# What type Oil do you use



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

I use synthetic 5w30 oil in my snowblowers


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## 132619 (Nov 20, 2018)

only after 20 hours do we start using syntech if the customer asks for it, 

mods have we not had other votes like this one?


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## Homesteader (Jan 12, 2019)

I find Synthetic much easier to pull start when the engine is ice cold.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Homesteader said:


> I find Synthetic much easier to pull start when the engine is ice cold.



Reallly? 99.9999999% is in the sump cold


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## Stability (Nov 18, 2014)

After break in I switch to Mobil 1 / 5w30. I by 5 qt jugs when on sale. will last me about 3 years in 2 machines.

I find that a machine becomes progressively easier to pull start after break in.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Actually 98% There is somewhat of it that coats some of the parts. So it being easier to pull can be true..


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## Homesteader (Jan 12, 2019)

1132le said:


> Homesteader said:
> 
> 
> > I find Synthetic much easier to pull start when the engine is ice cold.
> ...


It could be a placebo effect or that I’m in better shape than past winters but it seems easier to turn over.

I turn the OHSK120 over a couple times, bring the cylinder head to full compression top dead center, prime, then give a pull.


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## vmaxed (Feb 23, 2014)

Mobil 1 10w30 :thumbsup:


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

5w-30 Full Synthetic


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## Arcticnorth (Nov 27, 2020)

The manual for my Honda says I should use 5W-30 that meets API SJ or later. As I have some Mobil 3000 5w-40 API SN, I asked Honda if it was OK to use it, they confirmed it was fine. According to the manual the API class is important.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Despite what Honda told you, saving a few bucks in oil on a thousand dollar investment doesn't make good sense to me.


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## Arcticnorth (Nov 27, 2020)

RIT333 said:


> Despite what Honda told you, saving a few bucks in oil on a thousand dollar investment doesn't make good sense to me.


I agree with that, but do you mean Mobil 3000 is a lower quality oil?


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Arcticnorth said:


> The manual for my Honda says I should use 5W-30 that meets API SJ or later. As I have some Mobil 3000 5w-40 API SN, I asked Honda if it was OK to use it, they confirmed it was fine. According to the manual the API class is important.





RIT333 said:


> Despite what Honda told you, saving a few bucks in oil on a thousand dollar investment doesn't make good sense to me.





Arcticnorth said:


> I agree with that, but do you mean Mobil 3000 is a lower quality oil?


Mobil 3000 5W-40 will be fine. Here are the specs: PdsDetailsPage
5W30 vs 5W40: Each *oil* is just as viscous at lower temperatures and will remain viscous at -30°C, however *5w40 oil* outperforms *5w30 oils* at higher temperatures, being effective up to temperatures of 50°C, as opposed to 30°C. I doubt you'll be running your snowblower when the temps are that high...


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

> Reallly? 99.9999999% is in the sump cold


Yes Really.


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## 3vanman (Nov 21, 2017)

I was looking at some of the recommendations for oil for different snow blower engines. 5W30 or 0W30 for Powermore, and 0W30 for Champion, 5W30 for most of the others. I know so many "know" better, but oil is changing, and we all need to stay "on top" of what our machine needs.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

*Full Synthetic* 5W30 in all my equipment, .... new and old, ... summer and winter, .. all equipment.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

3vanman said:


> I was looking at some of the recommendations for oil for different snow blower engines. 5W30 or 0W30 for Powermore, and 0W30 for Champion, 5W30 for most of the others. I know so many "know" better, but oil is changing, and we all need to stay "on top" of what our machine needs.


if one reads the owners manual they pretty much go by outside air temps on the charts to say what to use, 5w30 is the universal snow blower spec today. with what looks more to a heavy lean on syntech oils since they flow better and have better additives built in, 
the area of BC you are in can get pretty nasty in the winters ,esp around the coquihalla . weather there with air temps below 0 F, means 0w30 becomes what to use. not that 5w30 won't still work.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

This thread is a good reminder for me. I did an oil change on one machine, will attempt to do the other machine tomorrow morning.

Mobil 1 5W30HM for the win!!


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Costco has started selling synthetic at a good price.

hope it's okay as I have been using it.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

1132le said:


> Reallly? 99.9999999% is in the sump cold


True, all the oil is sitting at the bottom of the engine on a snowblower. On a couple of my riders they have a pressurized system so the oil pump starts working as the engine tries to start. What you do feel is the stickiness of the oil between the rings and cylinder, connecting rod and crank. crank and ... in other words all the reciprocating parts.
That said I do think my engines pull over easier with synthetic but it may very well be just in my mind. I get Mobil 1, 0-40 at Walmart (cheapest I can find) and I'm very satisfied with it when it's way below zero on the snowblowers and nearing 100F with the riders. If you only have one snowblower (or two) the extra couple dollars for a quart just doesn't seem to be a deal breaker.
Realistically you can likely run standard dino, cheapest no name house brand 5-30 and not change it for a decade and the motor will survive. I'm pretty sure I've bought a couple machines just like that as their first oil change with me it looked like tar was coming out


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> I get Mobil 1, 0-40 at Walmart (cheapest I can find)


That's my BMW oil, too. It's no longer LL-01 (LongLife) certified by BMW, but thats OK; the original BMW oil change interval was 25000km = about 15500 miles. I re-coded the interval to 7500 miles a while back, so LL-01 certification no longer applies anyway. 270,000 miles and still going strong... It consumes a quart about every 2 months (this is quite normal for BMWs), so the effective change interval is even shorter.


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## 3vanman (Nov 21, 2017)

captchas said:


> the area of BC you are in can get pretty nasty in the winters ,esp around the coquihalla . weather there with air temps below 0 F, means 0w30 becomes what to use. not that 5w30 won't still work.


I'm actually 5 hours north of the Coquihalla, just West of Barkerville, or south of Prince George. Yes, winters can get cold here, I've seen -25 C and wind chill for 2-3 weeks more than once, but after living in Fort St. John, and seeing -40C plus wind chill, winter here seems "bearable". 
Last winter, I had a customer call me, her Honda powered (was a repower) snow blower was hard to Pull Start. Temperature was about -30, windchill -43. I had serviced the machine, and it had 5w30 synthetic oil in it. I asked if the machine was in their heated shop, or outside, and she said her husband had left it outside two days before. She pushed it back into the shop, and next morning it started no problem. Lesson learned, when it's "real cold", bring your snow blower in out of the cold.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I did my oil change this morning. I always feel a bit strange about dumping oil that still appears virtually new except for slight darkening. I changed the oil almost exactly 24 months ago. The machine would have had some use over those two previous seasons, but not a lot.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Mobil-1 5W30 in most of the stuff. (full synthetic) I'll also add ZDP additive to the older stuff.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

uberT said:


> I did my oil change this morning. I always feel a bit strange about dumping oil that still appears virtually new except for slight darkening. I changed the oil almost exactly 24 months ago. The machine would have had some use over those two previous seasons, but not a lot.


don't feel guilty. Just because it may look good doesn't mean it is, the oil absorbs humidity from over the year so you are doing good by changing the oil. I generally change mine at the beginning of the season.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

3vanman said:


> I'm actually 5 hours north of the Coquihalla, just West of Barkerville, or south of Prince George. Yes, winters can get cold here, I've seen -25 C and wind chill for 2-3 weeks more than once, but after living in Fort St. John, and seeing -40C plus wind chill, winter here seems "bearable".
> Last winter, I had a customer call me, her Honda powered (was a repower) snow blower was hard to Pull Start. Temperature was about -30, windchill -43. I had serviced the machine, and it had 5w30 synthetic oil in it. I asked if the machine was in their heated shop, or outside, and she said her husband had left it outside two days before. She pushed it back into the shop, and next morning it started no problem. Lesson learned, when it's "real cold", bring your snow blower in out of the cold.


i drove the coq. a few times making runs to AK in a semi, so cold we had to plug in electric heaters in the cab, your winters to a lower 48 person are unreal but your sites breath taking, 

machine wise if you read the manufactures web sites on oil specs most have listed 0w30 and some straight 10w for super cold conditions nothing better than heat to aid starting almost anything


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## ArcticHighlander (Dec 1, 2020)

Just noticed this thread and had been wondering about using 5w30 Mobil 1 advanced full synthetic that I use in my Subarus in my new Honda HSS1332 snowblower - after my first 20 hour break in period. Several years back a service tech at my Honda dealer who worked on Honda lawn mowers and other Honda motors said not to use synthetic oil at all in my Honda lawn mower as it could damage the engine - so I never did. I recently bought the Honda HSS1332 and mentioned this to the Honda store owner and asked about using a 5w30 full synthetic in my snowblower after my first oil change. He said he was glad I had been told not to use synthetic oil as Honda recommends that synthetic oil not be used in any of their engines. He said that Honda had told him that synthetic oil could damage the seals they use on their engines and to only use quality non synthetic 5w30. Has anybody else heard this?


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## Arcticnorth (Nov 27, 2020)

ArcticHighlander said:


> He said he was glad I had been told not to use synthetic oil as Honda recommends that synthetic oil not be used in any of their engines. He said that Honda had told him that synthetic oil could damage the seals they use on their engines and to only use quality non synthetic 5w30. Has anybody else heard this?


My Honda dealer sells synthentic 5w30 for snowblowers. The Norwegian Honda distributor says synthetic 5w30 is OK, as long as it meets API SJ or newer. The manual for my HSS970 specifies 5w30 API SJ or newer, not a word about regular or synthetic oil. I can't believe Honda makes engines that will be damaged by synthetic oil.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

My Honda engine has been running 5W30 *Full Synthetic*, just as all my B&S and Tecumseh's , for like ever since I can remember....... flawless, never an issue whatsoever.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

real world today, non ver full has become hearsay .as long as the oil matches the sae and api S ratings of your owners manual your safe .

poll our members ,you would possibly find a large major majority use 5w30 or 0w30 syntech depending on just where they live


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## ArcticHighlander (Dec 1, 2020)

Arcticnorth said:


> My Honda dealer sells synthentic 5w30 for snowblowers. The Norwegian Honda distributor says synthetic 5w30 is OK, as long as it meets API SJ or newer. The manual for my HSS970 specifies 5w30 API SJ or newer, not a word about regular or synthetic oil. I can't believe Honda makes engines that will be damaged by synthetic oil.


That's what my manual says as well and also no word about regular vs synthetic.


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## ArcticHighlander (Dec 1, 2020)

captchas said:


> real world today, non ver full has become hearsay .as long as the oil matches the sae and api S ratings of your owners manual your safe .


Any idea where this notion came from as well as on what it was originally based? Another comment I'd heard from the service person was if I do decide to use synthetic wait until the engine is fully broken in - otherwise the engine will never break in and it will cause problems.


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## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

Ok, so I just purchased a new Ariens yesterday and looking at the service manual for the engine, it says to replace the oil after the first month, and then every 6 months. To me that makes no sense as I may not use the unit all winter (wouldn't that be nice). Can someone tell me a better number, based on service hours. First thing I did yesteday when I got the blower was to install a hour meter, so what would be a good number for the initial oil replacement and then after that.


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## groomerz (Feb 7, 2015)

I think some get to caught up in viscouscity of oil in the manuals because manuals post temps that people perceive as outside temps not temp of engine for starting

I don’t follow the guidelines as a machine that is stored outside in the cold at 0 is different than one stored in attached garage or heated garage above freezing

My garage is 55 degrees min all winter as it pleases the mrs. I have no problem running rotella or delvac 15-40 diesel oil in my small engines. I use Diesel oil oil as has lots of zinc which engine bearing surfaces like but bad for catalytic converters that is why modern car engine oil has very low zinc

Oil back in the day before converters had lots of zinc


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

_Despite what Honda told you, saving a few bucks in oil on a thousand dollar investment doesn't make good sense to me._

First, Honda uses SAE like everyone else. Nothing special about oil. Call that a red haring button uninformed statement. 

Trying to tell me my $2000 YS has not run 20 some years on synthetic? I must be delusional then. 

I have cycles that I use synthetic in (Gasp, they did not list that listed either!) so I use the Mobile 4T as its oriented to air cooled engine use. 

Yes, sometimes the world progresses, synthetic oils are great, and in this case engine turns over a lot easier and it slings the oil up where you need it quickly as you don't have to melt the stuff. 

So, let me tell you about conventional oil. My Bronco was stored and -40 when I got it, fired up ok, so stiff I had to put it in low transfer case to move it. 

I knew I needed to add a quart and I had a 350 mile trip ahead, so I let the cab heat up for 20 miles. I went to pour that oil and it was still molases. I cut off the goo, let it fall into the fill hole, took it back inside, put it UNDER the heater and ran 20 miles and then added it when it would flow.


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## ArcticHighlander (Dec 1, 2020)

kd8tzc said:


> Ok, so I just purchased a new Ariens yesterday and looking at the service manual for the engine, it says to replace the oil after the first month, and then every 6 months. To me that makes no sense as I may not use the unit all winter (wouldn't that be nice). Can someone tell me a better number, based on service hours. First thing I did yesteday when I got the blower was to install a hour meter, so what would be a good number for the initial oil replacement and then after that.


My Honda manual says change the oil after one month or 20 hours and every 100 hours after. I'm not sure why they don't just say 20 hours rather than or one month? I plan to change after 20 hours unless I hear different here.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

kd8tzc said:


> looking at the service manual for the engine, it says to replace the oil after the first month, and then every 6 months.





ArcticHighlander said:


> My Honda manual says change the oil after one month or 20 hours and every 100 hours after. I'm not sure why they don't just say 20 hours rather than or one month?


With oil, elapsed time matters, too! Acid builds up in oil over time. And during break-in there's blow-by that gets past the rings and into the crankcase, which is why the break-in period is shorter. They're assuming a typical use pattern during break-in. The time is given in case you don't run it enough to exceed the running hours in a month, single season or calendar year.


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## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

tabora said:


> The time is given in case you don't run it enough to exceed the running hours in a month, single season or calendar year.


The way this winter is going it may not get run at all in a month. So just change it anyhow in a month even if it just sits in my garage and I never run it? Seems a little silly if you ask me. The unit has more than likely been sitting at the Ariens dealer a bit, so I'm sure it has already exceeded the 1 month time frame.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

kd8tzc said:


> So just change it anyhow in a month even if it just sits in my garage and I never run it?


No. After you actually use it. Hopefully you can use it a lot soon! Break-in takes 5-10 hours of run time, typically. Remember, these things are commercial grade devices, so the instructions err on the side of caution.


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

In the 'recommended reading' section below, I see so many threads about oil.
Most have less than 15 comments each. There is a thread about oil for every year since 2010.
One is titled, 'New Snowblower oil recommendations' to boot!
Might these all be combined into a file called 'oil'?
How many threads on belts? How many 'which blower should I buy'?
I'm just trying to develop a way to make the search function more useable.


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## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

Rooskie said:


> In the 'recommended reading' section below, I see so many threads about oil.
> Most have less than 15 comments each. There is a thread about oil for every year since 2010.
> One is titled, 'New Snowblower oil recommendations' to boot!
> Might these all be combined into a file called 'oil'?
> ...


Agree... it would be nice if there was a Wiki section where these types of things could be stored for easy retrieval.


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## Honda1132 (Sep 2, 2016)

If I have always used conventional oil (bought the snowblower used in 2007), not sure what the previous owner used. Would there be any issues with changing to synthetic now?


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

No issues, and probably a good idea. It will help with cold weather starting as the synthetic oil will flow better.


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## Elfiero (Apr 9, 2019)

What type of oil depends, are we talking 2 stroke or 4 stroke? I use wally world supertech in the 4 strokes and royal purple in the 2 strokes.


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## Spring1898 (Jan 1, 2013)

Poulan Pro Synthetic (available at walmart) for the 2 strokes. Good stuff, use it a lot in other 2 stroke applications. Has gotten good reviews from the chainsaw community where I found it. Also use it in 2 stroke dirt bikes that are air cooled.

4 strokes snowblowers, whatever 5w30 synthetic is available and cheap. Usually the Walmart/Costco synthetic by Warren Petroleum. Not the highest rated synthetic, but better than any conventional, and cheap enough to change as often as you want.

Everything else, gets the Rotella T6 5w40 or 0w40 treatment. I tried 5w40 in the blower once, didn't really notice any difference. But the cold pour of an oil change was noticeably slower with the 5w40 than the 5w30. But who knows, the 5w40/0w40 might be better for the tired engine with old rings. Haven't tried the 0w40 as it is harder to find.

edit: to clarify all vehicles are diesel, and so 5w40 is spec'd. And summer lawn equipment doesn't care.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Spring1898 said:


> Everything else, gets the Rotella T6 5w40 or 0w40 treatment. I tried 5w40 in the blower once, didn't really notice any difference. But the cold pour of an oil change was noticeably slower with the 5w40 than the 5w30.


Use 5W30 or 0W30 if you often use the snowblower in sub-zero F temperatures. 

5W30 vs 5W40: Each *oil* is just as viscous at lower temperatures and will remain viscous at -30°C, however *5w40 oil* outperforms *5w30 oils* at higher temperatures, being effective up to temperatures of 50°C, as opposed to 30°C. I doubt you'll be running your snowblower when the temps are that high...


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)

I use Mobil 1 5/30 in the 4 stroke machines and Pennzoil full syn TCW-III 2 stroke oil in the Toro/Suzuki blower.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

_With oil, elapsed time matters, too! Acid builds up in oil over time. And during break-in there's blow-by that gets past the rings and into the crankcase, which is why the break-in period is shorter. They're assuming a typical use pattern during break-in. The time is given in case you don't run it enough to exceed the running hours in a month, single season or calendar year. _

Do not get me wrong, I am not endorsing abuse. But oil has a lot more capability than its allowed in most cases. 

While hours can be an issue, I have run diesel generators (with oil sampling to the additive drop) for 4 years with no issue. 100 hours mostly test (those units called for 250 hour change or 1 year). 

I think its vastly overdone. We had one diesel that had no filters at all (screen) and it was good for 50 hours and it was an air cooled diesel. . 

I saw one engine that was depleted (well two). One was heated oil (unusual) and 10 years (weird issue where they could not force the guy to change oil) - There was no damage to the engine but the acid rating was zero and the addtives were all gone. 

The other was a V8 Cat Boat Diesel that the sub lease charter guy did not change the oil. He got 2500 hours before one of the engines seized. Owners had it setup for it, he just did not do it and they did not catch him in time though they did fire him after our report. He sure had a strained look on his face while we did the tear down and analysis (not that we told him, we were working for the owners) 

I can't prove it, oil samples cost a lot (of the type that tell you what you need to know).

With synthetic I j change every 4-5 years now and am fully at peace. 

There is (or was recently ) one air cooled engine out there that you never changed oil on.

Our diesel VW for tech reasons required a very specific and costly oil (and it was not BS). this is a diesel which is far more cruddy than any air cooled gas engine. 

Now most manuals break it down from city miles to highway miles or a combo. 

Flat out 10,000 miles fully approved on that oil. No only if you hold your tongue right. 

VW Group has owners who did analysis and pushed it up past 15,000 miles.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

After watching this and a few others, I am a firm believer in Mobil-1 5W30 for my snowblowers here. (Full Synthetic)


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@GoBlowSnow,

I only use Full Synthetic 5W30 in all my small equipment. Currently using the Shell Brand, as I got a good sale price ....


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## ArcticHighlander (Dec 1, 2020)

> "kd8tzc said:
> looking at the service manual for the engine, it says to replace the oil after the first month, and then every 6 months."





> "ArcticHighlander said:
> My Honda manual says change the oil after one month or 20 hours and every 100 hours after. I'm not sure why they don't just say 20 hours rather than or one month?"


"Tabora said: With oil, elapsed time matters, too! Acid builds up in oil over time. And during break-in there's blow-by that gets past the rings and into the crankcase, which is why the break-in period is shorter. They're assuming a typical use pattern during break-in. The time is given in case you don't run it enough to exceed the running hours in a month, single season or calendar year."


I find this confusing. It looks like I will not use my new snowblower for more than a month after receiving it. So according to this I should change the oil after a month even if I have never used it? Or if I only use it for a couple hours I should change it anyway? I probably will not reach 20 hours during the first season; when should I change it for the first time? And when I reach 20 hours should I change it still again for a second time?


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

ArcticHighlander said:


> I find this confusing.


I refer you to post #39. If you're still confused, PM me with concise, fresh questions and I'll endeavor to help you...


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