Synthetic oil in small engines

   / Synthetic oil in small engines #1  

NHSawyer

Bronze Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2004
Messages
97
Location
Southern NH
Tractor
Cub Cadet/Yanmar LX410
Hi Folks,
I need to change the oil in the Honda generator. I have some synthetic at the correct viscoscity that I was thinking of using.

Anyone use synthetic in theor small engines?
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #2  
All I keep on hand is synthetic oil so I use it in everything. As long as it's the correct oil for the engine it's all good. My 20 something Honda lawnmower has always had synthetic in it.
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #3  
I started using Amsoil synthetic about 4 yrs ago in my generator (eu honda) and push mower ..

For no more than anything uses, synthetic IMHO was worth it..

Brian
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #4  
I have ZTR mower with a Kawasaki FX 31 horsepower engine on it. I was using regular old dino 10w30 in it and decided to change over to Amsoil at 60 hours. I used the Amsoil 4 stroke 10w30/30 for its third oil change.

I've been very shocked that suddenly my engine has started using oil. No leaks as its parked on concrete. I have no idea how or why the engine would suddenly start to burn oil after a switch to synthetic but it has. Needless to say I'm thinking of changeing back to dino oil as I have not a clue as to why it would burn synthetic and not burn dino. I have had to top off the oil level three times since the changover which was 15 hours ago. I have had to add quite a bit of oil to keep it up to the full level. If it ever used some of the dino oil it was so small that I couldn't tell it was using a drop by looking at the dipstick. A person has to go by his real life experiances with things like this. I think I'll stick with dino oil from here on out with all my engines. Others have had fantastic luck with synthetic oil of course and I'm sure you would be happy with it........as I will be happy with my old fashioned dino oil.
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #5  
I have spoken to Representatives of Briggs, Kohler, and Kawasaki they are recomend NOT to use synthetic oil at all in their engines. First of all we as a dealership and the manufacturers recomend you DO NOT use Automotive Oil in their engines either - Automotive Oils today are formulated for newer engines and have about 20% detergents in them - causing foaming in small engines.... also we recomend to not only use small engine oil which doesn't have this detergent base but to us straight 30 weight during the warm months and only use 10W-30 if you are going to use the engine during the winter. Multigrade oils are actually the lighter number but act like the heavier weight number and burns off past the rings that is more than likely where you oil is going. We had a customer with a new Ferris ZTR and Kawaski motor - he owns a Kawasaki bike he bought at a dealer up the street and they were offering a double warranty for using the Synthetic Oil made for their bikes - he brought us the oil to use to service his unit and that is when we called the engine manufacturers.... Kawasaki explained it to us that their Synthetic was safe in the bikes because they achieve high speeds with enough air to keep the engines/oil cool and their small engines do not and the higher operating temps could cause the Synthetic to break down and burn off more excesively than conventional multi-grade oil... hope this makes sense..
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #6  
I have spoken to Representatives of Briggs, Kohler, and Kawasaki they are recomend NOT to use synthetic oil at all in their engines. First of all we as a dealership and the manufacturers recomend you DO NOT use Automotive Oil in their engines either - Automotive Oils today are formulated for newer engines and have about 20% detergents in them - causing foaming in small engines.... also we recomend to not only use small engine oil which doesn't have this detergent base but to us straight 30 weight during the warm months and only use 10W-30 if you are going to use the engine during the winter. Multigrade oils are actually the lighter number but act like the heavier weight number and burns off past the rings that is more than likely where you oil is going. We had a customer with a new Ferris ZTR and Kawaski motor - he owns a Kawasaki bike he bought at a dealer up the street and they were offering a double warranty for using the Synthetic Oil made for their bikes - he brought us the oil to use to service his unit and that is when we called the engine manufacturers.... Kawasaki explained it to us that their Synthetic was safe in the bikes because they achieve high speeds with enough air to keep the engines/oil cool and their small engines do not and the higher operating temps could cause the Synthetic to break down and burn off more excesively than conventional multi-grade oil... hope this makes sense..

Wow...that is just the opposite of what has been advertized regarding synthetic. From the beginning,way back in the 80's,Mobil Ones tv advert. claimed synthetic held up better in higher operating temps....even showed the oil being held above a fire in a frying pan.vs conventional mmmnn:confused: I agree with the poster in that my GMC van used oil when converting over to synthetic,changed back and all was good again. From what I was told, the oil flows much more readily and will sift down by the rings and valve guides more readily I know it woke up my new '88 GMC halfton truck ,increased the average mileage by near 18% and "seemed" to have more power too...altho that part could be wishful thinking ,
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #7  
Hi Folks,
I need to change the oil in the Honda generator. I have some synthetic at the correct viscoscity that I was thinking of using.

Anyone use synthetic in theor small engines?

Oil in small engines that run on occasion such as in the typical use of a generator typically use a high detergent oil. Oil change intervals are yearly but of course, this depends on how you are using your generator.
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #8  
I mostly use synthetic in small engines, no problems.

However long ago, maybe 15yrs I talked with a mfg rep who sold it but said tests by the oil manufacturer on small engines showed it made the small engines run too hot...

Mike
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #9  
I have spoken to Representatives of Briggs, Kohler, and Kawasaki they are recomend NOT to use synthetic oil at all in their engines. First of all we as a dealership and the manufacturers recomend you DO NOT use Automotive Oil in their engines either - Automotive Oils today are formulated for newer engines and have about 20% detergents in them - causing foaming in small engines.... also we recomend to not only use small engine oil which doesn't have this detergent base but to us straight 30 weight during the warm months and only use 10W-30 if you are going to use the engine during the winter. Multigrade oils are actually the lighter number but act like the heavier weight number and burns off past the rings that is more than likely where you oil is going. We had a customer with a new Ferris ZTR and Kawaski motor - he owns a Kawasaki bike he bought at a dealer up the street and they were offering a double warranty for using the Synthetic Oil made for their bikes - he brought us the oil to use to service his unit and that is when we called the engine manufacturers.... Kawasaki explained it to us that their Synthetic was safe in the bikes because they achieve high speeds with enough air to keep the engines/oil cool and their small engines do not and the higher operating temps could cause the Synthetic to break down and burn off more excesively than conventional multi-grade oil... hope this makes sense..

Not that I am an expert but I use Amsoil in everything.
The reason it makes it past your rings is incorrect break in(so Ive been told)and synthetic oils have smaller molocule properties which let them make it past where other oils will not.
 
   / Synthetic oil in small engines #10  
My 2004 Polaris Ranger TM has an 18 hp Robin/Wisconsin industrial engine. Polaris requires 0W40 synthetic in it on a 50-hour service interval. It hasn't used any oil in 500 hours.

The Robin website calls for regular 30 oil in the same engine, warning that multigrades in hot weather will cause excessive oil consumption.

My Bolens/Iseki G174 was using Rotella 5W40 synthetic when I bought it. It seems to work fine, with no consumption after two 150-hour seasons alternating between a finish mower and a bush hog.

Walnut Diary
 
 
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