Can I use 10W30 instead of SAE30 in my lawn mower?
The oil in your lawn mower is an important thing. The performance of your mower mostly depends on its oil. So, you need to provide good oil to your mower’s engine.
However, it is seen that most of the lawn mower owners get confused about selecting oil for their mowers. A good number of people use SAE30 oil in their lawn mowers. The SAE30 is the common grade oil. Using a different type of oil such as 10W30 can boost your mower’s performance greatly.
In this article, I will talk about whether you can use a different type of oil such as 10W30 in your mower instead of using SAE30.
What is actually SAE30 grade oil:
Basically, the SAE30 is an oil type. In its name, the number 30 denotes the rating of viscosity. So, you need to know the viscosity rating first. The viscosity rating is defined by how the oil pours in several temperatures.
However, the advantage of SAE30 oil is that it has the capability of handling warm temperatures well. This is possible because of its overall thickness or viscosity. For better understanding, you can check the chart attached below:
Ideal for individual climate
Society of Automotive Engineers Scale
Winter
0W
Winter
5W
Winter
10W
Winter
15W
Winter
20W
Winter
25W
Hot
20
Hot
30
Hot
40
Hot
50
Hot
60
In the chart, the word W means winter. As you can see that 0W-25W figures are best for the winter season. Because motor oil of this range remains thin. Without it, the oil grade that does not hold W in its name is best for the warm climate and also thicker.
From the name SAE30, it is clear that this grade oil is viscous enough. It is thick but not the thickest. It is good for lawn mowers. The drawback of this oil is that it does not has diversity. It works best in the warm season, not in the cold season.
What is actually 10W30 grade oil:
On the other hand, the 10W30 grade oil is considered one of the best grade oil. Because it is a multi-viscosity oil. That means this oil is the combination of two different viscosities.
The first part 10W means that this oil has a low viscosity. Without it, the presence of W means that this grade oil is the best for the winter season. On the other hand, the last part 30 means high viscosity. It clarifies that this grade oil has high viscosity. This grade oil is the best for the warm season.
It seems a bit contradictory. Isn’t it? No. This grade oil is a combination of both low and high viscosity. That means this work will work fine in both cold and warm seasons.
Can you use 10W30 instead of using SAE30?
Now the question is that whether you can use 10W30 grade oil instead of SAE30 grade or not. Well, the straight-forward answer is yes. You can use this grade oil in your lawn mower. In fact, it is a matter of strange that why every lawn mower owner does not use this grade oil in his mower.
However, there are some other factors you need to bring into your consideration. The most important one is your climate. If your climate remains warm constantly, then there is no need for multi-viscosity oil. In this kind of situation, the SAE30 is perfect for your lawn mower.
On the other hand, if you experience a change in your climate like cold and warm, then you will be needing a multi-viscosity grade oil. This time, the best solution is going to a 10W30 grade oil. Apart from that, there are some other benefits of using 10W30 grade oil. This grade oil works on protecting the engine of your mower from different kinds of contamination that can be the reason for clogging and corrosion.
Things you should know about engine and oil:
Well, there are some other things you must pay heed to as the owner of a lawn mower. This kind of thing is really important to get your mower to keep fit and going well. They are:
Change your mowers engine oil regularly:
Changing your mowers engine oil regularly is an important thing. It is always recommended to change your mowers engine oil after about 50 hours of usage. Does not matter whether you use your mower at this time or not. The change is still required.
Never use low-quality oil in your mower:
You should never use low-quality oil in your lawn mower. Because the low-quality oil can make your mowers engine weak or damaged. If so happens, then you will have to spend a good amount of money on repairing it. So, before going to purchase oil for your mower’s engine, give it a check whether it has quality assurance or not or is it the right one for your mower’s engine.
The multi-grade oil offers many benefits:
The oil from multi-grade has many benefits. you will not have to change the oil due to season change. Apart from that, it will protect your mower from clogging and corrosion.
