lawnmower engine, never change oil?

[NutBucket]

Can't afford acreage with Socal property prices!

 

[Exterous]

Eh, my biggest complaint with lawnmowers these days is the automatic throttle. Just give me a dammed lever!

Pft - just push the damn thing like a real man!

My 9 year old push toro with a honda engine is still going strong. Well - probably I haven't started it up yet this year but the last 8 have all been instant starts after the winter.

I think part of the issue is that people don't necessarily take good care of their mowers. Won't check the oil, the air filter, sparkplug, sharpen blades etc. I could see that adding reasons for the drive to lower quality.

 

[Subyman]

You can still get good mowers though. Plenty of options available from Exmark, Honda, and Toro.

 

[redhead1]

Now kohler is marketing a small engine that requires no oil change. If one reads the list of top complaints about mower engine failure, they are generally quality and oil related. The manufacturers generally blame the owners for low oil. Generally a "my word against yours situation. Warranty voided. So with these so called no oil change required engines, what risk is there for the manufacturer. Engine failure will continue to be the homeowners fault; but, instead of a mower lasting 10 years, it will be five years. Out of warranty. By which time the homeowner will just say ok and buy a new mower. I had two side valve engines run for 20 years with simple maintenance, oil change, air filter and spark plug. Occasionally sprayed the carb with gumout. OHV engines that run cooler, cleaner and more efficiently along with better filtration do not improve longevity if the manufacturing quality is not there.

 

[NutBucket]

Pft - just push the damn thing like a real man!

Not the speed of a self-propelled mower, the actual engine throttle control. I haven't seen a mower with one in years.

 

[fransam1961]

Don't understand the negative comments re briggs engines and throwaway life. According to Rick Zeckmeister, Briggs vice president of marketing and planning, the four-stroke mower engine is designed to last the life of the equipment it's used on, which could be about 12 years, without an oil change. Briggs says the engine will set a precedent in the lawn and garden equipment industry, and none of its competitors has an engine that doesn't require an oil change. The new engines are better built with better cooling and lower temperatures so oil quality is maintained. In any case, the engine handbook says that oil can still be changed if you want, and is made easier as new oil filler design. I will always change oil every 20 hrs of use anyway. In my own case, as a professional contractor, I always change oil carefully and avoid any contaminants getting into the engine. I have three 17 year old Hayter mowers with Briggs engines that are still running very well and efficiently because I change oil and filters regularly. If you neglect any machinery, don't be surprised if it fails...

 

[fabinator]

improved cooling will have no effect when the cooling fins are clogged with grass in various stages of decomposition. Nearly every mower I work on is nearly out of oil, and has been severely overheating because it's completely packed with dead grass and other crap under the shrouds. These are going to fry just like every other lawnmower engine under the same conditions of use.

 

[pauldun170]

I change mine once a year. For the $4 it's cheap insurance. It's been going strong for 10 years now over .5 acre.

That's what I tell people
(Stares at 12 year old push mower in the garage and unopened 11 year old bottle of oil sitting on the shelf.)

On the other hand, my old leaf vacuum gets fresh oil ALL the time between the oil consumption and leaky gaskets.

Might even take that air filter out of the packaging.
and put it back on the shelf

 

[Dredsel]

The engine usually last longer than the frame on a lawn mower! I just bought a new B&S because my Craftsman wheel adjusters needed replacing and they are no longer available. It's 14 years old and the engine starts and runs great.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Are some of you seriously changing the oil ever year? It's not like a car where it gets lot of mileage/run time. I do it maybe like every 10 years. I'm probably due to do mine actually, I've had it for a bit over 10 years now. I did my dad's maybe like 15 years ago I don't know if he's done it again since. He already had it for 15ish years at the time I did it. These older engines can't be killed.

Crazy that they are making engines with only 100 hour life now, that's criminal.

 

[JEDI]

I bought a craftman 22" lawnmower 10yrs ago.
never changed the oil. still runs great!

then again, I only have to mow 20' x 20' every other week.
hell, I dont even have an idea on how to check the oil?!

still haven't changed the oil yet.
15+ yrs

 

[NutBucket]

Are some of you seriously changing the oil ever year? It's not like a car where it gets lot of mileage/run time. I do it maybe like every 10 years. I'm probably due to do mine actually, I've had it for a bit over 10 years now. I did my dad's maybe like 15 years ago I don't know if he's done it again since. He already had it for 15ish years at the time I did it. These older engines can't be killed.

Crazy that they are making engines with only 100 hour life now, that's criminal.

The 100 hour rating is only for emissions purposes. Consumer stuff at the big box store may be rated for 100....higher end equipment is typically rated for more hours.

IMHO small engines aren't exactly precision instruments and see hard use. Changing the oil yearly (and what, 1/2 a quart in some cases) is simply a minor inconvenience. Or just go 2-stroke and you've always got fresh oil! Maybe Lawn-Boy was really on to something all those years ago.

 

[BoomerD]

still haven't changed the oil yet.
15+ yrs

I have 't changed the oil in my Honda lawnmower since 2012...I gave it fresh oil just before we moved out of CA, and it sat in storage for almost 7 years...so it had "fresh" oil when I started it last year for the first time since the move. Added gasoline...started on the second pull. I WILL change it this year though. I was going to do it the other day before using it for the first time od the year...but didn't have any 10-30 on hand.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The 100 hour rating is only for emissions purposes. Consumer stuff at the big box store may be rated for 100....higher end equipment is typically rated for more hours.

Oh so it just means it's basically not meeting emissions standards after it's been broken in? Since if it was rated to actually fail after that, then yeah that's quite horrible even for consumer stuff.

I hate that big box stores always have the crap version of stuff though. I would rather be able to choose to pay more for higher quality, but higher quality stuff is just harder to come by and not really available to consumers.

 

[NutBucket]

A low-end Echo string trimmer is already $250 or so. I have a Stihl pole hedger that was nearly $600. Your average consumer is not going to drop that kind of cash on yard equipment.