question about oil weight numbers
 

im trying to get an educated answer on this question.

is 0w-30w oil the same as straight 30w oil or is it different?

I am getting opinions that it is and that it isn't. I thought 0w just means its straight 30w oil but I have been told (by people I don't consider educated about oil types) that there is a 0w oil and 0w-30w is a mixed blend that shouldn't be used if the engine calls for straight 30w oil

on a side note, if its an older mower should I consider using 40w oil since engines get so hot in the summer around here or would that be a mistake? the mower still has great compression and doesn't smoke or use oil.

30w
 

i have never heard of 0w30 oil i have heard of just 30 weight oil and 5w30

googled it for you


https://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...3074530AACL2ID


google is educated? guess 0w30 is synthetic so that makes it different than just plain 30 weight oil

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...l_1_0W-30.aspx

hmmm, I read simular things from google as well but they all still never actually says what 0w-? oils makeup is? but I guess if it was straight 30w it would just say straight 30w?

I got the silly idea to put full synthetic in my mower somehow thinking it would be better and they don't have any straight 30w synthetic oils so I grabbed the 0w-30w thinking it was the same thing.

after grass cutting with a hot engine I had a little too much oil so I let some out and it was super watery, enough to make me wonder if it was too thin. I realize hot oil is always watery but somehow I expected it to have a "little" more body to it then like water. maybe im just worrying about nothing here.

The multi weight oils exibit properties of both weight oils. It's not 2 differnt weights combined.And no, 0w 30 isn't the same as straight 30w. The lower the # the thinner the viscosity.

ok, thanks

i'll get rid of that stuff and replace it with regular 30w next time I go cut grass

X2. 0w 30 is super thin. We use it in a few of our customers cars. Some of the new super tight engines wont flow a thicker oil. Stay with the straight 30 for your mower.

The first number in the grade is the cold start viscosity (in colder climates it improves lubrication at lower temperatures) and the second number is the normal working temp. viscosity. At operating temperature a multigrade and single grade oil will have roughly the same viscosity. I use standard single viscosity 30wt in all my small engines. I like synthetics but they are harder to find in single grade than multi.

I had no idea, so when i was looking around for full synthetic 30w there was only the 0w-30w and I just said to myself "that's a strange way to say straight 30w, why not just call it straight 30w?" so I bought it thinking that's what I was buying lol.

now i know they don't call it straight 30w because its not straight 30w.

i always say, your never too smart to do dumb things or too smart to need to learn new things so ask and listen to advice from others.

price
 

you know it man, i am learning too, i try to help where i can but sometimes i post a reply just to learn something too, that is why i make sure to mention the fact that "I AM NOT SURE" when posting certain things

on that note, you should be able to tell the difference by price, synthetic oil should be more expensive than regular oil, unless the price has come down

im gonna hafta look around again, I think there maybe was a synthetic blend straight 30w but I know there was nothing straight weight in full synthetics.

I just figured since it only takes 1 quart why not put the full synthetic in it because it makes all engines run better, quieter and smoother but I guess when it comes to mowers just stick to the cheap stuff is the way to go.

what do you guys think of my idea to go to 40w in it? good idea or not? at this point there is not a need and I usually only do this when engines start to smoke or use oil but im thinking it might be better protection but I don't know much about small engines other then I can take em apart and fix em but im just guessing 40w might work better at keeping this lubbed

A lot of the 14 and a lot more of the 15 models use Ow30 oil. Thin like sewing machine oil.

I would not do it....... unless the oil burning is really bad. Almost all small engines us a 30W oil.

Yes it is. I know a guy that shaved a few hundreths of a second off his average time by going to 0w 30.
Dragster and quarter mile time.

no its not burning oil or using oil or anything like that, I was just explaining that's my usual solution if an engine does burn or use oil.

the owners manual shows to use 5w-30w or 10w-30w regular oil in temps below 40* or use straight 30w for temps 40* and over

it does mention synthetic 10w-30w as being ok to use in temps above 40* but I dont want to use a thinner oil than 30w and I wouldn't feel its being protected as well having that thinner 10w portion in it.

I run full synthetic in everything I have. I had two-stroke dirt bikes that recommended 50:1 mixture with fully synthetic oil but 32:1 with petroleum based oil. That tells me synthetic is a much better oil. Run 50:1 with petroleum based oil and the engine will blow.

Royal Purple may have a 30w but problem is finding it in a store...

0w30w does not exist. It is most like 0w 30. W=winter NOT Weight

"VISCOSITY

Most oils on the shelves today are "Multigrades", which simply means that the oil falls into 2 viscosity grades (i.e. 10w-40 etc)

Multigrades were first developed some 50 years ago to avoid the old routine of using a thinner oil in winter and a thicker oil in summer.

In a 10w-40 for example the 10w bit (W = winter, not weight or watt or anything else for that matter) simply means that the oil must have a certain maximum viscosity/flow at low temperature. The lower the "W" number the better the oil's cold temperature/cold start performance.

The 40 in a 10w-40 simply means that the oil must fall within certain viscosity limits at 100°C. This is a fixed limit and all oils that end in 40 must achieve these limits. Once again the lower the number, the thinner the oil: a 30 oil is thinner than a 40 oil at 100°C etc. Your handbook will specify whether a 30, 40 or 50 etc is required."