All lawn mowers need oil for their motors, but deciding which type of motor oil to use isn’t difficult.
There are dozens of types of motor oil on the market today, and if you’ve ever wondered if you can use 10w30 oil in your lawn mower.
You can likely use 10w30 oil in a lawn mower. 10w30 oil is effective at keeping the motor running efficiently for a long period of time. To be certain 10w30 oil is suitable in a specific lawn mower, you should refer to the owner’s manual.
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Just the Basics
When you purchase your lawn mower, you should be paying attention to the following:
- How much oil you should use.
- The exact type of oil you should use.
As you likely already know, you should always follow the instructions that come with your lawn mower exactly as they are written to get the best results. This means that if the directions on the can of motor oil and the directions that come with your user manual are different, you should go with the information that is found in the user manual. This is always your safest bet because the lawn mower itself needs certain types and amounts of motor oil to function properly.
Think of it this way: unless it’s a basic push lawn mower made without a motor, the engine in your lawn mower will have moving parts that need to be lubricated regularly to stay in good condition.
If motor oil isn’t kept in there at all times, the parts can malfunction and even rust. It can also disrupt the entire engine so that it no longer works. At that point, you’re usually better off buying a brand-new lawn mower, which of course can be quite expensive.
There are also some general rules when it comes to how much motor oil you need to put in your lawn mower. For instance, a riding lawn mower that has a single-cylinder engine usually takes 1.5 quarts of oil. If it’s fitted with an oil filter, it should need around 1.6 quarts and if the mower has a twin-cylinder engine, you’ll likely need around two quarts of oil instead.
Again, these are general recommendations which is why it is so important to check your user manual before purchasing your motor oil.
Types of Motor Oil
It’s also good to know a little about the different types of motor oil so that you can decide which is the highest in quality. Below are some basic descriptions of each type of motor oil.
Single weight oil
An SAE30 motor oil is a single weight oil and does well in temperatures from 40 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Normally, multi-grade oils are best in cold temperatures or when the temperature goes from one extreme to another.
Since you likely won’t be cutting grass in the winter time, you might be able to get away with a single weight oil.
Multi-grade oil
Oil has more difficulty doing its job when it’s cold outside, so a multi-grade or blended motor oil does better in lower temperatures. The 10w30 motor oil is a type of multi-grade oil, and it does great at temperatures from 0 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit making it a very versatile type of motor oil.
Synthetic oil
These are man-made oils and extremely efficient; however, they tend to be on the expensive side and therefore aren’t usually used in lawn mowers.
You Need to Check Your Oil Regularly
Just like cars and trucks, lawn mower engines need to have their oil levels checked regularly.
Most lawn mower engines have dipsticks that allow you to quickly check the oil level so that you can determine if you need to add additional oil.
When you check your oil, the process is similar to doing this for your vehicle. You’ll need to turn off the lawn mower and let it sit for a few minutes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be cold, but it shouldn’t be hot, and you should give all of the parts inside some time to settle down.
To do this task correctly, simply remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Next, place it back into the mower but do not screw in the cap. Just dip it into the oil and pull it back out again, then check the line to see if you’re low on oil.
If you are low, you’ll want to add just a little bit of oil at a time. Let the oil settle then recheck. Adding a little bit at a time enables you to add oil to the lawn mower motor without adding too much oil, which can be difficult to remove.
Also, keep in mind that some lawn mowers will automatically shut themselves off when the oil is too low, which will let you know that more oil is needed. Not all mowers have this feature, however, so you’ll need to check the oil regularly to keep it at an appropriate level.
In Summary
Buying high-quality motor oil is smart when you’re trying to keep the oil level up in your lawn mower. You can definitely use 10w30 oil in your lawn mower, it’s some of the best type of oil you can use. This is because this oil can accommodate a wide variety of temperatures, which means that regardless of where you live, your mower will work great and last for a very long time if this is the oil you choose.
In any event, you’ll need to pay close attention to the recommendations made by the manufacturer of the lawn mower and pay attention to the correct amounts as well.
