# Oil Changes



## psrumors (Apr 25, 2004)

How often? The Sears owners manual says every 25 hours and every 50 hours change the filter also. The Kohler owner's manual from the website states an oil change every 100 and filter every 200.

What is everyone doing?


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

my 1st was at 5 hours.. then at 50 i put synthetic in... i change oil in the spring and the fall now... 

maybe overkill but id do it at least once a season


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Depending upon how many hours you use your machine per season, you may not put 50 hours on it in one season. I put about 150 - 200 hours on my F525 per season and I change the oil and filter every 50 hours. I use Pennzoil synthetic blend. In my other equipment that I don't put so many hours on I change the oil and or filter at the end of each season prior to putting it up for the winter. I also keep an eye on the oil color. If it starts to turn dark (with the exception of diesel application) I go ahead and change the oil and filter. I see as cheap insurance.


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## psrumors (Apr 25, 2004)

You both are in line with what I was thinking. The mower is a month old and there are 25 hours on it. I changed the oil at 5 hours. I don't want to change the oil once a month. I will if it should but that seems a little over kill.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

thanks chief, i forgot to mention (or every 50 hours whatever comes first)


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

First one at 5 then ever 25 according to the JD manual!


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Stewart _
> *First one at 5 then ever 25 according to the JD manual! *


every 25? Wow.. Chief will be changing his oil every other day with his Monstrous farm :furious: :furious:


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

My bad I meant 50, I put the crack away and poured out the adult beverage!!!!

Sorry it is every 50, I have a little reminder on the hour meter!:dazed:


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Changing the oil and filter every 50 hours will only prolong engine life


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## psrumors (Apr 25, 2004)

but is there a reason to change it every 25 hours per the Sears manual? I always change the filter with the oil, no reason not to.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by psrumors _
> *but is there a reason to change it every 25 hours per the Sears manual? I always change the filter with the oil, no reason not to. *


If your working in real dusty conditions..maybe then..I believe the Sears manual states "every 25 hours or once a year"


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by simple_john _
> *every 25? Wow.. Chief will be changing his oil every other day with his Monstrous farm :furious: :furious: *


Don't think I will be brush hogging or field cutting with my F525.


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## MowHoward2210 (Nov 2, 2003)

*Chief* 

I notice you tend to use synthetic blends in your tractors. What are the advantages of the syn blends compared to dino (conventional) oils and full and cracked synthetics? Any downsides?


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by MowHoward2210 _
> *Chief
> 
> I notice you tend to use synthetic blends in your tractors. What are the advantages of the syn blends compared to dino (conventional) oils and full and cracked synthetics? Any downsides? *


Mow, to be honest; I try to buy whatever is on sale but a good quality and name product. 

As far as synthetic blends or full synthetic; in my opinion, if you change the oil and filter for whatever you are using it in at the regular specified intervals, I think you will be just fine with pretty much any good quality oil whether it be dino, synthetic blend, or full synthetic. 

I think the big benefit with synthetics is use in extreme cold or hot climates or extreme abusive, heavy duty, or extended hours/mileage use perhaps. These synthetic oils have better cold flow and hot temperature properties than conventional oil. The best destinguishing charactisic I personally have seen with synthetics is use in gearboxes and differentials. They can tremdously cut down wear and operating temps. I am not a big Amsoil guy but I will have to give them credit for the gear oils. They do work well. I use the 2000 Series 75W-90 full sythetic gear oil in my Deeres MMM gearbox and noticed a pampable reduction in operating temps. I also use it in the Nissan 5 spd. gearbox and notice the same thing; shifts much smoother as well. I plan to change out the front and rear differential oils on my Dodge Cummins pickup with this lube as well very soon. I am sure any good quality synthetic gear lube would do as well. Dodge even specifies it for heavy duty towing. 

I went with the John Deere 15W-40 Plus 50 Synthetic Blend because my buddy who sold me the tractor and equipment told me it was really good oil and he sold it to me at a price that would make Walmart cry. I got a 55 gallon drum at a price that came to about $1.28 per quart. I use it in my Dodge Cummins, Deere 4410, Nissan, and the Sea Ray. 

The Pennzoil sythetic blend I picked up on sale at Walmart and tried it in the F525 and found that is stayed clean and a nice amber color MUCH longer than any the Mobile I was using. 

Up until I got these newer oils I got a HUGE deal on some Mobil conventional oil at the Ft. Campbell PX at 68 cents a quart. I went crazy and bought about 63 cases of it. That was about 7 years ago and I am using the last bit of it up now.   mg: I know..........I am a conasure for a bargain ehh???  

The only odd ball oil I use is Pennzoil SAE 40 which I use in the Robin Subaru 13.5 hp engine on my pressure washer and that is what the book calls for in hot climates. 

Anyway, hope that answered your question and was not TMI. I can post a bunch of charts and numbers if you want but I think if you follow the manufacturer's maintenance specs., you will be just fine.


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## MowHoward2210 (Nov 2, 2003)

Chief,

You echoed 2 conclusions I have made about oils.

1). The superior flow characteristics of synthetics in cold weather 
2). Diligent maintenance with any good oil is beneficial.

I just haven't' been sure where the synthetic blends fit in.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by MowHoward2210 _
> *Chief,
> 
> You echoed 2 conclusions I have made about oils.
> ...


In a nutshell I guess the synthetic blends are a good compromise between the full synthetic and conventional oils provided you get purchase them at a great sale price. For example, John Deere specifies that you can run 15W-40 and 0W-40 Plus 50 oils 50% beyond the recommended oil change intervals. Here.....I will post one John Deere oil link.   

Plus-50® 15W40 Synthetic Blend Engine Oil


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

I chaanged the oil in my GX335 after the initial first 5 hours (book says do it at 25) I also changed it again at 10 hours along with the filter. I changed it yet again at 25 hours with another filter as well, and then at the 50 hour with filter as well. Pushing close to 78 hours on it now, and will probably just change it and oil at the 100 hour mark. After breakin JD says to change it at 50 IIRC intervals and the filter every other oil change. Filters are just too cheap not to change and a lot cheaper than paying for internal engine parts. Same gopes for oil. I use dino type, as I can';t see any real advanatage to synthetics at the intervals I change oils.

I have been using Toyota filters for the most part and the last half dozen I bought on sale at the Toyota dealer was less than $3.00 each in quanities of 6 or more, so I have filters in stock to last me wuite a while now.

I have never used any other oil but Valvoline for better than 30 or more years now.........except in my Ford diesel which I use Chevron Delo 400 and Purolator or Wix filters. Everything else is Valvoline


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

One point I forgot to mention when I change my oil and filter. I scribe the current engine hours on the oil filter so I will be curtain as to the number of hours that as transpired since the last oil and filter change. Us guys with severe CRS need to do stuff like this to keep straight.


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## psrumors (Apr 25, 2004)

Well, I am going to be changing mine every 50 so if the hour meter is divisable by 50 it is time for an oil change. Seems simple enough wouldn't ya say?


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

My F525 I purchased used so it had an odd number of hours on it when I changed out the oil and filters when I first got it. I had to change the oil in it every 5 hours for about 5 changes until I got the oil to come out clean. The inside of the engine was filthy. That is why I had other than the prescribed number of hours at the change. I forget stuff too easy so I write everything down. CRS is a cruel disease.


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## leolav (Sep 16, 2003)

I always err on the side of caution. More often than not, I change it around every two months during the summer. (probably close to 50-75hrs) I use it a ton during the growing season.


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

Chief, that is a great idea to put the hours on the filter. I will have to do that next time, which will be thios week. I am just over 75 hours and my little meter is flashing at me. Service!!!!
I am wondering of a sharpie would work instead of a scribe?????

I have done my filter every time I have changed my oil, no sense in putting new oil thru a dirty filter!


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Stewart _
> *Chief, that is a great idea to put the hours on the filter. I will have to do that next time, which will be thios week. I am just over 75 hours and my little meter is flashing at me. Service!!!!
> I am wondering of a sharpie would work instead of a scribe?????
> 
> I have done my filter every time I have changed my oil, no sense in putting new oil thru a dirty filter! *


A sharpie should work just fine. I've used a permanent marker on my filters for years....wouldn't work to well on a black Kohler filter though, for that I use yellow paint pencil


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Stewart _
> *Chief, that is a great idea to put the hours on the filter. I will have to do that next time, which will be thios week. I am just over 75 hours and my little meter is flashing at me. Service!!!!
> I am wondering of a sharpie would work instead of a scribe?????
> 
> I have done my filter every time I have changed my oil, no sense in putting new oil thru a dirty filter! *


The Fleetguard oil filters on my Cummins are white so the sharpee works great but the Deere filters are black so I have to use a scribe.


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

I was going to try it on the deere ones anyway. It might be a little hard to see but we shall see, I can always scribe it if it doesn't show up well enough!


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