5 Best Lawn Mower Oil + Buying Guide

10bestlawnmowers
11 min readFeb 5, 2022

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Choosing the best lawn mower oil is a key step towards proper lawn mower maintenance.

When it comes to commercial lawn mowers, a proper oil refill at the right time ensures the durability and excellent performance of your lawnmower.

The truth is, there’s not one oil that works for every lawnmower. That’s where 10best lawnmowers come to the rescue.

Different types of commercial lawn mower engines have different needs for oil, which you can’t ignore having hassle-less mowing every time. Among a wide range of types of lawnmower oil, you should only choose what is recommended for your lawnmower.

Why Should You Choose The Best Lawn Mower Oil?

For example, small engine synthetic oil works best for complex lawnmowers like craftsman 190 cc lawnmowers and cordless electric mowers.

Meanwhile, Honda lawn mower engine oil can help increase the efficiency of popular honda lawnmowers, which usually need lawnmower oil of around 50e temperature.

Regardless of which mower you have, we’ve listed the 5 best lawn mower oils that can suit nearly every lawnmower. They will also keep your lawnmower engine well-maintained, lubricated, and perfect for a pleasurable mowing experience.

Best Lawn Mower Oil For Your Mower!

1. Pennzoil (2 Cycle 1 gal. jug), 550045220–3PK

Pennzoil is among one of the leading lawn mower oil brands for small engine commercial lawnmowers. As the picture shows, the bottle is quite big and contains oil that can satisfy the needs of nearby 5–6 lawn mower maintenance.

It’s a synthetic blend of heavy-duty diesel oil with a balanced mixture of synthetic base oils.

Pennzoil has used this unique approach to introduce the Triple Protection Plus technology that sets oil apart from others.

Temperature

Being a synthetic blend oil, the oil perfectly withstands at every temperature without losing its viscosity. No matter how long you’ve got to mow, pour this oil into your mower and mow without any breaks or glitches.

Protection

The lawnmower oil is tried and tested by numerous mowing experts and possesses improved oxidation protection under extreme conditions. It can meet all your engine needs, especially a 4-cycle engine.

Quality

From rust, corrosion, oxidation to any extreme conditions, this is undoubtedly the best lawn mower oil with excellent drain capabilities.

Assuring quality, the mower has an ideal 10w-30 viscosity over the OEM recommended drain interval and has an oil drain interval of 50,000 miles.

Long story short, this lawnmower oil does a great job in protecting your commercial lawn mower engine.

The low ash formation not only protects the exhaust catalyst but also remarkably filters the dust particles on low emission vehicles.

2. Honda Pro GN4 Motor Oil

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Without a doubt, honda lawn mowers are one of the most popular yet useful commercial lawnmowers in the mowing space. So the second one on our list of the best lawn mower oils is none other than the best-rated Honda lawn mower engine oil.

It’s the finest quality standard motorcycle oil and works perfectly for ATV engines.

Temperature

The oil features a perfect 10w-30 viscosity and pours perfectly into all the Pro Honda GN4–4 — stroke motor mowers with its ideal blend and viscosity.

Protection

Without a doubt, Honda lawn mowers have amazing, quality, and efficient lawn mower engines which need the least oil-fill and maintenance.

The oil shows high shear resistance, stability, and cleanliness to meet the lawn engine care regime.

Usage

Whether you have the most outdated honda lawn mower model or a new one recently, the engine oil is what you need. Additionally, it features a unique technology that’s perfect for the new era of lawnmowers.

Even though the manufacturers recommend you to use the oil for honda lawn mowers, you can also use it as a small engine synthetic oil as well.

3. FRAM TG16 Oil Filter

The ideal high mileage small engine synthetic oil you need to lubricate your commercial lawnmower engine with. This one from Fram is a fully synthetic high mileage motor oil.

The bottle clearly shows the quantity of oil you get, which can cover up your 6–7 lawnmower oil refills and maintenance easily.

From high mileage engines to used zero-turn lawn mower engines, Fram is with you all the time.

It is formulated with the finest quality synthetic base oils along with special additives for your engine’s longevity.

Cleaning

The oil does wonders in cleaning your engine as it has a high quantity of crude oil with conventional, synthetic, diesel, bio-based, hybrid (blends of conventional and synthetic), and recycled oils.

Viscosity

When it comes to viscosity, the oil works perfectly in the refining process. It features a weight of SAE 10W-30 and is rated 10 in cold temperatures and 30 in normal operating temperatures.

Strength

As the name says, the full synthetic high mileage oil offers the ultimate protection for engines over 75,000 miles.

Not only this, but the thicker anti-wear film offers optimum protection against friction.

Composition

The oil is composed of extra helpful detergents, which do a great job in fighting sludge and deposits at the bottom of your engine.

For better stability, the oil tank has premium seal conditioners, so you don’t have to face the mess of oil leaks.

4. Briggs & Stratton 30W Engine Oil

The lawnmower oil from Briggs and Stratton halts your search for the best lawn mower oil for heavy engines. The oil has been tested on multiple lawn mowers by Briggs and Stratton engineers.

For 4-cycle engines, there can be no better oil than this one in terms of capacity, performance, and quality.

Temperature

Being an SAE-30 oil, it is marked perfect as a small synthetic oil engine for commercial lawnmowers.

Although it can work at multitudes of temperatures, the manufacturer works best at warmer temperatures.

Not only it reduces oil consumption, but it also prepares the engine for a cold mower start.

Quality

As the name says, the oil comes from the popular commercial lawn mower brand Briggs and Strattons and is certified by all the Briggs and Stratton manuals.

One of the high-quality detergent oils classified by SJ/CD by the API.

Package

This one from Briggs and Stratton is a pretty big bottle with a great quantity of oil of around 48 pounds.

5. Shell Rotella T6 Full Synthetic Engine Oil

Buying this Shell Rotella lawnmower oil is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make for money.

It’s half synthetic and half petroleum best lawnmower oil that’s perfect for a 2-stroke engine.

Echo is a renowned lawnmower brand, having produced amazing commercial lawn mowers and effective leaf blowers.

Quality

This pack of 6 Shell Rotella lawnmower oils has all you need to keep your lawnmower engine perfect for many years.

It’s a powerful blend of multiple oils with equal quantities of petroleum and crude oil.

Protection

Whether you want to mix it with a gallon of fuel or clean your lawnmower engine thoroughly, this Shell Rotella power blend is all you need.

Composition

Every oil bottle in this pack of power blends lawn mower oil carries about 3785 milliliters, which is great as compared to other synthetic oils.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fICunwJxs6k

Bottom Line:

These are the 5 best lawn mower oils that we compare to help you choose one that suits your requirements, budget, and area temperature.

10 best lawn mowers have been using these lawn mower oils for decades, and they run incredibly well on our mowers.

Before heading for a purchase, we recommend you read this useful buying guide to make the right and informed decision about your lawnmower oil.

Best Lawn Mower Oil Buyer’s Guide:

You cannot have a healthy engine unless you pour the right type of oil into it.

It’s important to know what type of oil is best for your lawnmower to give your engine only what it wants. Make the correct purchase by choosing the right type of oil that we’ll tell you about here.

Types of Lawn Mower Oil

1. 2-cycle oil

Also known as a popular small engine synthetic oil, it’s the best mower oil for small engines. However, you can’t use this oil alone but have to mix it with an equal amount of fuel to fulfill the needs of the engine.

Since they don’t have a lubrication system, mixing fuel doesn’t affect its viscosity. They also work well in cold temperatures.

2. 4-cycle oil

As the name says, 4-cycle oil is useful for heavy commercial lawn mower motors that don’t need mixing of fuel. They have a separate circulating pump which makes it easy to directly pour the oil into the engine.

Overall, the 4-cycle engine plays a big role in improving the engine’s efficiency, performance, life span and making it emit fewer emissions.

3. SAE-30

SAE-30 is a type of engine that needs special SAE-3–0 engine oil. It’s preferable to use in warmer engines and serves as a great alternative to motor oils.

Sae-30 oils fill nearly every requirement of the engine and do a great job in lubricating the engine.

4. SAE-530 Synthetic

You probably have heard about small engine synthetic oil; it’s no other than SAE-530 Synthetic oil.

If your lawnmower engine asks for increased oil consumption and you can’t afford to buy an expensive lawn mower oil, this one should be your go-to option.

Not only will it fulfill your engine needs but also help in starting your lawnmower in cold seasons.

Factors to Consider When Buying the Best Lawn Mower Oil

There’s no way you can use a 2-cycle oil in a 4-cycle engine or vice versa, as it may cause an explosion in your lawnmower engine. However, there are many other things to consider when buying a commercial lawn mower oil which you’ll read below.

1. Viscosity

To put it simply, viscosity is the thickness of your lawnmower oil which has a direct impact on its flow.

The less viscous the oil will be, the better it will be to pour it into the engine. According to the variation in weather, the oil gains or loses viscosity.

The oil should not be very viscous, or else it may only lubricate the forward-facing part of the engine but not the small corners inside.

Similarly, a very diluted oil might reach those smaller areas but fail to stay there for effective lubrication. That’s why to choose a lawn mower oil that suits your region’s temperature and needs.

2. Quantity

The quantity of your lawnmower oil decides whether it was a worthy purchase or not. The best rule of thumb is to choose a lawn mower oil bottle that has the right amount of oil in it.

Depending on your commercial lawn mower’s oil needs, pour only the amount of oil it needs and keep the rest for the next oil change.

If you change the oil once in a blue moon, then it’s better to go with small bottles and fewer ounces as you can’t store the oil for a longer time.

3. Oil Capacity

Considering the oil capacity of your lawnmower is also important to note when buying a lawnmower oil. Not all lawnmowers have the same oil capacity.

Simple walk-behinds and push mowers require less oil whimsy to vary from 16–18 ounces.

While riding mowers with heavy and complex engines can work well with 18 to 64 ounces as they have to mow larger yards in tough conditions.

Therefore, read your lawnmower’s user manual or ask the brand manufacturer to know the correct oil quantity needed for your commercial lawnmower.

FAQ’s

How to Remove Oil From Your Lawn Mower?

Removing oil from your lawnmower is not rocket science if you follow the right steps to avoid oil splashes or any other mess.

Things you need to change the oil of your lawnmower:

  1. Pan or container to store the drained oil
  2. A rough cloth
  3. Right-sized wrench
  4. The right type of engine oil
  5. Right-sized funnel
  6. Siphon (optional)

Step-Step Guide To Changing The Oil Of Your Lawnmower

  1. Take your lawnmower to a dry grass; it shouldn’t be your lawn as the used oil can affect your grass growth.
  2. Start the mower for a few minutes to warm its engine before the oil drains. This step helps the particles in the oil to float to the top of the engine and get drained easily with the oil.
  3. Let the mower cool before you start changing its oil. Wear gloves, disconnect the spark plug and take a siphon pump in your hands.
  4. Slightly tilt the mower deck and place the pan under it to avoid any spillage when the old oil is drained.
  5. Turn the socket wrench and turn it in a counterclockwise direction to drain all the oil. Once the oil has drained completely, close the drain plug by twisting the wrench in a clockwise direction.

How To Add Oil To Your Lawnmower?

Now that you know the correct way to pour out the old oil from your lawnmower, it’s time to add the new one and keep the engine healthy.

Follow these steps to easily add to your lawnmower engine without making any mess.

  1. Gently open the oil dipstick of your mower to check the level of oil in your lawnmower. Just add new oil when your lawnmower really needs it.
  2. If the oil level is low or empty, then pour the new oil directly by using a funnel that helps in avoiding oil spillage during pouring.
  3. After filling the oil to the required quantity, close the dipstick as you had opened it.
  4. Run the lawnmower for a few seconds so that all the oil is well distributed around the engine.

Conclusion

OIl is what powers the engine of the lawnmower and gets it to work. From buying the best lawn mower oil to replacing it from time to time, you can’t neglect any aspect of it that can turn mowing into your worst nightmare.

We’ve added the 5 best lawn mower oil that is not certified by SJ/CD but also save you from common lawnmower engine issues.

After that, the 10 best lawn mowers have prepared a pretty useful buying guide for you that includes everything from different types of commercial lawnmower oil to the process of removing and adding new oil to the lawnmower.

Now that you’re buying the best lawnmower oil, we’re curious if you need a lawnmower.

For this reason, we have compiled some of the best-rated lawnmowers in our popular articles such as

  1. 6 Best Types of Lawnmowers 2021
  2. 7 Best Lawnmowers Under $300
  3. 6 Best Lightweight Lawnmowers 2021
  4. The Best Lawnmowers For Money 2021
  5. 5 Best Cheap Lawn Mowers Under $100 For Small Yards.

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