To make your lawns look as pretty as ever, it’s vital that you give them the right care. Mowing your lawn with the right blade settings helps keep the grass healthy. Moreover, the required density of the plantation is maintained, ensuring that the soil is replenished enough. Needless to say, technology has made our lives much easier with the advent of lawnmowers.
Not only do they allow photosynthesis and nutrient absorption to happen correctly by cutting the grass at calculated heights and angles, but they also get rid of clumped clippings. But the question still persists – Can You Use Car Oil In A Lawn Mower?
How do you maintain your lawnmower? What kind of care does it need to function for a prolonged time and give you the desired results? While there are multiple items on an annual lawnmower maintenance checklist, the first thing is always the change of oil. So, what kind of oil does a lawnmower need? Can You Use Car Oil In A Lawn Mower? Continue to read further to demystify the air around the same! There wouldn’t be an iota of regret about this!
Can You Use Car Oil In A Lawn Mower? An Expert Opinion
The efficiency of your mower depends on the way you maintain it. It is necessary to stabilize the fuel after every use to ensure the carburetor isn’t clogged. You must recharge the battery regularly, clean the deck, sharpen blades, check the filter and the list goes on! However, the most crucial question you must ask yourself is – What motor oil to use in my lawnmower?
Below is an overview of the types of oil you can use specifically for a lawn mower. Motor oils according to their viscosity are ranked using a numeric code system. They range from low to high viscosity like 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and 60. Let’s have a look at this with respect to the top grades for motor oils.
What Kind Of Oils Exist For Automotives?
SAE 30 – This was the first rated engine oil that was released in the market after SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) was formed. In the early days, it was enough to provide longevity and reduce the heat released from combustion in automotive engines. SAE 30 is now used in smaller lawnmower engines.
SAE 5W-30 – The W in the code signifies that the oil’s viscosity remains adequate even at cold temperatures. So if you’re someone who drives a Wrangler in the Alps, this has got you covered. A 5W-30 is better than a 10W-30 as it means that the oil is thinner and therefore, better the cold start performance. The synthetic version of SAE 5W-30 is the most preferred version for lawnmowers and vehicles in general.
This is due to the fact that compared to synthetic oils, conventional mineral oils are more likely to undergo chemical degradation and break out of bounds. Fuel or water contamination, metal oxides, heat, and low-combustion backdrops do not affect synthetic oils much.
Other variants of motor oils also exist under the guidelines of SAE but these are the most commonly used ones.
Is Using The Car Oil For My Lawnmower Going To Damage It?
There is no simple, straightforward answer to this question. It depends on what kind of lawnmower and oil combination you’re using. It is essential that you use only high-quality car oil for your lawnmower. Else, you might end up compromising on its quality of service and power efficiency. Let’s dig a little deeper into this.
Lawnmowers can be of various types – Push mowers, Cylinder mowers, Rotary mowers, Hover mowers, Self-propelled mowers, Bagging mowers, Mulching mowers, and more! One of the most sought-after distinguishing factors among them is the number of strokes the mower engine uses to complete one cycle of work. A four-stroke completes a single power stroke in four stages or two complete revolutions. Whereas, a two-stroke engine completes one power stroke in two stages or one complete revolution.
Back in the day, two-stroke engine lawnmowers were really popular. These kinds of mowers had one tank for both oil and gasoline. Hence, lightweight motor oils like 5w30, 5w20, 0w30, and 0w20 must be used for these. On the contrary, as time passed by, the four-stroke engine lawnmowers stood first in the race. They are far more fuel efficient as fuel is consumed only once every 4 strokes. This is good for the environment as well. Moreover, these engines have separate tanks for gasoline and oil which means that apt viscosity oils that can withstand cold temperatures can be used. Examples of these are SAE30 oil or SAE 10W-30 oil.
Final Thoughts
In our quest to find the answer to the question “Can You Use Car Oil In A Lawn Mower?”, we came across a bunch of concepts that anyone who has a lawn must know. We suggest that you be mindful of what kind of oil you use for your mowers to keep their condition in check for a long time. Not only will this give you good results at the time of work but also reduce the cost of maintenance and save you a few bucks in the long run!
We hope we’ve managed to answer your queries well but in case, you’ve got more questions for us, feel free to drop them down in the comments!