Oil Choice

mikado463

New member

Equipment
Kubota ZeroTurn
Sep 28, 2021
3
0
1
SE Pa
So my zero turn (Kawasaki) calls for 10w40, curious as to who's running what. full synthetic , blend or good old 'dinosour blood' ? are you adding zinc ?
 

Bee-Positive

Well-known member

Equipment
BX1880, Cab, FEL, Tooth Bar, MMM, QH, Ballast Box
Nov 16, 2022
802
792
93
Amsterdam, NY
Hey mikado463 welcome to the forum.

If you haven't already guessed the topic of "type of oil" has been BEAT-TO-Death already. Try searching for older posts (by title).

Buy your favorite flavor of diesel engine oil and follow the maintenance guidelines in the Operators Manual. Just don't use non-diesel rated engine oil.

P.S. Same goes for Hydraulic Oil (Kubota SUDT 2 ;))
 

85Hokie

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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
11,100
3,031
113
Bedford - VA
So my zero turn (Kawasaki) calls for 10w40, curious as to who's running what. full synthetic , blend or good old 'dinosour blood' ? are you adding zinc ?
It says 10w 40 ......... ok - use it!!!!

Three types of people here:

those that do not think synthetics are worth the price
those that are undecided and scared to use something different
those that read and UNDERSTAND data from experts about synthetics.


And with the popcorn and drink in hand, why the hell would you NOT use synthetic?

despite a couple bucks a quart more and in some cases less than conventional oil, it is superior in EVERY category from cold weather starting to withstanding thermal breakdown at higher heat,

For those that heard the ol BS that it causes seal failures and it is bad for new engines ......... look up the data rather than try to debunk that it is not better.

There is nothing wrong with conventional oils - but the bottom line is that synthetics are called for in more and more applications.

Here is a short list for those that cannot get a grip on reality of synthetic oils.


Vehicles that come from the factory with synthetic oil typically include:
  • High-Performance & Luxury Models: Cars built for extreme power and track use almost exclusively use full synthetic oils from the factory. Brands include Porsche, Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan GT-R, Lexus LFA, Bentley, and Aston Martin.
  • General Motors (GM): All Buick, Cadillac, GMC, and Chevrolet vehicles (especially those using the Dexos oil specification) utilize synthetic or synthetic blend factory fills.
  • European Brands: Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz rely heavily on synthetic motor oils designed to withstand their tight-tolerance, long-interval service schedules.
  • Hyundai & Kia: Modern vehicles from these brands come filled with full synthetic motor oil right off the assembly line.
  • Ford: Many Ford vehicles, including the F-150 and high-performance models like the Mustang Shelby GT500, come with a synthetic blend or full synthetic (like Motorcraft) depending on the engine.


Do some reading on Zinc ....... flat tappet cams may need it, but too much is worst than not enough.

Whatever the book calls for will always get you to the finish line ........... HELL i KNOW people who STILL use straight 30 weight in their ford 8n's ........... cause that is what the book called for!!! AND those that did not read the manual carefully missed the part about adding a quart of kerosene in the winter so make the viscosity better in the cold.
 
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Kurtee

Active member

Equipment
BX2660, BX2680 cab, JD 2032R, Honda 5518, JD X590, JD X739
Oct 3, 2013
333
144
43
Nicollet, mn
Cenex Superlube TMS 15w40 Para-synthetic diesel engine oil. I have used this engine oil for years in every thing. Mowers, tillers, motorcycle, atv, tractors (Allis Chalmers, Kubota, and John Deere) Works for me. I took the time to study the safety data sheet of this and the recommended John Deere oil when I got the Z950R with Kawasaki engine and found the specs equivalent. I have run multi grade oils in all small engines since the first Snapper in 1976. The important thing is to change oil at proper intervals. I do not leave an engine sit through the winter with old oil, I change to have fresh uncontaminated oil when parked. I believe that the dirt and such settles to the bottom of the crankcase when parked.
 

PoTreeBoy

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L35 Ford 3930
Mar 24, 2020
3,737
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WestTn/NoMs
Unless that Kawasaki is a diesel, two people on here have given you wrong advice.
Sx for spark-ignition engines, gas
Cx for compression-ignition engines, diesel

The rest is your choice.
 
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GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,
Apr 2, 2019
13,765
6,244
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
It says 10w 40 ......... ok - use it!!!!

Three types of people here:

those that do not think synthetics are worth the price
those that are undecided and scared to use something different
those that read and UNDERSTAND data from experts about synthetics.


And with the popcorn and drink in hand, why the hell would you NOT use synthetic?

despite a couple bucks a quart more and in some cases less than conventional oil, it is superior in EVERY category from cold weather starting to withstanding thermal breakdown at higher heat,

For those that heard the ol BS that it causes seal failures and it is bad for new engines ......... look up the data rather than try to debunk that it is not better.

There is nothing wrong with conventional oils - but the bottom line is that synthetics are called for in more and more applications.

Here is a short list for those that cannot get a grip on reality of synthetic oils.


Vehicles that come from the factory with synthetic oil typically include:
  • High-Performance & Luxury Models: Cars built for extreme power and track use almost exclusively use full synthetic oils from the factory. Brands include Porsche, Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan GT-R, Lexus LFA, Bentley, and Aston Martin.
  • General Motors (GM): All Buick, Cadillac, GMC, and Chevrolet vehicles (especially those using the Dexos oil specification) utilize synthetic or synthetic blend factory fills.
  • European Brands: Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz rely heavily on synthetic motor oils designed to withstand their tight-tolerance, long-interval service schedules.
  • Hyundai & Kia: Modern vehicles from these brands come filled with full synthetic motor oil right off the assembly line.
  • Ford: Many Ford vehicles, including the F-150 and high-performance models like the Mustang Shelby GT500, come with a synthetic blend or full synthetic (like Motorcraft) depending on the engine.


Do some reading on Zinc ....... flat tappet cams may need it, but too much is worst than not enough.

Whatever the book calls for will always get you to the finish line ........... HELL i KNOW people who STILL use straight 30 weight in their ford 8n's ........... cause that is what the book called for!!! AND those that did not read the manual carefully missed the part about adding a quart of kerosene in the winter so make the viscosity better in the cold.
I don't cut grass in the winter, so no need to spend more $$ on synthetic. Yes, I ram SAE30 in my 2N and 8N, again never used in winter.
 

lmichael

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota G2160
Apr 23, 2021
828
428
63
Rockford IL area
Yes the Kawasaki is a gasoline not a diesel engine. That being said I use Rotella T6 in all my small engines. Not for any other reason but to cut down on what I need to buy and keep on my shelf
 
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nbryan

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B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
Jan 3, 2019
1,402
929
113
Hadashville, Manitoba, Canada
Yes the Kawasaki is a gasoline not a diesel engine. That being said I use Rotella T6 in all my small engines. Not for any other reason but to cut down on what I need to buy and keep on my shelf
The T6 "diesel engine additives" are ok on small gas engines? No harm?