Lawnmower and small gasoline engine advice and tips needed

self | 4 16 2018 | self

[dennisw]

I want to keep this new Troy Bilt lawnmower running great. It is the TB230 with 163cc* Briggs & Stratton® 725EXi Series engine     http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/troybilt/troy-bilt-tb320-walk-behind-mower-12avb2a3711 

My questions are:

1. Do you use synthetic oil? What brand and what weigh?
2. Or do you use regular oil? What brand? What weight?
3. Both of the above are climate dependent    You will use different oil if you live in New Mexico compared to Minnesota
4. How often do you change your lawnmower oil?
5. -
6. Is it OK to use 94 octane premium gasoline right from the beginning? As soon as I start using this new lawnmower?
7. Will using 94 octane gasoline stress out the Briggs Stratton engine? Make it run too hot?
8. Is it worth the effort to buy gasoline with ZERO ethanol in it? My closest place is ten miles away so I would have to buy a few gallons to make it worthwhile....and add stabilizer or not?
9. -
10. What is a good additive for the 10% ethanol gasoline that we find everywhere. Additive For small engine use with this 10% ethanol gasoline
11.  
12. How much hotter do small air cooled lawnmower engines get compared to water cooled automobile engines
13. Is there a superior gasoline filter I should buy and install on the Briggs and Stratton

[Spruce]

Read the manual

[IamConservative]

No need to pay more for high octane fuel. The octane rating is a measurement of the fuels ability to resist detonation under compression. In other words, the higher the compression of the engine, the higher the octane of fuel needed to run to prevent “pinging” from the fuel detonating before the top of the compression stroke.

One thing you can do to greatly improve the longevity of your engine is to drain the fuel and then run the engine until it dies from fuel starvation at seasons end. Fuel sitting in the tank and carb all winter will cause varnish to build up in the carb and will eventually cause carb to fail.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Schaeffer uses a moly additive.
I’ve seen auto engines taken down after 100,00 + miles on this lube.
Very clean and bright...

[ThomasThomas]

I have some plans on how to use a hair dryer to turbo charge a lawn mower. Tim “The Toolman” Taylor would love them. The power cord needed for the hair dyer makes using a bit awkward but you will have MORE POWER!

When I was in college they had a grant to test slick 50 using lawn mower engines. We were able to measure the difference in wear but the cost of the small engine compared to added life didn’t justify the added cost of the slick 50. With larger engines it seemed to be a good option. But unless you have a fleet of lawn mowers I would stay with OEM specs.

[Obadiah]

D’oh!

[norwaypinesavage]

My doctor once told me "Don't smoke, control your cholesterol, and wear your seat belt. The rest is just statistical noise."

I'll give the same kind of advice for your lawn mower: "Drain your fuel every fall, and then run the carburetor dry. The rest is just statistical noise".

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “crap Sta-Bil.” <<

I store lots of gas for long periods at the ranch, and have done so for 20 years, and never had StaBil fail to keep the gas oxydation free, even at times for four years.
.

[Obadiah]

Dad?

[WayneS]

My recommendations:

Use whatever good quality oil you want, but change it at least once per mowing season. If the mower gets used a lot (say, more than 2 acres of grass once a week or more) I;’d recommend a mid-season oil change as well.

Definitely use 0% ethanol gas if you can get it..

You can use 94 octane gasoline, but you’d be wasting your money, in my opinion. It will not damage the engine, but neither will it do any good. Compression ratios in lawn mower engines are typically too low to take advantage of higher octane gas. 87 octane will be fine.

As far as additives for the fuel, if you do end up using gas with ethanol added you’ll want to use something that can absorb water .

Fuel stabilizer is not a bad idea no matter what type of gasoline you use. I’ve had good luck with a product called “Sta-Bil” in my small engines. I’ve found it particularly useful if an engine will be unused for more than a 30-45 day period.

Any decent-quality fuel filter will work. I like the ones with a screw-together aluminum body and a reusable element. I use ones made by Russell Performance. They run about $15-$20 each depending upon where you get them. That mat seem a bit steep, but I have a couple of Russell filters that with regular cleaning have remained serviceable for 15+ years of use.

I hope this was of some use to you.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Straight regular gasoline doesn’t exist in most Midwest markets.
Premium is the alternative...

[TruthWillWin]

Yes to non-ethanol fuel, regular octain only. Briggs specifies 30Wt oil. If it’s so cold that 10-30 is n needed why are you mowing the lawn?

[FreedomPoster]

1. Yes. Mobil1 10w30. It’s cheap by the 6-pack at Costco.
2. For bar oil on the chainsaw.
3. Perhaps, haven’t had the problem.
4. Annually
5. Yes
6. No
7. I would if I only had to go 10 miles. Yes, Sta-Bil Marine is what I use. Supposed to best fight the effects of the **** ethanol. < shakes fist at corn lobby>
8. Sta-Bil Marine.
9. Don’t know.
10. Not that I know of.

[TruthWillWin]

Kohler wants you to use 10-30. Every one else 30.

[WayneS]

I’ve had the same experience with Sta-Bil - in lawn mower engines, tractor engines, chain saws, weed-wackers, generators, motorcycles (large and small), and even in an automobile or two I needed to store for extended periods.

[editor-surveyor]

.
But you’re talking about engines with filters, right?
.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

You want to use unleaded gas in a lawn mower behind which you are going to traipse and unavoidably breathe fumes.

I find it hard to believe that higher octane gas would do anything except cost more.

I’d avoid ethanol bearing gas if you can, subject to mfrs’ recos.

The biggest deal is putting the thing up for the winter and the implied storage of whatever fuel may be in it at the time. Others here probably have more experience than I in this regard, I would imagine that a fuel additive added in the last couple of times you run the machine for the season would be beneficial.

[wally_bert]

I bought a push lawnmower off Amazon for about 80 bucks.

My yard isn’t that big but I had enough tall grass. It did way better than I expected. If I can get a season out of it, I’m happy.

[central_va]

My lawn tractor has a fairly big oil filter so why would detergent oil hurt it?

[headstamp 2]

[I store lots of gas for long periods at the ranch, and have done so for 20 years, and never had StaBil fail to keep the gas oxydation free, even at times for four years.]

Not my experience at all with it. I had a new generator get a jet gummed up after only 8 months with it.

Used MIB to clear it thankfully and now use the same company’s Ethanol Shield with nary a problem ever again.

Use what works for you.

[LakeEffectLad]

I’m with you W_B. Fuel systems aren’t happy burning taco shells. I spend enough time with my Husqvarna that I can hear the improvement when proper fuel is used.