 20W50 The thicker oils (50 weights) would be for HOT days.
Personalty I would stay away from Rotella T5 if it is still not JASOMA rated. Rotella T6 is JASOMA rated.
I keep GC in my two gen-sets, 5000 / 6250 Watt with Tecumseh 10 HP, and Generac inverter type 2000 watt.
However I also keep two quarts of Mobil V Twin 20W50, and two quarts of Mobil 15W50 for hot days.
There use to be an oil for air cooled engines that run on natural gas. I think RedLine made it, but I looked on their site and do not see it.
Sam_Julier
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JimPghPA said:
It could be that these simple air cooled engines put more stress on oil than we're used to seeing. I have a DR chipper with a 12hp single cylinder Tecumseh engine which calls for straight 30 wt in moderate temperatures. I called DR about this and asked if there were changes with modern oils. The DR tech said that Tecumseh still insisted on a straight 30. I got some Delo 100-30 which should do a fine job. My air cooled Honda products all call for 10W-30, but I run various oils from 0W-30 in the generator that gets mainly winter use to 5W-40 in the mower and string trimmer that get mainly summer use.
Originally Posted By: Ken2
I called DR about this and asked if there were changes with modern oils. The DR tech said that Tecumseh still insisted on a straight 30.
I have no problem running 30W in a Tecumseh. But I'd like to know what tech he talked to. Didn't Tecumseh stop building engines in 2008?
I called DR about this and asked if there were changes with modern oils. The DR tech said that Tecumseh still insisted on a straight 30.
I have no problem running 30W in a Tecumseh. But I'd like to know what tech he talked to. Didn't Tecumseh stop building engines in 2008?
Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Ken2
I called DR about this and asked if there were changes with modern oils. The DR tech said that Tecumseh still insisted on a straight 30.
I have no problem running 30W in a Tecumseh. But I'd like to know what tech he talked to. Didn't Tecumseh stop building engines in 2008?
- And I called Kawasaki to question their current preferred recommendation of 30w oil in their commercial OPE engines and the "tech" said that any automotive SN oil in 30 or 10w30 was suitable.
- I wonder if the Pennzoil and Valvolene 30W oils that are labeled SN are as stout as the B&S and other OPE labeled engines.
These threads are humorous because other similar threads take on a tone of "30w oils are obsolete and should not be used in OPE". It depends who participates on any given day.
Originally Posted By: Ken2
I called DR about this and asked if there were changes with modern oils. The DR tech said that Tecumseh still insisted on a straight 30.
I have no problem running 30W in a Tecumseh. But I'd like to know what tech he talked to. Didn't Tecumseh stop building engines in 2008?
- And I called Kawasaki to question their current preferred recommendation of 30w oil in their commercial OPE engines and the "tech" said that any automotive SN oil in 30 or 10w30 was suitable.
- I wonder if the Pennzoil and Valvolene 30W oils that are labeled SN are as stout as the B&S and other OPE labeled engines.
These threads are humorous because other similar threads take on a tone of "30w oils are obsolete and should not be used in OPE". It depends who participates on any given day.
I suppose it depends. 30 grades for OPE are obsolete, in my view, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be used. I think there are better choices out there, but that's a lot different than me calling for a blanket prohibition on monogrades. If a straight 30 is called for, sure, use it. But, that doesn't mean that a 10w-30 HDEO wouldn't do the job at least as well.
On the other side of the coin, my lawnmower (which likely calls for a straight 30) isn't worth a pile of money. It's going to get orphaned quarts from my garage (everything from GC to HM to M1 to 0w-40). I'm not going out of my way to pick up a monograde for a cheap, throwaway lawnmower.
Now, if I were working for the city or something and were hired to service many lawnmowers, all which called for a 30 grade, I'd simply go to WM and buy a 5 gallon pail of SAE 30. For a situation like that, it might be worth the effort.
On the other side of the coin, my lawnmower (which likely calls for a straight 30) isn't worth a pile of money. It's going to get orphaned quarts from my garage (everything from GC to HM to M1 to 0w-40). I'm not going out of my way to pick up a monograde for a cheap, throwaway lawnmower.
Now, if I were working for the city or something and were hired to service many lawnmowers, all which called for a 30 grade, I'd simply go to WM and buy a 5 gallon pail of SAE 30. For a situation like that, it might be worth the effort.
I have posted more than a few times that I've run 15W-40 in my Intek since I bought it 4 years ago. It's not as hot here as Texas, but it does hit 90F often. Never a problem, great fuel economy, and no measurable consumption or oil on the plug. On a side note, I have also used automotive filters ($4) vs. B&S ($10). The much larger filter also gives the engine more oil volume, hence greater cooling and contaminant holding. 15W-40 is usually cheap enough, and universally available.
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