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Is the Stihl Motomix 50:1 Fuel worth it?

#1

P

python33

I have mixed my own or purchased the TruFuel premix from Menards to run in my older equipment for many years but recently purchased a BG 50 blower.


#2

R

Rivets

I’ve seen customers who have use it with no problems, but a bit expensive. I use and recommend Opti-2 in all my 2-cycle engines without any problems. Buy it only in tubes for one gallon on ethanol fuel. I don’t own any Stihl equipment now, but do have customers who follow my advice with no problems.


#3

mikehouse

mikehouse

Rivets said:
I’ve seen customers who have use it with no problems, but a bit expensive. I use and recommend Opti-2 in all my 2-cycle engines without any problems. Buy it only in tubes for one gallon on ethanol fuel. I don’t own any Stihl equipment now, but do have customers who follow my advice with no problems.
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I too have a BG50.I also have only used trufuel,for every 2 cycle with no problems.But I may give Opti 2 a try.


#4

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

I'll use the gas station gas and mix myself. But after about using up a gallon of that, I'll run premix through it for at least 1 tank.


#5

Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

PTmowerMech said:
I'll use the gas station gas and mix myself. But after about using up a gallon of that, I'll run premix through it for at least 1 tank.
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Stihl synthetic 2-stroke pre-mix (gray bottle) is expensive. It is also some of the best oil for the purpose on the market. As long as you use a quality oil, not some cheap Walmart crap, mix it at correct ratio (usually 50:1), and keep your gas fresh, 30-60 days, it will work fine.


#6

M

MParr

python33 said:
I have mixed my own or purchased the TruFuel premix from Menards to run in my older equipment for many years but recently purchased a BG 50 blower.
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It’s pretty expensive. I’ve bought Husqvarna and Echo brand pre-mix. I usually buy TruFuel or VP. They work just as good and are cheaper.


#7

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

Tiger Small Engine said:
Stihl synthetic 2-stroke pre-mix (gray bottle) is expensive. It is also some of the best oil for the purpose on the market. As long as you use a quality oil, not some cheap Walmart crap, mix it at correct ratio (usually 50:1), and keep your gas fresh, 30-60 days, it will work fine.
Click to expand...

I use stens 2C oil. As long as I get the mix right, It burns about as good as the premix. But boy oh boy, if I get it wrong, I sure know it.
I have to weed eat the bank of my landlords pond. The first time I did it, I had to refill the weed eater twice. Last week, I mixed up a new batch and was able to do the job on one tank.


#8

R

Rivets

PT, that is the main reason I use Opti-2 in tubes. Even I can’t screw it up, 1 tube to 1 gallon of gas. Well I guess we could find some one who’s dumber than I am, but you’ll have to look for a long time, as you know I’m a retired teacher.


#9

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

Rivets said:
PT, that is the main reason I use Opti-2 in tubes. Even I can’t screw it up, 1 tube to 1 gallon of gas. Well I guess we could find some one who’s dumber than I am, but you’ll have to look for a long time, as you know I’m a retired teacher.
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It's been a while, but I think I did some price shopping on those, and IIRC, it was pretty expensive. So what I do is pour the stens 2C oil into one of these. It was kind of a pita getting the oil to the bottom of this bottle. But it makes it easier to get it right.
1686152964066.png


#10

M

MParr

PTmowerMech said:
It's been a while, but I think I did some price shopping on those, and IIRC, it was pretty expensive. So what I do is pour the stens 2C oil into one of these. It was kind of a pita getting the oil to the bottom of this bottle. But it makes it easier to get it right.
View attachment 64915
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You could always use an empty Sta-Bil container.


#11

7394

7394

I only use Amsoil Saber in tin foil packs for perfect mix for 1 gal. made such an improvement. I had to turn down idle speed a bit. On 100% gas. Can no longer get 100% in 93 TIKO here....

But spark arrestor screens stay clean etc.


#12

S

Shady oak

I use non oxygenated premium, mix in 50:1 oil and add a touch of Sea Foam. Have two saws, leaf blower, and string trimmer and have not seen the inside of a small engine repair shop in over 15 years!


#13

H

Hewerb

Most of the mixed in the can, off the shelf fuels are nothing more than a 93 octane with 2 cycle oil mixed in. They may be ethanol free gasoline. after talking with my Husqvarna salesman, he let it slip that their shop uses 93 with 2 cycle oil and an ethanol additive, because ethanol free is expensive and difficult to locate, and the stuff on the shelf has a double dip profit margin from the manufacturer and the dealer. The ethanol additive absorbs moisture and assures fuel in your can does not absorb moisture. It is not meant for long term storage, as it does not absorb as much as Stabil


#14

C

Cajun power

there really isn't anything particularly special with any of the premix 2 C fuel. Marketing would suggest you can store this fuel for up to two years ...but I would never try to test that theory out...especially if the can was opened. In a rare situation I might buy a can of it for a one time need, but I always like fresh no ethanol gas and mix with a low ash synthetic 2 c oil myself...especially with older engines and I can mix a ratio a bit higher than what is recommended. Going a bit more with the oil mix is never a bad idea with the older gear...and some engines require 1:40..I've even seen 1:30. I've used the cheaper trufuel and there is no apparent difference in performance on a wide range of weed wackers and blowers..even the 4 mix stihl engines run it with no problems and with no performance hits. I've used the husky branded pre mix also...same result...makes no difference. But again, I like using the low to no ash 2 cycle and fresh no ethanol fuel. It seems to make big difference in terms of how much soot gets coked up at the exhaust port and muffler. I suppose the same can be accomplished if you use the pre-mix...but the price is prohibitive to the business I operate where these machines get daily full 8-10 hours or work throughout the entire mowing season. It adds up quickly and with no apparent return on performance, I avoid the little bitty expensive cans. It would be almost quadruple the expense if we did that, cutting into our budget for the other things...


#15

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

Cajun power said:
there really isn't anything particularly special with any of the premix 2 C fuel. Marketing would suggest you can store this fuel for up to two years ...but I would never try to test that theory out...especially if the can was opened. In a rare situation I might buy a can of it for a one time need, but I always like fresh no ethanol gas and mix with a low ash synthetic 2 c oil myself...especially with older engines and I can mix a ratio a bit higher than what is recommended. Going a bit more with the oil mix is never a bad idea with the older gear...and some engines require 1:40..I've even seen 1:30. I've used the cheaper trufuel and there is no apparent difference in performance on a wide range of weed wackers and blowers..even the 4 mix stihl engines run it with no problems and with no performance hits. I've used the husky branded pre mix also...same result...makes no difference. But again, I like using the low to no ash 2 cycle and fresh no ethanol fuel. It seems to make big difference in terms of how much soot gets coked up at the exhaust port and muffler. I suppose the same can be accomplished if you use the pre-mix...but the price is prohibitive to the business I operate where these machines get daily full 8-10 hours or work throughout the entire mowing season. It adds up quickly and with no apparent return on performance, I avoid the little bitty expensive cans. It would be almost quadruple the expense if we did that, cutting into our budget for the other things...
Click to expand...


#16

M

MParr

For professional landscapers and repair shops, canned 2 stroke mix eats into the profit margin. So, mixing their own fuel is much cheaper. For the homeowner, who uses small volumes of 2 stroke mix, the canned fuel is more convenient and there’s not much sitting around to go bad.


#17

E

edporch

Tiger Small Engine said:
Stihl synthetic 2-stroke pre-mix (gray bottle) is expensive. It is also some of the best oil for the purpose on the market. As long as you use a quality oil, not some cheap Walmart crap, mix it at correct ratio (usually 50:1), and keep your gas fresh, 30-60 days, it will work fine.
Click to expand...
In my Stihl chainsaws, I've used nothing but the gray bottle 2 stroke synthetic oil for many years.
AND I mix it with nothing but ethanol free gasoline that I can buy at the pump at a gas station not too far away.
It's so good, I can use leftover mix into the next year and it still works great. (it's in an airtight gas can)

I ALSO use nothing but ethanol free gasoline in ALL of my lawn equipment, and have had no trouble with the carburetors since I started doing this.


#18

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

edporch said:
In my Stihl chainsaws, I've used nothing but the gray bottle 2 stroke synthetic oil for many years.
AND I mix it with nothing but ethanol free gasoline that I can buy at the pump at a gas station not too far away.
It's so good, I can use leftover mix into the next year and it still works great. (it's in an airtight gas can)

I ALSO use nothing but ethanol free gasoline in ALL of my lawn equipment, and have had no trouble with the carburetors since I started doing this.
Click to expand...

According to Steve's Small Engine Saloon, ethanol isn't the worst thing in gas station gas. At least for 2 stroke engines.


#19

E

edporch

PTmowerMech said:
According to Steve's Small Engine Saloon, ethanol isn't the worst thing in gas station gas. At least for 2 stroke engines.
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YMMV
All I know is, back when I used E10 gasoline, I had a lot more carburetor trouble with my lawn equipment when I went to get them going in the spring after sitting all winter with E10 gasoline.
I also had trouble with my 2 cycle lawn mower carburetor float needle valve going bad.
Since I switched to using E0 gasoline, I haven't had any more trouble.


#20

7394

7394

Yea man !


#21

upupandaway

upupandaway

MParr said:
It’s pretty expensive. ...I usually buy TruFuel or VP.
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Trufuel is highway robbery. I mean $7 for a quart or in that ballpark??? Just buy the Stihl oil if money is so critical.

(I personally don't have a favorite on my 70's Stihl FS80's and 60's homelite chainsaw etc and see no scratches on the pistons.)


#22

M

MParr

upupandaway said:
Trufuel is highway robbery. I mean $7 for a quart or in that ballpark??? Just buy the Stihl oil if money is so critical.

(I personally don't have a favorite on my 70's Stihl FS80's and 60's homelite chainsaw etc and see no scratches on the pistons.)
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If someone doesn’t use a gallon of mix per year, it doesn’t make sense to have mixed gas sitting around from year to year.


#23

upupandaway

upupandaway

MParr said:
If someone doesn’t use a gallon of mix per year, it doesn’t make sense to have mixed gas sitting around from year to year.
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I use about 1 gal each year(at home, less at other rentals). I am fine with it. 2cycle oil has gas treatment in it.


#24

R

Rivets

I’ve found that I can mix any leftover 2-cycle fuel with fresh fuel for my snow blower.


#25

mikehouse

mikehouse

PTmowerMech said:
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I subscribe to Steve anyway.This was very well done.I'm not changing tho.Trufuel is what I'll stick with.


#26

mikehouse

mikehouse

MParr said:
For professional landscapers and repair shops, canned 2 stroke mix eats into the profit margin. So, mixing their own fuel is much cheaper. For the homeowner, who uses small volumes of 2 stroke mix, the canned fuel is more convenient and there’s not much sitting around to go bad.
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EXACTLY Mparr.


#27

C

Craiger

Rivets said:
Buy it only in tubes for one gallon on ethanol fuel.
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You talk about using ethanol fuel.Sorry to disagree. I think you'd be much better off with non-ethanol fuel. In my area, a handful of auto gas stations sell non-ethanol gas. It's pricey at a dollar or more extra per gallon but when you add your own 2 cycle oil to this gas, it's MUCH cheaper than buying premixed 2 cycle non-EtOH fuel. I use a tiny plastic cap from a discarded pump sprayer bottle into which I measured 19 milliliters using a cheap Harbor Freight one pound digital scale and distilled water. 19.0 grams H20 = 19.0 ml. . Being a chemist, I love the Metric system ;-) Then I marked the 19 ml level with a permanent ultra fine marker. This is enough to mix one quart of 2 cycle fuel at a time. If you need more, you could do same thing with a larger container and mix one gallon at a time. Or even bigger and mix 2 to 5 gallons at a time if you are commercial. People make mixing 2 cycle fuel into more of a challenge than it needs to be.


#28

S

slomo

No it's not worth anything.


#29

R

Rivets

Craig, if that works for you, go for it. I recommend using non-ethanol fuel to customers who let their fuel sit for long periods of time. I use my method because I use my fuel up in about 6 weeks and have no problems with any of my equipment.


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