Never Change The Oil? How Does That Work? 

I now know why the "engineers" get the big bucks. I could never construct that creative load of bravo sierra.

One of my only absolute truths is "change your oil". I'm glad my Dad didn't see this. ;) Briggs and Scrattons must have been lasting too long. "Hey lets come up with a new 'never change your oil concept' so we can get these engines to wear out and sell them new ones". I've got a Toro recycler with a Briggs 6HP I bought about 20 years ago that still starts first or second pull even after sitting all winter. I change the oil in the spring every year. Runs like a clock and doesn't burn oil. Change your oil! lol

I've got a mower that never needs an oil change, just add oil to it. It was made back in 1979, its called a Lawn Boy. Starts on the second pull and cuts like a dream. A true high point in American engineering with its high quality materials and construction, not to mention an engine that seems to last forever. I also have a 1956 model, i kid you not it starts on the first pull every single time.

Oil change is cheap insurance for a longer life.

Why not run it half out of oil and then you can do a half-ass oil change.

I bought a Briggs & Stratton flathead this year. I bought it used from a lawn mower dealer. It is the last lawn mower I'll ever buy because I'm old now. To commemorate the occasion, I bought the kind I like. It gets well treated. I clean all the grass off the bottom so it doesn't rust. I paint underneath. This fall, I'm going to run it out of gas and while it's still warm, change the oil. Not only will it outlive me, but the next two owners as well. That's the plan.

One thing that often gets missed: the EPA demands manufacturers provide a projected lifespan for small engines. This is to get an estimate of how much carbon it will emit over its lifespan. This gives manufacturers an “out” for building the entire unit to last only the projected lifespan. This “never change the oil” works within the parameters set by the EPA, but not if you’re expecting an indefinite useful life from your mower.

I have a "Caldor" 20" mower that I bought in 1988. It has a Briggs flatheat engine. It still runs perfect. I keep the air filter clean and oiled, the spark plug changed,the blades sharp, and I change the oil every couple of years... I just had to replace the throttle cable. The deck cracked a few years back and my friend Frank welded it for me. I like the pollutants....

I'm a techie and I don't call that an "L" head. I have called people that though.

Most people gum up there carburetors and throw the mowers away before they need there 1st oil change.

My grandfather who was a farmer never changed oil in his small engines. His theory was the same as what you read------adding oil when it is low is just like changing the oil over time. NOT. It wasn't until I became older (teens) and appreciated the wisdom of changing oil from a mechanic neighbor. Ever since I have been an oil change fanatic in all me internal combustion engines. I am 70 years old and have never had an engine seize up or blow up in all those years. I believe in regular oil changes and I'll bet you do to even if you don't say so in this video.

They ran them for 600 hours under "laboratory" conditions. Which mean 70 degrees F, under no load, and clean air. In the real world the oil would last 1/4th of that time. I frequently cut grass when the air temp is over 90 F and in dusty air conditions in deep grass.

I've been not changing the oil in my push mower for a decade. I I think Briggs should compensate me monetarily for stealing my idea.

I am not a fan of these engines. There are a lot of cost cutting. A lot more plastic, plastic gears and inside the engine, the junky plastic carburetors, the flimsy plastic air filter housing that holds on the carburetor is attached to a dinky piece of sheet metal, and a design flaw with the auto choke rubbing against the sheet metal that somehow holds down the carburetor. Better designed engine my ass. The Briggs quantum engines that came before it were built much better and much easier and cheaper to work on. I still have customers with those engines built in the 90s and they are still going strong. Then again they weren’t lazy and actually took care of their equipment having me service it at least once a season.

the engineers have designed a DISPOSABLE engine: use for two seasons, then toss out. They assume no gas in crank case from a stuck needle or moisture in humid climate.... what bunch of marketing crap

It doesn't even take 5 minutes. Change your oil.

"Don't hit a stunp" 🤣

I am firmly in the change oil camp. I got 17 years out of a mower I found on the curb that was already 2 years old. Cast iron cyl tecumish 3.5 hp. I left it for the people that bought my house, as it still ran.

I think they had a problem with burning the oil too fast so they fixed it, they came up with check and fill so every time you check the oil your add some and their problem is fixed. "And there's your dinner" lmfao

When I worked at deere it always amazed me how many people brought push mowers in for service. At $100/hr plus parts you'd be better off running it till it quits and buying a new one every 2-3 years.

I have serious doubts concerning the efficacy of this system. Where does the dirt eventually go? Stays in there. Then what happens? I guess we will see.

Most people will not put 200 hours on the mower over the entire life cycle of the mower. Plenty of people never change the oil, and the decks rot out before the engine blows. Ethanol fuel kills the carbs long before the engine oil ever does. Unfortunately, we have become a throw away nation. This is the new normal. No point in maintaining it, just make it cheaper to replace. However, those that do take care of it will reap the benefits of longer life from these, just as they did back in the day. The only real flaw I see in this sytem is they do not deal with accumulated moisture in the engine. Yes, running it hot and long enough will boil off the moisture, but you still have sub par lubrication during that cycle of getting it up to temp and running it long enough. Good to see these are still being built in the USA though!

Awesome video, I kinda have a hard time believing the No Oil change system will make the engine last. Think about it folks dirty oil acts like sandpaper.

Love this channel thank you so much for everything you do! I also have this Mower and have had it for 5 years. it runs great and does a great job but the never change oil feature really seemed weird to me as for after the break-in oil had so much metal flake in it I was very uncomfortable with proceeding without changing. because there's no drain plug I've got to tip it upside down to drain it or use a vacuum pump. I usually cut under 5 acres worth of grass a year with it. I keep the mower VERY clean and I even did a deck discharge modification by shaving off a little extra on the hole in order to prevent buildup keepS the grass flowing and blowing something I learned from another person. It works really well and I can cut Tall Grass without slowing. After that modification the Mulcher plug doesn't work so I drilled holes in order to put in a metal shield if I want to use the bagger or mulcher. My mower still looks new because I take care of my stuff. There's no way I'd ever run a mower without changing the oil. The concentration of metal flake and build up with just add feature just seems ridiculous and a set up for failure no matter how the tests are performed in a lab. After the break-in oil look like somebody dumped a bottle of glitter in. I change my oil every year before I put it away for the winter. My mower uses zero oil. I won't let a concentration of metal flake wear my motor down where it starts using oil. Again thank you so much for all your videos you've helped me through a lot of idling hands hours of my life to fill me with knowledge😊 your comedy as well as your detailed explanation and walkthroughs far surpass many channels.❤ I show my father your channel now he wants to become a grass rat too😂 much love and respect for how hard you work to produce content

All of my lawn equipment engines get their oil changed for every mowing season, just like my snowblower gets an oil change before winter. Doing this has prevented my engines from burning oil and they stay nice and clean inside. I check the oil all season long and it’s extremely rare for me to add oil during the season. My opinion of not changing the oil on ANY internal combustion engine running on gasoline is a recipe for disaster. These little engines don’t hold a lot of oil to begin with and they most definitely need regular oil changes. I think Briggs and Scrapple came out with the never change oil nonsense to compete with the battery powered lawn equipment craze. Think about it everyone.

The no-change-um oil system seems perfectly reasonable. In my inventory of small engines, most were pulled off the curb. But everything pulled off the curb, the reason for it being there was something *other* than the motor being broken. Broken wheels, broken self-propel, broken trimmer shaft, line dispense, throttle/safety cables, etc. Frankly, even with this new system, the engine will still be better than the rest of the mower around it. Looking at Taryl's example, there is a paper-thin deck, spindly wheels, and cheap-ass cables. Guaranteed the engine will outlast the rest of that pile of garbage.

Thanks for the detailed information, Taryl! I got a Toro with one of these engines from a Dealer, not an "orange" or "blue" big box store, in 2017 and was wary of this "Just Check & Add" business. The woman who owned the place explained this "theory" to some extent but recommended, if this was the most money I could afford and I needed to keep the mower for awhile, to go ahead and change the oil after the first 5 hours, then every Fall, along with cleaning the mower and changing the air filter and at least checking and cleaning the spark plug, if not replacing it every year (a Canadian channel I watch, the guy LOVES cleaning spark plugs and using them again). Have to say, I'm kind of excited to see how long I can get this mower to last, with all the negative Comments people make about, not only the "Check & Add" thing, but the plastic carburetors. I understand plastic gearing inside is bad (and, from the research I've done, seems to only be in engines on Toros sold through the "Orange" and "Blue" places, along with other "cost-cutting features!") but I don't get why folks are so upset about a plastic carb. I also run the gas out every Fall and unscrew the drain plug to let any extra drops of gas evaporate and I've not had a problem . . . yet.

I was nearly rolling on the floor ,one of the funniest skits ever( great explanation too)

So debris never get removed from the engine...sounds good to me!

I love the old L Head ( flat head engine,s ) I've seen the no change oil system thank you taryl for your help with this matter

Love these videos. Got some interesting information and a huge dose of comedic entertainment. Thanks!

I came here for the strait-shoot from Grass Rats crew after beginning service on a mower purchased late last year. You do not disappoint. The "Never change your oil" sticker was not something I noticed until just today when looking for a drain plug. This sticker does not jibe with the amount of silver I am seeing on the dipstick. Granted this is still the break-in period for the motor at about 5.5 hours of run time but leaving that glitter in the engine seems not like a great idea. Briggs used to call for an oil change after 5 hours break-in. I might send the oil out for analysis, not sure yet. Depends on the cost of the test since the engine is being run regardless until it blows up or fails to start reliably. Well, on the plus side these do start nice with a single easy pull even after sitting for the winter.

A "little" dribble on the bowl for a touch of realism . Props to the one who thinks of everything 🤣

My sister found a self propelled push mower on the side of the road that was seemingly in like new condition(no rust) and she asked me why oil would be all over the top of the deck, I told her to look for a hole in the side of the block and sure enough there was, when I looked at it, the oil that was still in it, was jet black, complete with lots of glitter. I noticed it had that "just check and add" on it, so I pulled an engine off a self propelled mower with a rotted out deck and replaced the blown engine with it and she still has that mower 2 years later..... I don't like that just check and add, as far as I know air cooled engines almost always run hotter than water cooled engines, the oil in a car engine needs to be changed periodically regardless of the oil filter, cooler operating temp and better engine clearences, now imagine a push mower engine that runs hotter, does NOT filter it's oil and has lower quality parts.......

OMGosh, this one is hilarious, my favorite,” chip owes and Popo’s”!!!😂❤😅😊

I don't know how I missed this one but very funny. Grass sandwich. Thanks for explaining that concept, I never would have guessed.

The old flat heads can run alot cleaner and effecient just with a simple port job, and they have much more power no longer wanting to stall in longer grass, done it to four mowers for fun never ceases to amaze me how much better they run.

We need an "Uncle Andy Goes to the Chiropractor" episode. : ) Thumbs up! The old L-head motors were great. If you canged the oil they would last for 20 years or more.

I had one of these engines brought to me with about 3 ounces of oil (mud) in the crankcase. I changed oil in it twice to clean it out. The owner never read the part about adding oil. When I looked up that part in the manual Briggs suggested changing the oil annually. Makes me wonder? Thanks for all of your great and entertaining videos.

Great vid Taryl and crew! Especially enjoyed the part about knowledge being power.

Anyone else ENJOY changing oil? It takes about 3 minutes to do. Remove fill plug and tip mower on it's side. Fill.

What I have run into, since this never change oil idea, customers read never change just add oil, the customers are adding oil every season, so they add too much, and blow the head gasket because of to much oil in crankcase, I've done 7 this season alone, briggs needs to reword it, "Only add oil when needed" check the dipstick, and when they are adding oil 3x out of 7, they added a quart.... Not Oz, I shook my head.

I've been a grass rat all my life I'm also an engineer it seems that they manufacture things to break these days not the last I also know why we change oil, those little particals floating in the old oil act like sandpaper on the internal parts. I will stick with the L or Flat head design. Very good job on the explanation on the new design. Luv your channel

I inherited a B & S Flat Head Makita mower from my Dad. It is about 12 years old and did about 45 mins work every week, for the first few years by my Dad and then by a local kid for the last few years. Dad never changed the oil, ever. He now has people mow his lawns and they have their own mower so he gave me his. I swapped the black grease in the sump for fresh oil and it still make no visible smoke, starts first pull and never misses a beat. Shows they make 'em tough.

Burrs are a big problem in the manufacturing process. Big sharp chunks then come off in the break in period. I think the first few oil changes are probably most critical.

Good enough for Bear Gryls good enough for Uncle Andy!

Theory of replacing 20% of the oil Sounds like the same theory that was applied by Briggs behind the John Deere easy change oil system. Interesting to hear the engineering "logic" behind it. Always wondered what the heck Friggs and Strap-on was thinking with this. Thanks for the explanation, Taryl!

Years ago I knew I guy that had an old Chevy that burned and leaked so much oil that he had to add oil so frequently he called it self changing. Who would have thought that one day he would become the head engineer at Briggs and Stratton!😅

If owners of these machines can't or won't do a simple oil change, it's highly doubtful that they will remove covers and shrouds to properly clean the cooling fins...

I think I’ll stick to doing regular oil changes.

Great Video and explanation as always!! While it seems crazy that many people are "intimidated" by changing the oil on a lawn mower, it's true. I've seen it 1st hand. It's a great marketing concept by Briggs, as they have probably done well selling these "no oil change" mowers to certain consumers that this appeals to. The irony is that the type of people who don't/won't change their oil, CERTAINLY will not change the air filter, and ABSOLUTELY will not change the spark plug. Not a chance. This isn't anything against Briggs. It's just good marketing on their part, to fill a demand. My neighbor buys high end gas power equipment, but has never changed the oil on any of it, he informed me a few months ago. He said he knows he is supposed to, but really didn't know how, and didn't feel comfortable doing it. He's a smart guy, too, but not with power equipment. Over a beer in my driveway, I showed him how to change the oil in his $900 snowblower, and his lawnmower. He couldn't believe how easy it was. Thanks for another awesome video!!!

My OHV Briggs mower lasted 15 years with only a single oil change just after break-in. The only reason I retired it, was the deck rusted through. The motor still ran strong.

"What's this Tuna?" "I Don't like Tuna." "I'M GOING TO STARVE!"

I tell all how to change the oil No tools needed, Change once every 40-50 hours and check the oil 2 or 3 times a season and any mower will last 20 years or more

I'm Soo glad Taryl finally made a a video explaining this.

Thanks for doing this video, and finding the information about it.

Better heatsinking would help! I have an Eager 1 Craftsman mower for like 20yrs plus. Maintained by me every year prior to use. Still going strong. Same muffler too!

This engine would have never been produced in the 90s or before. I've thought for years that the most durable outdoor power equipment was made from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s. Companies started cutting corners whether it was increased use of plastic, cheap Chinese manufacturing or just a general lack of quality in the name of increased profit and higher share prices, starting in the 1990s. Lawn Boy, Toro, Homelite and McCulloch were perfect examples of this.

Love your shows and info

Great explanation,,, thanxxx

I just siphon the oil out, couldn't be simpler.

I knew a guy that didn't believe in changing the oil in his car either. The motor blew up at 80,000 miles.

Great job as always

I wondered. Thanks for the info . Good job .

Goofs: Junior and Taryl say they're leaving for the weekend but come back the next day like it's a weekday.

Thank you for clearing this up! I always though tit was a tactic by Briggs to make the engine wear out faster so you have to buy a new mower every few years

So, in 1966 Dad bought a new 22 in. Sycamore mower from a WT Grant store. 3.5 hp Briggs, with the windup starter. I still have this and is a one or two pull start to this day. My point is that there is no substitute for changing the oil on these; is how he trained me and is what I do on all vehicles today.

I love taryls humor. It just keeps getting better and better guys!!!!!!😂 The vids......ive said it once and ill call it to the saints if necessary are INVALUABLE. If you dont know the basics you should not own equipment. Its really not that difficult to change oil. Its not messy at all with basic knowledge and an oil change pan. Just grab some cheap plastic gloves if youre all that worried. Or take it to taryl. Hell fix it. And theres your dinner hahaha. I love that line. Classic taryl. Keep em coming guys.

16:53 Yes, but did they actually mow with them or did they just run them in a control room? (no debris)

I would still change the oil in every engine, no matter what the manufacturer says.

I really wasn't prepared for how many times this video was going to make me laugh. Thanks guys really enjoyed this video :D I will also be changing the oil in my mower even though it say's it is not required.

This channel is funny af, and funny af!

The way you fix the messy part of changing oil is putting a drain plug on the bottom of deck. Had an older murray that was set up that way. Move the blade out of the way, put a Tupper ware bowl under it and drain. Clean and easy.

Will be interested in seeing how many of these mowers will be around in ten years.

Awesome video as usual Taryl...

Love these vids!!!

Ridiculous! Dumping new oil on top of old oil in an engine without any oil filtration it's like mixing dead batteries and new batteries in your TV remote. It's easy 1) remove dipstick 2) tip mower over with dipstick tube down and carburetor up and wait until all oil is empty 3) tip mower back over on all 4 wheels and refill the oil until full to manufacturer's specs. Oil change successful!

It just burns it to avoid draining it.

I always thought they basically designed these engines to burn oil as an excuse to keep adding. Any metal shavings or debris is still going to remain in the crankcase causing wear, it's not like a car that has an oil filter and a magnet to catch shavings. This week I literally just upgraded from a Briggs mower to a Honda mower... HUGE difference in quality down to the little details like a metal carb, proper paper air filter, fuel shut off, clicking gas cap, etc. Not to mention the huge increase in power cut my mowing time down and actually used less fuel doing so.

Hilarious Uncle Andy 🤣 On a serious note, I’d still feel like I needed to change the oil at least after a few hundred hours

I'm thinking this has more to do with the EPA worrying about what people do with the oil once they change it and have a bottle of used oil sitting there. Do they give people one of those cheesy stamped spark plug sockets with the rod handle to change the spark plug? How the hell are people who can't change small engine oil suppose to remove and sharpen the blade? Won't be long, in the west, that they mandate everyone have a zero water lawn anyway.

Growing up, a friend had an older Nissan 4x4 pickup, more rust than steel, couple hundred k beater. It used a quart of oil pretty much daily with him driving to work. Every 3,000 miles he would drive up onto a bank oil filter side of the engine uphill, change the oil filter, and add a little oil. When he finally parked it it had over 400k. Not a new concept I guess, lol.

Great information Taryl. Interesting.👍

Love your videos and your shop is excellent

I've been using NON ETHONAL gas in any of my engines that have a carb. on it & don't have problems

Sounds like they want to sell more lawnmowers, after all, we live in a throw away society these days.

Absolutely wild on the skit

Another masterpiece

The enginenerds make a lot of drawing board assumptions that don't hold up in the real world. One you pointed out is the cooling design failing and subsequent faster breakdown of the oil from the extra heat. Another assumption is that all of the engines will be manufactured the same. While QC is good in modern production, a guy could get an engine that joe shmoe on the assembly line forgot to blow out all the drill channels and left a bunch of shavings in the case or some critical dimensions were not met resulting in in extra metal particles in the oil. Yeah, I don't like to change oil but like so many other things, I do it anyway. I wish they would still put a drain plug at the bottom of the mower to make it easy on the people who don't give in to laziness.

Wait Wait , So you still have to replace the air filter an spark plug , an keep fins clean --- Curse You B&S , Hey I know how to reduce service time on my Mower - I can hire the neighbor kid to mow the yard 👍😜

You crack me up now stop it😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I have an echo SRM 225 it runs great for about a minute then it shuts off just like you flip the switch and about 30 seconds to a minute later it will fire right back up and run great for about 30 seconds to a minute just like you flip the switch been using it for 4 years with no issues do you think it is a coil?

Lol I personally would change the oil but I do run my engines longer than they say on a oil change I go by the color and texture of the oil not miles

How is the oil better today when there is no zinc in the oil? I call B.S.

Thanks for explaining this it's an interesting way to not change the oil.

You mentioned the engine creating fewer particles. I have changed my oil twice since I have owned it, and the oil still sparkles. I haven’t had to add any oil to it in two years. Maybe because I changed the oil at the end of each season, my engine doesn’t require a top off because my engine isn’t being worn by particles.

That’s in a controlled environment, not in the dust bowl that’s my yard run it 600 hours in my yard then run the test!

With all the trucks running all day, only the government would be concerned about a 4-5 horse lawnmower that might run for an hour once a week. Peak government efficiency. Lol

Hey Taryl, I have been watching your videos for a few years now and enjoy them very much. I have a question that I hope you can answer, I have watched your zero turn transmission vids many times over before i attempted this chore (I also watched Doublewidesix"s vids like the one where he sanded and honed down the surfaces of the trans center, motor and pump assembly). Anyhow I have a Cub Cadet rtx-s with the steering wheel and I'm having left side trans problems ( i sanded and honed the pump and motor and center assmebly) and there was very minimal groves but sanded since I had the trans out, After reinstalling trans,and purging trans. The left side is still acting up, both sides seem very strong, but when driving the left side will kind of lock up sometimes completely and sometimes just like brakes are on it and moves slowly. This happens sometimes going in a straight line and sometimes while turning, it doesn't do on a regular bases. This can happen in 20 feet or at 100 feet with no rhyme no reason.I hope you have an answer for me of what them problem may be, because other than that I about to remove trans again and start the process again. The only thing that I can think of is the center section and motor were had to get in and may the center section might have gotten scratched. Any way looking for advice. Thanks again Mark

You have helped me in the past on my John deere 345