Perhaps my use of Opti products is 'overkill', but I like to stick with what I know works. In the commercial lawn business, I agree that use of certain expensive products is not justified, but for the homeowner who changes oil once a year, the cost is not important. FWIW, I also use Opti-2, but at 66:1. It probably is okay at 100:1 but my nerve runs out at 66:1. It has been working for me at this ratio in Lawn-Boys and other 2-cycles for 13 years. Deposits are minimal and there is never a need for exhaust port or muffler cleaning. I recently sold my 1994 LB 10201, and the compression actually felt higher than new - the front wheels would come off the ground when pulling the starter cord. This is one of the major effects of Opti oils - surface improvement by 'Eutectic' means. It definitely is not synthetic, being a paraffin-based oil. Plus, Opti oils are designed for air-cooled equipment where automotive products are not.

"Break in oil is pretty much a myth" Not COMPLETELY true, but majority manufactures don't use the oils with extra wear additive. Honda recommends initial oil change 3000 miles with special break in oil. JD recommends 50 to 100 hours on the initial oil change on their high end equipment. So it's best to read the owners manual for your equipment. I personnel don't like changing the oil too early in any new equipment that's filtered. IF something was left in the oil or crap breaking off then IMO it's issue with that manufacture. IMO On cheap not filter applications I probably would change the oil after couple hours use due to nothing catching anything suspended in the oil. But thats me Others may disagree?

I think part of that is because they are too lazy to update the manual. Also Briggs says THEIR synthetic multi weight is OK. Newer technology multi weight oils don't have viscosity break down like older multi weights did. Kohler specifies 10W-30 instead of a straight weight oil. You can down laod an ENGINE owners manual from the manf. website. I'd defer to that over the tractor manf. recommendations. Oil viscosity is a nominal number anyway. They run a batch. If the viscosity ranges between 26 & 34, it's packaged as a 30 weight, since they don't have 25 or 35 weight oils. One batch of 30 weight may be a noticeably different viscosity from a different batch and still be labeled as the same viscosity.

There will be no mention of the nozzle size on the burner plate, but rather a range of acceptable nozzles. To check the nozzle size, remove the four small screws between the blast tube of the burner and the fan housing and gently slide the assembly out; the nozzle size and angle will be listed on the nozzle itself. you may have to shut of the oil supply and disconnect the line to do this. If it's a becket burner, look down the blast tube with a light and be sure the retention head hasn't burned off, if it has, you'll have to remove the three bolts that hold the blast tube and flange to the boiler and slide it out, the retention head is held on with two small screws and is easy and cheap to replace, for a .75gph nozzle, you'll need an "F-3" retention head available at any parts store for a few dollars. With a .75gph flow, regardless of combustion chamber size an 80� hollow pattern nozzle is usually best. If you install a new head and nozzle, you'll need to adjust the air/electrodes. Electrodes, 1/8" inch in front of nozzle, 3/16 above the leading edge and 1/8" gap. Air, adjust the air band untill the flame tips begin to get dark and smoke, then open the air band untill it just stops (it helps to hold a flashlight into the barometric damper opening to be sure when all smoke ends), then open it a bit more to be sure. It's reccomended that after this initial setting someone at some point contacts a tech to set it up exactly w/ a bach kit. Keep in mind that the lower the temp on the aquastat typically the better the efficiency and lower fuel consumption, but if there is baseboard heat, you'll lower the max btu output, which may be ok, but be cautious about lowering the temp too much. you are correct, typically the storage tank is run on it's own zone just like any other zone in the home, the coil is either removed or capped. The only deposits you will have to worry about are combustion related deposits in the flame side of the heat exchanger, a pro will have the proper equiptment to clean all of the hard-to-reach areas, but a good brushing down with a small broom or stiff brush to the areas that you can access won't hurt at all. In a pressurized hot water boiler, provided there hasn't been a constant leak in the system (so that fresh water is always entering) you'll have no scale buildup or problems on the water side of the boiler, the best thing you can do there is leave the (black) water where it is.