Change the Oil Immediately Before First Use
This mower handles overgrown areas with jagged bushes, saplings, and tall weeds, and it is intuitive and easy to use with solid build quality. However, the oil must be changed immediately before first use. The factory oil appears clear, like mineral oil, and the instructions only mention changing it after 15 hours. Starting it with that oil caused heavy white smoke and rough running, resembling soft seizing. Draining and refilling with quality conventional oil resolved the issue, and it has run well since.
- + handles overgrown areas with jagged bushes, saplings, and tall weeds
- + intuitive and easy to use
- + seems well built
- + runs well after oil change
- − factory oil must be changed immediately before first use
- − instructions only say to change oil after 15 hours
- − initial oil caused heavy white smoke
- − initial oil caused rough running resembling soft seizing