This is likely because just two oils listed will cover all applications through all seasons; their own synthetics. Also, I am not aware of Briggs manufacturing a 10W40 whereas Kawasaki does. Briggs designs and engineers their engines to run on their own oils first and foremost and no other viscosities should be used/needed.

Being a consumer or contractor and where the equipment will be used will determine what oil is appropriate for the application.

I personally use SAE30 in my Briggs Vanguard and I never cut when outside air temperatures are below 50 degrees. 500 hours on the engine and it still burns no oil and comes out golden yellow at the end of the season. Should I need to use the equipment in more extreme temperatures I would simply move to synthetic.

 

This is likely because just two oils listed will cover all applications through all seasons; their own synthetics. Also, I am not aware of Briggs manufacturing a 10W40 whereas Kawasaki does. Briggs designs and engineers their engines to run on their own oils first and foremost and no other viscosities should be used/needed.

Being a consumer or contractor and where the equipment will be used will determine what oil is appropriate for the application.

I personally use SAE30 in my Briggs Vanguard and I never cut when outside air temperatures are below 50 degrees. 500 hours on the engine and it still burns no oil and comes out golden yellow at the end of the season. Should I need to use the equipment in more extreme temperatures I would simply move to synthetic.

I call BS. But it's your lie,I'll let you tell it..

 

I break my new kohler engines in good first on 10w30 than switch them over to 10w30 full synthetic

 

Are you buying from a big box store?

 

the two dino oils on the left are the most commonly recommenced type in the dino line and the two synthetics are the same in the syn line. Those recommendations aren't anything uncommon in that chart.

 

I understand that the oils in the chart are popular, or common, with maybe the exception of SAE30wt, though popular in small engines, not so elsewhere, and losing popularity in small engines. What seems funny, is if you look at the viscosity charts, 10w40 falls right between 10w30 and 15w50 in terms of viscosity, but they do not recommend it.

I actually think that cruzenmike mentioned something above to be noteworthy. He mentioned B&S doesn't sale 10w40, and that chart is reflective of the weights they sale. (He used the term "manufacture" actually, but we will let him and dieselss work that out...)

 

Also, I am not aware of Briggs manufacturing a 10W40 whereas Kawasaki does. Briggs designs and engineers their engines to run on their own oils first and foremost

You think kaw and Briggs are in the oil business? You think they refine crude?

 

Lol

I wouldn't put it past Briggs
They seem to be in the everything business!

 

I tell no lies; I only share the knowledge to which I have which may be lacking. As for the engine manufacturers being in the business of refining oils, no, of course they are not. And maybe it is for this reason that they have differences in what they recommend or offer up for sale with their name on it. I personally believe that if one oil could work for every engine and every situation that the OEM would prefer that, but since that is not the case here we are with the question made by the OP.

If it's that big of a deal someone could always ask Briggs directly but regardless of the answer, there are already oils out there that will suit everyone's needs and wants. We are not confined to what's in the manual, but there really shouldn't be a need for most users to go outside of those recommendations.

 

Yes, I should have said "branded or marketed" instead of "manufacture" with regards to those bottles with the Briggs name on them. Oil viscosity recommendations are also subject to change and will always vary from one engine manufacturer to another. I have owned 15 automobiles and 5 motorcycles in 20 years and have used a dozen or more different oils in those machines. I do know that in the case of my Honda CBR that full synthetic oil would cause clutch slippage. And 10W30 in my Chrysler 300 would make strange sounds and lose fuel economy. And my small air cooled engines to which I only use OEM "branded" oils in the recommended viscosities for the air temperatures for which I use the equipment, I have never had any consumption issues or engine failures.

To quote what I once heard , "the worst oil for your engine is the stuff you are taking out, and the best oil for your engine is the clean stuff you are putting in."

 

And my small air cooled engines to which I only use OEM "branded" oils in the recommended viscosities for the air temperatures for which I use the equipment,

Why pay for the "branded" name?
What's the b&s oil got that say a cheaper oil dont have?

 

I just use used oil. It work in that one, it will work in this one.

 

Alright now kids, settle down before the mods come and put someone in time out!

 

 

ARN Greencare,

I take it that you got your Briggs chart from the link below:

https://www.vanguardengines.com/na/en_us/support/faqs/browse/oil-recommendations.html

These documents are for guidance only and the spec of oil you are asking about can be used if you ensure that the service classifications are met. I will admit that 10w40 is certainly more flexible of an oil seeing as it covers a wider range of operating temperatures.

Now. while the above statements are quoted or paraphrased directly from an engine manufacturer, I will note that my own words are that of opinion or based off of personal experience. If I choose to state a fact, I will be sure to start my sentence with "It is a matter of fact...." And include copious amounts of references ;-)

Again, Briggs does not put their name on any 10w40 so it would only make sense that they don't list it in their manuals. Can be used, but like most companies they will want to keep the consumer using their "branded" products.

 

The main thing I want is that wide viscosity index that 10w40 offers. 5W30 has a wider VI, but can cause consumption issues in hotter climates. I personally have sent off many, many samples of oil off for analysis, and have a pretty good idea of what different weights/type of oil will result going into something. I am sure the 10w40 will not hurt anything, and is probably the most stable conventional oil for the temperatures in my area.

When I lived in FL, I ran those Kohler Command Pro engines in the early 2000's, and they said to use 10w30. I used to get those things so hot that the hydraulic lifters would collapse, and I would have to stop and let it cool off. I finally started using the 15w40 diesel oil I kept for my truck, and problem solved. Well, kind of, they still got too hot, but the lifters stayed pumped up, and I kept mowing.

 

Now back to the subject, mine, (29HP Vanguard,) is gonna get a dose of 10w40, really soon.

I know some are asking why? Well, if it goes, there's no love lost for this engine. I also have other engines that have been quite happy with 10w40 for many, many hours of commercial use.

Also 10w40, with the exception of 5w30, has the best viscosity index of current common conventional oils, which is a good thing.

10w30 is not recommended for use in hot climates, SAE30 is not recommended in cold climates, 10w40 has viscosity in temperatures than can be used in these climates. There is no oil recommended as an "all season." And with the temperature swings we get here in NC foothills, I refuse to have to change my oil for the sake of a cold bitter morning when I have a leaf clean up job. People that have seen my other thread know what a bear my mower is to start when it is cold. And this engine is clearly capable of running the thicker viscosity based on the fact that they list 15w50 in their chart.

So bottom line is, we will see!

 

if you can use 10w30 and 15w50 then 10w40 is fine to use. i've used everything in mower engines. 30wt, 10w30, 10w40, 15w50, 20w50....they all will work fine. personally in a vanguard i would use their 15w50 synthetic. i don't ever plan to mow when it's below 20F and it gets hot over 100F here in the summer sometimes. i guess in a snowblower with a vanguard engine then 5w30 would make more sense to use in the winter time though.

really i don't even know why they still make conventional dino oil at all but they do. it would be better to use walmart supertech synthetic than to use conventional oil. kawi oil is synthetic blend...i'm not even sure why they do that. synthetic is better.

 

What makes synthetics so much better?

And I use one of my mowers for leaf clean up and mowing during summer, so that little jewel has got to be on the move pretty much year around, hot and cold days.

 

I have no intention of getting into the specifics of viscosities and whatnot.....but we sell a lot of Vanguard engines and have been selling the Vanguard 15W50 oil for a couple seasons. Non-oil guard engines at the 100hr oil changes (or once a season) that have been performed in our shop w/ 15W50 Vanguard oil has been very clean compared to standard 10W30 / SAE30 with the same amount of time. Vanguard Big Blocks / 810 engines don't tend to burn oil compared to Kawasaki FX ( for what we see in our shop) so I can not speak for oil consumption from 15W50 vs conventional options. The 500hr Oilguard changes look great when we performe services as well. The Vanguard 15W50 has been very impressive for us....especially since it is relatively cheap for a full synthetic!

 

I had considered moving to the Vanguard synthetic myself but year after year using the Briggs SAE30 and I still continue to have no consumption and clean oil at the end of the season. If and when I upgrade into a new Vanguard EFI I will likely run only the synthetic.

 

FWIW.... My VanG 37 efi was ran on valvoline racing 10w-30 conventional oil (for the zddp percentages) up until 100 hours. This season it is getting amsoil premium 20w-50. I was VERY close to putting in the amsoil small engine 10w-40, and I did put it in my kohler.

It is my opinion based on many, many sources of information I have read throughout the years that synthetic is by far superior to conventional. However that does not mean conventional is suited for everyone. It suits me to use synthetic for the hours I put on mowers per season. Someone else you has way more mowers and that puts more hours per season on them and thus mowers are traded for newer mowers more frequently.... the use of synthetics may not make sense. Especially if they are going oil changes every 2 weeks.

 

You might want to stick to your conventional VR 10w30 oil. Go to post #37 and click the link I provided. You will find that it has a higher film strength than anything Amsoil has ever made, and even higher than Valvoline's own synthetic racing oil.

 

Regularly serviced conventional oil is better for your engine than longer oil change intervals of any synthetic. Oil analysis will bear me out on that. Combustion causes oil to become acidic over time which accelerates the aging of your seals and promotes corrosion. Also there is moisture contamination, fuel dilution, dust, metal particles, all occuring during the usage of your engine, and there is no cure for any of this other than changing your oil.

Synthetics also have a lower film strength rating than conventional oils unless the manufacture uses really expensive lubricant packages and friction modifiers. Castrol, Valvoline, even Oreily house brand multi viscosity conventional oils all tested consistently 90,000 PSI or more. Standard Amsoil usually tests under 80,000 PSI unless you buy their signature stuff, and I don't think Royal Purple even has an oil that exceeds 80,000 PSI.

This is why I never bought into the Synthetic hype. The advertisements are out there, but the real world numbers just aren't.

I AM NOT BASHING PEOPLE THAT USE SYNTHETICS OR PROMOTE THEM!
People simply do the best they can with the knowledge they posses, and that is what we all do.

Here's a link to some PSI ratings BTW to those interested.
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3162221

 

Regularly serviced conventional oil is better for your engine than longer oil change intervals of any synthetic. Oil analysis will bear me out on that. Combustion causes oil to become acidic over time which accelerates the aging of your seals and promotes corrosion. Also there is moisture contamination, fuel dilution, dust, metal particles, all occuring during the usage of your engine, and there is no cure for any of this other than changing your oil.

Incorrect. An oil filter with cure dust, particles, and contamination. Moisture does not stay in oil very long if you are running your motors. It is 100% incorrect to state that conventional oil is better than longer oil change intervals of synthetic. The proven fact is that modern synthetics can run better lubrication for longer periods of time than conventional. THere is really no argument against that unless you ignore all things oil.

Synthetics also have a lower film strength rating than conventional oils unless the manufacture uses really expensive lubricant packages and friction modifiers. Castrol, Valvoline, even Oreily house brand multi viscosity conventional oils all tested consistently 90,000 PSI or more. Standard Amsoil usually tests under 80,000 PSI unless you buy their signature stuff, and I don't think Royal Purple even has an oil that exceeds 80,000 PSI.

Plenty of synthetics, including mobil 1 well over the 100,000 mark.

This is why I never bought into the Synthetic hype. The advertisements are out there, but the real world numbers just aren't.

I AM NOT BASHING PEOPLE THAT USE SYNTHETICS OR PROMOTE THEM!
People simply do the best they can with the knowledge they posses, and that is what we all do.

Here's a link to some PSI ratings BTW to those interested.
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3162221[/QUOTE]

 

4-cycle gas mower engines are less dynamic and tending more toward being a power plant...and are not generally considered high compression engines, per se.

Honest question:
Does film strength matter more in higher compression applications like diesels/turbo- & super-charged engines?
~ In these applications, the piston rings are holding back a LOT of PSI in the combustion chamber - compared to our lower-compression mower engines.

 

4-cycle gas mower engines are less dynamic and tending more toward being a power plant...and are not generally considered high compression engines, per se.

Honest question:
Does film strength matter more in higher compression applications like diesels/turbo- & super-charged engines?
~ In these applications, the piston rings are holding back a LOT of PSI in the combustion chamber - compared to our lower-compression mower engines.

And what you're saying, or asking is extremely valid. The application, type of use, type of engine, all have the most impact on what we need to use. A synthetic would be a prime choice in an LP engine equipped with a good three stage air filtration system. The LP fuel will not contaminate the oil quickly as gasoline, the three stage air filter would help limit the amount of dust/dirt entering the engine, and the stability of a synthetics viscosity over many hours of use would allow for some pretty long oil change intervals.

Your question also brings me back to my original post, 10W40 seems to fill a niche, especially in the climate I live in, yet B&S doesn't mention it. Which I think cruznmike had the best response...

...B&S doesn't sell any 10w40 oils.

 

I ran regular 10w30 and still got 4000 to 5000 hours out of my engines and just because I have switched to synthetic oil I still change oil on my schedule and don't run the synthetic any longer than the reg 10w30

 

And there's nothing wrong with what you're doing. You know why? Cause everything is working for you, no problems else you would do something different.

Unlike rippinryno, I am not going to call someone out for doing something that works for them.

 

Just saying, Kohler and Kawasaki recommend 20w50 oils in hotter climates in big block engines, and due to oil consumption consumption rates, that's what I use in both, and 15w50 in the vanguard big blocks.

 

Kawasaki is now offering a 5w30 synthetic blend for lower temps and a 15w50 full synthetic for higher temps available next month.

 

agreed. I have run the 15,000 mobil one in several changes on my work van and the oil holds up just fine. I take it 1 year and it's usually about 12k miles on that motor. Saves me 2 extra changes and some money. Some of the new cars are 10k oil change intervals, they actually rotate the tires more often than they change oil lol.

 

I had read dozens and dozens of oil testing and analysis. AFter my research I will not believe any source such as the one you provide that claims "oil is oil". THat is hardly the case and I can tell you i've seen it in the internals of engines. I've switched oils and seen less wear on cam journals and cams, and bearings, oil is not oil, some is better than others. Like say...synthetic which is factually proven better at longer intervals. end of story.

Just to add to the "oil is oil" argument. There is no friggin way a company like Jaguar would recommend oil changes at 15k miles if they had any proof of testing that showed this to be bad on the motors. They use top grade synthetic oils and that's the interval they recommend. Come to think of it, toyota wouldn't recommend 10k miles on their cars either if there was any factual evidence of this causing harm. Nor would hyundai, honda, chevy, all of them since 2013! Many recommend 7500 or 10k now as a regular oil change interval, it's common place and you can't tell me that after 3k or 5k miles these oils are shot.

 

I've seen what conventional oil looks like after 5k miles on a hard working motor, it looks bad.

 

let's try to stay on point so we can leave the thread open, please

thanks

 

Manufacturers are MOST interested in THEIR engines making it past THEIR warranty period w/ NO internal failures. Couple this w/ Cost-of-Ownership (since this is a buzzword/phrase now), and we have the makings for engines that can't go the distance that older more proven engines are capable of. Internal components are made lighter and therefore weaker...all to satisfy MPG requirements. Extended oil-change-intervals (OCI) are just a part of making a vehicle 'seem' less expensive to maintain.

The engines we know/knew to go 200-300k miles may very well be a thing of the past.

 

same with mower engines. they used to last 4000-5000hrs now they blow up around 2000hrs.