Testing Best Two-Stroke Engine Oils For Lawn Mowers

Today I’m going to show you a comparison between the best oils for small engines: Briggs and Stratton Premium 4-cycle small engine oil, the SAE 30, and what I’m going to be doing is comparing it to Mobil-1 10W-30 full synthetic vs. Redline.

I use Marvel Mystery Oil in all my small engines inside my cars because I use 20% of my oil capacity. This thing takes about 20 ounces, so what I do is I put 16 ounces of oil, and I put four ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil (I am running TrueFuel, which is-ethanol-based fuel too).

So what are we going to do? Just put different oil in the mower and check the sound!

Best Oil For Small Engines (For Lawn Mowers)

Sound of Briggs and Stratton Premium Oil in Mower

That is about five minutes of running. Just wanted to let you know what it sounds like and how it idles out and how it smooths itself out. Sounds pretty good!

Sound of Mobile-1 Oil in Mower

I’m going to take the oil that’s inside now, do an oil change. I’m going to put Mobil-1 Synthetic 10W-30 in, and again, this was Briggs motor oil. This was just regular SAE 30, regular oil, non-synthetic.

I just did an oil change with Mobil-1, and as you can see, it is super clean, very friendly, clean oil, which is what you want in your engine.

There is what it sounds like with the Mobil-1.

Sound of Redline 10W-30 Oil in Mower

This is the final oil change I’m going to do on the mower.

Okay, so that was the final test, and that is with Redline 10W-30 fully synthetic oil, and it does seem like the motor is a little bit louder. That’s partly because I put a mulching blade on there, a Gator G3, and the other thing I,s if you notice,e there is a red piece on the mower, which is the cap where the bag is supposed to go.

So instead of having a mulching plug, it’s a cover that goes on, and it’s got a mulching plug built into the bottom of it so that you don’t have to use a bagger anymore, and all the clippings and everything stays inside the deck.

So, partly because of those two things, it’s going to seem a little bit louder.

But honestly, it felt like the motor had a lot more power too. I can’t explain it. It’s just one of those things where I use the mower, I went through we grass like it was nothing, and it just was incredible.

Final Words

The winner is Redline.

See More Images

I happen to prefer Redline because that is some of the best oil in the world right now. So, those are my findings. Since I’ve been using it, I haven’t been burning any oil hardly, and it’s just running incredibly. So I just wanted to give a thumbs up to Redline and Mobil-1, and Toro for making such a fantastic lawnmower. Take care!

What Kind Of Oil Should I Use In My Lawnmower?

The question we get asked a lot is what kind of oil should I put in my lawnmower? So we’ll be looking at the different oil types so you can decide which best suits your needs. One of the most overlooked aspects of lawnmower maintenance is changing the oil. It would help if you were doing this at least once per season or about every 50 hours of use, whichever comes first. Remembering to do proper oil changes can increase your motor’s performance, add years to its life, and save you money in the long run. So which oil should you be putting in your lawnmower? The right answer to that depends on the climate where you live.

Different oil types work best at different temperatures and under certain conditions, and some oils are just not right for your lawnmower. We’ve put together a guide to help you choose, but it’s always a good idea to check your owner’s manual for the recommended oil type for your mower.

SAE 30 Oil

This is the most commonly used great soil for lawn mowers since it’s ideal for temperatures from 40 degrees all the way up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s colder than 40 degrees outside, you probably won’t want to be mowing your lawn anyway, so this oil will generally be a safe choice.

SAE 10 w 30 Oil

This oil has a varying temperature range of zero degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit because of a slower range. This oil can also be used over the winter in small engines like snow blowers. It improves cold weather starting but using your lawnmower and temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit may increase oil consumption.

SAE 5 W 30 Oil

This grade of oil performance best in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it’s great for your snowblower but not recommended for lawn mowers synthetic SAE five w 30. This can be used in any temperature ranging from minus 20 up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it’s fine to use in your small engines all year round. It generally improves starting and reduces oil consumption, but it’s much more expensive.

Synthetic sae 15 w 50 Oil

The soil has a high-temperature range from 20 degrees up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. It performs best in higher temperatures and is mainly used in commercial lawn cutting. If you’re looking for inexpensive oils using your lawnmower over the spring, summer, and fall, choosing sae 30 is probably your best bet.

Synthetic oil or not?

Now you may be wondering what the difference is between conventional oil and synthetic oil. Is there one that’s better for your engine? Generally speaking, conventional oil will be fine for your lawnmower if used under the proper conditions: it provides the protection your mower needs at an affordable price.

As we’ve seen, synthetic oil offers the most protection over a much wider range of temperatures, meaning it’s more flexible. It also collects more dirt, meaning that when you change the oil, more particulates will be removed from your lawn more is engine leading to better performance overall. These added benefits come at a premium making synthetic more expensive.