How to tell if oil needs to be changed?

[Toller]

I just bought a used leaf blower. It is probably prudent to simply change the oil, but is there any way to tell if it actually needs it?

[Eric in North TX]

I like to taste it, you can taste the grit and grime and a faint taste of carbon if it needs changed.

[hallerb]

leaf blowers are often 2 cycle if so theres no oil to change.........

2 cycle engines are lightweight which makes them ideal for leaf blowers

[Toller]

Nope, 4 cycle.

Serious about tasting the oil?!

[Eric in North TX]

What do you think?

[Eigenvector]

Sure go ahead, the amounts of carcinogens are probably not TOO high.

It's a leafblower, change it every year at the start of the season and you should be good to go.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

How old are you?

[Doug Miller]

Who cares? You're looking at a couple bucks' worth of oil, and a few minutes of your time. Big deal. Just change it.

[lwasserm]

Yes. For about $40 you can send a sample of the oil to any of a number of oil analysis/tribology labs.

[<aemeijers]

Not that far off- if it is black, smells burnt, and you can feel grit between your finger tips, it is overdue for changing. But seriously, better to just change it on a schedule based on run hours, &#39;X&#39; tanks of gas, whatever. For typical home owner use where it just sits 11 months a year, change it at the start of every leaf season. People that use them for a living probably change it monthly when used, and (more importantly) check the level at the start of each shift. If a seal goes, or it was upside down in the truck, it is not hard to smoke the engine and seize it up, which throws off the schedule for the day running out to buy a replacement.

aem sends...

[GWB]

Sounded like a troll to me too, but there really are 4 cycle leaf blowers. John Deere makes one.

If this was a real question, the answer is: Change the damn oil.

[George E. Cawthon]

I assume this is a leaf blower that is mounted on wheels since you say it is a 4 cycle. Can&#39;t imagine holding a 4 cycle leaf blower.

To answer the question. No, there is no way. Most 4 cycle engines should have the oil changed every 25 hours. Most people do it more often, like 2 times a year, certainly you need to change it every year. Change at the end of the use season so that you have new oil sitting in in over the nonuse period.

Most small 4 cycle engines use less than 1 quart and you can buy oil on sale for less $1 or less. Change the oil the first opportunity you get, change it at the beginning of winter.

[George E. Cawthon]

Nope, change it at the end of the season so that it has new oil in it over the winter.

[Toller]

Well, I wouldn&#39;t do it, but have seen people do stranger things than that.

[George E. Cawthon]

Nope even if you buy at high retail it is well under $2. Most small engines use about 1/2-3/4 quart of oil and national brands on sale are less than $1. Course you have to spend 32 cents for a stamp and wait 4-5 weeks to get you rebate check, but where else do you make $5 for 10 minutes easy work (case of oil).

[Todd H.]

A 4-cycle lawn engine should have its oil changed annually. Gas sould be run out of them before winter.

-- Todd H.

[m Ransley]

Why ask, put in Mobil 1 a superior oil that will get you the most life out of that thing. Im sure there is no oil filter, its run in a dust damaging invironment, so how can you overdo it.

[Stormin Mormon]

And use good brand of oil. Cheap oil doesn&#39;t work in air cooled engines. My personal favorite is Castrol. In my last truck, it was the only brand that quieted my piston rod knock for more than two days after an oil change.