Can I put automotive oil in my lawnmower?
Most modern lawn mowers use two-stroke, air-cooled gasoline engines. The working volume of power units rarely exceeds 200 cubic centimeters. Such a design provides moderate weight and efficiency of the unit.
Companies sometimes produce mowers with water-cooled four-stroke engines. In this case, you should buy oil suitable for automobile engines. the construction of the internal combustion engines in this case will not differ.
General recommendations for lawnmower oil selection
Based on the above features of engine design, it is best to use a special lawnmower oil for lubrication, and it must comply with the temperature conditions in which the unit will be used. Specialized SAE 30 class grease is considered optimal. It is used at temperatures above 5 degrees.
If specialty oil is not available, you can use automotive grade greases:
These greases, too, are designed mostly for positive ambient temperatures and a maximum above 35 degrees.
By type of lubricant. mineral and semi-synthetic are acceptable. Fully synthetic would be too expensive. Quality level of performance according to API. “SF”, “SG”, “SH”, “SJ” and higher. For four-stroke gardening engines the label should say “4T”.
The role of oil in internal combustion engines
The energy that the engine shaft transmits to the rotating machinery is derived from the adiabatic expansion of gases at the moment of explosion in the combustion chamber. Through the movement of the piston in the combustion chamber, the gases are compressed. This means the system works with minimal clearances, there is abrasion on the mating parts. the gap between the parts enlarges and the compression is reduced, so the correct pressure for ignition of the fuel-air mixture is not reached.
This would be the case if the lapped parts worked without lubrication. Lawnmower engine oil added to the gasoline or getting on components from the crankcase puts a thin film between the parts, preventing wear, scuffing. Since absolutely no wear can be eliminated, the oil washes out the micro particles in the gaps, preventing them from destroying the surface.
Prepared fuel mixture should be used within 2 weeks, stored in a metal or polypropylene container. Do not store the mixture with gasoline in polyethylene bottles. Decomposition products would get into the mixture, so there would be more soot in the combustion chamber.
The structure of the 2 and 4-stroke types is different and therefore the consistency of the grease, additives in it are different. Each type of mating assemblies in the mechanisms requires types of lubrication, corresponding to the nature of movement of the assembly. The manufacturer recommends in the owner’s manual which oil to use for the lawnmower.
You can’t pour in oil, guided by the more expensive, the better. The use of ingredients depends on the class of equipment from the degree of grinding of the mating nodes, operating conditions. The composition of the combustible mixture for two-stroke engines depends on how the base antifriction composition. Oil for lawn mower with 2-stroke engine has a special composition. All oils are divided by the method of production:
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Their lubricating qualities, their ability to remain liquid at lower temperatures depend on this. But 5-15% in every composition are given to the additives. They are the ones who create the effective composition, preventing:
- corrosion of the surfaces;
- heat-resistant;
- resistance to decomposition;
- Increased alkalinity that prevents oxidation;
- stabilise the viscosity.
Lawnmower oil used with a 4-stroke engine has other additives, viscosity. It also serves to wash the moving surfaces, but it is not mixed with gasoline. Oil oxidises, becomes contaminated with scale and needs to be changed every 50 operating hours.
General recommendations for lawnmower oil selection
Depending on the above-mentioned engine design, it is always preferable to use special lawnmower oil and it must be suitable for the temperatures the machine will be subjected to. SAE 30 specialised lubricants are considered the optimum. It is used at temperatures above 5 degrees.
If a special one is not available, automotive greases of the class can be used:
These lubricants, too, are designed mainly for positive ambient temperatures and a maximum above 35 degrees.
According to the type of lubricating fluid. mineral and semi-synthetic is allowed. Fully synthetic would be too expensive. The API performance level. “SF”, “SG”, “SH”, “SJ” and higher. For four-stroke engines in gardening equipment, the label should read “4T”.
Changing the lawnmower oil
The oil should be changed according to the information in the instruction manual for the unit. The procedure itself means draining of old compound in a separate container and pouring of fresh compound.
Important: The new oil must have the correct API class and viscosity grade. The very process of emptying should be performed with a warm engine, because then the tank is emptied as much as possible. Do not allow any dirt to get into the reservoir.
Special features of oils for 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines
Each manufacturer has its own recommendations concerning this question, so the answer should be sought in the instruction manual. The choice of oil should not be based on its cost, because the adaptability of the ingredients of the substance is influenced by the class of equipment and the degree of grinding of the mating nodes.
the combustible mixture for 2-stroke engines is based on the method of obtaining the basis of antifriction composition. Due to the peculiarities of the mixture, such oil:
- protects against corrosion of metal objects
- guarantees thermal stability;
- prevents oxidation;
- stabilises viscosity.
As for 4-stroke engine oil, it has different additives and viscosity. It is used to wash the elements, even though the oil is not mixed with fuel. It must be replaced after every 50 hours of operation.
Power-driven models
For cleaning flat areas, it is recommended to use mtd electric lawnmowers. which have undeniable advantages:
But these devices consume a lot of energy, so they are not fully mobile. Additional cables are required to remove grass some distance from the outlet, which slows down.
MTD 46 SPO self-propelled
Consumers are attracted by its quality of assembly (made in Hungary), reasonable price and powerful Thorx 35 engine. It can work an area of nearly 10 acres. The cutting height can be adjusted with additional settings.
MTD 46 S Promo
In popularity it is not inferior to the previous model: the engine power is 1700 W (2.3 l.), Wheel diameter (180 mm) ensures full cross-country capability. The mowing range of the self-propelled tool is 28 to 92 mm.
Electrically powered models
For clearing flat areas, mtd electric lawn mowers are recommended. which have undeniable advantages:
But these devices consume a lot of energy, so they are not fully mobile. The grass removal some distance from the socket requires additional cables, which slows down the operation.
MTD 46 SPO self-propelled
Consumers are attracted by its quality of assembly (made in Hungary), reasonable price and powerful Thorx 35 engine. It can handle an area of about 10 acres. Cutting height is adjustable with advanced settings.
MTD 46 S promo
In terms of popularity, it is not inferior to the previous model: the engine power is 1700 W (2.3 L.), Wheel diameter (180 mm) ensures full cross-country capability. The mowing range of the self-propelled tool is 28 to 92 mm.
user manual
A step-by-step description of the steps and following the instructions will keep the tool working for a long time. It requires:
- Check for fuel and lubricants (gasoline and oil), for electric models for damaged cable.
- Only specialists should sharpen the cutting knife.
- If damage is found, take it for a diagnostic.
- Switch the machine off when you stop mowing.
- Level the ground so that the blades do not become dull.
- Move the mower slowly and forward.
- Use a grass trimmer or clippers near walls and fences to prevent damage to the blade
- Refuse the electric model if there is dew or rain. Use only in dry rooms.
Important! Be sure to follow safety rules so as not to harm your health and the health of your loved ones. Use electric lawn mowers only in dry rooms
Electric lawnmowers are only used in dry rooms.
Lubricants and fuel
According to the manual, the mtd lawn mower should only be started after checking for the presence of fuel and lubricants. Lawn mowers, trimmers and brushcutters use special engine oil for air-cooled two-stroke engines.
If the cooling system is infrequent, it will not work. The container of this oil should be labeled “for garden equipment”. The normal oil to gasoline ratio in the mixture is 2%: 20 grams of oil per liter of gasoline. But it is different, depending on the performance. Before you begin, you need to figure out.
Starting and Operating
The first thing to do is to read the instructions carefully. Next:
- open the tank lid, fill up the fuel to the mark and check the oil level, which is poured through the lid with a picture or “oil” inscription
- degrease the fuel pump;
- Check the spark plugs near the engine;
- Open the choke and move it to the middle or end position for normal gasoline access;
- Pull the cord sharply; sometimes it may take several tries.
Note! Since most new models come with a safety switch, it is important to keep it on when starting the tool. If it is not available, you must make sure that it is in a stable position
Remove grass residue from the blade and housing during operation. Product should be stored in a dry, heated area. Also prevent the engine from overheating.
Typical drawbacks
Overheating can cause malfunctions.
Typical abnormalities in the operation of the lawnmower may be:
- Stranger sounds, knocking: tighten bolts.
- Strong vibrations: tighten screws and check that blade is working.
- A wheezing sound indicates a foreign body, which should be removed by pausing.
- Rough cuts can be repaired by sharpening or replacing blades.
- Front wheel drive stop: adjust clutch cable tension.
- When the engine stops after starting, they check the oil level or start stuck items by hand or call a garden tool repair service.
- Mower off: check spark plugs and fuel.
There may also be other problems, including wear and tear or factory defects.
Much depends on the proper care and maintenance of garden tools. Then the difficult task of creating a beautiful lawn is solved very successfully with the use of reliable equipment.
What kind of oil to use
When selecting a lubricant, the following main factors are taken into account:
- engine cooling, protection against thermal shock;
- operation at high revolutions and high loads;
- corrosion resistance during mower downtime in winter;
- no soot and sulfate ash, smokeless;
- environmental friendliness;
- good solubility in petrol;
- the storage time of the prepared lubricant.
Lawnmower oil must be biodegradable, all-season and economical.
2-stroke engines require a mix in the manufacturer’s recommended oil to gasoline ratio. For four-stroke engines there is no mixing, the ingredients are poured separately in different containers. Lubrication is accomplished by means of oil tubes, pump, filter and valves.
The types of oil most suitable for 2-stroke units are used to obtain the lubricant:
The fluid contains 5-15% of various additives designed to improve performance, 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 oil for lawnmowers with a 4-stroke engine is the constancy of the composition for a long time. The SF formulation is suitable for almost all brands of machines. A frost-resistant fluid is used for winter operation. In the table you can find the right oil grade to put in the tank of your mower with a 4-stroke motor to work in certain temperature conditions. For example, mineral engine oil ALKO or Zubr ZMD-4T-M class SAE30 can be used at temperatures from.5 C° to 35 C°, and semisynthetic Mannol 4-Takt Plus 10W-40 SL with a temperature range of.25 C° to 40 C° suitable for all-season use.
Better oil for lawn mower with a 4-stroke engine
Motors with 4-stroke systems themselves determine how much oil is needed to enrich the fuel. There is no need to calculate and mix anything manually. You just fill in the grease in a special tank and that’s all. Now you need to top it up as you go. It is convenient and practical, but such lawnmowers are relatively expensive, and in case of breakage their repair will cost you a pretty penny. The oils are even easier to work with. In fact, any summer motor oil with a viscosity of 30 units will do. But it is better to use a specialized oil. It has an extended additive package that is specifically designed for these engines, considering all their characteristics.
Despite the fact that the overall design of four-stroke lawnmower engines is similar to car engines, they still have important differences: in order to reduce the price of the product at lawnmowers excluded oil pump and generally the system of oil supply, it increases the requirements to the viscosity used in the motors of garden equipment. The engine oil in a lawnmower engine is distributed by the crankshaft: it is scooped out of the crankcase and sprayed onto the parts. Due to this design, the viscosity of the lubricant has to be sufficient to keep the oil film on the parts, while at the same time it must not be too thick so that it would hinder the movement of parts or form 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 on car engines. Lawnmowers do not usually require a “cold start” in the cold, which greatly reduces the life of the car engine and requires low-temperature properties from the lubricant.
The lower the number, the easier the fluid flows. Lawn mowers are usually air-cooled and therefore tend to have higher engine temperatures than liquid-cooled car engines.
The first filling is intended for the run-in of the engine: after five hours of work it is replaced, and then the new grease can be used for the whole season. It can be replaced after a certain number of hours or it can be drained at the end of the gardening season and replaced with new fluid the next year.
Read the label on the oil
SAE number is a code used to classify the oil by viscosity. Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow, sometimes called the “thickness” of the fluid. The lower the number, the easier the fluid flows. Motor oils are designated from 5 to 50.
Temperature can affect the viscosity of the fluid, so different oils are rated for winter, indicated by a “W”. Oils of different grades (e.g. 10W-30) can be used at both summer and winter temperatures, since the oil will not thicken at lower temperatures due to the additives.
Lawnmower oil types
So what kind of oil to put in your lawnmower? One factor to keep in mind is the climate of where you are. Different oils work best at different temperatures, and not all of them are right for your equipment.
Be sure to read the owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommendations for your mower. We’ve put together this guide to help you choose one of the common types of oil.
SAE-30
This is the most commonly used lawnmower oil because it is ideal for temperatures between 4°C and 37°C. If it’s colder than 4 degrees outside, you probably don’t need to mow your lawn. Overall, it is the best choice for an inexpensive oil that you can use in your lawnmower from spring through fall.
SAE 10W-30
This oil has a wider temperature range, from.17°C to 37°C. Since this type of oil can withstand colder temperatures, it can also be used in other engines. For example in snow blowers. If used at temperatures above 28 degrees, oil consumption may increase.
SAE 5W-30
This oil performs best at temperatures below 4°C. So it’s perfect for your snow blower, but not for your lawn mower.
SAE 5W-30 synthetic
The synthetic version of the 5W-30 oil has a wide range of temperatures in which it can be used, from.28 to 48°C. This oil works year round. This oil improves engine starting and reduces consumption, but it also costs more.
SAE 15W-50 synthetic
This oil also has a high temperature range, from.6 to 54°C, but performs best at higher temperatures. It is typically used for commercial lawn mowing equipment.
Features of two and four stroke engines
The two-stroke motor is similar in principle to the four-stroke engine. The only difference is that a two-stroke engine has two strokes and a four-stroke engine has four strokes. The latter is understood as a downward or upward movement of the piston. 2 strokes per revolution of the crankshaft. Piston stroke is its movement, during which the energy of gases formed as a result of combustion of fuel is converted into useful work of the motor (its rotation).
Structurally, and in terms of performance characteristics two and four-stroke models of internal combustion engines differ from each other by the following criteria.
- Two-stroke engines have higher value of specific and liter capacity (approximately 1.5÷1.8 times).
- Through lubrication.
- Four-stroke engines are characterized by greater fuel economy (fuel consumption is about 20-30% less), as well as their emissions contain fewer toxic substances
- The way the fuel mixed with atmospheric air is fed into the cylinder and the exhaust gases are removed. Four-stroke engines have a valve train for this purpose: it opens and closes the valves as needed. It is not found in 2-stroke models.
- Noise levels in operation: 4-stroke machines are quieter.
- The complexity of the unit: 2-stroke models are simpler.
- 4-stroke models have a longer service life due to their improved lubrication system and the fact that the crankshaft rotates at a slower speed.
- Rapidity of maximum speed: 2-stroke engines accelerate faster.
- In terms of ease of periodic maintenance and in terms of repairs, it is easier to deal with the 2-stroke engine. It is also cheaper and weighs less than its four-stroke counterpart.
The power density is the ratio between the drive unit power and its weight. Output in liters is the ratio of horsepower to engine displacement (in liters).
Lack of gas distribution unit with valves makes two-stroke engines lighter and simpler in terms of design. Filling the cylinder with fuel-air mixture and gas purging occurs during expansion and compression through special holes: inlet (blow-off) and outlet.
Preparing the fuel mixture
To obtain a fuel mixture, engine oil is mixed with petrol in certain proportions. The amounts of fuel and oil are given in the owner’s manual;. The engine oil filler cap is on the left side of the machine. For example, mineral lubricants are mixed with petrol at a ratio of 1 to 35, and synthetic lubricants at a ratio of 1 to 50.
- Pour the exact amount of petrol into the canister;
- add the required volume of oil, using the dispenser
- close the container with the lid;
- mix the composition by shaking the liquid.
The prepared fuel mixture is simply poured inside the gas tank, using a watering can for convenience.
The proportions of oil and petrol in the fuel mix are given in the table below. it allows you to quickly determine the volume of the materials to be mixed.
mixtures of gasoline and oil can be stored in polypropylene or metal containers for up to two weeks. Do not store it in plastic bottles. This is because the gasoline reacts with the container material, and the resulting products get into the working mixture. Because of this more char will be formed in the combustion of the composition.
Add fuel only when the engine is almost completely cooled down. It is not allowed to fill up the tank to the top: some space must be left for the thermal expansion of fuel.
Follow the rules of fire and personal safety, performing the work on preparation and pouring of the working composition away from the sources of fire.
Difference in operation of 2 and 4 stroke engines
For two-stroke engines, there are two ways to lubricate the piston system and the crank mechanism:
In the photo, the oil is fed to the combustion chamber inlet through a metering plunger pump.
The second scheme is the future, while the first method. making up a combustible mixture. is used in gardening machinery. New engines are quieter, more economical but more complicated.
To prepare the fuel mixture you can use a table and a dosing device.
A four-stroke engine has an oil reservoir that is used to protect the moving parts. The lubrication system consists of a pump, an oil filter and pipes that carry the oil to the various components. Can be sump or reservoir lubrication. In the former case, the oil is fed to the system from the crankcase and from there it is pressed by the pump into the feed tubes. With a “dry sump”, drops of oil collected in the sump go back into the tank.
Wet sump lubrication and dry sump lubrication pictured here.
The difference in oil composition for different engine types is fundamental. The oil in a 4-stroke lawnmower must retain a constant composition over a long period of time. Composition for two-stroke engines during combustion should have less mineral inclusions to prevent soot formation.
If you have a recommended oil, do not experiment with a different fluid. If you do not have one, choose the one recommended for 2 or 4-stroke models. If you use gasoline of a higher grade than the recommended one, you will prematurely replace burnt valves and other components.
An important characteristic when choosing a safety ingredient is its operating temperature. The additive must be resistant to heat, but not thicken at low temperatures. That’s why each machine has its own brand of oil, depending on working conditions.
Producers of
When selecting an oil, great attention must be paid to the oil manufacturer. It is better to choose the brand recommended by the mower manufacturer. In the instruction to the equipment, 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 make their own oils which have to be used for replacement if one wants to keep the warranty on the machine. The instructions also give the general characteristics that the oil must meet. When selecting a replacement fluid, this list should be used as a guide. This will allow you to choose an oil that will best meet the requirements of the manufacturer.
Many self-respecting manufacturers of lubricants offer their customers a separate line of products for the maintenance of garden equipment. If it is possible to choose such a special oil, it is necessary to buy it.
- Among all the companies that represent their products on the Russian market the best is Shell Helix Ultra. These oils are popular in all countries. For 40 years Shell specialists have been working on a unique technology of synthetic oil production 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 allows obtaining products with different characteristics. This oil should be bought only at specialized outlets, because low-grade counterfeit products are not uncommon.
- Liqui Moly company also presents high-quality products. The manufacturer produces several product lines, which have different purposes. In this range there are products for the maintenance of garden equipment. Such oils are designed for long-term work of trimmers and lawnmowers, their technical specifications are developed in accordance with the features of modern equipment and manufacturers’ recommendations.
Liqui Moly adds additives to lawnmower oils in order to reduce equipment wear and tear and keep engines clean. The main advantage of such liquids is environmental friendliness, because they are made on a plant basis. Liqui Moly lawnmower oils comply with all environmental regulations.
Rasenmaher produces a good lubricant of the mineral type, which was specially developed for garden units. This product can be used to service 4-stroke engines with different cooling systems. Rasenmaher products can only be used at temperatures above zero. The manufacturer has carefully developed and selected additives for its product. This has resulted in a wide list of functionality: