Oil Change

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Seems like quite a few guys change at 50 hours. If I do that, I will be changing it every 7- 10 days during summer. I'm thinking I will stick to what the manual says and go with 100. I will be changing it though before I run it any more and I plan on using synthetic.

If you are running it hard keep a 50 hr sample and a 100 hr one. Guarantee you'll start changing at 50.
 
If you are running it hard keep a 50 hr sample and a 100 hr one. Guarantee you'll start changing at 50.

The only small engine I have with an oil filter is on my lawn tractor.It gets its oil changed at 50 hrs. give or take a couple of hrs.The other 5 small engines get an oil change at the end of their season of use.I don't like them to sit dormant for several months with contaminated oil in them.None of them will have even 20 hrs. use when they are put up.
 
It's amazing the longevity you can get out of some of these motors with fresh oil and filters. You typically see less quantities on many pieces of newer equipment than the old. Why it is so imperative to keep fresh oil in them. Also metal is much softer today and breaks down faster.

Old equipment was a different breed. Some of those old Yamaha 4 wheelers that held 3.5 -4.0 quarts but were 250 or less CC's ran for ever. I rebuilt a top end on a 85' 225 once where the owner was a dairy farmer and had never changed the filter. It went through 5 kids, multiple grand kids, and was used every day. The filter finally plugged and took out the cam and valves. Only had to bore it .25 over to get factory tolerance. He changed oil frequently but never replaced a filter. If the filter would have been cardboard instead of metal it might have given away and we would have probably never saw the machine.
 
If you are running it hard keep a 50 hr sample and a 100 hr one. Guarantee you'll start changing at 50.
I will do a comparison like you mention for my own knowledge and go from there.
Not sure what running them hard as you put it means though. Every small engine I own runs full throttle when I'm using it.
 
I will do a comparison like you mention for my own knowledge and go from there.
Not sure what running them hard as you put it means though. Every small engine I own runs full throttle when I'm using it.

That's running 'er hard :)
 
Every small engine I own runs full throttle when I'm using it.
I thought small air cooled engines actually cool better at 3,000-3,600 rpm.
I had an twenty year old 18 hp chipper, and our son has a three year old 10 hp snow blower, that do not have throttles. Wide open or off.
Our quad is a 2005 Polaris 330 Magnum with a Subaru Robins that runs 4,500 to 5,000+ rpm regularly. It is oil cooled/air cooled.
The 20 hp twin cylinder Honda jrider has is 'forced lubrication' with a filter, vs splashed lubrication on most smaller engines. I ran my TW-6 full throttle after a short warm up each time.

Most heavy equipment that is hydraulic, have manual throttles to keep the revs up and pumps functioning at necessary flows, excavators, cranes, etc. including my piggyback forklift. It has a 60 hp Kubota that just runs hydraulic pumps.

As for 'dregs' many drain plugs are magnetic, and frequent oil changes should cover the rest if you change oil after use when the oil is freshly circulated and warm. There is still oil in the pump, and in our Polaris quad, there is probably quite a bit in the oil cooler as well.
 
Anyone know what filter to get? I'm running some errands this afternoon but wasn't able to get the old filter off because I didn't have an oil wrench small enough. I can't find that info in the Honda manual. Just trying to save myself a trip.
 
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