What kind of oil to use for the lawnmower

Can you put automotive oil in your lawnmower?

Most modern lawnmowers use two-stroke, air-cooled gasoline engines. The working volume of the power units rarely exceeded 200 cubic centimeters. This design gives the machine moderate weight and efficiency.

In some cases, companies make lawn mowers with water-cooled four-stroke motors. In this case, you should buy oil suitable for automotive engines. the construction of the internal combustion engines in this case will not differ.

General Lawnmower Oil Recommendations

Based on the above engine design features, it is best to use a special lawnmower oil for lubrication, and it must be suitable for the temperature conditions in which the unit will be used. SAE 30 class specialist oils are considered the optimal choice. It is used in temperatures above 5 degrees.

If special is not available, you can use automotive grade grease:

These lubricants, too, are designed mainly for positive ambient temperatures and a maximum value above 35 degrees.

The lubricant type: mineral and semi-synthetic is acceptable. Fully synthetic would be too expensive. Quality level of performance properties according to API. “SF”, “SG”, “SH”, “SJ” and higher. For four-stroke garden equipment engines, the label should be marked “4T”.

LIQUI MOLY Rasenmaher-Oil 30

LIQUI MOLY Rasenmaher-Oil 30 3991 Seasonal Mineral Lawnmower Engine Oil 1L is for everybody. suitable for both gasoline and diesel engines of four-stroke garden and power equipment with both air and water cooling systems. Product is recommended for use in temperatures above freezing. Use of this oil ensures high stability and long oil life.

What to pay attention to when choosing an oil?

When choosing an oil for your lawnmower, you should pay attention to the manufacturer of the products. It is necessary to give preference to the brand that is specified in the instruction manual for the equipment. A large number of manufacturers of this equipment produce their own oils. That’s what you should use. They have a positive effect on performance and service life of the equipment. When choosing, it is necessary to be guided by the general characteristics concerning lubrication, which are given in the manual. It is forbidden to use the first you come across, no matter what kind of lawnmower: self-propelled or petrol-powered. You should not buy the most expensive lubricant, it may not fit your specific model. There is no universal variant.

It is recommended to change the oil every 50-60 hours of mower operation

Recommendations for selecting oil from specific manufacturers

Lawn mower manufacturers are sure to indicate in their instructions the type that is used in their equipment, as well as the frequency of oil changes, usually in moto-hours. Usually manufacturers specify their proprietary lubricants and you should use them if you want to keep the warranty on your equipment. But often manufacturers also specify general characteristics of lubricants, and then it is possible to pick up similar lubricants from the more widely available automotive oils.

The best oil for any engine is the one recommended by the manufacturer. Shell Helix Ultra is world-famous. For 40 years Shell has been developing a new technology to produce synthetic oil from natural gas. Pureplus technology makes it possible to obtain an improved base oil composition. On its basis, with addition of necessary additives, the leading producers get the oil recommended for their equipment.

It is advisable to buy it from a reputable store.к. despite the fact that lawnmowers have lower lubrication requirements than cars, getting counterfeit oil in the engine can put it out of operation.

The function of lubes

Waste Oil Disposal Algorithm.

So what tasks does this product perform in a lawnmower? Some owners of such machines know only approximately the answer to this question, using any oil that comes to hand, and thus not only reduce the efficiency of the mower, but also at the risk of causing her some harm. Exactly in order to avoid this, let’s understand why you need oil in a lawnmower at all.

Oil cools the machine during operation, improving airflow and heat transfer. Anyone who has ever worked with a lawnmower knows how uncomfortable constant overheating during intensive work over a certain period of time can be. High-quality oil can increase the run time to overheat and reduce the effects of that temperature effect on the engine and other internal components.

It also helps to use the engine oil to reach the maximum engine speed, which can significantly increase the speed and the efficiency of the machine.

Only when the engine is running at maximum speed will you know what it is really capable of. The oil also helps the mower survive the hardest time for any machine, the winter, when overcooling can damage some of the internal systems. A quality oil will reduce these effects and keep moisture and cold from damaging your lawnmower.

And of course the use of engine oil leads to the lubrication of all elements of the piston and valve structure, and also ensures the removal of the soot and dirt that may have formed there.As you can see, the use of engine oil in a lawnmower is essential for many reasons. It is quite an important element that ensures stable operation of the engine and other systems.

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How to change?

As for how to change the oil in the lawnmower, the scheme is quite simple. You have to do it once a season, even if you do not use the machine intensively. The fact is that some oils tend to oxidize, lose their properties, and with such a long storage can even cause damage to the engine and other systems. You can still read the terms on the oil package, where the manufacturer can usually tell you exactly what to buy and how to do it.

The procedure itself is quick and easy. You will need to carefully drain the old oil into a container. We don’t recommend pouring it on the ground as it will damage the soil, you should not pour the old oil down the drain either. And then you have to pour in new oil. But remember, you do not have to fill to the very edge, to the plug, but to a special mark, which is in almost every crankcase.

Too much oil impairs the stable operation of the system, so just follow the instructions for your mower carefully.

Before you change the oil in your mower, be sure to look at the manual and other documents you received when you bought the machine. In them, the manufacturer was bound to write what kind of oil is recommended for use in your kind of lawnmower. It is not recommended to violate. At best, the oil not recommended by the manufacturer will simply not be as effective, and at worst. completely useless and even harmful.

For example, do not use oil that is too viscous. It requires the mower to have a special pump, which is not available in all the models on the market of such machines.

For the vast majority of machines, oils that are of the SF class and higher are suitable. We do not recommend economising on oil, because too much depends on it for your lawnmower engine to work properly.

You also have to take into account that oil loses its properties more quickly in hotter weather, especially when the outside temperature reaches 30 degrees and above. If you do, you seriously risk overheating the machine and causing the oil to lose its viscosity and other characteristics. You need to change your oil more often than usual when operating in these conditions. But for the winter, you can pour a frost-resistant oil into the lawnmower to help it survive the cold weather. Some of these oils, according to their manufacturers, can allow the machine to operate at temperatures well below freezing.

Now you know what lawnmower engine oil is, what role it plays in the engine, how it should be chosen and how to change it. If there is anything else you do not understand, you can read the oil change instructions on any similar product. We recommend choosing oils that are in the medium price range. They are usually worth their money and can provide sufficient quality of lawnmower operation.

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Preparing the fuel mixture

Motor oil is mixed with gasoline in certain proportions to obtain the fuel mixture. These can be found in the instruction manual. Mineral lubricants, for example, are mixed with gasoline at a ratio of 1 to 35, and synthetic lubricants at a ratio of 1 to 50.

• fill the canister with the exact amount of gasoline;
• add, using a dispenser, the required volume of oil;
• Close the container with the lid;
• Stir the mixture by shaking the liquid.

The prepared fuel mixture is simply poured inside the gas tank, using a watering can for convenience.

The following table shows the proportions encountered between oil and gasoline. The volumes of materials to be mixed can be quickly determined by the amount of water in the cylinder.

The ready mix of petrol and oil can be stored in polypropylene or metal containers for up to two weeks. Do not store the composition in plastic bottles. This is due to the fact that gasoline reacts with the container material, and the resulting products get into the work mixture. Because of it, more sludge is formed in the combustion process.

It is allowed to fill up the fuel mixture only when the engine is almost completely cooled down. It is not allowed to fill up the tank to the top: it is necessary to leave some space for thermal expansion of fuel.

Follow the rules of fire and personal safety, when working on the preparation and pouring of the working composition away from sources of fire.

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Conventional oil vs. synthetic oil

What is better for your engine: normal oil or synthetic oil? Generally speaking, conventional oil will do just fine. If you use the oil in proper conditions, it will provide protection and lubrication, at an affordable price.

However, synthetic oil provides better protection in a wider range of temperatures, but has a higher price. Synthetic oil collects more dirt, so when you change the oil, these particles will be removed from your mower. This can lead to improved performance overall.

Whichever option you choose, it’s important to check the level and refill the oil throughout the season, and to completely change it after about 50 hours of operation.

What kind of oil to use

When choosing a lubricant the following main factors are taken into account:

• provision of engine cooling, protection against thermal shock;
• operation at high speeds and loads;
• corrosion resistance when the mower is not in use during the winter;
• no fouling or sulfate ash, smokeless;
• environmental friendliness;
• good solubility in petrol;
• long storage time of prepared lubricant.

The oil in your mower must be biodegradable, all-season, and economical.

2-stroke engines require a mix in manufacturer’s recommended oil to gasoline ratio. For four-stroke engines, no mixing is done; the ingredients are poured separately into different containers. Lubrication is carried out with oil pipes, pump, filter and valves.

To obtain the lubricant, the types of oils used are those most suitable for 2-stroke units:

The fluid contains 5-15% of various additives designed to improve efficiency, slow down corrosion and stabilize viscosity.

Lawnmowers with 4-stroke engines require a simple automobile fluid, like SAE30 or 10W40, with the right technical characteristics. An important characteristic of a 4-stroke lawnmower oil is its long-term consistency. The SF formulation is suitable for almost all brands of machines. For winter operation a frost-proof fluid is used. In the table you can find the right oil grade, which is better to fill up the tank of a mower with a 4-stroke motor to work under certain temperature conditions. For example, ALKO or Zubr ZMD-4T-M SAE30 mineral engine oil can be used at temperatures from.5 C° to 35 C°, and the semi-synthetic Mannol 4-Takt Plus 10W-40 SL with a temperature range of.25° C to 40° C is suitable for multigrade use.

Lawn mower oil with a 4-stroke engine is best

Motors with 4-stroke systems determine by themselves how much oil is needed to enrich the fuel. No need to calculate and mix anything manually. You just put grease in the special tank and that’s it. Now you need to top it up as you go. It is convenient and practical, but such mowers are relatively expensive, and in case of breakage their repair will cost you a pretty penny. But it’s even easier with oils. In fact, any summer motor oil with a viscosity of 30 units will do. But it’s better to take a specialized. It contains an expanded set of additives developed specifically for these engines, taking into account all their peculiarities.

Lawn mower four-stroke engines, while generally designed similarly to car engines, do have important differences: Lawn mowers do not have an oil pump and generally an oil supply system in order to reduce the purchase price, this leads to higher demands on the viscosity of the lubricant used in garden equipment motors. The engine oil in the lawnmower engine is distributed by the crankshaft: it is drawn from the crankcase and sprayed on the parts. Due to this design, the viscosity of the lubricant has to be thick enough to prevent the oil film from sticking to the parts and not be too thick so as to hinder the movement of the parts or create a hard crust.

On the other hand, lawnmowers operate mostly at positive ambient temperatures and the load on their engines is not as severe as for car engines. Lawnmowers most often do not require “cold start” in the cold, which greatly reduces the life of the car engine and requires low-temperature properties from the lubricant.

On the contrary, lawnmowers are usually air-cooled and therefore often have higher engine temperatures than liquid-cooled car engines.

The first filling is intended for the running-in of the engine. after five hours of work it is replaced, then on the new grease can work all season. In the future replacement is done according to the regulations after a certain number of moto-hours, or you drain it at the end of the dacha season and pour a new one the next year.

What oil to pour in the mower??

Everyone knows that a car engine requires special care to give the engine a long and trouble-free life. The same rule applies to the gasoline lawnmower motor: regardless of whether you have a grass trimmer or a large four-wheeled mower, you will face the problem of choosing an oil. What are the main requirements for the oil for lawn mower engines?

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

In fact, this fact is just a marketing ploy by manufacturers and the lawnmower can fit both car and motorcycle engine oil for four-stroke engines. It’s easy enough to follow the basics:

The oil should be mineral or semi-synthetic. Fully synthetic oil can burn the engine, so it is better not to use it at all. During the operation of the mower on the mineral oil produces a lot of sludge, so we advise to opt for semi-synthetic oil. In addition, mineral oil is now quite difficult to find.

Oil viscosity should not exceed SAE 30 or 10w30, and quality category should vary between SE and SJ. Viscosity oil can be the cause of engine malfunction, even less viscous oil. All of these values are listed on the package.

Choose the oil depending on the temperature conditions. If you mow in cold weather, the oil viscosity may be higher than the above, but the next time you turn it on, you have to change the oil to the right one.

Lawn mowers with four-stroke engines do not mix oil with petrol, as this does not mix oil with petrol. On the contrary, it can cause engine damage. It is enough to change oil at least once a season, as the sump normally holds 450 to 600 ml of oil. long enough for large areas. But don’t be lazy to check the oil level before each use.

How to use oil in lawnmowers with two-stroke engine?

As a rule, a two-stroke engine is installed on the grass trimmers and since their design does not require any extra parts, there is no separate oil reservoir. How to be in such a case? Prepare the fuel mixture.The same rules work for lawnmowers with a two-stroke engine as for their larger counterparts, with one exception. oil must be purchased for units with a two-stroke engine.

Each trimmer (or its manual) shows the proportions of mixing fuel and oil: from 1:32 to 1:35. This rule is only valid for mineral oil! It is quite difficult to find, and the price can also scare you, so most often semisynthetic or even synthetic oil is used. Note that the mixing proportions then change and become 1:50. If in doubt, carefully examine the oil packaging, it usually contains these data. You should be guided by it. 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 mowing. If not, repeat the procedure.

LIQUI MOLY 2-Takt-Motoroil

LIQUI MOLY 2-Takt-Motoroil 3958 is a semi-synthetic two-stroke motor oil made of high quality synthetic and mineral components combined with a special additive package. Provides high reliability of engines and their protection against breakage and corrosion. The oil makes it possible to use various gardening and motor equipment in any season.

Hammerflex 501-SAE 5W-30

Winter semi-synthetic motor oil, designed for use in four-stroke gasoline engines of snow blowers, generators, power tillers, mini tractors and other garden and construction equipment and even for lawn mowers. Provides perfect lubrication during cold starts, excellent protection against deposits and corrosion, prevents premature wear of the piston group, keeps the engine clean and extends its service life.

Preparing a Fuel Mixture

To obtain the fuel mixture, engine oil is mixed with gasoline in certain proportions. They are given in the instruction for use. So, mineral lubricants are mixed with petrol at a ratio of 1 to 35, and synthetic. 1 to 50.

• pour a precise amount of petrol into the canister;
• add required volume of oil, using dispenser;
• Close the container with a lid;
• Stir the mixture by shaking the liquid.

The prepared fuel mixture is simply poured inside the petrol tank, using a watering can for convenience.

The following table shows the proportions of oil and gasoline used in the fuel mixture. This allows you to quickly determine the volume of mixed materials.

Store a ready blend of petrol and oil in polypropylene or metal containers for up to two weeks. Saving compound in polyethylene bottles is not possible. This is due to the fact that gasoline reacts with the container material, and the resulting products get into the work mixture. Because of this during the combustion of the composition will form more fouling.

The fuel mix may be filled only when the engine is almost completely cooled down. You do not want to overfill the tank: there must be enough room for the thermal expansion of the fuel.

Follow the rules of fire and personal safety, when working on preparation and pouring the working composition away from the sources of fire.

Types of engine oils and their function

Engine oil for petrol grass trimmer is a lubricant that reduces wear and tear between the rubbing parts of the engine.

The oil composition includes residual hydrocarbons and various additives which improve the properties of the final product. To ensure a long-lasting and trouble-free operation of the lawnmower, experts recommend using oils, which by their physical and chemical properties correspond to this type of motor.

Today it is accepted to distinguish three main types of oils by the way they are made:

• Mineral, created through the distillation of hydrocarbons;
• Synthetic oils obtained by processing natural gas or by synthesis;
• Semi-synthetic, which includes an improved mineral oil with the addition of some synthetic components.

In order to prevent mixing of different types the manufacturer adds a dye to the oil, which shows the difference in composition of the lubricant.