How to Change Oil in Lawn Mower Engines: 10 Engines, Step by Step

The order is the same on every engine; the details are not. Across the manuals for 10 engines, the tip side, drain route, warm or cool draining and dipstick reading all change, and two Toro 21-inch Recyclers disagree on the dipstick. Which oil to buy is in our lawn mower oil type guide.

The drain map: what each engine’s manual says

Engine or mower	Drain route	Position	Warm or cool	Capacity and first pour	Reading the dipstick	Source
Briggs & Stratton walk-behind (with drain plug)	Bottom drain plug, fill tube or oil extractor	Air filter or spark plug side up	Warm: run 15 minutes	Capacity on the engine’s chart; do not pour the whole bottle at once	Reinsert fully, cap teeth in the tube grooves	Briggs how-to; Briggs FAQ
Briggs & Stratton EXi625, EXi725, EXi875	No oil change: Just Check & Add	Not needed	Not needed	15, 15 and 18 oz; top up only	Same as other Briggs engines	Briggs EXi page
Honda GCV170, GCV200 (HRN216 mower)	Filler neck	On its right side, fuel cap side up, fuel valve OFF	Warm	Refill 12.0 to 13.5 oz; wait a couple of minutes	Insert without screwing in	Honda HRN216 manual, p. 6, 13
Toro 21in Recycler 20349	Oil-fill tube	Air filter up, dipstick down; tank run dry or hand-pumped first	Warm: run a few minutes	18.6 fl oz; pour about 3/4 (14 oz), wait 3 minutes	Do not screw in	Toro 20349 manual
Toro 21in Recycler 21332, 21352	Oil-fill tube (change not required)	Air filter up	Warm: run a few minutes	15 fl oz; pour about 3/4 (11 oz), wait 3 minutes	Screw it in, then remove and read	Toro 21332 manual
Kohler XT-6 to XT8	Dipstick tube, or crankcase plug on the bottom	Air cleaner facing up (tube method)	Warm	20 oz refill	1/4-turn cap: press and turn; threaded cap: rest, do not thread	Kohler 14 690 01, p. 6, 26
John Deere S100 tractor	Not given on the sheet; see operator’s manual	Level	Not given	1.5 qt (1.41 L) Turf-Gard 10W-30; filter AM125424	Not given	John Deere S100 sheet
Kohler 7000 Series KT715 to KT745	Drain plug, then oil filter	Level	Warm	2.0 qt (1.9 L) refill; pre-fill the new filter	To top of the dipstick indicator	Kohler 32 690 03, p. 16, 51
Kawasaki FR651V, FR691V, FR730V	Drain plugs, then filter every 200 hours	Level	Warm, after it drops from hot	1.9 qt (1.8 L); 2.2 qt (2.1 L) with a new filter	Insert without screwing in	Kawasaki FR manual, p. 15, 26 to 27
Cub Cadet riding mower (Enduro how-to)	Drain hose over a basin, then plug; filter	Level, parking brake on, key out	Cool	Fill to the engine maker’s level	Check after refill	Cub Cadet how-to

Pour less than the full figure on the first pass. Toro’s 21332 manual says residual oil stays in the crankcase after draining, so pour about 3/4 of capacity, wait 3 minutes and check; Honda’s refill of 12.0 to 13.5 oz sits below the GCV170’s 13.5 oz capacity for the same reason. Overfilling sends oil into the air cleaner and shows as white or blue smoke, Honda’s HRN216 manual warns.

1. Honda GCV170 (HRN216)13.50
2. Toro Recycler 2133215
3. Toro Recycler 2034918.60
4. Kohler XT series20

Source: Honda HRN216 manual; Toro 20349 and 21332 manuals; Kohler 14 690 01 Rev. G; accessed November 2026 First pour: Honda's printed refill low end (12.0 oz); Toro's 3/4-of-capacity rule for Toro and, as our arithmetic, for Kohler XT (20 x 0.75 = 15 oz).

Show the numbers

	Full capacity	Pour first, then check
Honda GCV170 (HRN216)	13.50	12
Toro Recycler 21332	15	11.25
Toro Recycler 20349	18.60	13.95
Kohler XT series	20	15

Check the dipstick column twice. Toro’s 20349 manual says read it without screwing it in; the 21332 and 21352 manual says screw it in first. The same oil reads at a different mark depending on how far the stick goes in.

Step by step on a walk-behind mower

1. Warm the oil: 15 minutes per Briggs & Stratton’s oil change FAQ, a few minutes per Toro.
2. Stop the engine and pull the spark plug wire. On a Honda HRN216, turn the fuel valve OFF.
3. Keep fuel out of the carburetor: Toro says run the tank dry or use a hand pump, never a siphon; Briggs suggests a sandwich bag under the gas cap.
4. Wipe around the fill cap and any drain plug, then remove the dipstick.
5. Drain into a pan over cardboard: tip the mower air filter side up (Honda: right side), remove the bottom plug with a 3/8-inch drive ratchet and extension, no socket (Briggs), or pump the oil out through the fill tube.
6. Set it level and pour about 3/4 of capacity: 14 oz on a Toro 20349, 11 oz on a Toro 21332, 12 oz on a Honda GCV170.
7. Wait 3 minutes, read the dipstick your manual’s way, and add a few ounces at a time to the full mark.
8. Reconnect the plug wire, refuel, run the engine briefly and recheck.

Briggs & Stratton’s smoke FAQ says keep the spark plug up or the muffler side down when tilting, so oil stays in the crankcase. Smoke on the next start is covered in why a lawn mower smokes, and the blade comes off in the same position if you want to sharpen the mower blade.

Fill tube, drain plug or extractor: which way to drain

Honda, Toro and Kohler XT drain through the fill neck, Briggs & Stratton lists 3 routes, and riding engines drain level through a plug. An extractor or siphon pump, which Honda says saves time, needs no tipping.

1. 1Is it a Briggs & Stratton EXi engine or a Toro Recycler 21332 or 21352?

   YesNo scheduled oil change: check the dipstick before each use and top up (Briggs; Toro).

   NoGo to the next question

2. 2Does the engine have a spin-on oil filter (most riding mowers)?

   YesKeep it level, drain through the plug or hose, change the filter, refill (Kawasaki FR 2.2 qt with filter; Kohler 7000 2.0 qt).

   NoGo to the next question

3. 3Does your manual show a drain plug under the deck, and can you reach it?

   YesTip air filter side up and remove the plug (Briggs: 3/8-in drive ratchet and extension; Kohler XT: reseal and torque to 120 in-lb).

   NoGo to the next question

4. 4Can you empty the fuel tank or turn the fuel valve OFF before tipping?

   YesTip air filter side up (Honda: right side) and drain through the fill tube (Toro; Honda; Kohler XT).

   NoPump the oil out through the fill tube with an extractor or siphon pump; no tipping needed (Briggs; Honda).

Source: Briggs & Stratton how-to and FAQ; Honda HRN216 manual; Toro 20349 and 21332 manuals; Kohler 14 690 01 and 32 690 03; Kawasaki FR manual

Method	Who prescribes it	Tools	Watch for	Source
Tip and drain through the fill tube	Honda HRN216; Toro Recyclers; Kohler XT	Drain pan, cardboard	Air filter up; tank empty or fuel valve OFF	Toro; Honda
Bottom drain plug on a walk-behind	Briggs & Stratton; Kohler XT crankcase plug	3/8-in drive ratchet and extension (Briggs)	Kohler XT: sealant on 3 full threads, 120 in-lb (13.6 N·m)	Briggs; Kohler XT
Extractor or siphon pump through the fill tube	Briggs & Stratton; Honda (optional)	Hand or vacuum oil extractor	Never use the same pump on fuel (Toro bans siphoning fuel)	Briggs FAQ; Honda
Drain plug and spin-on filter, engine level	Kohler 7000; Kawasaki FR; Cub Cadet; John Deere S100	Socket, filter wrench, basin	Kohler 7000 plug: 13.6 N·m (10 ft-lb)	Kohler 7000; Kawasaki

Riding mowers: drain plug and oil filter

1. Park level, set the parking brake, remove the key and disconnect the plug wires (Cub Cadet).
2. Remove the dipstick, put the drain hose over a basin and drain the oil.
3. Turn the old filter counterclockwise with a filter wrench, then wipe the mounting surface (Kohler 7000 manual).
4. Reinstall the drain plug: 13.6 N·m (10 ft-lb) on a Kohler 7000 Series engine.
5. Prepare the new filter: Kohler says fill it to the bottom of the threads and let it soak 2 minutes; Kohler, Kawasaki, Briggs and Cub Cadet all say oil the gasket.
6. Spin it on by hand until the gasket touches, then 1/2 to 3/4 turn more (Briggs) or 3/4 turn by hand (Kawasaki FR manual).
7. Fill: 2.2 qt on a Kawasaki FR691V with the new filter, 2.0 qt on a Kohler KT725, 1.5 qt on a John Deere S100.
8. Run the engine about 3 minutes (Kawasaki), check for leaks at the filter and plug, stop and recheck the level.

Kawasaki’s FR engines take 1.9 qt without a filter change and 2.2 qt with one, so the filter holds about 0.3 qt (9.6 oz), and two quart bottles leave you short. Kawasaki changes the filter every 200 hours, every other oil change; Kohler 7000 and John Deere S100 schedules change both together.

Warm or cool? Where the manuals disagree

Source	What it says	Reason given
Briggs & Stratton FAQ	Run the engine 15 minutes before draining; check the level cold	Warm oil carries out debris; a cold reading is most accurate
Honda HRN216 manual	Drain while the engine is warm	Warm oil drains quickly and completely
Toro Recycler manuals	Run a few minutes first; wait 3 minutes after pouring	Warm oil flows better and carries more contaminants
Kohler XT and 7000 manuals	Change oil while the engine is warm	Not stated
Kawasaki FR manual	Drain warm, but let it drop from hot to warm first	Hot oil can cause severe burns
Cub Cadet riding how-to	Make sure the engine is cool	Safety before maintenance

Five of the 6 sources say drain warm; only Cub Cadet says cool. Kawasaki’s wording fits both: run it, shut it off, let it drop from hot to warm, then drain.

When to change it, and where Briggs contradicts itself

First change after 5 hours on Briggs & Stratton, Honda and Toro 20349 engines, 3 to 5 on Kohler XT and 8 on Kawasaki FR; then every 50 hours or yearly on walk-behinds and 100 hours on Kawasaki FR and Kohler 7000 riders. Briggs’s oil change page says 50 hours, but its tune-up page says every 25 hours or once a season. Grades and a season’s count of changes are in our guide to lawn mower oil; if fresh oil does not fix a hard start, see lawn mower not starting and what gas a lawn mower takes.

What to do with the used oil and filter

Under 40 CFR 279.20(a)(1), household do-it-yourselfers are not subject to federal used-oil rules, so state and local rules govern. The EPA says oil from one change can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water; store it in a leak-proof container and take drained filters to the same collection site.

In California, CalRecycle has certified more than 3,000 centers that pay a 40-cent-per-gallon incentive and may cap drop-offs at 5 gallons a day, about 34 changes from a Toro 20349 (640 oz divided by 18.6). Honda says never put used oil in the trash, on the ground or down a drain.

Shops include the oil change in tune-ups; prices from 26 shops are in our lawn mower repair cost guide, and more equipment guides are in Turf and Trees.