Briggs and Stratton E300 Engine

[Mudfoot]

My old push mower was just getting to hard to push. I noticed a little 20" push mower at our local hardware. The brand name is Senix. I noticed it had a Briggs and Stratton E300 engine on it. The mowers are made in Mexico and China. I'm not even sure if Briggs still make engines in the USA or not.

Anyway, I was looking thru the manual. It said the engine requires no oil changes, just check level and add, if low. I'm like, whaaaaaa? I'm familiar with John Deere's goofball prefilled oil filters that only changes out maybe 80% of dirty oil.

I kept on reading. They claim oil changes aren't necessary because of tighter tolerances and advances sealed air filtration. The filter is just an ordinary foam block that's oil soaked.

Anyone have an E300? I'm still gonna change the oil. For being a little 125cc motor, it has decent torque.

 

[brandon7861]

Oil does break down because of contamination, but it also breaks down because of heat, friction and oxidation. The laws of physics have not changed, and I'd be very careful buying things from a company that claims otherwise. We live in a disposable world now.

Light bulb manufacturers used to get fined if their bulbs lasted too long. Auto manufacturers used to offer mud flaps as standard features until they realized not having them lets the rocks beat the paint off the rocker panels and accelerates under-body rusting. Push mowers simply last too long.

Change the oil once a season. If you are in the lawncare business, do it every 200 hours.

 

[Mudfoot]

I aways baby my equipment. I was just surprised a cheap little mower with Briggs would make such a claim. I paid $159 for it. I plan on making it last.

 

[nomadradio]

It says "No need to change the oil".

Translation: "Please blow it up soon and come back to buy another one. Soon."

73

 

[FlyBoy50]

I kept on reading. They claim oil changes aren't necessary because of tighter tolerances and advances sealed air filtration. The filter is just an ordinary foam block that's oil soaked.

Craziness is getting worse. I bought a little 20" push mower a few years ago for the same reason as you did and it had a Briggs engine on it. Well it was the worse running Briggs I ever had and had to modify to make it run steady. But the next year when I went to change the oil I noticed they did away with the oil drain plug so you had to run it out of gas to turn it over to drain the oil out the same way you put it in. The mower deck must be stamped from junk steel because it already needs patching. Let the Buyer Beware these days ! Gone are the good old days. The earth will be one big Junk Yard.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I honestly do not remember ever having changed the oil in my push mower. It just gets used to get in tight areas where the ride-on can't get. I am on only my second push mower in 35 years. The first one lasted for almost 30 years before it just simply shook itself to death over time eventually losing wheels and even the motor came off the deck one time. It was a POS anyway. I have a Honda push mower now. I should probably change the oil in it in a few weeks when I do the generator.

 

[FlyBoy50]

I also mow as much as I can with my riding mower but live on a half acre and mow about half of that or more with enough twists and turns to require a small push mower and weed trimmers and hand clippers. My younger neighbor across the street wants my property and more land and I told him Mowing lawn just cost a lot of money. I watched my EX- father in law keep expanding his lawn until it took him 2 days to completely mow and trim his lawn alone once his kids left home. Yes it looks nice but Show Me the Money ! LOL

 

[Mudfoot]

I also mow as much as I can with my riding mower but live on a half acre and mow about half of that with enough twists and turns to require a small push mower and weed trimmers and hand clippers. My younger neighbor across the street wants my property and more land and I told him Mowing lawn just cost a lot of money. I watched my EX- father in law keep expanding his lawn until it took him 2 days to completely mow and trim his lawn alone once his kids left home. Yes it looks nice but Show Me the Money ! LOL

 

[Mudfoot]

It says "No need to change the oil".

Translation: "Please blow it up soon and come back to buy another one. Soon."

73

I actually think that what they want to happen. Kids today aren't getting skills passed down.

 

[Mudfoot]

I also mow as much as I can with my riding mower but live on a half acre and mow about half of that or more with enough twists and turns to require a small push mower and weed trimmers and hand clippers. My younger neighbor across the street wants my property and more land and I told him Mowing lawn just cost a lot of money. I watched my EX- father in law keep expanding his lawn until it took him 2 days to completely mow and trim his lawn alone once his kids left home. Yes it looks nice but Show Me the Money ! LOL

 

[Mudfoot]

I honestly do not remember ever having changed the oil in my push mower. It just gets used to get in tight areas where the ride-on can't get. I am on only my second push mower in 35 years. The first one lasted for almost 30 years before it just simply shook itself to death over time eventually losing wheels and even the motor came off the deck one time. It was a POS anyway. I have a Honda push mower now. I should probably change the oil in it in a few weeks when I do the generator.

 

[Mudfoot]

I honestly do not remember ever having changed the oil in my push mower.

My friend was just telling me the same thing last week. Has and old Honda and never changed the oil since he bought it. I gave him a 20oz bottle of Briggs oil. He said that oil was thick and blaaaaack when he changed it. It's still running without smoking, lol.

 

[Mudfoot]

I noticed they did away with the oil drain plug

I ended up buying a couple oil extractors. I have a large one for my car and a small 500cc extractor for small engines. They work excellent. I vacuumed all the oil I could get out of my Chevy Cruze. When I removed the oil drain plug, barely anything came out.

Since my oil filter is on top of my block, I no longer have to ramp up my car and crawl under it.

The one for small engines is just as efficient. No more tipping over making messes.

 

[FlyBoy50]

I ended up buying a couple oil extractors. I have a large one for my car and a small 500cc extractor for small engines. They work excellent. I vacuumed all the oil I could get out of my Chevy Cruze. When I removed the oil drain plug, barely anything came out.

Since my oil filter is on top of my block, I no longer have to ramp up my car and crawl under it.

The one for small engines is just as efficient. No more tipping over making messes.

That sounds like a good idea I'll have to try. Crawling around at almost 75 YO isn't like it use to be. I just spent 2-3 hrs. out doing yard work and the old joints are talking to me. LOL

 

[Mudfoot]

The extractors I use work very well. The larger one I have can be attached to an air compressor for increased vacuum. They come with different sizes of plastic hoses. Sometimes, you have to be careful inserting into the dipstick. I had one that started to bind up. Almost acted like it didn't want to pull back out. That was on an old Ford Ranger. Smaller tube fit right in.

eBay and Amazon have lots of models to choose from. I just went with the ones that had the best reviews. I find them especially hand for all my small engines. My large one will bleed and flush brake lines, too.