To perform an oil change on a Craftsman lawn mower, run the mower for a few minutes, and drain the warm oil by inverting the mower or opening the drain plug. Add 10 ounces of the correct type of oil, and check the dipstick, adding additional oil as needed.
- Make initial preparations
Warm up the oil by running the lawn mower for two minutes, and then allow the engine to cool off for an additional minute. Wear protective gloves to guard against cuts from small engine parts. Detach the spark plug wire from the spark plug for easier access and to ensure the mower cannot accidentally start.
- Remove the old oil
Riding lawn mowers often have a drain plug. Open this plug after you attach a drain sleeve. Push mowers may not have a plug and need to be inverted in order to drain the oil through the open oil cap. Tip the lawn mower over in the direction opposite to the air filter in order to avoid oil spillage onto the filter. Use a funnel to direct the used oil into a container.
- Add clean oil
With the drain plug closed and the mower in the upright position, add the clean oil. Many mowers use 4-cycle small engine oil, but check the manufacturer's guide first for its recommendations. Add 10 ounces of oil, and check the fill level using the dipstick. Continue adding oil until the dipstick registers full.
