What is best oil for your lawn mower and what do you need to know about it?
The best engine oil for your lawn mower is AMSOIL synthetic small engine oils, because they are designed specifically for air cooled small engines and the conditions they operate in. The small engines on your outdoor power equipment operate differently from liquid-cooled car engines and also operate in many different conditions.
What Are These Conditions ?
Compared to liquid-cooled automotive engines, air-cooled 4 stroke (4 cycle) small engines for lawn mowers run hotter; operate under a constant load; generate more contaminants (with many engines not using an oil filter); and are exposed to mud, dirt and rain. Adding to those operating conditions, is the fact that they’re often overlooked when it comes to routine maintenance, like oil changes. Because of these factors, using high-quality AMSOIL synthetic small-engine oil, not just an inexpensive re-branded automotive oil, is imperative for the long life of your lawn mower engine.
Why you should not use Automotive oils
Most small-engine oils are just re-labeled automotive oils, which are formulated for fuel economy and not engine durability. These oils are designed for engines that are liquid cooled, have an oil filter, operate in a wide range of speeds and loads in environments that are fairy “clean” and are routinely maintained. In fact lawn mower engines or “small engines” in general operate the exact opposite of automobiles. AMSOIL Synthetic Small Engine oils are designed and formulated specifically for these conditions.
Think about where your lawn mower works and read on to see how this effects the oil in it.
Full Speed Ahead
This small compact “simple engine” starts up and goes goes directly to full throttle and doesn’t change until you stop it. This increases the effects of damage dramatically. Most residential push mowers don’t have a throttle to adjust the speed like riding mowers and commercial mowers. The throttle allows the operator of the engine time to let it “warm up” before going full speed, which gives the metal parts time to expand and get to the proper operating specs and the oil to begin flowing. As well, allowing the engine time to idle prior to shut down helps with cooling off of the internal parts and the oil. Synthetic oils are proven to reduce the effects of wear damage with their lubricating film forming ability.
Engine Acids
One of the by-products of the combustion process is acid formation in the oil. The acids in your engine oil can eat away at the internal parts of your engine and this process continues while your mower is off and stored. Using an oil formulated to help combat those acids is a way to protect you engine, besides changing your oil regularly,
Dirt and Debris
The small lawn mower engine works low to the ground cutting up and throwing grass clippings, dirt and other debris into the air, which can work their way inside the engine. These engines also are out in the open environment and can be covered in mud. These engines usually don’t have oil filters to help clean the oil, so any dirt that gets into the oil, is just circulated in the oil increasing wear damage on the parts.
Hot Operating Temperatures
These small compact engines are air cooled, meaning the moment of air around the engine cools it down. This means they operate at higher temperatures than car engines. Also, because lawn mowers don’t move as fast as cars, the air movement, doesn’t cool as much. These factors can quickly destroy an engine.
Lawn Care Business Owners
If your a commercial lawn care operator, the effects are more pronounced, because you start and stop between 10-20 times a day depending on your route and amount of mowers on your trailer. Engine dependability is vital to running a profitable business and down time costs you in many ways and new commercial mowers cost even more money.
Why Use AMSOIL Synthetic Small Engine Oils
AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil is designed specifically for the unique demands of small engines and that is why it is not a re-labeled automotive oil. It contains a heavy dose of zinc anti-wear additives to protect against wear for maximum power and engine life. It also contains potent detergency additives to fight harmful deposits. This lawn mower engine oil provides the ultimate protection for your equipment.
Look at the bottom image of the valve-guide area in a Honda* 5-hp engine tested in the AMSOIL mechanical lab. A competitor’s oil resulted in heavy deposits that caused the valve to stick. In fact, the technician who tore down the engine couldn’t remove the valve due to excessive deposits. Had this engine been in the field, it would have been a matter of time before it failed, leading to a costly repair or replacement. AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil, in contrast, minimized deposits and kept the engine running strong.
Excellent Wear Protection
AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil is a shear-stable, high-film-strength formulation fortified with a heavy dose of zinc anti-wear additives. It does not thin out due to mechanical shear, ensuring a thick lubricating film. Its zinc chemistry forms a durable barrier that protects against metal-to-metal contact.
Reduces Oil Consumption
In independent lab testing, 10W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil reduced oil consumption 61% compared to three leading 10W-30/SAE 30 motor oils*. Its heat-resistant synthetic base oils provide low volatility, excellent viscosity stability and strong oxidation resistance. Engines run longer between top-offs, providing peace of mind that they won’t fail due to oil starvation and will run dependably in the harshest conditions.
Formulated for Power
Engine wear, carbon deposits, valve sticking and piston-ring sticking reduce engine power. AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil prevents ring and valve sticking while helping eliminate carbon deposits from forming. As a result, lawn mower engines produce maximum power throughout their service lives, helping you get more work done.
Extreme-Temperature Performance
AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil’s saturated molecular structure offers outstanding extreme-heat resistance. In addition, the oil i’s fortified with potent anti-oxidant additives that provide further resistance to damaging heat. Its powerful detergent additives fight carbon, varnish and sludge to maximize engine life. In extreme cold, the small engine oil’s naturally high viscosity index and lack of paraffins (waxes) ensure it remains fluid and flows quickly, providing easier cold-weather starts and fast startup lubrication for reduced wear damage.
Lawn Care Professionals Are Protected As Well
You can rest assured your engines are protected even during periods of extended use when there’s no time for a Lawn mower oil change. It’s built to solve the problems that plague small engines, including wear, power loss, oil consumption, stuck rings and valves, and harmful carbon deposits. It helps landscapers, contractors and other professionals get more work done and save money.
Where Can I use AMSOIL Small Engine Oil
AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil is multifunctional and can be used in gasoline engines, off-road diesel engines and certain transmissions. It doesn’t contain friction modifiers and meets JASO wet-clutch standards. It increases convenience and helps prevent misapplication.
Use the appropriate viscosity of Synthetic Small-Engine Oil in applications that require any of the following specifications:
- API SL, SJ, SH, SG…(Gasoline)
- API CD, CF (Diesel)
- JASO MA/MA2, (Wet Clutch)
Lawn Mower Engine Oil Types / Grades
10W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil
Use 10W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil in small engines found in (not limited to) mowers (zero-turn, riding, stand-on, push), generators, power washers and other equipment that requires SAE 10W-40 or 15W-40 motor oil, including those made by Kubota, Kawasaki, Robin, Onan, Linamar, Craftsman, Honda, Briggs and Stratton and Vanguard.
Equipment types include maintenance equipment, tractors, lawn and garden equipment, compactors, pumps, light towers, log splitters, welders, cement mixers and trowels, skid-steers, excavators, rototillers and compressors.
Buy 10W-30 Synthetic Small Engine Oil here
10W-40 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil
Use 10W-40 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil in small engines found in (not limited to) mowers (zero-turn, riding, stand-on, push), generators, power washers and other equipment that requires SAE 10W-40 or 15W-40 motor oil, including those made by Kubota, Kawasaki, Robin, Onan, Linamar, Craftsman, Honda, Briggs and Stratton and Vanguard.
Equipment types include maintenance equipment, tractors, lawn and garden equipment, compactors, pumps, light towers, log splitters, welders, cement mixers and trowels, skid-steers, excavators, rototillers and compressors.
Buy 10W-40 Synthetic Small Engine Oil here
5W-30 Synthetic Small Engine Oil – available Oct. 1st 2019
Use 5W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil in small engines found in (not limited to) mowers (zero-turn, riding, stand-on, push), generators, power washers and other equipment that requires SAE 5W-30 motor oil, including those made by Kubota, Kawasaki, Robin, Onan, Linamar, Craftsman, Honda, Briggs and Stratton and Vanguard.
Equipment types include maintenance equipment, tractors, lawn and garden equipment, compactors, pumps, light towers, log splitters, welders, cement mixers and trowels, skid-steers, excavators, rototillers and compressors.
Buy 5W-30 Synthetic Small engine oil here starting Oct. 1st
Check out our Small engine page for complete line of products, including oil filters.
Download a Full product catalog to see all the products AMSOIL carries including fuel additives, greases and hydrostatic transmission fluid.
Save 25% on retail prices by becoming a preferred customer.
AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil is Warranty Secure, keeping your factory warranty intact. AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil is a high-performance replacement for vehicle manufacturer-branded products and is also backed by the AMSOIL Limited Warranty. For details, visit www.amsoil.com/warrantysecure.
