“Do push mowers have oil filters?” is a common question among gardeners, but we’re here to help!
Most push mowers today don’t have this filter; however, certain models do have them in their design, and it’s important to replace them regularly.
This is necessary to keep the engine working optimally. By replacing the old filter with a new one and maintaining your other equipment, you also help prolong the lifespan of your machines.
If your mower has an oil filter, it’s recommended that you replace it every three months. The air filter prevents dust and other particles from damaging the engine.
If there is no filter, more frequent oil replacement is necessary. This article explores how to switch from an old to a new filter and how to replace your machine’s oil step by step if it doesn’t have a filter.
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How to Replace the Oil Filter on a Push Mower?
If the mower has an oil filter, you need to replace it to ensure optimal engine protection. It’s recommended that you do it at least once per season and more frequently if the mower is used heavily.
Replacing the oil filter is easy to learn.
After locating it, you need to twist it counter-clockwise with your hand or a wrench, either a pipe or a filter wrench. Then, using clean engine oil, oil the filter’s gasket a bit and wipe any excess oil where the old filter was.
Now, screw in the new filter.
You can do this by hand. Turn clockwise until the engine and gasket come in contact. Make sure you tighten the filter by an extra ½ to ¾ turns, but not excessively.
How Does an Oil Filter Protect the Lawn Mower’s Engine?
The lawn mower’s oil filter and the oil filter in other small engines serve similar purposes to those in cars. Oil filters have three properties: the container, the sealing gasket, and the synthetic fiber, which is the actual filter.
Oil is necessary for combustion engines to work, and oil filters prevent engine damage and damage to other machine components.
This filter is screwed into the engine where oil goes into the can of the filter.
Then, it seeps through the filter, leaving behind dirt and other contaminants. The new and clean oil goes back into the engine, lubricating it and performing other functions.
How to Change Oil on a Push Mower?
If your lawnmower does not have a filter, it’s pivotal to change the oil more frequently, between 25 and 50 hours of use. This will keep the engine in top form. In most cases, you can easily do this by following the instructions in the lawnmower’s manual.
Oil changes are also recommended every season, along with other maintenance actions. Within five minutes, you can remove old oil and boost your engine with new one.
To begin the process, seal the gas tank. You do this by removing the cap and covering it with a plastic bag. You then screw the cap back over the bag.
To pour out the old oil, remove the dipstick from the oil filler and tip the mower over so that the oil drains out. It’s best to collect the oil in a plastic container and recycle it. Once all the old oil is removed, you refill the engine with new oil.
In most cases, the engine will need around 20 ounces. You put the dipstick back inside to check the level of the oil. If needed, add more, but never overfill it. You could also drain out the old oil another way.
You unscrew the plug that you’ll find on the engine’s bottom and leave the oil to drain out into a pan. You then replace the plug, put the mower on a level surface, and pour new oil through the hole you’ll find near the engine’s base.
When Should You Replace the Oil in Lawn Mowers?
This depends on the lawnmower model. Generally speaking, here are some recommendations to follow:
- A new lawnmower
In this case, replace the old oil with a new one after the first several hours of use.
- Existing push-behind lawn mower
Replace the oil at least once every season or every 25 to 50 hours of operation.
- Riding mower
Refresh the engine with new oil every season or every 100 hours of operation.
What Kind of Lawn Mower Oil Should You Choose?
Motor oils are available in various grades, and this depends on their viscosity and behavior at different temperatures.
Usually, lawnmowers have four-stroke engines or engines that burn straight gasoline from the pump, but they also need motor oil added separately to their crankcase.
The 10W30 is a common motor oil suitable for different types of lawnmowers. The best way to determine the oil for your lawnmower is to check the manual or contact the manufacturer.
You can also use any oil brand that you would use in cars and trucks. Quality oil will also have a service rating, in addition to the rating one. Choose oils that have designations SF, SG, SH, or SJ.
Synthetic oil, an artificial lubricant made of chemical compounds designed to optimize the performance and protection of the engine, may help prolong the lawn mower’s lifespan.
Other lawnmowers have two-stroke engines. They need oil differently from the four-stroke ones. They burn gasoline and oil simultaneously. For this engine, the oil is mixed with gasoline prior to being poured into the tank.
The ratios for the mix vary but usually range from 30:1 to 50:1. It’s best to look this up in the lawnmower manual.
Final Thoughts
“Do push mowers have oil filters?” is a common concern among gardeners because there are models with oil filters and models without them.
The oil filter filters out the oil and thus protects the engine. Considering the amount of dust and other particles that pass through it, it’s pivotal to replace it regularly to ensure maximum protection of the engine and the whole machine.
If the oil filter is not present, oil replacements are recommended to be done more frequently. Replacing the filter with a new one is easy to learn and takes only several minutes of your day, as does the oil change.
With proper and timely maintenance, you prolong your lawn mower’s lifespan and boost its performance!