What Oil To Pour Into A Lawn Mower?

Internal combustion engines used in lawn mowers are two and four stroke. When changing engine oil in lawn mower engines, the question arises for the owners. Which engine oil to fill in the lawn mower? Today we will analyze this issue in detail and start first with four-stroke engines.

What Oil To Pour Into A Lawn Mower?

Features of lawn mowers

The engine oil in the engine of the lawn mower is distributed using the crankshaft: scooped out of the crankcase and sprayed onto the parts. Due to this design, the viscosity of the lubricant must be sufficient to hold the oil film on the parts, at the same time it should not be too thick to interfere with the movement of the parts or form a hard crust.

On the other hand, lawn mowers operate mainly at positive ambient temperatures and the load on their engines is not as serious as that of automobile engines. Most often, lawnmowers do not need a “cold start” in the cold, which greatly reduces the life of the car engine and requires low-temperature lubrication properties.

On the contrary, lawn mowers, as a rule, are air-cooled and therefore their engine temperature is higher than that of liquid-cooled automobile engines.

The first refueling is designed to break in the engine. After five hours of operation, it is replaced, after which you can work on the new lubricant all season. In the future, the replacement is done according to the regulations after a certain number of hours, or it is drained at the end of the summer season and the next year they fill in a new one.

General recommendations for choosing lawn mower oil

Based on the above design features of engines, it is best to use a special oil for lawn mowers for lubrication, and it must meet the temperature conditions in which the unit will be used. The best option is a specialized lubricant of class SAE 30. It is used at temperatures above 5 degrees.

If the special is not available, then you can use automotive lubricants of the class:

These lubricants are also designed mainly for positive ambient temperatures and maximum values ​​above 35 degrees.

By type of lubricating fluid. Mineral and semi-synthetic are allowed. Fully synthetic will be too expensive. Api performance level. Sf, SG, SH, SJ and higher. For four-stroke engines of garden equipment, the label must bear the label “4T“.

Recommendations for choosing oil of specific manufacturers

The manufacturers of lawn mowers must indicate in their instructions the type that is used in their equipment, as well as the frequency of oil changes, usually in engine hours. Typically, manufacturers indicate their branded lubricants and should be used if you want to maintain a warranty on the equipment. But often, manufacturers indicate the general characteristics of lubricants, and then similar lubricants can be selected from more widely available automotive oils.

The best for any engine is considered recommended by the manufacturer. World famous Shell Helix Ultra . Shell has been developing a new technology for producing synthetic oil from natural gas for 40 years. Pureplus technology has resulted in an improved base oil formulation. On its basis, with the addition of the necessary additives, the leading manufacturers recommended for their technology get.

Replacing two-stroke engine oil in a lawn mower

A two-stroke engine is usually mounted on trimmers (manual grass clippers). These devices have small dimensions and weight, so the number of parts in them is minimized. They do not have a separate oil tank and need to prepare a mixture of gasoline with oil. Here initiative is no longer appropriate. You need to use only the special for two-stroke engines and mix it with gasoline in the proportions indicated in the instruction manual for the trimmer.

It is imperative to pay attention to the type of oil in order to determine the correct mixing ratio: for mineral oils, the ratio of oil to gasoline should be from 1:32 to 1:35, and for semi-synthetic ones, 1:50.

We pay attention once again. Markers “MUST be indicated on the canisters with oil for two-stroke engines”2T“!

The fuel mixture for two-stroke engines is prepared as follows:

  1. The exact amount of gasoline is poured into the canister (for example, for a trimmer of 5 liters),
  2. Then, using a dispenser, add oil (semi-synthetic. 100 milliliters)
  3. Close the lid mix well

The finished fuel mixture can be stored for no more than two weeks in a metal or polypropylene container.

Do not use plastic bottles for storage! Polyethylene dissolves in gasoline and then, getting into the combustion chamber, increases carbon deposits in the engine. During prolonged storage of the fuel mixture, it loses its properties due to chemical reactions. The risk is increased that the engine will not start on old fuel.

We hope our review has helped to answer the question of your concern. What kind of oil to fill in the lawn mower? Please share your experience on replacing motor oil in lawn mowers under the review in the comments below.