4 yrs ago I bought a Cub Cadet 50” tractor. I never thought to inquire what the original brand of oil is in it. It says use 10-30w. The first few yrs I used a synthetic blend by Koehler as it’s a 24hp Kohler engine. Last year I happened to see full synthetic 10-30w Kohler and picked that up. This year the usual places aren’t carrying full synthetic Kohler. Can you switch between full and synthetic blend or is that a No No? Even Amazon carries the synthetic blend. The only place I see the full synthetic being sold is in the maintenance kits. So my question to the hive is, will it be a problem going back and forth between full synthetic and a synthetic blend?
Thanks guys.

No.

My CC XT3 Enduro gets whatever synthetic is on sale.

quote:

Can you switch between full and synthetic blend

Won't hurt a thing to switch back and forth.

Just get Mobil 1 and use that.

No, you can switch between synthetic and synthetic blend (I'd stay with the same weight), you can even mix them together.....

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
Just get Mobil 1 and use that.

I wouldn't go this route, unless you do some checking first. The Kohler oil is supposed to have a high zinc content.
Zinc helps reduce wear and tear. Break-in oil also has a high zinc content.

I buy the Kohler 10w30 at Tractor Supply.
For some reason they are only carrying the CubCadet 10w30 in regular oil.
Then switch to Kohler synthetic 10w30, which is a dollar cheaper than the regular CubCadet 10w30.

So the Cub with the Kohler got Kohler synthetic this year, as I don't know who is making the CubCadet branded oil.

As people have said you can mix. Some overly enthusiastic folks will say silly shit like once you go synth you can never go back. That’s bull. Think about what a synthetic blend is.

Rotella T4 is a 10W30 high ZDDP oil. Motul 10W40 break in oil is a good very high ZDDP oil.

ZDDP is a Zinc additive.

Rotella T4 is available just about everywhere. Also Valvoline VR1 is a full synthetic oil, 10W30 with high ZDDP.

I almost will predict that they are cheaper than the lawn mower oil that you are buying.

ARman

IMO, changing the oil on schedule is far more important than brand or type variations. Almost any oil you buy today is far superior to what was sold a few decades ago. To paraphrase a famous SIGforum post: "Get some damn oil!"

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
IMO, changing the oil on schedule is far more important than brand or type variations. Almost any oil you buy today is far superior to what was sold a few decades ago. To paraphrase a famous SIGforum post: "Get some damn oil!"

This. I have a Craftsman 48" cut with the Kohler 24hp engine. I think the manual states 10W-30 but does not recommend a brand. I change it every spring along with the filter and air filter. The oil usually runs out clean so I could go longer I'm sure. But changing it on schedule is more important than brand or type. Mine takes a pretty good beating as I mow about 2.5 acres of some pretty rough lawn.

I had a small engine shop for a number of years.

Kohler oil is a very good oil. It can be characterized as whats called Heavy Duty Engine Oil, or HDEO, for short. There are many HDEO oils on the market, you are not stuck buying just Kohler oil. Any of these are excellent HDEO rated oils available in 10W30. HDEO oils are often dual rated, having certifications for gas and diesel engines.

John Deere 10W30
Kohler 10W30
Kawasaki 10W30
Shell Rotella 10W30
Chevron Delo 10W30
Mobil Delvac 10W30

I personally would just go to Walmart and buy whichever one was in the gallon jug for about $13-$15. Which would probably be the Delo or Rotella. Kohler doesn't make their own oil anyways, and you can bet, they contract one of the main oil companies to make their oil for them...

If its a Kohler command with hydraulic lifters, Kohler is very specific that they use 10W30 oil in these engines. If its not a command, than you can bump up the viscosity a bit if using it for lots of summer mowing. 5W40 synthetic HDEO oil would be a very good fit for most summer mowing lawn mowers. Im in south Florida and wont personally use a 10W30 for most small engines, but in Ohio, its probably a good choice.

You can get both Rotella T4 and T5 (synthetic blend) in 10w30 and 15w40. Full synthetic T6 comes in both 5w40 and 15w40. These are some of the best heavy duty oils out there if you’re looking for a high ZDDP content.

I ran T4 and then T6 for 1.5 million miles in my semi. I continue to use it in all my small motors, my diesel generator, my boat, and even my motorcycles (it is JASO MA2 certified). Pretty much anything without a catalytic converter, the Rotella is the stuff.

You should be fine.

My best advice: Wait and see what 4MUL8R says and follow that.

As little oil as it takes to change the oil in a riding motor, I would just order the factory OEM and use it.

I deal with a lot of large diesels that run a high load for hours on end (80% load), and I'm not a fan of Rotella. It seems to thin out and oil pressure drops a bit within 50-75 hours. The Mobil Delvac seems to be far superior and who makes the oil for CAT, MAN, and I think Cummins.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
I deal with a lot of large diesels that run a high load for hours on end (80% load), and I'm not a fan of Rotella. It seems to thin out and oil pressure drops a bit within 50-75 hours. The Mobil Delvac seems to be far superior and who makes the oil for CAT, MAN, and I think Cummins.

I use the Valvoline in my cummins 5.9 because it’s endorsed by cummins. Do you think the Mobil is better? I’ll use whatever is best because I plan to put a lot of mikes on that beast and keep it forever.
https://www.cummins.com/na/sal...d-service/lubricants

quote:

Originally posted by tomgun:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
I deal with a lot of large diesels that run a high load for hours on end (80% load), and I'm not a fan of Rotella. It seems to thin out and oil pressure drops a bit within 50-75 hours. The Mobil Delvac seems to be far superior and who makes the oil for CAT, MAN, and I think Cummins.

I use the Valvoline in my cummins 5.9 because it’s endorsed by cummins. Do you think the Mobil is better? I’ll use whatever is best because I plan to put a lot of mikes on that beast and keep it forever.
https://www.cummins.com/na/sal...d-service/lubricants

Valvoline is good oil also, and if it's what Cummins recommends stick with it. I just don't see Valvoline for sale anywhere in this area, whereas 10+ years ago everyone sold it. On a lot of the yachts I run, they take 50-100 gallons of oil to do an oil change (annually) so you're looking for something in stock and good quality.

As you can see , these " what's the best oil " threads are all over the map . There's a reason for that . There is no " best " . Just a lot of people giving their opinions . Choose wisely ..

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
As little oil as it takes to change the oil in a riding motor, I would just order the factory OEM and use it.

I deal with a lot of large diesels that run a high load for hours on end (80% load), and I'm not a fan of Rotella. It seems to thin out and oil pressure drops a bit within 50-75 hours. The Mobil Delvac seems to be far superior and who makes the oil for CAT, MAN, and I think Cummins.

Probably because you have worked with two strokes, perhaps? My experience with Delvac has been just the opposite. The Rotella seems to come back with superior results from the lab. Less wear metals.

Switching is no issue. Just curious what the Kohler oil costs per quart. Any name brand syn. oil will serve you well.