No More Oil Changes For Mowers?

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Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
Quote:
WHAT:
EXi is Briggs & Stratton’s new durable and reliable engine platform that will become standard across all OEM partners and mower lines, phasing out the current Quantum engine over the next couple of years. EXi is the first walk-behind lawn mower engine that will never need an oil change—ever. The engine, launching in early 2015, is made in the USA of U.S. and global parts at Briggs & Stratton’s Poplar Bluff, Missouri plant.


WHY:
Briggs & Stratton PowerPulse research shows that, from starting to use to maintenance, consumers want easy. EXi is the next generation Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engine made for consumers who want easy and expect durability and reliability. Because the engine requires no oil changes, consumers need to simply “just check and add” oil for as long as they own the mower. In addition, no tools are required to change the air filter—it doesn’t get any easier than that.

HOW:
The engine experts at Briggs & Stratton made significant design changes to the engine in order to keep the oil cool and clean, two necessary factors in extending the life of the oil. To provide consumers with a durable, easy-maintenance engine, changes include:

● An optimized combustion chamber for easier starting, more power, lower emissions and improved fuel economy.

● The addition of a radial seal paper air cleaner keeps debris out of the engine, helping to extend the life of the engine.

● The fuel neck is larger and angled toward the operator, which makes adding fuel easier and less messy.

● The use of lighter parts making it the lightest engine in its class for easier maneuverability.

All of this was done without sacrificing the Briggs & Stratton quality, power and cut that homeowners have come to expect.

WHERE:
Briggs & Stratton’s EXi engine will be featured on Toro, Husqvarna, Troy Bilt and Craftsman mowers in early 2015 and available at major retailers.

So this lifetime oil they adding will be a synthetic or conventional?


I'm pretty sure that B&S has recommended syn oil for a while now.

If they design for much better combustion, and then design the engine to consume a bit (the way some heavy trucks do), it may be self replenishing.

I'm not concerned. Im sure someone will figure out how to change it if they desire.
 
No thanks. When/if I ever need to replace a piece of equipment I won't purchase something on which I can't change the oil.

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

No More Oil Changes For Mowers


Haven't changed or added oil for my yard mower in 18 years.

Just buy an electric if a yard can accommodate it.


Great idea if all you can afford is a postage stamp size yard.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit


Great idea if all you can afford is a postage stamp size yard.



A rather pompous comment coming from someone who lives in a state with some of the lowest average home prices in the whole country.

http://m.trulia.com/home_prices/

You should know better. A million acres in the boonies where land is cheap doesn't mean much. Nor does a million dollar suburban home with a smaller yard or a multimillion dollar urban residence with no yard (think Central Park west). Some live above their means, some below. People have various things they see as best attributes for a home.

One's place in life or their finances has little correlation to how far out of town they live or how much time and resources they care to allocate to mowing.
 
Originally Posted By: toneydoc
I must be something of an oddity these days when compared to the rest of the mower owning folks. Sometime in the early spring, I will be in the dog house for something stupid and will go into my garage. There I will change the oil in my push mower, my gas engine powered edger, and my lawn tractors engine. That will take about 2 hours or so. Then I will remove and sharpen the blades and put them back on. Another hour or so. Remove and clean plugs. Clean and or replace air filters.
After about 3-4 hours in the garage I will come back inside and clean hands, shower and change clothes. By then we will be getting along fine again as she will have forgotten what she got mad about.
So I really do not see why I would ever want some OPE that did not require some maintenance. It does me some good.


LOL. My story is similar to yours, but I go into the garage way before the argument, because I can't wait to get the equipment tuned up in Spring/Fall. The argument typically comes later when I come back in after being out in the garage 'too long'.

Wife: "What the heck you doing out there so long?"
Me: "Getting my equipment ready."
Wife: "It doesnt seem like others spend that much time doing that [referring to her father, etc].
Me: "Well I'm different, my stuff is going to run forever, and I enjoy doing it. Its like watching the friggin' "Voice" on TV to you...
Wife: "Seems strange though..."
Me; "I'm going back out in the garage for a little more..."
 
My barber has a 25 year old Ariens mower and he has never changed the oil. He just adds some oil when the level drops, he's not particular, he uses whatever oil he has on hand, he said sometimes he has topped it off with two cycle oil. He says every spring it starts right up and keeps going.
 
If you can add oil, you can find a way to remove it.

My old 1990 B&S Toro has BOTH a drain plug under the deck as well as the option to tip the mower on its side and drain the oil out of the fill hole.

My 1984 Honda snowblower has two drain plugs...one on either side of the engine.

I'll keep them both until they die..which at this rate will be never.
 
Originally Posted By: NH73
So whats wrong with changing the oil anyways?

Good question, but there is a "marketing segment" out there who won't change the oil in their CARS unless the "leasing company" is looking over their shoulder. I cannot forget the comment on a Toyota forum from a mechanic working his way through school who said during the sludge flap Toyota was eating engines with 20 K on them and the FACTORY install filter still in place. They saw a lot of "the good wife's minivans" in that condition.
In my pathetic blue state there is a tradition of "sticking the next owner" of a car. It's a bragging point, relating how smart you were to dump a vehicle because you knew some mantainence work was due and the buyer didn't ask for a price adjustment. "Stuck her with the timing belt...har har".
 
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Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit


Great idea if all you can afford is a postage stamp size yard.



A rather pompous comment coming from someone who lives in a state with some of the lowest average home prices in the whole country.

http://m.trulia.com/home_prices/ I get a kick out of the overweight 30 something "sports fans" riding TRACTORS on those small lots. Wouldn't want you to pass out from overwork, jack.

You should know better. A million acres in the boonies where land is cheap doesn't mean much. Nor does a million dollar suburban home with a smaller yard or a multimillion dollar urban residence with no yard (think Central Park west). Some live above their means, some below. People have various things they see as best attributes for a home.

One's place in life or their finances has little correlation to how far out of town they live or how much time and resources they care to allocate to mowing.
 
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If one needs a "kinda new" mower in my town the place to find it is at the transfer station where we take our "unwanted items". In the spring there is often a selection of "didn't start so bleep it" mowers which sat all winter with stale gas in them. Doesn't take much to get them going and the common thread is black sludge for oil. There is still good use left in them. As long as the prior owner can buy a new one for 99 bucks at the discount house, don't expect these prior owners to spring for what's needed to do an oil change, or even to own the tools needed. I suspect that's why the "turn it over and dump it out the filler " design has appeared.
 
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i would not sell anything to anyone if i knew it was no good. Some people use every dime they own to buy something and know nothing or very little about it. What goes around comes around. Really.
 
I expect that the engine will last for a long time if it's kept topped off with oil.
I suspect that there are more OPE engines that die for lack of oil than for lack of oil changes.
There are certainly plenty of users who never change the engine oil and get many years of service out of their machines, so maybe Briggs is simply recommending what's happening anyway.
 
I have been changing the oil in my briggs powered Deere mower every two years.

Using 15w40 Delo.

4 bucks for a quart of oil, once every two years is fine for me.

The air filter is most important in this thing, also keeping the oil topped off.
 
My brother in law said he has never changed the oil in his mower... going on 15 years...

Stories like this are why I stopped obsessing about oil. If I skip a year changing the oil in my mower, no big deal. It has T5 in it after all... should be able to handle a couple years of service.
 
Quote:

Great idea if all you can afford is a postage stamp size yard.


Sorry if I have chosen to live within my means.

You seem to be critical of those who live outside their means, and apparently now judgemental of those who choose to live within their means; IDK, maybe the problem is with you?
 
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Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
No thanks. When/if I ever need to replace a piece of equipment I won't purchase something on which I can't change the oil.

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

No More Oil Changes For Mowers


Haven't changed or added oil for my yard mower in 18 years.

Just buy an electric if a yard can accommodate it.


Great idea if all you can afford is a postage stamp size yard.



Glad to see that you are consistent in maintaining your usual standard of pomposity.
 
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

Great idea if all you can afford is a postage stamp size yard.


Sorry if I have chosen to live within my means.

You seem to be critical of those who live outside their means, and apparently now judgemental of those who choose to live within their means; IDK, maybe the problem is with you?

+1. Even if one could afford a large yard, not everyone even wants one. I despise mowing lawns and yardwork in general. Why would I make more work for myself by buying way more land than I need?
 
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