Filling your Allett Mower with Oil and Fuel - Homeowner Range
Depending on how you purchase your machine oil will either be included in the carton or you'll need to buy it separately you'll need to check that out at the time of purchase. If you buy your mower from an Allett lawn centre or a dealer then you they will have pre-delivery inspected (PDI'd) the machine and the engine will have been filled with oil but you will just need to check that using the dipstick on a flat surface. Remember to wipe the dipstick clean first before testing. The oil type required is an SAE 10-W30. If you have the Allett Classic your Loncin engine will need 350 millilitres of oil in the engine. If you have the Allett Kensington, Westminster or Buckingham you will need approximately 600 millilitres. You can check your mower manual for more information.
The easiest way to fill the oil is by tipping the mower back on its handlebars where it's nice and safe and ideally on a flat surface. Do not fill your mower with oil or fuel on your lawn - it will kill you grass! You will need a funnel to pour the oil in without spillage or your bottle will have an extended teat on it.
You will need to change the engine oil after the first 20 hours of use and then thereafter we recommend you change the oil every 6 months or 100 hours. To change the oil the drain plug is accessed at the back of the mower. Capture the oil in a sealable container and then take that oil to your local recycling station when you next visit. Please do not dispose of used engine oil either down the drain or in your bin.
Fuel
We don't transport the machines with fuel in that would be too dangerous. You will need to remove the fuel cap- depending on your engine this may be removable or attached with a chain. Make sure the cap is secured firmly after filling your mower with fuel because if you're going over uneven ground you will get spillage. The fuel that is used in your Allett mower is a standard unleaded fuel of 86 octane rating or higher. Please remember that fuel is highly flammable so no smoking and make sure that you fill up in a well ventilated area. Make sure that your fuel is stored safely and out of reach of children.
When the engine is hot and you've maybe run out of fuel please allow the engine to cool down before you fill the tank up again with fuel because if you do get any spillage and it was to fall on the hot engine or the muffler there is the risk of ignition.
How to keep fuel as fresh as possible
1. Keep you fuel fresh and store it in sealed containers in a cool dark and dry place (under the bench on a stone floor, rather than on the bench in front of the shed window). Store your machines in a similar manner.
2.Purchase only enough fuel for 30 days use, and never, ever use fuel over 60 days. You may get away with it, but the chances are that you will have problems.
3.Use a fuel additive such as Briggs and Stratton Fuel Fit- your fuel should stay usable for up to 90 days.
4. Drain your machine before storage in the winter.
Really old petrol will have a very heavy and unpleasant smell and can be very dark in colour, whilst being very thick.
Most common problems experienced with small engines are related to fuel. Problems such as difficulty with starting or an engine that doesn't run at a consistent speed is nearly always related to a fuel problem; usually dirty contaminated or stale fuel. It's very important that you keep your fuel clean in storage and to keep it in a container that is not metal and painted where the paint will flake or the rust even may get in and contaminate the fuel. This causes blockages in the mower's fuel system. We do recommend the use of fuel stabilisers. There are several different fuel stabilisers on the market this keeps the fuel fresher for longer.
One example is FUEL FIT by Briggs + Stratton
Fuel Fit not only keeps the carburettor clean for easy starting but also protects against the corrosive effects of ethanol and maintains fuel stability for up to 3 years.
Petrol actually goes stale after about 30 days of purchase and the fuel stabilisers will help give less starting and running problems. The other even better alternative is to buy a specialist fuel called Aspen which has no ethanol content is purer and stays fresh for years. It's quite expensive but when you're using just a little in a lawn mower then that doesn't really matter so much compared with starting problems.
Ordinary petrol contains ethanol which attracts moisture and can cause engine failures. Aspen Alkylate Petrol contains no ethanol.
''Aspen 4 is virtually free from harmful substances such as benzene, aromatic hydrocarbons or olefins; substances that can cause serious health problems. Aspen Alkylate Petrol also keeps the spark plugs and combustion chamber of your machine cleaner. Aspen can be stored for a long time without any deterioration in quality, which makes your engine easy to start – even after long standstill periods. There are numerous environmental benefits, such as reducing the formation of ground-level ozone (smog) by about 40%''
