I don't know if it matters but I have a lot of items to do oil changes, filter changes, lube, etc on. Lawn tractor, ATV, lawn mower, snow blower etc.

I'm thinking it's best to change oil and filters at the start of the season. That meaning, snowblower should be done in the next month or so, lawn mowers stored for winter and oil changes done in spring when getting ready.

Is there harm in leaving new oil for 6 months sitting in equipment? I'm thinking it's best to do right before the season of use but maybe I'm overthinking it.

Annually on my push mower, before the start of mowing season. Only one I have to do, luckily.
Weed eater is 2 stroke, so no change there.

Usually about the middle of the mowing season I'll go ahead and change the oil in everything . No real reason , just something I started doing .

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:


Is there harm in leaving new oil for 6 months sitting in equipment? I'm thinking it's best to do right before the season of use but maybe I'm overthinking it.

Yes , you're overthinking it . But whatever makes you feel warm and fuzzy .

End of the season, oil change for the mower, all the other items are 2strokes.

I do mine every beginning spring before using ... since want to start fresh instead of having it sit all winter if done in the fall.

End of season for all my pro mowing gear.

I’m a retired mechanic. When it breaks.

End of the season so the acidic and dirty motor oil doesn't sit in the machines all winter.

quote:

Originally posted by Imabmwnut:
I’m a retired mechanic. When it breaks.

The cobbler’s kids go barefoot

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
End of the season so the acidic and dirty motor oil doesn't sit in the machines all winter.

It may or may not matter when, but if it does, at the end for those reasons.
Also, if you happen to find something else wrong, you have a little time to get it fixed.

Another end of season guy here.

Mowers get cleaned off, decks scraped, wire brushed, hit with a coat of Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, blades sharpened, oil and filter changed, gas treated and a lube job. Other paint touched up if needed.

My John Deere LX178 is 26 years old and still running the original deck and spindles.

The 5 foot Landpride that mounts on the 3 point hitch on the Cabota gets the clean/paint/lube/sharpen treatment as well.

In the spring. I change oil and filter in my Kubota Zero Turn and lube all of the zerks. I put on about 45 hours per year.

Well, if it helps, I just had my SxS serviced ready for plowing season, oil and coolant change, lube service and belts/battery checked. My lawn tractor, which I use for blowing had a transmission fluid change and grease up on the zerks. It'll get an oil change this week. My walk behind snowblower got an oil change last fall, but I didn't use it after that, so it's set for now.


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I do my lawn mower maintenance about this time every year. I prefer to have my mower sitting through the winter with fresh oil, grease, filters, etc. I also fill it with fresh gas and a shot of Sta-Bil. Snow blower gets a going over during the summer.

I don't want acidic, moisture laden oil sitting in the sumps all Winter so fresh oil for the motorcycles in late Fall. Mowers get a complete service at the end of the season, fresh oil, filter, grease, StaBil, float bowls drained, blades sharpened, decks cleaned and coated with silicone. Tractor(s) and SxS's get used all year so they're on their own hourly schedules.

I have hour meters on most of my equipment. Others like the Merry Tiller, I just keep a log of date and time used.

Here in Florida the season never ends......

Change it twice a year, check filters often, it's ongoing, but I'd side with the "before putting it away" group, and add Star-Tron or Sta-Bil to the fuel and run it so it's in the carb/injectors.

Fuel it up with non ethanol fuel so no alcohol is in the rubber lines, especially older stuff.

After reading the advise here, I'll probably switch to end of season.
After my last mowing, I let my mower run out of gas. Then pull the spark
plug, squirt a little oil in, put the plug back in and slowly pull the
rope a few times to coat the cylinder with oil. Maybe that's crazy but
she fires up on the first or second pull every spring.

I read somewhere that it was advisable to change the oil in a portable generator every 30 hours of operation. That seems easy enough to do to keep my little engines happy.