10 HP Briggs & Stratton - Mobil 1 or GC?

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I did a search, and didn't see an answer to this. I just bought a 10 hp B&S riding mower. The manual says to change the oil after 5 hours of break in. Would I be better served with Mobil 1 10w30 or 0w30 German Castrol? The Mobil 1 has moly and boron, but the Castrol is slightly thicker and may not break down as much. But then again, maybe the thinner Mobil 1 would be better for cooling?

As an aside, the break in oil sure smells bad. Sulfur?
 
I have used Mobil 1 15W50 in my B&S 14 HP lawn mower since I bought it new 12 years ago. I have changed the oil twice in 12 years. I used a white paper towel to check the oil level with and monitored the color. The oil has stayed clear for 6 years and the pucker factor kicked in and I changed the oil. The oil still looks new. I mow an 1 acre lot as often as needed. Mobil 1 good stuff.
 
As I've said in the other threads about B&S, I don't take their recommendations as gospel. Still, I don't think you can go wrong with any decent 30 weight oil.

So, your question is: "Which one of the two?"

Well C4Dave, you've got a handle on the strengths and weaknesses of the two oils. If this were 3+ years ago, I wouldn't even consider Mobil 1 (SJ formulations).

I guess I'd prefer the GC ... but both are probably overkill.

My Honda 214 mower uses to smoke on start-up with Mobil 1. But I switched to Schaeffer 15W40 and it stopped doing that ... even after sitting all winter.

--- Bror Jace
 
I bought a 10HP B&S riding mower last year and put Mobil 1 10W30 in it after the initial 5 hour break in. Its great stuff. The mower starts up quickly and runs great. No, this isn't a long-term test. I've only had it a year, but everything seems great with M1.
 
The UOA results for both M1 10W-30 and GC 0W-30 indicate that both oils tend to shear very little & hold their viscosity. The numbers typically posted for M1 10W-30 are in the low 60’s, GC 0W-30 are the low to mid 60’s. Expect similar results from either one.

In these air cooled small engine applications, I’m a fan of the idea that 30 weight syn oils give up heat quicker than the heavier viscosities or dino oils & result in slightly cooler engine temps.
 
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