Did you know Briggs and Stratton is also a huge supplier of mower engines in addition to making some great mowers?
While mowers get fairly abused when cutting grass for a couple of hours, proper maintenance can help.
So, you should change the oil when needed. For this, you will need to understand what oil does a Briggs and Stratton take?
Here, you will also learn the capacity of oil your mower has and how to select the right one for your Briggs and Stratton.
Oil Types – What Oil Does a Briggs and Stratton Take?
Every oil can be different. And when you understand the difference, you can spot the perfect fuel for your mower.
Usually, oils are of two types, small engine oil, and motor oil. Earlier oils were 1 grade or weight only, but new ones come with viscosity rating as well.
- SAE 30: It’s a straight weight or single grade oil that comes with a 30 viscosity rating. It is safe for air-cooled and small engines, usually the older ones.
- SAW 10-30: It’s multi-grade engine oil that performs in both cold and hot temperatures, offering a balanced range of temperatures.
- SAE 5W-30: It’s another multi-grade engine oil but with low viscosity to move at cold temperatures. However, it offers good protection to engines during hot days.
- Synthetic SAE 5W-30: It’s a synthetic lawn mower oil that works for warm as well as cold weather.
- Vanguard 15W-50: It’s a completely synthetic engine oil designed specifically for commercial purposes and has a temperature range of 20-130 degrees.
Motor Oil SAE Viscosity Grade
SAE grades motor oils in terms of viscosity that’s related to thickness or weight. It refers to how the oil flows at a particular temperature. And things get complicated with a multi-grade oil.
For instance, if the number contains 10W, the W represents winter. And the lower number states that the viscosity of the oil is less at cold temperatures and it will have a better flow.
Another number follows such as 30 in 10W 30. It’s the viscosity during hot days and high operating temperatures. Multi-grade oils are generally created to flow in a given temperature range.
What Oil Does Small Engine Mowers Take?
Two-stroke engines are less expensive and light in weight. They use one fill port for both small engine oil and gasoline.
So, you need to combine them in a particular ratio like 50:1 or 32:1, the recommended gas-to-oil ratio for your small engine mower.
What Kind of Oil Does a Briggs and Stratton 4-Stroke Take?
These engines are for heavy-duty machines like those used in big lawns. Riding and push lawn mowers generally have this engine.
These engines keep gas and oil separate. Often, 4-stroke engines use SAE 30 grade oil but you should check with the manufacturer’s recommendations to confirm.
What Oil Does a Briggs and Stratton Take?
When operating a Briggs and Stratton engine over 40-degree Fahrenheit, use the SAE 30W oils, even for those with 12 hp power.
Changing the oil after the first five hours of usage will help attain optimum performance. Then, you can do it every year or every usage of 50 hours.
Does that clear what oil does a Briggs and Stratton take? Or what kind of oil does a Briggs and Stratton 4-stroke take?
When to Change Your Lawn Mower’s Oil?
As already stated, a new mower needs an oil change after the first usage of 5 hours.
Next, small motors may require an oil change after usage every 25 hours. On the other hand, big motors will generally last up to fifty hours before replacing oil.
You might need to change the oil more frequently if the engine is subject to extreme dirt, dust, frequent wet mowing, muddy grass, rough terrain, and a hot climate.
Briggs and Stratton Oil Capacity
Briggs and Stratton’s oil capacity varies with the type of mower.
Walk-behind mowers
- The typical oil capacity of walk-behind mowers is 15 or 18 oz.
- It’s recommended to change the oil after every 50 hours or year, whatever comes first.
Riding mowers
- The typical oil capacity of riding mowers is 48 or 64 oz.
- It’s recommended to change the oil every year or 100 hours, whatever comes first.
How to Check the Oil Level?
- Remove the cap of the dipstick, apply pressure, and twist the counter in the clockwise direction.
- Wipe the dipstick after removing it with a clean rag to get an accurate reading.
- Prior to reinstalling the dipstick, ensure that the cap’s teeth and the dipstick tube’s grooves match.
- Apply pressure and reinstall the cap with a clockwise twist.
- Again, remove the cap and watch the level of oil towards the dipstick blade’s bottom.
- The level should be somewhere between add and full marks.
- In case of a low oil level, pour some ounces to prevent overfilling.
- Allow the oil to settle prior to checking the level again.
Wrap Up – What Oil Does a Briggs and Stratton Take?
The company has a range of oils based on viscosity and grades from SAE for different mowers and seasons.
However, the company has a straight answer to what oil does a Briggs and Stratton take? You can use the SAE 30W oil for operating temperatures of over 40-degree Fahrenheit.
FAQ’s
What kind of oil does an 8 HP Briggs and Stratton take?
It belongs to the professional series that requires 48 oz oil. And the company recommends its synthetic and pure SAE 5W-30 oil.
How much oil does a Troy Bilt tb30r take?
The capacity of this lawn mower is almost 1.5 quarts of oil. To verify the level, insert a dipstick into the mower engine.
How many quarts of oil does a Briggs and Stratton?
48 oz oil is needed for the professional engine. 2 bottles are needed to fulfill the oil capacity.
How much oil does a Troy Bilt tb30r take?
48 oz is the capacity of this engine.
How much oil does a 3.5 hp Briggs and Stratton hold?
20fI is the oil capacity that Briggs and Stratton can hold.
How much oil does an 8.5 Briggs and Stratton take?
The capacity of 8.5 Briggs and Stratton is 28 fI.
How much oil does a 15.5 HP Briggs and Stratton hold?
The E-series, 15.5 HP Briggs and Stratton can hold 15 oz of SAE 30 oil.