Oil For Portable Generator

Synthetic is not necessary, but works out well. I run Rotella T6 5W-40 in my truck, 5 - 6 different generators and my four wheeler. It's the only oil I've found to be compatible with everything that also has the necessary additives for wet clutch packs on the four wheeler. I only have to buy, carry and use one type of oil and everything is running happy.

Wal-Mart is $6 - $10 cheaper up here on Rotella than any of the automotive houses. And check Rotella's web site, several times a year, they'll rebate you $5 per gallon. Can't beat that.

Bill

Yes, pretty much sure folks are using synthetic in their gensets. I use what the mfg. calls for (usually dino) because I tend to change oil in my equipment with more frequency than most and don't want to drain money away. I think, more importantly, is that a guy keep correct oil levels, especially when operating for long lengths of time.

About a week after a big storm pulls through my area and knocks out power for thousands, the Home Depot near me has a collection of nearly new generators with seized engines. Home owners run them for days without checking oil and they can't endure the abuse.

I run plain dinosaur oil in my Honda. I change the oil every season or two, or when I feel like it.

I wouldn't use synthetic oil in a gen set. Its just a waste of money regardless of how little oil the gen requires. Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

I don't see the point in using Syn oil in my EU2000, I just use Castrol or any major brand on sale in the proper weight. Using Syn is fine if you are so inclined.

According to a representative from Onan, generators die from lack of use, not from wear. Consequently, oil is probably less important than exercising it every couple of weeks for an hour or so, with a load applied.

FWIW, I use 10W-30 standard motor oil in all the generators I've ever owned. Zero issues with wear. Fuel issues are another story...

Edit to add:

Here's the source to the article from Onan:

https://www.rv-partsplus.com/boa-paxinos-2-onan-generators

I run Rotella T-6 synthetic in my Onan generators.

I run 10w-30w synthetic in my inverter generator.

I think modern oils dino or synthetic will work fine if changed regularly and proper level maintained.

I make sure to ONLY use no alcohol gas in all my small engine's.

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

Why can't you go back?

The oil that came with my generator was not synthetic. I use the same thing that came with it.

gbopp wrote:

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

Why can't you go back?

Don't know the reason, but when I bought my Tundra in '07, Toyota sent a bulletin out stating that if you change over to synthetic, NOT to go back to conventional oil. They did not say why.