Drive 30,000 miles around the world on dusty roads without changing the oil or filter?
Way too far, even with synthetic.
Here we go again and just when I decided to leave the dino Valvoline in the lawn mower. Just a thought though, maybe its the Land Rovers and not the oil.
As indicated, there is little you can do once the oil is contaminated. That’s why oil change intervals are varied by conditions For all oils and this dumb test was doomed to failure from the onset. Why don’t they see how far the oil will take them under water ? This test was to be about the oil alone when both the air and the oil filter as well as the conditions contaminated the whole process. Makes you wonder how competent those who decided to waste their money on this test are.
This article & test only tried to quantify viscosity retention. Anyway, Mobil 1 kicked butt:
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm
This article is just FYI but very interesting just the same:
http://www.ladyharley.net/OilandtheHarleyDavidsonMotorcycle.pdf
Interesting. I hope that applies to small engines as well as motorcycles.
I don’t know why it wouldn’t apply to 4 stroke small air cooled engines. Mobil 1 has a v twin 20w50 oil that maintains its important properties at tremendously high oil temps which would be lower in a water cooled engine.
Like said before, Briggs has changed their recommendations to allow using 5-30 synthetic year round. The issue is whether to use the Briggs oil at $10 a quart or Mobil 1 at more like $5-7 a quart. Looks to me like the Mobil 1 would be as good as the Briggs oil, then probably.
" "This oil is the worst I have ever seen! The oil samples came out like soft-serve chocolate ice cream. Ugh. There were clumps, but I didn?t see any metallic shavings, so that was good news. "
Yeah, that’s great news alright…
@Bing
My new Craftsman says straight 30wt for summer only and 5w30 for winter/year round use. I’ll probably just use the 5w30 oil, depending on price. Doesn’t specify synthetic, though.
Mobil1 is only $5/qt if it’s on sale, or if you go to Walmart
If the above don’t apply, it’s usually $7-$8 a quart
And I don’t set foot in Walmart
@bscar2 If its a Briggs, 5-30 can only be used in the winter unless it is synthetic. If its a Chinese engine, who knows?
It’s B&S, and says, in the manual, for 32 degrees or above to use SAE 30 oe 32 and below, SAE 5w30. Not trying to be contradictory, but just letting you know what the owner’s manual says. And since my car calls for 5w30 it’s what I’ll use.
Granted my car doesn’t specify synthetic, but I’ve used it ever since my first oil change.
Correct, but if you look at the Briggs chart, you can use 5-30 above 40 degrees if it is synthetic but not dino 5-30. Just makes it easier to use synthetic 5w30 year round on everything was my only point.
Just makes it easier to use synthetic 5w30 year round on everything was my only point.
That’s what I use. To me…synthetic in a lawnmower or snow blower is a no brainer. Since you usually only change the oil once a year…the cost difference in just a couple bucks per piece of equipment.
My most recently purchased piece of equipment, a generator with an 8 hp air cooled engine states the 5W-30 synthetic oil is good for all temperatures and since I never know when I’ll need the generator, this is the oil I use. The rest of my equipment was made in 1992 or before and there is no mention made in using the synthetic oil.
All this talk about lawnmower oil has made me realize that I have never in my life changed the oil in a lawnmower, edger, pressure washer, etc. And I’m a mechanic. I’ll check the level and fill as needed, but I can’t recall ever changing the oil.
It’s been my experience that the other parts of the gas powered equipment fail before the engine does. And I don’t think of a lawnmower as a long-term investment.
And I don't think of a lawnmower as a long-term investment.
I have one that’s currently 30 years old and still runs great. It’s at one of the duplexes I own.
The I use an my house is now 20 years old. This one is a big 36" cut walk behind. New they go for $2500. So I’m not about to skip an oil change on this baby.
Do your lawnmowers last longer then those?
The vast majority of lawnmowers are 20’ cut push models that can be bought for less than $150, @Mike. And when that mower fails to start after 2 years and a “tune-up” is $99.99 the owners discard them for a newer model. For a few of us the engine can be kept running until the deck becomes a rusted out hulk while an even smaller segment of the market such as yourself feels that it is worthwhile to invest in models with cast iron sleeve engines, etc., which are worth maintaining well.
A local factory builds those cheap models and several hundred workers there are thankful most of the public makes them so disposable.
The vast majority of lawnmowers are 20' cut push models that can be bought for less than $150
That’s my 30/yo mower. It’s a Troy-Built. I think it was the second year they came out with their mulcher. Still runs great. Although I do have to use starting fluid to get it firing sometimes.
The deck is still fine. Some surface rust. But I keep it in a shed.
Those workers at the local MTD factory will be very disappointed if you continue to keep that mower running and advising others how to do the same, @Mike. Do your part to revitalize the economy and scrap that old Troy-Bilt.