How Much Oil Is Poured Into A Lawn Mower

Everyone knows that the car engine requires special care, which will ensure a long and trouble-free life for the motor. The same rule applies to the gas mower engine: depending on whether you have a trimmer or a large four-wheel mower, you will encounter the problem of choosing an oil. So what are the basic requirements for oil for lawn mower engines?

How to choose a lawn mower oil?

As with any machine, there is a manual for the lawn mower, which not only describes the main characteristics of the tool, but also the rules for caring for it. So, in the instructions it will be written that for lawnmowers it is necessary to use only specialized oil. And some manufacturers even insist on using the same brand of oil as the mower itself.

In fact, this fact turns out to be just a marketing ploy of manufacturers, and both automobile and motorcycle engine oil for four-stroke engines can be suitable for a lawn mower. It is enough to simply observe the basic rules:

1. The oil should be mineral or semi-synthetic. A fully synthetic oil can burn the engine, so it is best not to use it at all. During operation of the lawnmower, a lot of sludge is formed on mineral oil, so we advise you to choose semi-synthetic oil. In addition, mineral oil is difficult to find today.

2. The viscosity of the oil must not exceed SAE 30 or 10w30, and the quality category vary between SE and SJ. A more viscous oil can disrupt the engine, however, it also applies to less viscous oil. All these indicators must be indicated on the package.

3. Choose the oil according to the temperature conditions. If you mow in cold weather, the viscosity of the oil may be higher than the above, but the next time you turn it on you will have to replace the oil with the right one.

In lawn mowers with four-stroke engines, oil is poured into a special crankcase and never mixed with gasoline, since the design of such a gas lawn mower does not imply a mix of oil and fuel. On the contrary, it can cause engine damage. It is enough to change the oil once a season, as usually the crankcase holds from 450 to 600 ml of oil – this is enough to handle large areas. However, do not be lazy to check the oil level before each use of the tool.

How is oil used in two-stroke engine lawn mowers?

As a rule, a two-stroke engine is mounted on trim tabs, and since their design does not imply the presence of extra parts, a separate oil tank is not provided. What to do in this case? Prepare the fuel mixture.
For two-stroke engine lawn mowers, the same rules apply as for their larger counterparts, with one exception — you need to buy oil for units with a two-stroke engine.

On each trimmer (or in the instructions for it), the proportions of mixing fuel and oil are indicated: from 1:32 to 1:35. This rule applies only to mineral oil! And since it’s quite difficult to find it now, and it can scare off the cost, semi-synthetic or even synthetic oil is most often used. Note that the mixing proportions in this case change, and become – 1:50. If in doubt, carefully examine the oil packaging; this data is usually indicated on it. You should focus on them. To prepare the mixture, it is enough to pour 100 ml of oil into five liters of gasoline, this should be enough for a whole season of regular beveling. If not, repeat the procedure.

One of the most pressing questions for motorists is whether it is worth changing the transmission fluid in the gearbox of your “iron horse” and when it is better to do it, has become a cause for a lot of controversy. Today we will answer this and related questions.

Gearbox and its “insides”: why do we need gear oil?

The gearbox serves to transmit torque from the engine to the wheel axles. Each such unit has several steps (in modern gearboxes, regardless of design – from five and above), with which the driver can lower or increase gears, and, accordingly, reduce or increase the torque transmitted to the drive wheels, affecting the speed of movement a car.

Gearboxes are divided into several types:

• Mechanical (when the driver himself shifts gears using the selector knob and the gearbox clutch mechanism);
• Automatic (transmissions are switched by an automated system without driver intervention);
• Robotic (a type of mechanical gearbox in which the clutch and gearshift functions are performed by an automated control system);
• Stepless variators (transition from stage to stage is carried out smoothly by transmitting torque from the engine to the drive wheels through friction clutches).

Video: How Much Oil Is Poured Into A Lawn Mower

Regardless of the type of gearbox, gear oil is used for the coordinated operation of its mechanisms. Its function is to lubricate the friction surfaces of gearbox mechanisms (gears, rollers, shafts, bearings), protecting the unit from overheating, corrosion of internal surfaces and, thereby, prolonging its life. But there comes a time when the oil, which is still filled in on the conveyor, ages and loses its basic characteristics, among which the viscosity is the main one. If you do not change the oil in the gearbox in time, then its mechanisms may fail, which can lead to serious and expensive repairs. Therefore, each motorist should monitor the state of gear oil in the gearbox of his car and change it in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer or the specialists of the service center where the car is serviced.

Gear Oil: Life

The timing of the use of gear oil varies depending on their type.

The oil in a manual gearbox has a longer life (this is due to the simplicity of the transmission design compared to automatic transmission): the manufacturer recommends changing it after long runs – from 80-100 to 150-200 thousand kilometers, depending on the conditions in which the car was used . In some manuals for cars equipped with "mechanics" you can see a note – "gearbox oil for the gearbox does not change throughout the entire life cycle." If everything is clear with the first (as soon as the deadline comes, we go to the service station and change the used gear oil to a new one), then what should I do with the second? Experts advise regularly checking the gearbox oil level and condition. If the level of gear oil has fallen – it should be added. With a complete oil change, the amount of gear fluid topped up depends on the capacity of each individual gearbox plus a certain amount of the same fluid to displace old oil (typical for automatic transmissions).

Attention: add only the oil that was filled into the box at the factory (you can find out from official dealers), mixing different types of oils can lead to the precipitation of chemicals that can settle on the rubbing surfaces of the gearbox parts and cause them to break .

We check the condition of the oil in the gearbox at the service station: if chips are detected in the liquid, a significant precipitate from the impurities of the additives used in the transmission oil is found, it is better to completely replace it.

Transmission fluid used in automatic transmissions and variators requires replacement at lower mileage than manual gearboxes. On average, the replacement of ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) is performed at the second or third MOT – that is, with mileage from 60 to 90 thousand kilometers. The reason for such an early replacement of transmission fluid is that the automatic transmission, unlike the “mechanics”, is a more complex unit with its own cooling system. The difficult operating conditions of the machine and, accordingly, the “automatic” gearbox make it difficult for the transmission fluid to circulate, therefore it lubricates the friction surfaces of mechanisms less efficiently, cools them worse, and gear changes are slower. If you notice that the box is "stupid", then most likely it is time to change the old ATF to a new one.

Types of transmission fluids for manual transmissions and automatic transmissions of cars

Transmission fluids differ from each other in two main parameters: kinematic viscosity and chemical composition.

By their chemical composition, these liquids, like oils for automobile engines, are divided into mineral, semi-synthetic, and synthetic. Mineral gear oils were mainly used in old domestic cars. Automobile manufacturers currently recommend synthetic-based transmission fluids in gearboxes. They are better suited to work in a wide temperature range, withstand heavy loads, maintain their working condition for longer, and therefore require less frequent replacement as mineral and semi-synthetic oils.

According to kinematic viscosity, transmission fluids are divided into two classifications: according to viscosity index (SAE) and viscosity class (API). Consider the features of both classifications.

SAE gear oil classification:

• Liquids for car operation at low temperatures ("winter") – are designated as 70W, 75W, 80W and 85W, where W is the viscosity index;
• Liquids for car operation at high temperatures ("summer") – are designated as 80W, 85W, 90W, 140W and 250W;
• Universal liquids (suitable for operation in various climatic conditions) – are designated as 75W – 90, 80W – 140.

API Fluid Classification (GL):

• GL 1 – are liquids without additives, which are intended for use in manual transmissions of trucks not equipped with synchronizers;
• GL 2 – fluids with anti-wear additives for tractors and other agricultural machinery that works under moderate conditions;
• GL 3 – fluids with additives that resist wear (up to 2.7% of the total oil volume), which are recommended for use in medium-heavy duty gearboxes;
• GL 4 – fluids for universal working conditions (up to 4% of anti-wear additives in their composition) Gearboxes of various types of vehicles – from cars to trucks and buses. Used for transmissions with unsynchronized or synchronized gears.
• GL 5 – gearbox fluids for vehicles operating in extremely difficult conditions. They include up to 6.5% of multifunctional additives (antifoam, extreme pressure, etc.);
• GL 6 – liquids for hypoid gears, which in their composition have up to 8.5% of anti-wear additives. Used for gearboxes of cars with powerful high-revving engines.

In mechanical gearboxes, manufacturers recommend using transmission fluids with SAE 75W – 90 and API GL.3 (for manual transmissions of older cars), API GL.4 or API GL.5 (for modern manual transmissions).

Operating fluids for automatic transmissions are not tied to specific classes – manufacturers of motor vehicle oils set their standards. Automatic transmissions are charged with ATF transmission fluids with a special chemical composition – they usually contain a larger percentage of additives that prevent foaming. This is due to the design features of such a gearbox: the foam generated during operation can block the control solenoid, which regulates the pressure supply to the valve body valve, and the gears will not turn on.

Fluids for automatic transmissions are also distinguished by color – they are usually red, in some cases green or blue. There are special transmission fluids that are designed for stepless variators.

In any case, before deciding to change the oil in a manual transmission or automatic transmission, you need to find out which fluids are advised by the manufacturer and strictly follow its recommendations and technical regulations.