Frequency of oil change in low use small engines.

[clemsonfor]

I try and change every year now a days. Sometimes it has been 2 years or 16 months.

I am due to change my oil on 4wheeler, generator, 2 lawnmowers and my tractor. Really it would be best to do this in the fall so that old oil maybe with moisture in it from the last short run and or acidic oil does not sit in it idle all winter. Well in the 4wheeler it does get cranked and ridden short distances at least maybe once a month.

 

[dodge man]

I run Amsoil in mine. Thats not really an excuse to skip regular maintance, but I knew I was going 2 to 3 years in changing the oil in some of my stuff. The best thing I did was start a small book and write down the actual date of the oil changes on my small engines. I'd say for the low use ones, I go about 2 years on average.

 

[BigMike50]

I bought a 5 hp pressure washer with Honda engine in 1999. I use it several times a week. I NEVER changed the oil in it once since I owned it. I had to ad oil once or twice. The pump failed once so I had to change that out. The engine however still running strong. True story.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I use the christmas holidays as my marker for oil changes on my "low use". Of course it is cold as heck, but it is a slow time on the farm and with a number of oil users now in my possession, it is hard to keep up with all of them.

I understand moisture could be an issue, but I have never seen any article that states that lubricity or any of the additives break down from time, only heat.

I think for me the bigger concern anymore is the Ethanol eating the gaskets out of the carbs. I am switching this year to non ethanol gas for my small engines as all of them are acting up in the carb department.

 

[clemsonfor]

I use NOn E gas in the good small stuff. I run E gas in the farm mower and when i left it in there it would gum up in a matter of weeks in the heat and in the sun on the farm i guess from being under a top cover of a tarp?? Happened 2x after i rebuilt the carb due to leaking gasket. Since then i added a cheap $4 plastic fuel cut off inline, and not had it happen once, before it happened each time i would go to restart it. I think what happened was the fuel evaporated then filled a bit mroe and eventurally the needle would stick. I got tired of pulling the bowl of and manually unsticking the needle and then blowing crud out of the seat and wiping those gas crystal things out of the bowl.

 

[garry]

Thank you for your replys. They give a good idea of what others are thinking, what they do and why I always like to know the why.
For those of you who have oil tested, where do you take it and what does it cost?

 

[nybirdman]

I just got done changeing the oil/filters on my JD lawn mower,ATV and UTV.I do this every spring regardless of hours.
The mower had 23hours,the ATV maybe 200 miles,the UTV had 500 miles.I keep a record in the repair manuals of all my vehicles.My truck gets changed when it is inspected(around 2,000 miles),the car at 3500 miles about every six months.The ATV is a 1998,the UTV a 2006 ,the mower 2004,truck 2005 and the car 2010.Works for me.

 

[ultrarunner]

I do have a very old 7 hp motor I never change the oil because it has a total loss oiling system...

A 1 gallon tank is filled with oil and it has little copper tubes with adjustments so the oil just drips one drop at a time on the crank and rod bearings...

System must work because the motor was made in 1905...

 

[TomSeller]

I do have a very old 7 hp motor I never change the oil because it has a total loss oiling system...

A 1 gallon tank is filled with oil and it has little copper tubes with adjustments so the oil just drips one drop at a time on the crank and rod bearings...

System must work because the motor was made in 1905...

Cool. I would like to see pictures of it if you don't mind.

 

[ultrarunner]

Cool. I would like to see pictures of it if you don't mind.

The 7 hp is the motive power for my 1905 Oldsmobile...

I've got pictures for the car... don't think I have one of just the motor.

Maybe I can find one on the net...