the older fella that i learned from said the same thing.
i was working on a weed-eater with his help (Years ago)
and didn't have any mixed fuel he said oil is oil and I
have used his suggestion ever since/no damage so far and
that was 20 years ago. I was told by (A LAWNBOY DEALER)
to only use "ashless oil" explain that one to me :)

Well, I've heard it all now.

For a very short time in the mid 80's I worked for a LB dealer. Have had virtually no experience with them since and maybe the newer engines were built different.

What I found with them at the time simply amazed me. Those things out of the box were the sloppiest (tolerance wise) engines I have every seen. Crank main bearings would have been considered shot, worn out if it were a Briggs. Yet they seemed to last forever, folks had old ones that swore by them.

My reasoning came to be they were built to run sloppy and thus when they got worn they didn't mind a bit. If my reasoning is correct, perhaps it wouldn't make any difference on oil used, at least on those older engines. All 2 strokes used to use standard motor oil prior to the development of proper 2 stroke oil.

If changed at proper intervals, 4 stroke car engine oil is not really used up as a lubricant. With proper oil filter it will have little or no grit in it. It will have some disolved contaminants but those contaminants aren't going to be sitting in a crankcase.

Would I risk it, no way but that's not to say it wouldn't be OK. However if those folks trying to save a buck were to try using used motor oil in a modern emission 2 stroke, I have no doubt they would suffer an early failure.

Saxman1, keep listening you will hear more that may amaze you, there are all kinds of folks out there, doing all kinds of things to engines. Properly filtered you could use "used motor oil" as a two cycle oil, back in the bad old days two cycle oil was nothing more than 30w oil with no additives. You could say that oil is oil back then. Today a lot of used oil is burned in shop heaters and mixed with diesel fuel and burned in construction equipment. However, I don't know why anyone would risk using used motor oil when most folks don't use enough two stroke oil a year to worry about the cost of it. Before I'd use used oil, I'd buy that cheap Walmart tcw3 two cycle oil at $6-$7 a gallon and use it. Sounds like someones beer budget is in decline to me.
Ashless oil is describing the additive package used in the formulation of the oil. It has to do with the detergents and how they work to clean the internal deposits of the engine. Normaly the ashless oils are for Boats and are rated tcw3 and the low ash oils are for air cooled engines that operate at higher temps and RPM's , Lawnboy recomends tcw3 rated oils for their constant speed engines, even though they are air cooled. However I use Mobil One Racing 2t fully synthetic oil which is low ash and having gone through 16 gallons at 32 to 1 in my Lawn-Boy Duraforce this year I can say it burns really clean, no problems.

Let me clarify myself i don't use "Used Oil" i just don't
bother buying the two stoke oil because it stinks and i always have 30wt laying around. so if that makes me lazy
so be it BTW i've been sober 16 years :)

Used motor oil? You mean the carcinogenic stuff? Somebody purpsoefully adds cancer causing chemicals to the exhaust of their lawn mower?

Doesn't sound like a good idea at all.

JerryG_nj

'Used motor oil? You mean the carcinogenic stuff? Somebody purpsoefully adds cancer causing chemicals to the exhaust of their lawn mower?'

This was what I was thinking would be the main concern.

Nevada; Surely you know that roller bearings on LB rods, wristpins and cranks must have clearance for proper operation and would therefore seem loose by comparison to the sleeve bearings on a 4-cycle.

Even using new unused 30w 4 cycle oil in your two stroke would be considered abuse, you wouldn't use cooking oil in your car or truck because you "always have it laying around" would you. There are lots of inexpensive two cycle oils on the market if you don't want to spend your hard earned dollars or the premium stuff. To make it smell better I have mixed in a few drops of candle making scent, your choice of flavor. Congratulations on being sober for 16 years!

Hello my name is Owen I'm a jr small engine mechanic. I was wondering if I can put canola oil in a 2 stroke lawnboy lawnmower instead of 2 cycle oil additive?

No , only Virgin Olive Oil Jr .

Early on, (1950s) LawnBoy specified 30wt motor oil at a 16-1 ratio. They must have done double duty as mosquito foggers.

Even if it "works" at 32-1 it's going to smoke like hell and stink. He's got to be less than honest about that. I suspect the muffler and exhaust ports need cleaning often.

Canola might work, but I wouldn't risk it. Castor bean oil has long been used as a 2 stroke oil. I sometimes run a little bit of it, just for the odor.

"Nevada; Surely you know that roller bearings on LB rods, wristpins and cranks must have clearance for proper operation and would therefore seem loose by comparison to the sleeve bearings on a 4-cycle."

Actually needle bearings but correct on clearance and comparisons. I used 30 wt motor oil years ago but carboned up regularly. It did not smoke excessively nor stink. I would never use used motor oil with all its' contaminates.

Walt Conner

"I used 30 wt motor oil years ago but carboned up regularly. It did not smoke excessively nor stink."

Interesting, Walt. So I had it part right. Seems to me the key is providing sufficient lubrication and no more. It might seem to be a good idea to "add a little more oil" to the mix, but I'm not too sure about that. Excessive carbon build up will soon sieze rings with sludge and score cylinders. This can probably result from too much oil in the mix, as well as excessively rich fuel mixtures?

And I thought I was being bold using old motor oil as bar oil in my chainsaw when I was out of bar oil.

Omc was originally marine grade oil used exclusively in lawnboy mowers due to ashless requirements . This would reduce excessive carbon build up and ash deposit hot spots on the piston crown , which would detonate the piston surface over time . heavier mix rates were necessary due to loose tolerance back in that era . They were bullet proof when maintained properly . Also yes back in the 50,s saw 30 oil was used in Mix for 2-strokes , also as chain lube .

I run a small lawn mowing and snow removal buisness and i filter the waste oil from my mower and i mix it with the gas and use it as 2 stroke oil in my string trimmer and blower

Used motor oil use in any modern 2 or 4 cycle is a poor practice . Today's engines run at higher rpms & temperatures then old used oil can provide protection against . Used oil has gone through numerous heat cycles which reduces it viscosity along with added corrosive byproducts of combustion it contains will damage internal engine components in storage long term .