Does a higher grade fuel do any good?

[sofasurfer]

My new weed eater uses mid-grade fuel (89 octane). Thats what it was made to use. But my old lawn tractor has only ever had regular (87 octane) fed to it. Would mid-grade make a difference? Would it run better? Would it clean the internal parts of the engine? Or would it burn the engine up or otherwise harm it?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Using a lower octane fuel than specified CAN cause the engine to knock under load,
Note the use of the word CAN
Using a higher octane rating will make no difference except to your wallet but can make life easy and of course the more things that use the came fuel, the fresher it will be .
Ignore 99.999999 % of what your read about fuel grades because it is specific to car - boat -plane engines and not to lazy slow low compression governed mower engines .

 

[sgkent]

I usually follow what the manufacturer recommends. While it is a long discussion I don't want to get into, the molecules in a lower grade gasoline are more prone to self igniting at lower pressures than a premium fuel. Some manufacturers will tell you not to use premium, and others will tell you to only use premium. I find the canned fuel works well in all my engines although it is double or triple gas station fuels cost wise. Here a 5 gallon can is like $100.

 

[sofasurfer]

Thanks.
What is canned fuels? I have read that canned fuel is the best thing to put through the system for winter storage? Is it different than gasoline?

 

[sgkent]

 

[7394]

Ready made Pre-mix for 2 strokes as well.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Thanks.
What is canned fuels? I have read that canned fuel is the best thing to put through the system for winter storage? Is it different than gasoline?

Yes .
Tip some out in a bowl next to another bowl of regular pump fuel and see the difference in evaporation rates and residue .

Also it will be as fresh as the day it was made and there will be no contaminants in it
It will also be exactly the same day in day out .
And at the price they charge it ought to be .

 

[SeniorCitizen]

How long has it been since you've seen a piston damage or meltdown because of spark knock , pre-ignition , pinging or whatever ya wanna call it ?

 

[bertsmobile1]

In a car or motorcycle about 3 weeks in a mower about 5 years

 

[wekjo]

My new weed eater uses mid-grade fuel (89 octane). Thats what it was made to use. But my old lawn tractor has only ever had regular (87 octane) fed to it. Would mid-grade make a difference? Would it run better? Would it clean the internal parts of the engine? Or would it burn the engine up or otherwise harm it?

No one believes this but I drive thru a local burg which has a no ethanol pump. I take my gas cans with me and fill them there. I run it in 3 lawn tractors dated 1973 through 2009, two newer push mowers, and one 5 year old echo weed eater. I don't have deteriorated rubber gaskets, green buildup in carb bowls, and they start right up in the spring without a fuel system flush. Check it out on Project Farm channel on YouTube. No ethanol gas is about 40 cents higher than E10.