What oil is needed for a lawn mower

Oil functions

Lawn mower lubricant should be carefully selected and high quality oils should be preferred. If you save on this consumable liquid, then it will not perform its functions to the full, the lawn mower will fail in a short time and will require expensive repairs. The oil used in a lawn mower has an important role to play. It has the following functions:

• lubrication of parts that experience high friction during operation;
• removal of heat energy from heated parts;
• reduced engine wear;
• minimizing the development of such negative phenomena as deposits of various types, the formation of soot and varnish;
• protection of parts from the formation and effects of corrosion;
• decrease in the toxicity index of exhaust gaseous substances;
• minimizing the amount of smoke.

The engine of a lawn mower is significantly different from that which is installed in cars and motor vehicles. Therefore, different lubricants should be used for these units. You cannot replace one oil with another. The consequences for technology can be the most unpredictable.

The engines used for lawn mowers do not have an oil pump. This circumstance creates high requirements for the oil, especially for the indicators of its viscosity..

In a lawn mower engine, the crankshaft is responsible for distributing the oil. The liquid is scooped out of the crankcase by parts that resemble spoons in shape. The speed of their movement is colossal. Such design features of the motor require the use of oil, which contains high quality additives. These components reduce the ability of the working fluid to foam and become more viscous from high temperatures..

In low-cost, low-grade oils, these additives are less abundant and their quality is highly questionable. A good oil should have such a viscosity so that it can stick well on parts and not create difficulties for the movement of mechanisms inside the motor..

Varieties

In order to choose the right gardening fluid and always know what to buy, you need to study the existing varieties of oils. First of all, technical oil fluids are separated by chemical composition..

• Mineral oils are created from the base obtained from refined petroleum products. These fluids are viscous and must be changed frequently. They are designed for low power motors. Most recommended for summer use.

• Synthetic fluids are based on special synthetic substances, which include esters. The viscosity is at a low level, long service life and year-round use – no other type of lubricant can boast such high characteristics. These fluids are ideal for demanding machinery that operates in harsh conditions..

How to change the lawnmower’s engine oil

• Semi-synthetic motor oil is created from mineral and synthetic type substances. These oils are the middle choice between the two previous fluids. Semi-synthetic oils are ideal for garden and park equipment, two- and four-stroke engines.

There are several other classifications based on different requirements. The most common API classification. It is supported by different countries and many manufacturers. According to this classification, all engine oils are divided into the following types:

• TA is the best option for home appliances with a motor up to 50 cc. cm;
• TB is intended for equipment with a higher power, equipped with a motor of more than 50, but less than 200 cc. cm;
• TC is an oil that is intended for motors with increased requirements for the quality of the lubricating fluid; such oil can be safely poured into lawn mowers;
• TD is designed for water cooled outboard motors.

Due to the 20% solvent composition, the oil of the two-contact type is able to mix well with automotive fuel. In addition, such liquids are capable of completely burning. Lubricants can be painted in various colors. Coloring does not indicate the quality of the oil. Its function is different – it makes it easier for the user to distinguish between lubricant and fuel..

How to choose your lawn mower oil?

• Oil functions
• Varieties
• Manufacturers
• Which is better to choose?
• Replacement recommendations

It is rare for a private home owner to do without a lawn mower. You may not even have a lawn that needs regular maintenance, but still use a lawn mower. This technique, like any other, needs periodic maintenance, such as an oil change. Each lawn mower owner needs to know what kind of liquid can be used for these purposes, how to choose it correctly and pour it into the unit..

Which is better to choose?

Choosing the right mower oil is based on a large number of factors that must be followed. It does not matter if you choose a lubricant for a gasoline or self-propelled lawn mower, you cannot use the first oil that comes along. It is also forbidden to choose the most expensive oil or the most popular. The lubricating fluid must be fully matched to the requirements of your lawn mower.

There is no universal option, therefore each case is unique and the choice of oil should be based on the recommendations of the equipment manufacturer.

• In terms of viscosity, the oil is selected in accordance with the temperature conditions that are typical for the operation of garden equipment. For summer, when the ambient temperature reaches 30 degrees, it is advisable to use oil from the SAE-30 series. For the off-season it is recommended to use 10W-30 series oil. Synthetic 5W-30 fluid works well at low temperatures.

• For 2-stroke engines, it is necessary to use a mixture of oil and high-octane gasoline in the ratio recommended by the equipment manufacturer. Usually the ratio is 1/25. According to these figures, 25 ml of gasoline is added for every milliliter of oil. There are exceptions, so you need to study the instructions for the lawn mower..

• In the case of four-stroke type motors, mixing of fluids is not required. A simple automobile fluid is optimal for such mechanisms. It can be SAE30, 10W40 or SF. The main thing is that the technical and operational properties match the list recommended by the manufacturer. For winter use, a liquid must be chosen with frost-resistant properties..

You cannot experiment and use oil that is not suitable for the existing motor. There is a huge difference between the fluids that are used for different types of motors. For example, a fluid for four-stroke type motors must keep its composition unchanged for a long time. Oil for two-stroke engines must have a minimum amount of mineral components to prevent the formation of carbon deposits.

Manufacturers

When choosing an oil, great attention should be paid to its manufacturer. It is better to choose the brand recommended by the lawn mower manufacturer. In the instructions for the technique, you can find information about the filled oil, the frequency of its replacement and recommendations regarding the choice of working fluid.

Also, many lawn mower manufacturers release their own oils, which will have to be used for replacement if you want to maintain the warranty on the equipment. In addition, the instructions provide general characteristics that the oil must meet. When choosing a replacement fluid, you need to focus on this list. This will allow you to choose the oil that will most closely meet the manufacturer’s requirements..

Many self-respecting manufacturers of lubricating fluids offer their consumers a separate line of products that are designed to service garden equipment. If it is possible to choose such a special oil, then you need to buy it..

• Shell Helix Ultra is the best among all companies that present their products on the Russian market. These oils are popular in all countries. Shell specialists have been working for 40 years to create a unique technology for producing synthetic oil from natural gas. The resulting product is characterized by an improved composition, which has no analogues at this time. The manufacturer adds the necessary additives to the base composition, which makes it possible to obtain products with different characteristics. Such oil must be bought only at specialized points of sale, since low-grade counterfeits are often found..

• Liqui Moly also represents quality products. The manufacturer produces several product lines that have different purposes. This assortment includes products for the maintenance of garden equipment. Such oils are designed for long-term operation of trimmers and lawn mowers, their technical characteristics are developed in accordance with the features of modern technology and manufacturer’s recommendations..

Liqui Moly adds additive packages to lawn mower oils that are necessary to reduce equipment wear and keep the engine clean. The main advantage of such fluids is environmental friendliness, because they are created on a plant basis. Liqui Moly lawn mower oils meet all environmental standards.

Rasenmaher produces a good mineral type lubricant specially developed for gardening machines. This tool can be used to service 4-stroke engines with different cooling systems. The substance from Rasenmaher can only be used at freezing temperatures. The manufacturer has carefully developed and selected additives for its product. The result of such actions was a wide list of functionality:

• maintaining the pressure in the system at a stable level;
• effective lubrication of all parts that need it;
• preservation of the viscosity of the grease throughout the entire service life, until the next change;
• providing excellent protection for the motor from normal wear and tear;
• minimum evaporation rate.

Replacement recommendations

It is important not only to choose a quality oil that will suit your technique in terms of its characteristics. You also need to know how to properly pour it into the mower. The rules are simple, but must be followed:

• turn on the unit and warm up the engine idle for a quarter of an hour;
• remove the plug from the tank and substitute a container of the required volume to collect the waste liquid;
• tilt the mower and drain the waste material;
• We twist the plug, put the unit on the most even surface. After that, you can open the hole from above;
• fill in a new working fluid, observing the recommendations of the manufacturer of the equipment regarding the volume, check the fluid level conveniently with a dipstick;
• when the amount of liquid has reached the required volume, you can tighten the plug.

In most cases, about 500 ml of fresh oil should be used to replace the used fluid. This norm corresponds to most of the units that are common in Russia. Exceptions, of course, are encountered, so you need to study the instructions before replacing the spent fluid..

If your lawnmower is equipped with a two-stroke engine, and this indicates the need to mix the lubricant with gasoline, then this should be done immediately before replacement. It is impossible to make such a composition with a margin, since due to a chemical reaction, the mixture loses its properties. The approximate shelf life is no more than a month. Only the components will be damaged from such actions.

It is strictly forbidden to pour waste liquid onto the ground or down the drain. Working off should be given to special points for processing. It can also be used for personal purposes. Be responsible and do not pollute the environment with waste technical fluids.

For information on how to change the oil in a lawn mower, see the next video..

What kind of oil to pour into the lawn mower?

Internal combustion engines used in lawn mowers come in two and four strokes. When changing the engine oil in lawn mower engines, the owners have a question – what kind of engine oil to fill in the lawn mower? Today we will analyze this issue in detail and start first with four-stroke engines..

Recommendations for the selection of oils from specific manufacturers

Manufacturers of lawn mowers in the instructions for them necessarily indicate the type that is used in their technology, as well as the frequency of oil changes, usually in operating hours. Usually manufacturers indicate their branded lubricants and they should be used if you want to keep the warranty on the equipment. But often manufacturers also indicate the general characteristics of lubricants, and then you can pick up similar lubricants from more widely available automotive oils..

The one recommended by the manufacturer is considered the best for any engine. Shell Helix Ultra is world renowned. Shell has been developing new technology for producing synthetic oil from natural gas for 40 years. Pureplus technology has resulted in an improved base oil composition. On its basis, with the addition of the necessary additives, the leading manufacturers recommended for their equipment are obtained.

General Guidelines for Choosing Lawn Mower Oil

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

If a special one is not available, then automotive lubricants of the class can be used:

• SAE 15W-40
• SAE 20W-50

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

By the type of lubricant – mineral and semi-synthetic are allowed. Fully synthetic would be too expensive. The quality level of performance properties according to API – “SF”, “SG”, “SH”, “SJ” and higher. For four-stroke engines of garden equipment, the label must be marked “4T”.

Lawn mower features

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

On the other hand, lawn mowers operate mainly in positive ambient temperatures and the load on their engines is not as severe as on car engines. Lawn mowers most often do not require a “cold start” in the cold, which greatly reduces the service life of a car engine and requires low-temperature properties from lubrication.

Car Engine Oil In a Lawnmower? ‘Explained’ – Best Engine Oil & Lawnmower Oil

On the contrary, lawn mowers are generally air-cooled and therefore have a higher engine temperature than liquid-cooled car motors..

The first refueling is intended for running in the engine – after five hours of operation, it is replaced, after which it is possible to work on the new grease for the whole season. In the future, the replacement is done according to the regulations after a certain number of engine hours, or it is drained at the end of the summer season and a new one is poured in the next year.

Changing the engine oil in two-stroke lawn mowers

The two-stroke engine is usually mounted on trimmers (manual grass clippers). These devices are small in size and weight, so the number of parts in them is minimized. They do not have a separate oil reservoir and need to mix gasoline and oil. Here, amateur performance is no longer appropriate – it is necessary to use only a special one for two-stroke engines and mix it with gasoline in the proportions specified in the operating instructions for the trimmer.

It is imperative to pay attention to the type of oil 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 oils – 1:50.

Once again, we draw your attention – on canisters with oil for two-stroke engines, the marking “2T” MUST be indicated!

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

• The exact amount of gasoline is poured into the canister (for example, for a trimmer of 5 liters),
• Then, using a dispenser, add oil (semi-synthetic – 100 milliliters)
• Cover with a lid and 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. With prolonged storage of the fuel mixture, it loses its properties due to chemical reactions. There is an increased risk that the engine will not start on old fuel..

We hope our review has helped answer your question – what kind of oil should you put in a lawn mower? We ask you to share your best practices on replacing engine oil in lawn mowers under the review in the comments below..

What kind of oil to pour into the lawn mower?

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

How to choose your lawn mower oil?

As with any unit, there is an instruction for the lawn mower, which contains not only the main characteristics of the tool, but also the rules for caring for it. So, the instructions will say that only specialized oil should be used for lawn mowers. And some manufacturers insist on using the same brand of oil as the lawn 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 just to follow the basic rules:

The oil must be mineral or semi-synthetic. Fully synthetic oil can burn the engine, so it is best not to use it at all. A lot of sludge is generated when the mower is running on mineral oil, so we advise you to opt for semi-synthetic oil. In addition, mineral oil is difficult to find today..

The viscosity of the oil should not exceed SAE 30 or 10w30, and the quality category should vary between SE and SJ. More viscous oil can disrupt engine performance, however, less viscous oil can also be affected. All these indicators must be indicated on the packaging..

Select oil based on operating 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 on you will have to change the oil to the correct one..

In lawn mowers with four-stroke engines, oil is poured into a special crankcase and is never mixed with gasoline, since the design of such a gas 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, since the crankcase usually holds from 450 to 600 ml of oil – this is enough for processing large areas. However, do not be lazy to check the oil level before each use of the tool..

How oil is used in two-stroke lawn mowers?

As a rule, the two-stroke engine is mounted on trim tabs, and since their design does not imply the presence of unnecessary parts, a separate container for oil is not provided. What should be done in this case? Prepare fuel mixture.
For lawnmowers with a two-stroke engine, the same rules apply as for their larger counterparts, with one exception – oil must be purchased for units with a two-stroke engine.

Each trimmer (or instructions for it) indicates the mixing ratio of fuel and oil: from 1:32 to 1:35. This rule only applies to mineral oil! And since it is quite difficult to find it now, and it can scare off the cost, semi-synthetic or even synthetic oil is most often used. Please note that the mixing proportions in this case change, and become – 1:50. If in doubt, carefully study the packaging of the oil, it usually contains these data. You should focus on them. To prepare the mixture, it is enough to pour in 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..

What kind of oil to pour into a Chinese mini tractor?

The use of a mini tractor in our area can be carried out all year round, therefore, maintenance of all important elements, your “iron horse”, becomes a prerequisite for long-term performance. The main source of energy and traction horse that drives all parts in the tractor is the engine. Ensuring optimum performance of your engine should always be a top priority. Draining and changing the oil in the engine, transmission and hydraulic system is especially important. Since during intensive engine operation, a large amount of gases enter the crankcase from the combustion chamber, which cause the oil to actively oxidize, oil change is one of the most important procedures. If it is not produced in a timely manner, the equipment will fail ahead of time. To maximize your mini tractor’s performance, finding the best engine oil will keep it running smoothly for years to come. If you have a diesel engine and carry heavy loads, you will most need a good diesel fuel..

A special sensor helps to monitor the oil level in the crankcase, which will notify you in time when it is necessary to top up. Although individual manufacturers can give specific recommendations on the use of oil for a mini tractor and the timing of its replacement, sometimes the owner has to select it on his own.

We often hear the question from our customers: what kind of oil is better to pour into a Chinese mini tractor? For sg equipment, high loads and often long operating time in hot mode are characteristic, therefore diesel engines are installed in Chinese mini tractors. When choosing an oil, it is important to consider several requirements:

• Washing ability.
• Increased resistance to oxidation.
• SAE viscosity grade.
• Temperature mode of use.

Diesel fuel oil contains special detergents and binding additives. For this reason, the oil change interval has been shortened compared to the same requirements for gasoline engines. It turns out that diesel oil needs to be changed more often due to the rapid accumulation of soot deposits and sulfur oxides..

Also, one of the main characteristics of diesel engine oils (from an operational point of view) is viscosity. For any engine, the appropriate viscosity to be used depends on the lowest starting temperature and the highest ambient temperature. The engine manufacturer compiles a table of recommended engine oil viscosity grades for possible temperature conditions. Its variation with temperature determines the suitability of the product for a particular engine, as well as the possibility of all-season use..

SAE classification provides easy labeling and comparison of oil performance. In it, all oils for cars are divided into winter, summer and all-season. To distinguish the “winter” viscosity index. For multigrade oils, both “winter” and “summer” designations are indicated. So, engine oil SAE 10W-40 meets the requirements of the 10W class for low temperatures and, similarly, in terms of performance on a heated engine, summer oils SAE 40.

Note that the tolerances for the oils used are different for each engine. It is recommended to upload only those that are in the allowed list. For this reason, let’s start from a conventional example, taking into account the temperature range of using multigrade oils.

It should be taken into account separately that engine oil in a diesel engine is much more sensitive to the quality of diesel fuel compared to similar units running on gasoline. The use of a universal oil assumes the operation of a diesel engine exclusively on high-quality diesel fuel with a strictly limited m of sulfur. If you are unsure about the quality of the fuel, then the use of a multi-purpose oil in a diesel is not recommended. Diesel oil, which was developed from the very beginning for this type of engines, often has a higher base number and ash content, contains active detergents.

Lawn and Trimmer Oils

Lawn mower and trimmer oils: which oil to choose and how to change the oil

Over the past years, there has been a significant increase in the construction of suburban housing. Residents of megalopolises are actively striving to change the asphalt paths of cities for a smooth, beautiful lawn of their suburban area. But to create a beautiful, even lawn, you have to work a little. Prepare the soil, level it, plant with lawn grass seeds, water them. Now it remains to wait for the green lawn grass to sprout and grow. But the process did not end there either, the next stage will last for the entire summer season, this is lawn care. To keep the lawn in shape, you will need to mow it..

Even if your area does not have such a prepared lawn, but grass simply grows, you will not be able to get rid of periodic mowing. After all, if this is not done, the site can quickly turn into impassable thickets. Therefore, almost every owner of a summer cottage cannot do without modern technology, which greatly facilitates the maintenance and care of the site itself and the surrounding area..

Mowing grass or mowing a lawn on an area without a lawn mower or lawn mower would take a whole day, hardly anyone would gladly donate a day off to such an event. On the other hand, the availability of small-scale mechanization means significantly reduces the time spent on mowing, and in some cases even brings pleasure both from the process itself and from its result..

Devices for mowing grass with an internal combustion engine are now presented in a huge number and any configurations. This technique is equipped with 2 or 4-stroke engines, depending on the purpose. And the key to long-term uninterrupted service is just timely maintenance and the use of high-quality lubricants.

The Role and Function of Lawn Mower and Trimmer Engine Oil

We note right away that engines installed on scythes, trimmers and lawn mowers have serious differences from automobile and motorcycle engines. The design of the engine, in order to reduce the cost of production and ease of maintenance, does not have an oil pump, which increases the requirements for engine oil, in particular for its viscosity.

The distribution of the engine oil in the mower engine takes place via the crankshaft. Oil is scooped out of the crankcase, roughly speaking, with “special spoons” and sprayed onto the parts. Now imagine the speed of work of such “spoons”. it turns out to be a great mixer! Therefore, one of the most important ingredients in lawn mower oil is the presence of high quality antifoam additives. Cheap grades of oils for gardening equipment, as well as oils for cars, have much less such additives in their composition. Therefore, it is important to use only high-quality oils intended for gardening equipment..

Such a lubrication system implies that the viscosity of the oil must maintain the ability to adhere to parts and at the same time not impede the movement of engine parts..

In addition to the maximum lubricating properties, oils used in the “mowing” technique should perform a number of useful functions:

Remove heat from heated engine parts

Resist engine wear

Minimize the formation of deposits, carbon deposits, varnish

Meet modern environmental requirements

Contribute to reducing the toxicity of exhaust gases

Work with minimal smoke generation

Meet the requirements of the equipment manufacturer

Even with the condition that the design of the lawn mower engine is quite simple, the set of requirements and properties of engine oil turned out to be impressive. Therefore, the choice of lubricant must be approached responsibly..

In winter, no one uses lawn mowers, the equipment is relieved of the “cold start” at negative temperatures, which would certainly affect the engine life. But in the summer, you need to ensure that the equipment does not overheat, since they have an air-cooled engine and therefore the temperature of their engines is higher than that of liquid-cooled engines.

Differences between 2-stroke (2T) lawnmower and trimmer oil versus four-stroke (4T)

Despite the general working tasks of oils in a 2-stroke and 4-stroke engine, the oils themselves are used differently. The difference in oils is due to the difference in the operation of these engines. On 2-stroke engines, lubrication occurs with oil pre-mixed with fuel, as a result of which the oil burns along with the fuel. There are variations of 2-stroke engines, where oil and fuel are fed into the combustion chamber from separate containers, but the result is not changed and the oil, mixed with fuel, burns in the chamber along with gasoline. In 4-stroke engines, on the contrary, the task of oil is not to get into the combustion chamber..

Trimmers and lawn mowers are hand tools and are compact for easy handling. The design of 2-stroke trimmers and lawn mowers in most cases is equipped with one container for filling the ready-made fuel-oil mixture. Less often, when there are options with separate tanks for oil and gasoline.

From such operating conditions of engines, the main differences in the requirements for oils follow. Oils for 2-stroke engines should burn as completely as possible and during combustion minimize traces of carbon deposits in the form of ash and soot formation. Oils for 4-stroke engines are aimed at stable lubrication, for a long time, while maintaining their properties.

Briefly about the API and the rest …

The main factors that characterize modern engine oils “at the global level” are considered to be effective fuel economy, long intervals between replacements and low emissions of harmful substances (low smoke and toxicity of exhaust gases). These are general requirements for oils, the API defines more specific ones. The higher the class of the engine oil, the more it meets the main factors, i.e. it has a higher level of quality and, naturally, it is more expensive. Modern oils are those that meet API SM and API SN. If the oil has a double designation, for example, API SL / CF, then this is a universal oil suitable for both gasoline and diesel engines..

Oils for two-stroke engines (ground vehicles) have their own classification system. It is customary to divide them into groups depending on the degree of work intensity (thermal and dynamic loads are taken into account) – TA, TV, TS, TD. The highest requirements are imposed on oils of the AP TD category. Surprising, but true: the engine of a chain chainsaw is not inferior to motorcycle engines in terms of work intensity, and oils for them must correspond to a category of at least vehicle.

Japan, due to the widespread use of 2-stroke engines, has developed its own classification system for engine oils – JASO. Currently, the international organization for standardization ISO classifies oils for such engines in three categories: ISO-L-EGB, EGC, EGD. The most stringent requirements are imposed on the ISO-L-EGD category, respectively, the further from the beginning of the alphabet the last letter of this marking, the better the oil..

How often do you need to change the oil in a 4-stroke lawn mower?

Garden equipment with a 4-stroke engine is still not a car, there is no odometer on it, so you need to focus on the engine hours. The specific value of the service interval is specified in the operating instructions. The average value is conventionally assumed to be 50 – 60 hours. For example, if we have a small plot of land that requires a periodic approach to it with a mower, then it is unlikely that so many working hours will come up over the entire season. In this case, the oil change will be carried out at the time of conservation of the device for the autumn-winter period..

For the period of time autumn-winter, one should not neglect such a procedure as conservation. The conservation process is not complicated and includes the processing of electrical connections and the combustion chamber with special compounds. The implementation of this procedure will help to preserve the equipment even in unfavorable storage conditions, for example, in rooms with high humidity. The technology of conservation of equipment can be found at link.

Differences between lawn mower oils and automotive and motorcycle oils

Any internal combustion engine has certain operating characteristics. Also, engines have a difference in the design of the layout of units and parts, as well as a difference in materials from which the same units or parts are made. Today the situation on the market is such that almost every engine of modern technology needs to use an “individual” lubricant. Gardening engines are no exception. As we have already mentioned, trimmer and lawn mower motors differ in design from engines of large auto and motorcycle equipment. Therefore, the required oil for such equipment differs in additive packages. A more important requirement for gardening oils is environmental friendliness and biodegradability..

Which lawn mower oil to choose?

As we have already mentioned, the operation of equipment without repair depends not only on timely maintenance. It is important to choose the right lubricant. Choosing a cheap, low-quality oil, you can significantly reduce the work of garden equipment.

Perhaps some have paid attention to the number of restrictions on the use of lubricants for earthworks and green planting in Europe. For example, in Germany the most stringent requirements. Without special permission from the environmental committee and non-compliance with environmental standards, the lubricant cannot be used by public utilities to work in forest plantations and city parks. By the way, the German company Liqui Moly has such permission.

Liqui Moly, one of the leading manufacturers of lubricants, including those for garden equipment, is guided by high requirements for its products. The oils for trimmers and lawn mowers in the Liqui Moly range are designed to meet the specifications of modern technology. The additives in our trimmer and lawn mower oils reduce wear, keep the engine clean and significantly reduce sludge build-up for longer engine life. But in addition, Liqui Moly oils are made with high environmental standards, as they are plant-based.

How to choose your lawn mower oil?

The choice of engine oil for a lawn mower will initially depend on the engine type. Suitable oils for 2- and 4-stroke engines are classified according to the base oil types:

The lubricating properties of the product will depend on the base, the ability to remain in a liquid state with a decrease in temperature, while not increasing the viscosity.
It is important to choose products that meet environmental standards. We recommend choosing Liqui Moly oils from a specialized garden program. The oils of the garden program meet not only the technical requirements of modern garden technology, but also comply with European environmental standards..

How to change the oil in a 4-stroke lawnmower

Maintenance of a 4-stroke lawnmower is easy.

Changing the engine oil is carried out in several steps as follows:

The mower starts up and runs for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the engine oil to warm up, which, when draining the oil from the engine, will contribute to a more complete drainage of the engine..

The engine is turned off, the drain plug on the crankcase is unscrewed.

To drain the used oil, the mower must be placed sideways on the drain side. Let’s not forget that the used oil must be drained into a previously prepared container for subsequent disposal..

After draining the mining, it is necessary to replace the drain plug on the crankcase.

Before filling with fresh engine oil, place the mower on a flat surface and open the top oil filler cap..

Fill in fresh lawnmower motor oil, e.g. Mineral lawnmower motor oil Rasenmaher-Oil 30, checking the level on the dipstick.

The oil change process is complete and the mower is ready for use..

How to change 2-stroke oil in a lawn mower or trimmer

The oil in a two-stroke engine lives for one revolution of the crankshaft. Therefore, the whole process of changing the oil for a two-stroke engine comes down to preparing a fuel-oil mixture with a joint lubrication system and pouring oil into the oil tank when lubricated with a separate system. To create a mixture or fill in a tank, Semi-synthetic motor oil for 2-stroke engines 2-Takt-Motoroil is suitable

Drawing a line under the above, we note once again that the choice of engine oil for a fairly simple technique in the form of trimmers and lawn mowers is actually not so simple. For machinery working with green spaces, not only the technical characteristics of the lubricant are important, but also environmental standards are not in last place. The Liqui Moly Gardening Program has been successfully preserving trimmer, lawnmower engines and environmentally friendly over the years.
To select oil for trimmers and lawn mowers go to the catalog.

Oil change

Changing the lubricant in a lawn mower engine is not as difficult as changing the oil in a car. Everything is much simpler here. The algorithm of work is as follows.

• Prepare enough fresh oil for replacement. Usually, no more than 0.6 liters of oil is poured into the lubrication system of many lawn mowers..
• Start the unit and let it idle for a few minutes to warm up the oil so that it becomes more liquid. This promotes better drainage..
• Switch off the engine and place an empty container under the drain hole from the crankcase to collect the used oil.
• Unscrew the drain plug and allow all the oil to drain. It is recommended to tilt the device (if possible or appropriate) towards the drain.
• Screw the plug back into place and move the machine to a level surface.
• Open the filler hole on the oil tank and fill it to the required level, which is controlled by a dipstick.
• Tighten the tank cap.

This completes the process of replacing the lubricant, and the unit is again ready for operation..

Selection recommendations

It is best to use a specially designed oil for 4-stroke lawn mower engines in accordance with the ambient temperatures in which the equipment will be used. For example, specialized grease grades 10W40 and SAE30 are quite suitable for four-stroke mowers in terms of their operational parameters, which can be used at ambient temperatures in the range from 5 to 45 degrees Celsius..

These oils are recommended as the optimum lubricant given the seasonality of lawnmower use. It is unlikely that anyone would come up with the idea to “start” a lawn mower at a negative temperature outside the window.

In the absence of specialized oils, you can use other classes of oils used for cars. These can be grades SAE 15W40 and SAE 20W50, which are also used at positive temperatures, but only their threshold is 10 degrees lower than specialized ones (up to 35 degrees). And also for 90% of the available models of four-stroke lawn mowers, the oil of the SF composition will do..

The container with engine oil for a four-stroke lawn mower must be marked with the “4T” sign. Synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral oils can be used. But most often they use semi-synthetic or mineral oil, since synthetic oil is very expensive..

And in order not to guess what oil to fill in the engine of your mower model, it is better to look at the instructions. The required type of oil and the frequency of its replacement are indicated there. It is recommended to use only the types of oils specified by the manufacturer until the expiration of the warranty repair period, in order to maintain the issued warranties. And then pick something more affordable, but, of course, not inferior in quality to branded oils. You should not save on oil quality.

4-Stroke Lawnmower Oils

• Why do you need lubricant?
• Features of the four-stroke engine
• Selection recommendations
• How often do you need to change the lubricant?
• Oil change
• What kind of oil should not be poured?

Lawn mowers have long taken their place among the necessary equipment among the owners of country and private houses, as well as employees of park management institutions. In the summer, this technique is used quite intensively. For reliable and durable operation of lawn mower engines, the quality of fuels and lubricants, in particular, oils, is of great importance. Oils for 4-stroke engines of this type of gardening machines are described in this article..

Features of the four-stroke engine

Lawn mower gasoline engines are divided into two groups: two-stroke and four-stroke. Their difference in the way of filling the oil is as follows:

• a lubricant for two-stroke engines must be pre-mixed with gasoline in a separate container and in a certain ratio, mixed thoroughly, and only after all this it must be poured into the fuel tank of the car;
• lubricant and gasoline for four-stroke are not pre-mixed – these fluids are poured into separate tanks and work separately, each according to its own system.

Thus, a 4-stroke engine has its own pump, filter and piping system. Its oil system is of a circulation type, that is, unlike a 2-stroke analogue, the lubricant in such a motor does not burn out, but is supplied to the necessary parts and returned to the tank.

Based on this circumstance, the requirement for oil is also special here. It should retain its properties for a long period, when, as for the lubricating composition of a two-stroke engine, the main quality criterion, in addition to the basic properties, is the ability to burn without a trace, without leaving carbon deposits and deposits.

Why do you need lubricant?

Gasoline lawn mower engines are internal combustion engines (ICEs), in which the driving force transmitted from the ICE to the working bodies (cutting knives) is generated by the energy generated in the combustion chamber of the cylinder when the fuel mixture is ignited. As a result of the ignition, the gases expand, forcing the piston to move, which is associated with the mechanism for further transfer of energy to the final organ, that is, in this case, to the lawn mower knives..

In the engine, therefore, many large and small parts are mated, which need lubrication in order, if not completely to prevent their abrasion, destruction, wear, then at least to slow down these processes, negative for the mechanism, as much as possible..

Due to the engine oil that enters the engine and covers its rubbing elements with a thin layer of oil film, the occurrence of scratches, scoring and burrs on the metal surface of parts practically does not occur on new units.

But over time, this cannot be avoided, since the development of gaps in the mates still occurs. And the better the oil, the longer the service life of the garden equipment will be. In addition, with the help of high-quality lubricants, the following positive phenomena occur:

• better cooling of the engine and its parts, which prevents overheating and thermal shock;
• engine operation is guaranteed at high loads and with a long time period of continuous grass mowing;
• the safety of internal engine parts from corrosion is ensured during seasonal equipment downtime.

How often do you need to change the lubricant?

As noted above, the operating instructions for garden equipment with a 4-stroke engine must indicate the frequency of oil changes. But if there are no instructions, then they are guided primarily by the number of hours that the equipment has worked (engine hours). Every 50-60 hours worked, you need to change the oil in the engine.

However, in the case when the plot is small and you can process it in no more than one hour, it is unlikely that for the entire spring-summer season the lawn mower will work even half the operating hours of the norm, unless it is rented out to neighbors. Then the oil must be replaced when the equipment is preserved in the fall before the winter period..

What kind of oil should not be poured?

Do not fill the four-stroke engine of the lawn mower with lubricant intended for two-stroke analogs (on the labels of oil containers for such engines, the marking “2T” is put). However, you cannot do this and vice versa. In addition, it is unacceptable to fill in the liquid that was stored in plastic bottles from drinking water..

This polyethylene is not intended for storing aggressive substances in it, therefore, a chemical reaction is possible that affects the properties of both lubricants and polyethylene.

For information on how to change the oil in a four-stroke lawnmower, see the following video..

Oil change

• The old liquid is drained first.
• The mower then turns to the side (to the side where the drain hole is located) for a few minutes until the waste fluid is completely drained. Then the tool is put back in a horizontal position. In this case, it is necessary to prepare in advance a small container for the old oil..
• After that, a new one is poured into the mower through the neck into the mower..

Everything, at this stage, the oil change can be considered complete. When you pour new fluid into the neck, remember that it must be poured strictly up to the indicated mark in the crankcase..

How often do you need to change the fluid?

If the engine is not new, the lawn mower oil can be changed approximately every 25-50 hours of tool operation. This is an average of 2-3 months of work. Also, the condition of the oil can be determined without measuring the number of hours worked. Just make sure that it does not start to take on a black tint. When this happens, be sure to change the fluid, otherwise the engine may soon simply jam..

Lawn mower oil: how to change it correctly and which fluid is better to fill

A lawn mower is a very useful thing for those who need to periodically mow grass on lawns and other land plots. However, with the purchase of this tool, do not forget that it, like any other mechanism, requires periodic maintenance. One of these moments is the oil change. How to change the oil in the lawn mower, which liquid is better to fill? You will learn the answer from the article.

Why is it so important to observe the frequency?

First, let’s take a look at how important it is to periodically change the oil in your lawn mower. Firstly, this fluid provides air cooling of the mechanism, thereby allowing the engine to operate at extremely high revs. Secondly, lawn mower oil protects its parts during winter storage..

Which lawn mower oil should you choose?

It is necessary to emphasize that a certain type of fluid and its viscosity directly depend on the temperature conditions in which this tool is operated. So, if the weather is warm (temperatures from plus 5 to plus 30 degrees Celsius), it is recommended to use the SAE-30 series fluid. In the off-season season, experts recommend pouring lawn mower oil with a viscosity of 10W-30. In winter, 5W-30 series fluid can be used. You should also pay attention to Synthetic 5W-30, which, by its properties, ensures reliable operation of lawn mower parts at relatively low temperatures..