just purchase a new 21in lawnboy self-propel mower.with a kohler 6.5 engine. was just reading thur the manual and it said changing the engine oil is not required is that right.
Why not go to the Lawnboy web site for this? There is nothing that says you can’t change as often as you want.
Ehh could be. There was a thread here recently that evolved into a lawnmower oil change discussion. Some swear that the equipment will last forever with regular oil changes. Personally, I’m 46 years old and have never once changed oil in any piece of lawn equipment that I’ve owned.
I have a snowblower that is 45 years old and believe me, I have changed the oil about every 25 hours. I had a 1978 International Cub 32" that I has to junk a year and a half ago at 37 years old because the transmission pulley and shaft destroyed each other and were no longer available. The oil was changed every 25 hours and still ran great.
The new no change mowers are a marketing gimmick because they know most people will destroy the mower in 8 years and the engine will last that long as long as you don’t let the oil get low.Besides , what are you going to do if the engine dies in a few years? It is not like they give you a long warranty.
My guess is the bean-counters there at lawnboy, they’ve studied the stats for how long their mowers last, and decided something else usually breaks first, before any oil related failure. And whatever it is that breaks first, it usually isn’t cost effective to fix. The mower is just junked at that point. So, if you believe that conclusion, changing the oil isn’t a good way for the owner to spend time and $$$ resources. If you think from prior experience your mower will outlive the average, then changing the oil once in a while probably makes sense. I haven’t changed the oil in my lawnmower in 10 years, but I probably have only run it 5 or 6 hours in that entire time interval. I do check the oil level and its clarity when I’m using it tho. Changing the oil on my lawn mower at least isn’t much of a chore, takes 5-10 minutes is all.
I would bet that most mowers are junked because the deck rusts out. If this is the case, the engine w/o an oil change will probably outlast the deck. I have a mower that I still used that I purchased new in 1988.so it will be starting its 30th season. It has a cast aluminum deck. I change the oil at the beginning of each season and service the air cleaner.
Hmmm, let’d see, I pay about $25 for 5 quarts of synthetic oil. I paid $900 for my snow blower and over $1000 for my mower. I think I’ll spend the $5 to change oil once a year.
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Good point about the air filter. A clean one can make a huge difference in performance. I’ve changed the air filter in my lawn mower probably more often than I’ve changed the oil.
Uh, why not? A mower has only a 20oz oil capacity, is operated in a very dusty environment, and has no oil filter! Seems like an environment that would call for very frequent changes. And an oil change involves literally removing one bolt, or just flipping it upside down.
(Unless you mean you operate 2-strokes exclusively…)
Yeah, Briggs and Stratton is pushing their “never change the oil!” mowers. It’s a new tactic, and met with much skepticism almost everywhere.
I’d change the oil after the first good mow, and get all the break-in metal out. Thereafter, I’d change every season or every 50 hours, whichever comes first.
Can anybody come up with a reason NOT to occasionally change the oil? I sure can’t!
The oil in both my push and riding mowers is black by the end of the season.
I consider the few $$ for oil and 15 mins of time for both to be cheap insurance.
But your results may vary.
Maybe an enterprising person could start a business by making house calls to service lawnmower for the season. The service would include changing the oil, replacing the air filter, replacing the spark plug, sharpening the blade and cleaning the deck. I bet that there are homeowners who have no idea how to change the oil on a.lawnmower or do any of the other things that those of us on this board consider simple maintenance.
A typical walk behind mower service in my area for oil change, sharping and tune up is $65.00 to $80.00. A mobile service would need to charge 100.00 to 125.00 plus a distance fee outside of a certain distance.
Already exists, and the prices they charge convinced me I got into the wrong career field!
I found out my mother was having a John Deere dealership come out twice a year to service her lawn tractor. I found out what she was paying for this service and immediately said I’d do it for free. We’re talking several hundred bucks a trip just to change the oil and occasionally the battery.
OP, change the oil once a season unless you’re cool with buying a new mower from time to time. Personally, I’m pretty convinced my Honda mower will outlive me if I take care of it, so I do.
This “zero maintenance” bull that companies like to push is pretty obviously a load of bunk.
I really like the ones that say something along the lines of “No service required for the entire lifespan of the motor,” because that’s true of all motors. If you decline to change the oil in a car, then the oil that’s in there will last until the motor dies. What they don’t mention is that the motor will die a whole lot sooner.
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It’s been a pretty dull winter here but last night we got 10" of snow. 60 degrees last week. At any rate I now have a total of 5 hours on my blower this year. Maybe I’ll get a couple more hours before spring but I’ll be changing the oil in the spring. I might not do the annual spark plug though. Even I have my limits.