Why 10-30 syn? B&S says 5-30 syn so that’s what use. Starting was always an issue and Toro came out with the guaranteed to start. This was essentially a compression release so it would spin faster and it worked for me. Then the primer bulbs have really made the starting problem go away.
The fuel problems for small engines started with adding alcohol. It gums up all those little passages so I can’t see going all alcohol as a solution. I use the premium non-oxy (boat and off road gas) with the B&S stabilizer and has been fine since. I am not a fan of electric mowers, cars, trimmers, chain saws, etc. but do like electric table saws.
Around here we get good compliance with returning used oil, cans, etc. You can drop it off at many places but aren’t paid for it. I think it is really a cultural thing. Throwing trash on the ground just doesn’t happen much here, so I think you first need to work on changing that culture so people take pride in their environments, then the rest will come. I’ll never forget going to a Detroit park during a garbage haulers strike. Trash blowing around all over and people just ignoring it. That would never happen in Minnesota, garbage strike or not, people would contain the trash.
I have an older Briggs OHV 7hp Briggs push mower that I use to trim light brush with. It would bog down too easily and I found out part of this was that the valve lash was far out of adjustment. I also wired the throttle in the wide open position and it now just goes right through anything I put it up against. I am running 5W40 Rotella T6 in this one and it seems to be holding together even under the high RPM and loads. I guess the engine isn’t all that bad to hold up to this abuse. I do make sure to change the oil at least once per season or more often if it starts to look black.
I have found that the riding mowers (using the same oil) seem have pretty decent looking oil when I change it. It doesn’t look too dirty or broken down, not that my eye can see what it all going on at a microscopic level. I am sure part of this is due to the fact that most of the riders have an oil filter and pressurized lubrication.
I have older rider that was left for dead to rot several years ago that was recently given to me. The repairs were actually pretty minimal and the first thing I did after getting it running was change the oil. The next change turned dirty very quickly so the clean synthetic oil was dissolving all the sludge inside the engine. It used some oil and smoked at first but it seems that the rings unstuck and there is no noticeable oil usage at this time and this change hasn’t turned dark yet. One other thing about this engine is that it doesn’t have an oil filter. I don’t know if it uses pressurized lubrication but without a filter or splash lube like a push mower. It is a Briggs I/C 16.5HP single cylinder if that gives you any idea.
@Bing: I think the mower is spec’d for straight 30-weight oil. I tried the 10W30 as an experiment and the engine seems pretty content with it. No smoke, unusual noise (it actually seems a bit quieter), and no oil consumption.
Wiring the throttle open seems a little extreme if doing so over rides the governeor @cwatkin. But if it keeps running you apparently found that “sweet spot” that B&S engineers missed.
kmmcune, I can’t say when battery powered small and medium sized tool will take over but it has a lot to do with the capacity to manufacturer the batteries. Elon Musk is building a hugh battery factory that is supposed to double world manufacturing capacity and when that comes on line, I 'm sure it will provide a big boost.
Yes, I really like the 40v chain saw. The main thing is that I used to avoid using a chain saw unless it was absolutely necessary. I would use a bow saw for small jobs simply because it usually took me 2 to 4 hours to get my gas chain saw up an running. Often I had to go and get a carb kit so that took even longer.
Now it takes almost no time to get the saw out and use it, so I use it a lot more. I even do cutting jobs that I used to just let go (rot in place was my go to plan). I also got a 40v pole saw and use it quite a bit, but I am not quite as happy with it. Ryobi redesigned it right after I bought mine and the new one looks like it would be a lot easier to use.
Now if Mantis would come out with a battery powered tiller.
The fuel problems for small engines started with adding alcohol. It gums up all those little passages so I can't see going all alcohol as a solution
We’ve,had methane in the gas around here for YEARS…I’ve NEVER experienced any fuel problems with any mower I own. My big mower I use at my house has a 14hp Kawasaki engine. Starts on one pull every time…It’s 15 years old now…and runs great.
Hi, I’ve been watching a bit from afar and it looked like it was going more toward cars, but on balance I think this discussion is largely about lawnmowers. I know there are shared concerns about issues related to both, but could you please make it more car-related? Thanks.
Thanks @Keith
.Knew Carolyn was going to cry foul(look how much activity a real general discussion forum would generate on this site)Cars have advanced so much mowers should too.Maybe in the future we can have a car that mows the grass and multi task(Minneapolis-Moline had a tractor you could use for a car back in the 30s.And how about a range extender trailer to hook behind your electric car for extended trips? BTW,Husqvarna makes an electric rider now.
Maybe a modular battery pack to power your car or mower or tractor(wouldnt have to use it all at once on a small app,who knows maybe someday.large yards and long distance commutes wont be so popular-Kevin
You’d think that if they can make a high performance luxury car that can go 200 miles on a charge, they could make a battery powered 52" riding mower that can cut my 1.5 acres on a single charge, with some left over.
There is no highway cruising on a lawnmower that is cutting grass. It’s comparable to driving a car uphill, into the wind and pulling a trailer at near wide open throttle.
I saw one of those pull behind mowing attachments for sale today in someones yard. You could tow that behind a car. When the starter failed on my mower, I had to tow it back up hill to the garage once. So there is a relationship.
This won;t stop idiots from destroying their mowers in 2-3 years, they just won’t check or add oil.
My 1978 8 hp I-H Cadet riding mower still has the original engine deck and blades. I probably should get new blades, the cutting edge is getting close to the lift curve. Nothing but straight 30 weight changed once a year but I do have to check it and add oil every other cut.
The tires are original also and are filled with tire slime.
I wish my car would hold up for 37 years like my mower did. And don’t tell me I wouldn’t be happy driving a 37 year okd car. I would be happy driving a 1956 DeSoto if they made me a brand new one. Chair height seats, would seat six 250 pounders and a trunk large enough to sleep 2 or 3 people. And it would bury the speedometer needle any time I felt like it.
Check out the episode of “Monster Garage” were Jesse James converted a Mustang into a grass eater(one big problem they had was with the engine which powered the mower(which shall remain nameless)
Besides we know that Rod,it was only my halfhearted attempt to keep the thread open.
Keith there is a pretty awesome rechargeable tractor(the name eludes me-but I think it pretty well fills the bill,for what you want)I’m not a “steampunk” Guy,but there are some things that steam does pretty good also(you can use about anything combustible in a ECE)one Guy who lives pretty close to where I reside,makes steam engines for boats and skiffs(powered by pineknots) and remember Jay Leno on the subject of steam powered autos,when you try to buck big oil,you are fighting an old wise,gargantuan organization.
Hmmm, wood powered steam cars? Boy that’d get the ole EPA pacing the floor after trying their best to eliminate fire places and camp fires. I just read today that the EPA and current administration are going after trucks now. They want to raise the MPG up to 9 from 6. Maybe we’ll see some steam powered Volvo semi trucks in our lifetime.
Well ol Bill Lear in partnership with GM tried it,for whatever reason it didnt work out so well(dont know what fuel they were using to boil the water with.But just for a minute imagine a nuclear powered steam train(no reason at all it wouldnt work{ask the Navy how they like their nuclear powered ships]{steam driven of course}
Maybe the EPA needs to sit on thier hands and let the market breathe a little,some trucks will come pretty close to 9 mpg already under the right conditions.
"Maybe the EPA needs to sit on their hands and let the market breathe a little,…"
Right, there’s no chance of that until sometime after the next presidential election.
Remember, “I’m from the government and here to help!” Big Brother knows what’s best for everybody.
The EPA will never relax until all traces of humankind are obliterated from the earth.
Let’s see, physicists estimate that the sun will burn out in about 2.4 billion years. I figure the EPA will stop propagating tighter and tighter regulations about 2.41 billion years from now.