Posted on 04/16/2018 7:50:15 AM PDT by 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:
I bought a lawnmower from Sears, yes Sears, 20 years ago. It has had one tuneup about 5 years ago when I couldn’t get it started in the Spring.
Of course, when you only mow your grass about 10 times a year, it doesn’t get too worn down.
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If you’re running in warm weather, SAE 30 will let the engine run longer before failure of the crank.
SAE 10-30 is for sub-freezing start conditions. Small tractors sometimes get used in freezing weather, so in that case, it would be better.
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NO! Do NOT use only SAE 30W motor oil in small engines.
Consult the owner's manual for YOUR small engine and use the weight of oil specified therein. If the engine was manufactured in the XXI Century, there's a very high probability that the specified oil will be of the modern multi-weight variety. All of mine (two B&S, a Honda, and a Tecumseh) use 5W-30, as specified by the manufacturer. But this has nothing to do with YOUR small engines; consult YOUR owner's manual(s) and operate accordingly.
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I have a 20 year old Sears lawn tractor that I use fore fire clearing at the ranch. The motor is like new, but everything else has been replaced multiple times.
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I’m still using a Sears lawnmower after 14 years, never changed the oil or used fuel stabilizer or done anything except put gas in it and mow the lawn. The air filter bolt is stripped out of the plastic fitting, so the filter just rides loose on the carburetor. It takes a good shot of starting ether to get that mower going these days, which washes all the dirt down into the carb.
When I absolutely can’t get it running, I’ll buy another.
Always drain the fuel tank and let it run until it runs out of fuel before storing in winter. Do this and small engines will last much longer.
I currently run five 4-cycle small engines; three (forgot one in previous post) B&S, one Honda, one Tecumseh. For the past 15 years, I have consistently operated them with standard E-10 pump gas, treated with Sta-Bil. I keep about 25 gallons of treated gas on hand. Three of them get run dry before over-winter storage, two do not. NONE of them; (yes, that's right: ZERO) give any difficulty with starting after storage. NO, I don't have carburetor problems. NO, they don't gum up. NO, the fuel lines don't rot. They just plain run.
YMMV.
OTOH, 2-cycle engines are a completely different matter ... In them, ethanol is evil.
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Nonsense!
SAE 30 is what is shipped with every small engine product sold in temperate climates.
Sae 10-30 is reccommended for sub-freezing operation only.
Of course.
Anyone thinks consulting the owner's manual is "nonsense" is probably in the small-engine repair business, and has a conflict of interest ...
It probably says which oil to use right on the dipstick.
Most small consumer-grade 4-strokes use splash oiling, not pressurized oiling systems. Multi-vis oils are really tailored for the latter, to speed oil flow when cold. No point in using a multi-vis oil unless you have a commercial-grade engine with an actual oil pump (and likely, oil filter). Some commercial mower engines are set up that way to help them last longer while mowing inclined or terraced lots.
Also, multi-vis oils thin out faster in air-cooled engines. So 10W30 will work if that's all you can find, but small engines generally last longer with the straight 30W (dinosaur squeezings or synthetic).
Use regular 87 gasoline. Your compression ratio and timing are set for it. Put in higher octane and the burn is too slow. Most people have this very confused (”high octane is better gasoline”).
My Briggs powered lawnmower engine is a pressured unit.
Ditto the Honda motor on our wood splitter.
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Yout generator likely got condensate in the fuel, which regular Sta-Bil is not designed to deal with.
Marine Sta-bil protects against moisture, but costs considerably more, and is not good for very long storage.
Actually, all of the additives use the same ingredients, regardless of brand, but the proportions will vary.
API has much info available about petroleum product storage at no cost.
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I seriously doubt that you got your ideas from any product manual.
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Which oils do Briggs and Honda recommend for those engines?
Troy-Bilt is just another brand produced by MTD (they make a huge percentage of "big box store" mowers).
Amsoil synthetic 10 - 30 weight will work and your engine will run cooler.
93 octane or above no ethanol or add Ethanol Fuel Conditioner (Lucas Oil).. You can get race gas (100 - 105) in some areas or your local rural airport you can get AVGAS 100/130
Straight weight oil lubricates better. I’m considering synthetic for the rider mower and just changing it once a season.
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