Best 2 cycle oil, and why

[mmoffitt]

I don't know the best oil. I will tell what i use and what i have seen. I have Stihl orange bottle, stihl silver bottle, lawn boy, red armor, stens semi synthetic, stens full synthetic. All of them work. Things i have noticed. The stihl HP ultimate smells a little odd and if mixed heavier than 50:1 it tends to clog spark arrestor screens. The red armor carbons up less than any other oil i have used. I personally like the red armor best. I bought a gollon of it. 2 stroke oil is rated by JASO. The latest rating is FD. Oil can be submitted for testing and the JASO site has a pdf of all the oils tested and their rating. If the oil is not listed it was not submitted for testing. If the bottle of whatever you are using is FD rated it works. Some folks seem obsessed with finding the "best" 100:1 oil and seeing how little oil they can run. Never made sense to me but what ever makes some people happy. Reminds me of the guy who buys a $1000 chainsaw and runs used motor oil for bar oil to save money.

Better yet 1000 dollar chainsaw to cut up a branch that is on the ground? really??

 

[seagullcom]

If you are a home owner, then I'd buy any good synthetic 2-stroke oil from any named shop (Tractor Supply, Lowes, HD, Ace Hdwr, etc. ).

If you are a pro and you need the ultimate, then I would buy Valvoline. Valvoline is a name you can trust. They don't do anything but make great oil. They are owned by the Ashland Chemical Co. They don't make oil filters, wiper blades, or V-belts, they just make oil. There's no hype, just solid performance.

Multi-Purpose 2-Stroke Engine - Valvoline™ Global

When it comes to lubricating lawn mowers, chain saws, string trimmers, outboard engines, jet skis, motorcycles, scooters, portable generators and snow blowers, there’s one motor oil that does it all. Valvoline Multi-Purpose 2-Stroke Engine Oil is specially formulated for most high-revving, small...

www.valvoline.com

Hope this helps.

Amsoil protects my equipment better and doesn't leave carbon deposits like most 2 cycle oils do.

 

[awkerper]

I've ran numerous brands. Can't really tell one from another. Most will lighten your wallet more with all the fancy extreme super duty ultra MAX info.

Lately I am running the 100:1 Opti-2 oil. This is on the expensive side. Again I can't tell if it's any better than say the Ace Hardware oil with fuel stabilizer in it.

What do you guys use and why?

slomo

In my view, it is much more important to mix the oil to the fuel in the correct ratio than to worry about which brand you are using. I bought a tool that lets me measure the oil accurately and I made marks on my Jerry can so I easily know how much fuel I'm mixing by filling up to one of the marks and then putting the corresponding amount of oil in.

 

[Lyndmc]

I ran big bore dirt bikes for years and I’ve tried quite a few oils, my favorite was Amsoil 100:1. When I’d tear down my top end, consistently I had no wear on the bore. If it weren’t for the fact that the piston skirts would crack if you leave a piston in too long, there was no reason to rebuild! No plug fouling, not much smoke, no splattering the guy behind me with oil, and no wear.... can’t beat it! I’d always break in with a natural oil on the first tank after rebuild, then Amsoil then on. I ran it in all of my 2 stroke motors, weed walkers, chain saws, Lawnboy mowers, everything!

 

[ec121]

The RC airplane guys run gasoline 2 strokes. They get into the same discussions about oil. The ones who use Amzoil say it has the hardest carbon deposits in the combustion chamber of all the brands. They have to almost be chiseled out. Pennzoil fouling can just about be wiped out with a rag. A 2-stroke racing motorcycle with a 200lb. man runs about 30:1 mix. It is loaded. A chainsaw or RC airplane engine is barely loaded. About any oil in the recommended mix will work. I use whatever I have on the shelf in my saws and airplanes.
One fellow had a job testing 2-stroke motors to destruction to see which ones could be used on military fixed wing drones. He his opinion was what I mentioned above.

 

[Penkola_270]

Amsoil SABER is the only way to go!

 

[rdedrick]

This guy did his version of an oil test on this topic. His conclusion was the difference in oil performance is less friction and what I feel is most important is less carbon build up. I have burned a lot of 2stroke oil in my life including 2 stroke dirt bikes and I agree with his test results after doing overhauls on high hour engines

 

[Thin & Crispy]

I've ran numerous brands. Can't really tell one from another. Most will lighten your wallet more with all the fancy extreme super duty ultra MAX info.

Lately I am running the 100:1 Opti-2 oil. This is on the expensive side. Again I can't tell if it's any better than say the Ace Hardware oil with fuel stabilizer in it.

What do you guys use and why?

slomo

Slomo, have you ever seen the "Ace Hardware Oil Refinery?"

 

[Hammermechanicman]

, no splattering the guy behind me with oil,

You would have loved riding behind my Kawasaki 350 Bighorn running castor based oil. Almost got into a fight when a guy riding behind me with a new jacket got covered in black oily dots

 

[dschae1]

I have been using the Super Tech (Walmart) brand in weed eater and blower engines for 25+ years. No issues ever. I used to use it (and Yamalube) in 250cc bikes back in the late 80's and 90s. No issues there either. I raced and did my own engine overhauls, so I have seen the pistons and cylinder walls back then. This oil is fine for 2-cycle engines.

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com