Safeway in Swindon are selling 5Ltrs of GTX for £9.99. Not alot left.
It is classified as 15/40 SJ A2B2.
It does not state whether it is a mineral oil or semi synthetic on the container.
What do the backroomers think?
Thanks
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It's mineral. Absolutely fine for older cars, say, pre 1990 - it's what I use for topping up. I wouldn't put it in anything that recommends a thinner oil though, which will be pretty much anything with a multivalve engine, although even some newer cars without will be designed to run on thinner, more modern oils.
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Have often seen this debate whether supermarket home brand as good as eg castrol etc.
I've always figured that changing with cheaper oil every 3000 miles is better than changing with a 'good' oil every 6000.
Obviously has to be right one though. I was in a motor shop (a particularly cheap and cheery one, the £4.99 wheel trim kind of place) the other day and someone came in and asked for their cheapest oil. Didn't say what car, wasn't asked. Left with 20W50. That's the same as my petrol lawnmower, and I dread to wonder what that might do to the wrong car. In fact, what car does take 20W50, all old ones I've seen are 10W40 (typically)...
Thought of the day: I can keep my car going but struggle with my one cylinder lawnmower...guess I'm just a complex guy
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Wilko in Swindon are doing the same deal. Bought some for the bike as it's about time the oil was changed in it.
ps, moved over to discussion DD
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Also Wilko in Hounslow on Wed. Probably available in all branches
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Hi Gen,
Check in your manual for the complex mower, most mowers use a monograde oil like SAE 30 or 40 A 20/50 is a bit thin then hot.
Regards Peter
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Peter D
No!
A 20/50 is a multi grade oil. It thins when hot, but not to the same extent as a monograde. It has a cold viscosity of an SAE 20 oil and the hot viscosity of an SAE 50 oil. So, it's thinner at start up, but more viscous at operating temperature than either a 'straight' SAE30 or SAE40.
It would work a treat in a mower.
Regards
John S
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>>It would work a treat in a mower.
My Hayter mower is 16 years old, used nothing but multigrade in the Briggs & Stratton engine since new and it's still going strong. I've also used unleaded petrol in for the past 10 years, no problems.
VD5D.
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I'm please to say that mowers do not run at the same temperature at hard working car engines and that is why the manufacturers recommend a monograde. Peter
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Peter D
On the contrary, air cooled engines tend to run at much more variable temperatures than a thermostatically controlled water cooled engines, and they can get very hot.
The recommendation for monogrades is probably based on the fact their specific power outputs are rather lower than car engines, and the technology is less advanced - no PD engines here. Also most mowers don't have to cope with really cold starts - who cuts grass when it's icy? Only a one year warranty, and limited use in that year. So, on the basis of making servicing look cheap they go for the minimum spec necessary.
Even so running the mower on a decent multigrade will at worst do harm, and at best extend its life.
Regards
John S
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>>It would work a treat in a mower. My Hayter mower is 16 years old, used nothing but multigrade in the Briggs & Stratton engine since new and it's still going strong. I've also used unleaded petrol in for the past 10 years, no problems.
VD5D
hope you were touching wood when you typed that. ;-)
In the same vein as those posts which go something like:-
Aren't tyres wonderful today, never had a puncture in............psssssssss!
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Just bought a new petrol mower (Briggs and Stratton engine) and filled it with the first oil that came to hand - a semi synth. Hope I've done the right thing, I want to get big mileage out of it!
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On the matter of oil and stationary engines I run a generator (a Robin) to run house essentials like the bedroom aircons, main lights and the motor for the deepwell water pump during the many "brown-outs" we used to get in Manila, due to typhoons, hot weather overloads, NPA guerillas chopping down pylons etc.
Nowadays most of the outages have gone away but I used to run the genset non-stop often for 2 days at a stretch. It's about 8 years old, I used Pennzoil SAE 30 from the supermarket (costs pennies) and changed it about once a year. I don't think it's even ever had a spark plug change. TGhe spare that came with it is still new anyway. Two days ago I went out to see if would still run (gas in the tank must be a year old, and the oil I couldn't tell you). Started on the second crank of the engine and ran just like always.
I guess these motors are built to run in severe conditions with little or no maintenance. Pity more cars aren't/don't!
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NOT a Robin Reliant......this is Japanese.
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F in F
Well I've had 16 years out of it, it doesn't really owe me anything. If it blows up tonight, I'll go and buy another tomorrow.
VD5D
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My mower is definitely 20W50, says so on a little metal plate on it! So many petrol mowers in this room!! I thought I was the only one, everyone else is using a electric flymower round here...
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Two mower family here, one of each, for the time being anyway
:-Þ
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