What Kind of Oil Do You Use in a Mower?

Conventional Oil

• Conventional motor oil can be used in your mower’s engine. Conventional oil cools the engine, keeping hot parts from seizing up during combustion. It also keeps the engine parts lubricated to reduce friction between parts and keeps sediments from settling and corrupting them.
  You can also use conventional oil to lubricate hardware on your mower and not just the parts inside it. Hardware such as the nuts and bolts on the wheel assemblies and the mower handle are also susceptible to rust and seizing up. Regularly lubricating the hardware helps preserve it for long-term use.

Synthetic Oil

• Just like with car engines, synthetic oil is acceptable for your mower. Synthetic oil has the advantage of lasting longer in your mower than conventional oil, which can burn up over time. Synthetic oil is also less harmful to the environment when it burns. However, it can cost up to three times as much per quart. Synthetic oil also doesn’t lubricate engine parts as well as conventional oil because of its chemical makeup.

Oil Weight

• Oil weight determines how much viscosity it has at certain temperatures. Multiviscosity oils will have different levels when used during hot and cold ambient temperatures. Generally speaking, engines operating at ambient temperatures 40 degrees Fahrenheit and below should use 5W-30 oil. For operation at zero degrees to 100 degrees, use 10W-30. If you will operate only at 40 degrees and higher, use SAE 30. Synthetic 5W-30 can be used at all operating temperatures.

Checking Oil

• To ensure your oil is working properly, check your oil prior to use. Do not check your oil while the engine is warm because the oil is circulated throughout the engine. Locate the dipstick, which is usually attached to the oil fill port cap on the inside. When you pull it out, wipe it clean and then stick it back in the fill port without touching the port’s edges. Pull it back out and then look to see how close the oil is to the “full” mark. Unless it’s on the mark, you should refill your oil before operating.