Out of touch with how much things cost or totally ripped off?

You can still get cheap oil if all you want is an engine lubricant and coolant, but in a modern engine the oil is required to do a lot more than that. It has to also function as a hydraulic fluid to operate the valves (in olden days the valves were operated purely mechanically), and it is part of the emissions control. The poor old engine oil is expected to capture improperly burnt filth from the engine, lock up the nasty parts, while releasing the flammable parts back into the intake system in order to avoid it simply going into the air.

 

Just on a point of interest (for me):

I understand the issue with modern car engines and oils, but does a [tractor] mower engine have fancy oil? Or are they still on SAE 40 and the like?

 

Good question. I guess it depends if such engines have hydraulic 'tappets' and emissions control nowadays.

I used to be into motorcross (mostly watching, but I did dabble a bit when I was younger). When I was a kid the bikes were almost always 2 stroke. There were 3 main classes, grouped by engine size (125cc, 250cc and 500cc). I lost interest for a few years and then when I tried to get back into it, I found that all the bikes are 4 stroke now, and it was explained that it was all because of emissions laws. These are bikes tuned for racing off road, yet they have to comply with new emissions laws. Now where am I going with this I hear you say. Well, lots of changes happened to these bikes because of emissions laws, and they are not for road use, so I wonder if similar rules apply to agricultural machinery. If they do, then I'd guess that new mowers etc need proper oil too

 

Good point. Lots of old mowers around though ... like mine for example!

P.S. Lots of agricultural machinery seems to be exempt from rules required for everything else. Why do long trailers towed by tractors not need running lights? Red Diesel is fine, on the roads "because they don't go far" ... nor do a lot of "one careful elderly lady owner"s

 

There are lots of exceptions for agic vehicals, but the wrost thing is the police don't know the rules as well

some farmer do go miles and miles now they rent land where they can get it even if it's 30 miles away

 

That's it then, my next vehicle will be a tractor, which I will use for commuting to work.
Now where can I get some red diesel.

 

No, Road tax is for Agri only, you will have to register as PLG and use white diesel, tractors will do 5 to 10 miles to the gallon, 20 mph is the legal speed limit, only one passenge if there is a seat,if there 7 and half ton weight limits on roads you will have to go round unless you are delivering in the weight limit (gross vehicle weight is 24,390kg) and, but not sure, a HGV lilence
You'll be better of will a car

 

There's a garage around here advertising "MOT and service - £99 inclusive".
Then in brackets underneath "(ALL makes, ALL models)".

Cannot be done if using the correct oil in everything, unless maybe if everything fails the MOT fairly badly...................

 

A "Dirty oil" MOT failure perhaps?

 

By 'eck, you're as cynical as me!!!!