What Oil Type For Lawn Mower – Toro, Honda, and Briggs and Stratton
What Oil Type For Lawn Mower –
Toro, Honda, and Briggs and Stratton? If gasoline is the food for the gas-powered lawnmowers, then the oil is its blood. But lawnmowers when they are frequently used, their oil can get dirty and contaminated so changing oil should be a regular regimen for all lawnmower users. We know that you are probably already using certain types of oil with your lawnmower and probably using the regular SAE 30 motor oil. But did you know that certain lawnmower brands can perform much better if you’ll use the correct engine oil for its particular model ?
Today we will answer common questions that many homeowners ask us:
– What type of oil for Honda lawn mower
– What type of oil for a Toro lawn mower, and;
– What type of oil for lawn mower with Briggs and Stratton engine needs
We will be specific with the lawnmower brands because people own different kinds of branded lawnmowers and each brand prefers certain types of oils that can make it perform at its best. But before knowing these, let’s first understand motor oil weight which can be interesting because those letters and numbers you see on the label on engine oils signify the components of the oil and its effect on the engine of the lawnmowers. Then we will answer the most common question that we incessantly get – Can you use car oil for lawn mower.
What Type Oil to Use in Lawn Mower
It’s basically easy to know what oil type for lawn mower is best for your lawnmower’s brand. All you have to do is get your machine’s user manual and you’ll find the most recommended oil for your machine. But what if you lost your manual or you want to try other oil that could further enhance your lawnmower’s performance? Take note that lawnmower manufacturers always provide consumers with very few choices for engine oils so as not to confuse them.
Nevertheless, you may never know that there are also a lot of better engine oils out there that could help your lawnmower with its best protection from damage and help it perform better especially under varying weather conditions. So let’s understand lawn mower oil weight or grade to provide you with more info about engine oils.
First, let us understand what viscosity means which is part of the grading system for engine oils. Viscosity is the state of fluid for being semifluid, sticky, or thick. So the viscosity term cannot be applied on water which is very fluid but on liquid with a certain thickness on it like oil.
The importance of the viscosity grade can give you information on the fluidity of the engine oil that can affect the performance of the engine. The lower the viscosity grade of the oil, the more fluid it becomes. And inversely, the higher the viscosity grade, the thicker the oil. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has set up this kind of system to let consumers know the types of consistencies the oils are available in the market.
Understanding Oil Grades and Viscosity
Why understanding oil viscosity and grades can be important is it can help you find the right oil your lawnmower needs based on the surrounding temperature. So here are what you need to know:
⛽️ Low viscosity grade oils are best for cold temperatures so that oil circulation on the engine can be faster especially during the cold engine start. Example: SAE 30 has a low viscosity (thinner) than SAE40
⛽️ Thicker viscosity grade oils are best in protecting engine parts that heat up quickly and can prevent the engine from overheating when the machine is used in a hot climate. The thicker the oil, the more protective film it can provide to the engine’s parts.
On the other hand, you may ask what type oil to use in lawn mower when I see letters like SAE 5W or SAE 25W on the label? Well, “W” stands for winter. So this means that these engine oils are made primarily for winter or cold climate use.
Engine oils that have the letters followed by numbers are called “Monograde Oils” and they are made of different grades or weights to adapt to different temperature ranges. So if you see labels like SAE 0W up to 25W, these are particular lubricants that can adapt to different temperature ranges like from negative degrees to 10-degrees Centigrade climate.
For the other grades like SAE 8 to SAE 60 engine oils, these are for mild to very hot climate use for lawnmowers. The hotter the climate, the higher the grade the engine oil must have but should be without the “W” mark on the label.
The good news is, even though the monograde oils have different grades available to adapt to climate changes and to fit older engines, there are now what we call the “Multigrade Oils”. The modern vehicles we have today are better off with these kinds of oils including the more modern lawnmowers (self-propelled and riding types). Their advantage is that even a single monograde oil can be used in a variety of seasons or temperature ranges.
So if you can see on the label like 5W30 or 15W30 that means the “W” still stands for winter, and the number before the W denotes the winter viscosity and the number after the W represents the engine oil viscosity. So it’s winter viscosity/for winter use/engine oil viscosity which also means the lower the number before the W, the more fluid the oil and the higher the number after the W, the more protection it can provide to prevent frictions to the engine parts.
So let’s go to more specific lawnmower brands and their perfect engine oil counterparts.
What Type of Oil for Honda Lawn Mower is Best
A lot of people want to know what type of oil for Honda lawn mower so they can play it safe with these engines. Well, the engines of Honda lawnmowers function like all other combustion engines so they require slippery oil but with the right viscosity to prevent friction on engine parts.
Honda engines are very reliable and are considered some of the top of the line among the high-end engines. However, when it comes to low-temperature application, the engines of this brand may require specific types of oil which are often mixed with mineral oil like the multigrade oils which we also call the “synthetic oil” types. Like we have mentioned, these types of engine oils can adapt to different kinds of climates.
But then, the traditional petroleum-based oil (monograde oils) will also work efficiently in hot and mild climates. But when it comes to very cold climates, the Honda engine may experience hard starting. So what type of engine oil Honda lawnmowers require specifically in such a climate? According to many Honda lawnmower manufacturers, Honda engines will still perform best with the SAE 30 oil up to moderately cold climates. But if they are to be used in a very cold environment, the SAE 10W-30 multigrade oil is recommended. So take note of the W mark.
What Type of Oil for a Toro Lawn Mower for best Performance
Toro lawnmowers are also considered among the most reliable mowing machines when it comes to lawn maintenance. Their engines are generally powerful Briggs & Stratton brands that are tough, strong, and long-lasting. The traditional SAE-30 engine oil is widely used on Toro lawnmowers. But if the Toro lawnmowers is used in a colder climate, experts suggest also using the multigrade SAE 10W-30. This type of oil can perform better even with extended operations and from fair up to cold temperature while it can eliminate the cold start issues of your machine.
You could also try another multigrade oil like the SAE 5W-30 for cold engine start which is a bit thinner and more fluid than the SAE 10W-30. So consider the temperature of your surroundings if you have to change the oil in your lawnmower.
What Type of Oil for Lawn Mower Briggs and Stratton Engines to Maintain Quality Performance
The name Briggs and Stratton on engines represents most of the powerful lawnmowers in the world like Toro, Bolens, Husqvarna, Snapper, and Polan. From the small engine push mowers to the largest lawn tractors, these engines are the best in terms of torque, dependability, and toughness. As such, many of our readers are asking what type of oil for lawn mower Briggs and Stratton’s engines require? In terms of choosing oil engines, the B&S engines can also adapt to any kind of oil but it is necessary that you check on the climate first before choosing your engine oil. For example, using the SAE 40 on temperature below 4 degrees centigrade (40 degrees F) could result in hard starting since this type of oil is better for the warmer climate. So you have to be aware of what oil type for lawn mower you should put in regardless of its engine.
For small B&G engines, here are what experts recommend:
🏁 Use SAE 10W-30 for temperature 1-100 degrees F (17 to 37 degrees C) range for easy cold starting. However, oil consumption increases when the temperature reaches more than 80 degrees F (26 degrees C).
🏁 For synthetic oil, SAE 5W-30 is perfect for the cold environment with -20 up to 120 degrees F (-28 degrees C to 48 degrees C).
🏁 For extremely cold temperatures, SAE 5W-30 could be used even if the temperature reaches 40 degrees F and below. (4 degrees and below)
🏁 For commercial lawn mowing for continuous use, the Vanguard 15W-50 oil can handle temperature from 20 degrees F to 130 degrees F (6 degrees C to 54 degrees C).
As a rule, try to change oil for the first 5 hours of use and for every 50 hours after that and this is applicable for walk-behind mowers. For riding mowers, do an oil change every 100 hours or once a year. When refilling oil, avoid overfilling because more oil can drown the crankcase and this can also cause overheating of the engine and can lead to damaging the seals and gaskets of the engine.
Can You Use Car Oil for Lawn Mower?
Now we shall answer the common question – can you use car oil for lawn mower? This question has provoked different debatable answers for many years. But today, we will answer this based on many experts’ opinions and expertise. To sum it up, what we got is yes, you can use car oil for lawnmowers as long as the oil is of high quality.
Car engine oils have friction modifiers which means its formula can reduce friction on the lawn mowers’ engine moving parts for efficient fuel consumption and can enhance the engine’s efficiency. However, don’t try to put motorcycle oil in your lawnmower because motorcycle oils are made in protecting engine transmission, clutches, and gears that lawnmowers don’t have. So don’t forget that 2-cycle oils need to be used on motorcycles or snowmobiles only which are equipped with 2-stroke engines while the lawnmowers only need to go with the type of oils we have discussed above.
Conclusion:
Now that you know the answer to what oil type for lawn mower to use based on the brand and the type of oil needed by certain engines, you can now feel relieved and not worry about choosing engine oil for your lawnmower the next time you’ll be buying engine oil.
Oil keeps your lawnmower’s engine cool and it can also facilitate removing the impurities that the engine has accumulated while working. So rust, corrosion, and gunk should be removed through oil draining and refilling.
One more thing, it is not only crucial that you remember the kinds of engine oil your lawnmower needs but the more important thing is not to forget to follow the regimen of oil changing. So even if you have chosen the right oil but did not change it for a long time, your lawnmower’s engine may also get in trouble. Checkout our helpful tips if your Lawn Mower Starts Then Dies here.