The right weight of oil ?????

[ree1man 2]

I have a 1998 314-8, the tractor manual say's straight 30w, but the engine manual say's 10w30, I went with Quaker State 10w30 full synthetic, already changed it out, not sure if I did a good thing, or a bad thing .....

[bo dawg 518]

straight 30 is what I use, but you should be alright with 10w30

[Kelly 1,033]

Well I always say clean and full, no matter what you put in it, is better than low and dirty.

[canam1991 2]

any air cooled flat head engine should be ran with straight 30 as they say at kohler, briggs, kawasaki, update schools

[dcrage 630]

Is there any explaination given on the why 30 wt is better than multi-viscosity in these small engines??

[ree1man 2]

http://www.kohlereng...f/12_590_02.pdf

That engine manual say's 10w30, nothing about straigt 30w .....

However the tractor manual say's 30w, the hell with that, I went with what the engine manual says .....

[Martin 2,133]

kohler doesnt mention sae 30 in that command engine manual, but it is mentioned in the older engine manuals...... it was recommended for temps above 30 deg f.

i think we are all talking about different engines here. mostly the opinion for the majority of older kohler engines is sae 30 from what ive heard.....

my experience is the straight oils work much better in the k series engines, especially tired stuff like most of us have......

[smoreau 658]

Go find a Toro dealer and ask there mechanic. He will most likely tell you strait 30 weight. Remember this engine has no oil filter and has larger clearances then a automotive engine HD 30 weight is designed for small engines and 10w30 was made for automotive applications. You don't get cold enough in Georgia to need the thinner 10w30 oils. most engine manuals are a generic manual for that series of engines. You could also look it up at the Kohler web site. They make a Kohler 10w 30 and a straight 30 for older engines, but it is made especially for SMALL ENGINES! Not what you buy at the big box store. Here is a link to the Kohler Oils

http://www.kohlereng...s/kohlerOil.htm

Note that it is made for small engines! If you don't want to use a small engine oil then I would use a good branded hd straight 30 that is able to take the heat of a small engine.

Also in theory you should use a NON DETERGENT motor oil because there is no filtration. Detergent oil is for keeping the small partials in suspension tell its run through the filter. A non detergent oil will not keep the partials in suspension and they will settle to the bottom of the pan. All synthetic oils have detergent in them for keeping the inside of the engine clean. I'm a STRONG believer of synthetic oils and use them a lot! but for this application I do NOT.

But the biggest thing is what Kelly said" keep them clean and full" on what ever oil you use. I'm not saying that what you chose to do is bad, just expressing what I feel is wright. I have had great luck so far and my 875 had little to no ware in it when I restored it last year. It always had HD straight 30 in it and changed once a year with about 15 hours a year. It was primary used in winter for snow plowing. and some minor use in summer.

[can whlvr 994]

i thought the commands had an oil filter,i was looking at a 314 at the dealer that was in for service and it was a command and had an oil filter,so then 10-30 synthetic would be fine,but i didnt look at the 98 model to see if it has a filter

[COMMANDO6 20]

The manual for my H60 says SAE 30. So I'm gonna change the oil later and use 10w-30. And SAE 90 for the tranny.

[ree1man 2]

i thought the commands had an oil filter,i was looking at a 314 at the dealer that was in for service and it was a command and had an oil filter,so then 10-30 synthetic would be fine,but i didnt look at the 98 model to see if it has a filter

My Command DOES have an oil filter on it .....

[smoreau 658]

i thought the commands had an oil filter,i was looking at a 314 at the dealer that was in for service and it was a command and had an oil filter,so then 10-30 synthetic would be fine,but i didnt look at the 98 model to see if it has a filter

My Command DOES have an oil filter on it .....

By all means your good to go!! I did not know you had a filter on it. I was thinking it was older style without a filter. And a good brand of synthetic can take the heat of a small engine. Your cheaper synthetics are not a true man made oil, they are hydro-cracked mineral oil that does make it better, but not as good as a true synthetic. Ether way they are better then standard oil for brake down.

[Docwheelhorse 2,740]

The idea that anybody runs NON DETERGENT oil in any of these engines is a pure wives tale..... Kohler and all the other engine manufactures have been reccomending Detergent SAE 30 for years and years and years going back to the 60's..... As far as the 10/30 in your command it should be fine.... the Command has Hydraulic lifters and tighter clearences. As a matter of fact 10/30 in any of the engines will be fine AS LONG AS YOU MAINTAIN IT AT FULL! Briggs and Stratton says that air cooled engines will consume multigrade oils at a higher rate than a "straight" weight oil and they are right per my observation. Consuming more oil means your plugs will wear out quicker due to deposits as well as the ectra carbon build up in the head and piston crown. In the end you will have more oil cost and more maintenance---will it shorten the engine life (????) I don't think so unless the level drops below add way too many times.

Just my .02

Tony

[ree1man 2]

just found this .....

[Fordiesel69 271]

Very simply put.....straight weight will not boil off as fast as a multi grade.

It WILL NOT in any way harm the engine if you keep it topped off. You may notice a tiny bit more blowby vapors out the breather, but this is normal.

[can whlvr 994]

i ran 10w30 for years till this year when we had a huge debate over staight or 10w30,i like what im reading as i agree,full and clean wont hurt it at all,but i did go out and buy 25 litres of 30 weight,when you run multiple tractors,i run 6 all summer,so i dont have to switch implements like mower,grader,tiller,dozer blade,you get the idea,and when winter comes i run at least 3 you get lost as to when to change oil to winter grade where if i run 10w30 all year theres no worries,i might switch back