OT- Tractor Oil change??

Re: OT- Tractor Oil change??

Mike L

What I have always done for my car and lawn equipment is this. Run it until it gets good and hot (if not done in the last few weeks). Top off gas and let it cool down then put away. In the spring I take it out and run until it gets hot again, then change the oil, air filter. etc.. For the winter equipment I do it spring put away then fall change. I also write the date on the oil filters so I know it has been changed.

Re: OT- Tractor Oil change??

Bill Howatt

My thought it is better to let it sit with clean oil rather than with any acids or other stuff that might be in the old oil. However, Mike's suggestion of ensuring it is run until good and hot would likely boil off such things.

I always squirt the recommended amount of oil in the cylinder(s) before putting it away.

Bill

Re: OT- Tractor Oil change??

david weaver

If you're using dino oil, leave the old oil in and change it in spring. No reason to let dino oil age several months just sitting.

If you're using synthetic, I can't see that it would matter much either way.

I also think the chances of the choice of doing it either way ever having an effect on longevity....those chances are probably close to zero. Dirt-free oil and a decent air filter, and you're probably doing 99.5% of what you can for longevity.

I have a rotary mower that I now use only for mulching and leaves, and about 10 years ago, I decided to stop with anything unnecessary. I stabilize the fuel (I never run it out of fuel before storing it, and don't even turn off the fuel supply using the knob in the middle of the fuel line), and after it's sat for 5-6 months or so, it still starts as soon as new fuel makes it to the since-dried-out carb and fuel line.

Re: OT- Tractor Oil change??

Bruce, a MN Galoot

In the motorcycle world, the rule of thumb is to change the fluids in the fall before storage, synthetic or dino juice. You don't want to store it with accumulated acids and water in the oil.

I also do that with lawn mowers, etc. My bike is injected, so there is no carb to drain, but I do drain the lawn mower gas and shut off the fuel supply in the fall and the snow blower in the spring.

DITTO

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Fall change is what my gear head friends recommended.

Contaminated oil sits in engine, change in spring with oil that sat in jug

Change oil in fall and the clean stabilized oil that would sit in the jug sits in the engine.

The choice is clear.

Re: DITTO

Tom Norton

Thanks!! All done!!

I Don't drain gas anymore

Bill Howatt

I used to drain the gas in my small engine devices for the off-season but I don't anymore and it is much better, IMO. I always buy no-alcohol gas and add stabilizer. I fill the tank and leave the shut-off (if any) open. I have had far less first start problems doing this.

Now that is for an off-season of say about 6 months. I have a generator that runs very infrequently and I do drain and let it run out any gas in the carb.

Bill

Ditto..

david weaver

I mentioned the same thing in my response, but wasn't smart enough to change the subject line, and I'm sure the message was lost in the text.

I don't have an e-free gas station near me, so my small engines get premium (it usually only has enough ethanol to function as the oxygenate).

I don't shut off the fuel, either, I just park whatever I'm using and start it next year. The only thing that actually happens is that the fuel line and fuel system dry out and it takes a couple of extra pulls before there's gas in the carb. At least I think that's what's going on, as the extra pulls come with no gas odor.

My mower gets extra neglect because I do almost all of my mowing with a reel now, and only need the mower and its bag or mulching for leaves in the fall. So, I guess it's actually sitting about 10 months.

Since it sees little use, I use synthetic oil and change it only ever several years. It's about 16 years old (honda).

That's intentional neglect. Back in the days of "real gas", my father practiced unintentional (as in, think you'll use a tool soon again when you put it away, and then not check it for 7 years until someone else asks to borrow it).

We had the foulest smelling gasoline that I've encountered in an old agway tiller, but as my father goes most of the time, he wasn't going to pay for fresh gas to go in it if it ran on the 7 year-old gas.

It ran. It stunk, too - even the exhaust stunk. But it ran.

(I've replaced fuel lines since then, so I'm aware of what ethanol can do both with eroding pre-E lines and gaskets, as well as its ability to attract water - I wouldn't try the 7 year trick these days).