Would you like to know if Toro mowers come with oil and what type it uses? Well, we have researched this topic and have answers for you. It's vital to understand if Toro mowers come with oil and what kind of oil they use to know whether to purchase some before use.
Toro mowers come with oil, and they use four-stroke engine oil. When you purchase a new Toro lawnmower, a bottle of four-stroke engine oil will be included to prepare the mower for its first use.
In this article, we will talk more about whether Toro mowers come with oil and what type they use. We will also learn the answers to other related questions such as can you use 10W-30 oil in Toro mowers and is synthetic oil better for Toro mowers? Keep reading to learn more.
![Toro Titan zero turn lawn mower with bagger attached in yard of grass - Do Toro Mowers Come With Oil [And What Type Does It Use]](https://gardentabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Toro-Titan-zero-turn-lawn-mower-with-bagger-attached-in-yard-of-grass-Do-Toro-Mowers-Come-With-Oil-And-What-Type-D.png)
Do Toro Mowers Come With Oil? [And What Type Does It Use?]
When you purchase a new Toro mower, it will come with an 18-ounce bottle of four-cycle engine oil. This is the exact amount to fill the oil tank to its fullest without overfilling it. If the oil tank is overfilled, it can flood the engine and make it difficult to start.
The kind of oil a Toro mower uses is called four-cycle engine oil. It's called four-cycle engine oil because it's formulated especially for four-cycle engines with pistons that have four strokes per cycle.
Any four-cycle engine oil will work in all Toro mowers if you pick up a spare bottle.
Can You Use 10W-30 Oil In Toro Mowers?
You can use 10W-30 oil in Toro mowers because it's the same as four-cycle engine oil. The names can be confusing, but four-cycle engine oil is just the marketing name for 10W-30 oil sold for four-cycle engines. And the name lets you know that it can be used in four-cycle engines.
The name 10W-30 measures the oil's viscosity at different extreme temperatures. Oil with a rating of 10W-30 is acceptable for use in Toro mowers. So you can use the same 10w-30 oil for your car in your Toro mower.
Is Synthetic Oil Better For Toro Mowers?
Synthetic oil is not better for Toro mowers. There are a few benefits to using synthetic oil, but they don't benefit a Toro mower.
One of the main reasons to choose synthetic oil is to reduce wear to your engine. Synthetic lubricants can withstand higher temperatures and better keep parts adequately lubricated.
The benefits of synthetic oil work great for high-performance engines where slight differences in engine performance make noticeable differences in vehicle performance.
However, the same benefits don't apply to Toro Mowers since minor differences in engine performance don't make noticeable differences in mowing performance.
Another benefit to using synthetic oil over conventional is that it lasts longer before breaking down. While that can be very useful for a vehicle, a Toro mower can handle less-than-perfect oil and still function well. Toro mower engines are much less sensitive than car engines.
Is Conventional Oil Bad For Toro Mowers?
Conventional oil isn't bad for Toro mowers. In a car, it's often best to opt for synthetic oil to improve the life of your engine; a Toro engine will run as long with conventional oil as with synthetic.
Part of why a Toro mower can handle conventional oil without getting the same wear a car would is because the conditions in a Toro mower's engine are much less intense than in a car's engine. The harsher conditions in a car's combustion chamber are why it gets gunked up with conventional oil and Toro mowers don't.
Can You Run A Toro Mower Without Oil?
You can't run a Toro mower without oil. A Toro engine uses oil to lubricate moving parts and keep them from overheating. If the engine overheats, metal parts can start to warp and lock up the engine.
If your Toro mower locks up from engine damage caused by running it without oil, you may not be able to fix it. Often the pistons or crankshaft will become deformed, and the engine won't run again without serious repairs.
If it isn't the first time you've run the mower and it has had oil before, it will be more tolerable to run without oil. If the mower runs low on oil, it will still have some in its internal moving parts. If you finish working or get more oil before the engine overheats, your mower won't lock up.
If you don't have more oil but are close to finishing the job, it may be acceptable to run the Toro mower without oil momentarily as long as you look for signs of overheating and stop if you detect any.
Signs Of Overheating
One common sign that your Toro mower may be overheating is it producing smoke. When the engine gets hotter, it will produce smoke, as oil begins to burn as it overheats.
The engine may also start making loud clicks or bangs. This is the sound of metal components in the engine being damaged. If you hear any of these sounds, stop the engine immediately.
How Do You A Fix Toro's Engine Oil Being Too Cold To Start?
To fix a Toro's engine oil being too cold to start, you will need to heat it. As the oil warms, it will become more viscous, and the engine will run. The best way to warm a Toro's engine oil is to have the engine turn over a few times.
Each time the engine completes a cycle, it heats the oil and makes it easier to flow and lubricate the engine. One solution is to set the engine to choke and pull the cord a few times, which will allow a higher ratio of fuel to be combusted.
Next, turn the engine off choke, and pull the cord a few times. The engine should turn over once or twice and then die. Each time you complete one of these cycles of pulling the cord with and without the choke on, the oil will heat, and the engine will be easier to start.
If you find after several attempts that the oil won't heat enough to allow the engine to start, then you can try using ether starter fluid. In the same way that choking the engine increases the fuel ratio and enables the engine to turn over, ether starter fluid is highly combustible and can help turn over the engine.
How To Use Ether Starter Fluid
Remove the plastic cover over the air filter to use ether starter fluid. You will want to spray a one- to two-second long spray onto the air filter. Now make sure that the choke isn't on, and pull the cord. Your engine should fire up aggressively and then quickly die.
If the engine oil becomes warmer, then the engine will stay on. If the oil is still too thick, then the engine will run a few cycles while it burns off the ether and then stop.
You should reapply the ether starter fluid if the engine doesn't start with a few cord pulls. Each time you reapply the ether and pull the cord, the engine should complete a few cycles and heat the oil, making the next start easier. After a few cycles, your Toro mower should start without any ether.
If it is freezing and you are still struggling to start your mower, you can try one more thing. Remove the air filter, and spray a continuous three- to five-second spray into the air intake while someone is pulling on the start cord. A large amount of ether should be enough to force even the coldest engine to turn over.
If you want to try ether starting fluid, here are two of the best products on Amazon.
Penray High Ether Starting Fluid
You can find this product here on Amazon.
Johnsen's Starting Fluid
You can find this product here on Amazon.
The Toro Still Won't Start
If your Toro mower still doesn't start, there are two likely problems. First, you may have flooded the mower with too much ether or gasoline. If you flooded the engine with too much ether, then you will need to wait three to five minutes for enough to evaporate for you to try again.
If you flood the engine with gasoline, you will need to wait 10 to 20 minutes for enough to evaporate to start the mower again. The excess fuel will evaporate faster if you remove the air filter.
You may also have a failed spark plug. Sometimes if you remove the spark plug and scratch the end with a piece of metal, you can make a new connection point and make it work again. If all else fails, you can try replacing the spark plug.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we learned Toro mowers come with a bottle of four-cycle engine oil to get them started. We also learned that synthetic oil will benefit a car's engine but doesn't improve a Toro mower's engine performance. Remember, if your Toro's engine oil is too cold to start, try ether starter fluid.
We hope you enjoyed this article. If you want to learn more, check out some of these other posts: