You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Export thread
No Ethanol vs Ethanol Gas
#1
7
7997T
7
7997T
I know what is said about everyone's opinions ! Is it really worth the 85 cent extra cost over 93 octane gas to no ethanol gas? I will refilling at least 1 time every month.
#2
sgkent
sgkent
Before ethanol gasoline I never had problems with carbs on my mowers. They lasted like everything else. Since ethanol gas I've had nothing but problems. It is always a warped or swollen gasket causing issues, or corroded metal in a carb. Lately I have started using canned fuel and I can tell you that the equipment is more stable and starts perfectly on the first pull. Do whatever you want to.
#3
Hammermechanicman
Hammermechanicman
I use regular pump gas in everthing. 36hp zero turn, lo-boy tractor, 3 chainsaws, 2 string trimmers, hedge trimmer, blower, lawn boy mower, pole saw, 2 generators. Snowblower, Chipper, edger with no problems. I do run everthing dry at the end of its season. Ethanol gas runs fine it just doesn't store well.
#4
B
BigBlueEdge
B
BigBlueEdge
I've used standard (ethanol-containing) gasoline in every engine I run, with the exception of small 2-strokes like my chainsaws and weed trimmer (primarily because the mixed fuel for those sits for a long time). I have never had a problem with any of the things people say ethanol does to carbs and rubber components. Even on 20+ year old carbed motorcycles, snowmobiles, and 40+ year old Briggs & Stratton tiller.
I do occasionally put non-oxy 92 in my fuel-injected motorcycle because it requires premium anyway, doesn't take much and sometimes the gas sits for a long time in the tank. But I've also put tons of standard ethanol through it.
I'd never waste the extra money on non-oxy gas in my zero-turn.
I do occasionally put non-oxy 92 in my fuel-injected motorcycle because it requires premium anyway, doesn't take much and sometimes the gas sits for a long time in the tank. But I've also put tons of standard ethanol through it.
I'd never waste the extra money on non-oxy gas in my zero-turn.
#5
sgkent
sgkent
Here in the part of California we are in, e-10 ethanol in pump gasoline is mandatory. They tried something else in the 90's (MTBE) but it was getting into the ground water and lakes. I keep accurate logs of mpg for all our cars and know exactly how they perform. The two FI ones are quite stable however every once in awhile the mileage would drop significantly . Several times it dropped the same week on both cars that use the same station. Since then we changed stations. The way the laws read here, the percentage of alcohol is regulated, but not the percentage of water in that alcohol. So what we think happens is once in a while someone has cut the fuel with water intentionally or unintentionally. Since ethanol will absorb water, it would be easy to add some water to the tanker, or tanks and dilute the fuel. From research, E10 will hold up to 3 teaspoons of water per gallon. That is 11.7 gallons per full tanker truck. 3 loads a day X 11.7 gallons X $3 gallon wholesale then = $105 a day extra in one's pocket, and no one would see it. For station tanks multiply that by the number of tanks. The ethanol in the fuel would absorb it, and then it would go thru the system with slightly reduced power. I suspect this is what happens. This may not happen in other parts of the US or Canada but I am 99% sure it does here. There is no way two of our cars would both drop 3 to 4 mpg the same week, same station pumps, same driving conditions. I am tired of rebuilding small equipment carbs that fail with this ethanol fuel, and I do blame it for the increase in problems.
#6
B
BigBlueEdge
B
BigBlueEdge
Well, if you're in CA that may explain the differences in experiences. I'm sure CA's gas formulation isn't the same as what we have in MN.
#7
7
7997T
7
7997T
I deliver fuel to stations. Can not speak to CA Reformulation laws. What I do know is here in Indiana you will notice a change in MPG when the summer blend comes in. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 days depending on the volume of gas in the tanks at the loading terminal. Also can vary by your branded gas stations also. We move upwards of 350000 gallons of regular a day of 1 brand and 17000 gallons of another. So it takes longer for the lower volume brands to switch over. Granted other companies pull out if those terminals also.Here in the part of California we are in, e-10 ethanol in pump gasoline is mandatory. They tried something else in the 90's (MTBE) but it was getting into the ground water and lakes. I keep accurate logs of mpg for all our cars and know exactly how they perform. The two FI ones are quite stable however every once in awhile the mileage would drop significantly . Several times it dropped the same week on both cars that use the same station. Since then we changed stations. The way the laws read here, the percentage of alcohol is regulated, but not the percentage of water in that alcohol. So what we think happens is once in a while someone has cut the fuel with water intentionally or unintentionally. Since ethanol will absorb water, it would be easy to add some water to the tanker, or tanks and dilute the fuel. From research, E10 will hold up to 3 teaspoons of water per gallon. That is 11.7 gallons per full tanker truck. 3 loads a day X 11.7 gallons X $3 gallon wholesale then = $105 a day extra in one's pocket, and no one would see it. For station tanks multiply that by the number of tanks. The ethanol in the fuel would absorb it, and then it would go thru the system with slightly reduced power. I suspect this is what happens. This may not happen in other parts of the US or Canada but I am 99% sure it does here. There is no way two of our cars would both drop 3 to 4 mpg the same week, same station pumps, same driving conditions. I am tired of rebuilding small equipment carbs that fail with this ethanol fuel, and I do blame it for the increase in problems.
#8
sgkent
sgkent
I am sure that 99% of the station owners and drivers are honest people. We just had it happen at one station that we used to use. It was a Top Tier brand too. I spoke with their corporate Engineers when it happened to let them know so they could deal with it. We now use another Top Tier across the street and it hasn't happened there, but I still have the occasional carb problem. I keep things in like new condition for a long time. Most of the folks around here don't even change their mower oil, and just buy a new mower when their old one dies. I wasn't raised that way.
#9
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Weather ethanol will cause you any grief is totally dependent upon the actual formula of your local fuel and the microclimate where your mower is stored.
Rule of thumb is using the e-XT fuel regularly will not cause grief
Letting it sit for a long time will and this includes the cans you use to fill your mower with.
Whatever happens it is TIME dependent because the diffusion reactions are slow.
My recommendations to customers is to buy fuel as it is needed
When they finish mowing turn off the fuel & starve the engine off then top up the tank with whatever is left in the filling can thus there is only 1 partially filled container to condense water out of the air that can be adsorbed into the ethanol till the ethanol drops out of solution.
That is the point of problems starting.
All of the other stuff comes from mowers that were not made from ethanol resistant materials so will be 20 years old and thus suffering a lot of age related problems which people like to blame on the ethanol.
Add to that most consumer grade mowers are trash designed to make the retailers rich while destroying the planet .
So the fact your 2020 mower is constantly giving grief while your old 1990 mower ran for years faultlessly is not because of the fuel it is because the new mower is full of junk that fails and made to a very low quality but finished with real pretty powder coat ( again an short life inferior product )
Rule of thumb is using the e-XT fuel regularly will not cause grief
Letting it sit for a long time will and this includes the cans you use to fill your mower with.
Whatever happens it is TIME dependent because the diffusion reactions are slow.
My recommendations to customers is to buy fuel as it is needed
When they finish mowing turn off the fuel & starve the engine off then top up the tank with whatever is left in the filling can thus there is only 1 partially filled container to condense water out of the air that can be adsorbed into the ethanol till the ethanol drops out of solution.
That is the point of problems starting.
All of the other stuff comes from mowers that were not made from ethanol resistant materials so will be 20 years old and thus suffering a lot of age related problems which people like to blame on the ethanol.
Add to that most consumer grade mowers are trash designed to make the retailers rich while destroying the planet .
So the fact your 2020 mower is constantly giving grief while your old 1990 mower ran for years faultlessly is not because of the fuel it is because the new mower is full of junk that fails and made to a very low quality but finished with real pretty powder coat ( again an short life inferior product )
#10
sgkent
sgkent
my 2006 mower has been flawless for 15 years. My stuff from the 90's started having issues when ethanol was introduced. We live in a climate where these devices are used every 7 to 10 days. The fuel never gets a chance to get really old. That said the California gas cans are sealed so they cannot leak fumes. It has been the law here for about 15 years. It is a moot point anyway because in February 2022 The National Academy of Sciences released the first comprehensive study of corn ethanol in the fuel from seed going into the ground all the way to being burned in an engine. The conclusion is that it causes approximately 25% more CO2 and pollutants in the air than 100% gasoline plus the ethanol causes also a considerable amount of damage to the soil, and water in the US. It is a peer reviewed study that took everything used in production into account. There are no savings. I said I am done and just changed over to canned fuel.
Obviously the corn industry will fight to discredit the study but the credentials of the authors are impeccable and unbiased. National Wildlife Federation helped fund it. They, like most of us, wanted to know if / how much it was helping. It isn't.
Obviously the corn industry will fight to discredit the study but the credentials of the authors are impeccable and unbiased. National Wildlife Federation helped fund it. They, like most of us, wanted to know if / how much it was helping. It isn't.
Peer-Reviewed Research: Ethanol Mandate an Unmitigated Disaster for People, Wildlife
Newly published, peer-reviewed research highlights the disastrous impact of corn ethanol for climate, communities, and wildlife.
www.nwf.org
#11
Hammermechanicman
Hammermechanicman
I was absolutely amazed when the motor home that had set in the barn for 5 years with about 30 gallons of regular gas gas in it started right up and ran fine. '89 w/454 with electronic Q jet carb. Then you have customers have equipment set for 6 months and the carb is trashed. My FS80 string trimmer is 23 years old and always run on regular gas and only thing wrong with carb so far is a split primer bulb. My LawnBoy with an F engine is 30 years old and never had the carb off it. If you don't leave fuel in equipment for an extended time it works fine.
#12
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
E 10 has nothing to do with reduced pollution
he reason governments went gar gar about it was to reduce the volumes ( $$$$$ ) of imported fuel but that is a hard sell to Joe public
So they took the cowards spin and quite truely stated that it reduced the TAILPIPE emissions which is factually correct .
But like 99% of the so called planet saving ideas, it actually makes total pollution substantially worse .
Battery powered anything is also the same, the total pollution will substantially increase but because the point of use pollution is less the pencil pushers can beat their hairless chests and claim they are saving the planet while vilifiling the countries where they have exported the USA's pollution to .
Good thing is I am 70 so when things get really bad with endless summer days of 120 deg + , tornadoes every 10 minutes , hurricanes that leave nothing standing whatsoever and droughts that will have countries importing water . I will be long dead .
he reason governments went gar gar about it was to reduce the volumes ( $$$$$ ) of imported fuel but that is a hard sell to Joe public
So they took the cowards spin and quite truely stated that it reduced the TAILPIPE emissions which is factually correct .
But like 99% of the so called planet saving ideas, it actually makes total pollution substantially worse .
Battery powered anything is also the same, the total pollution will substantially increase but because the point of use pollution is less the pencil pushers can beat their hairless chests and claim they are saving the planet while vilifiling the countries where they have exported the USA's pollution to .
Good thing is I am 70 so when things get really bad with endless summer days of 120 deg + , tornadoes every 10 minutes , hurricanes that leave nothing standing whatsoever and droughts that will have countries importing water . I will be long dead .
#13
sgkent
sgkent
Hey Bert I am with you. 1950. Things ain't what they used to be. Even my most liberal friends from HS and University days say the best days are behind us. Don't think any generation has ever felt that way.
#14
W
wekjo
W
wekjo
I spend the extra for no ethanol, its 89 or 90, no need for 93. If your fuel system has brass parts in it, you will find it full of green goo every spring if you use ethanol and if it has rubber orings they will deteriorate in 5 years. No ethanol gas no such problems.I know what is said about everyone's opinions ! Is it really worth the 85 cent extra cost over 93 octane gas to no ethanol gas? I will refilling at least 1 time every month.
#15
oldlawnguy
Many many variables as cited in the thread, but root cause is ethanol gas draws water. If your tank/container is full/topped off and sealed (no loose caps) air (H2O) can't condense into water (H2O). I always keep my tanks bone dry empty or topped off.
I remember as a kid in grade school wondering why all the nice shinny chrome plated flushing values in the restroom (located in the basement of the school) were always sweating, especially when warm outside?
oldlawnguy
I think bertsmobile1 hits the cause of most of the problems with ethanol gas.Weather ethanol will cause you any grief is totally dependent upon the actual formula of your local fuel and the microclimate where your mower is stored.
Rule of thumb is using the e-XT fuel regularly will not cause grief
Letting it sit for a long time will and this includes the cans you use to fill your mower with.
Whatever happens it is TIME dependent because the diffusion reactions are slow.
My recommendations to customers is to buy fuel as it is needed
When they finish mowing turn off the fuel & starve the engine off then top up the tank with whatever is left in the filling can thus there is only 1 partially filled container to condense water out of the air that can be adsorbed into the ethanol till the ethanol drops out of solution.
That is the point of problems starting.
All of the other stuff comes from mowers that were not made from ethanol resistant materials so will be 20 years old and thus suffering a lot of age related problems which people like to blame on the ethanol.
Add to that most consumer grade mowers are trash designed to make the retailers rich while destroying the planet .
So the fact your 2020 mower is constantly giving grief while your old 1990 mower ran for years faultlessly is not because of the fuel it is because the new mower is full of junk that fails and made to a very low quality but finished with real pretty powder coat ( again an short life inferior product )
Many many variables as cited in the thread, but root cause is ethanol gas draws water. If your tank/container is full/topped off and sealed (no loose caps) air (H2O) can't condense into water (H2O). I always keep my tanks bone dry empty or topped off.
I remember as a kid in grade school wondering why all the nice shinny chrome plated flushing values in the restroom (located in the basement of the school) were always sweating, especially when warm outside?
#16
B
BTBO
B
BTBO
I have a 21" push mower (Honda engine) and a 48" ZTR (Kawasaki engine) and a Stihl 2 stroke blower. They are all only 3 yo, and have used nothing but 89 octane non-ethanol gas. For the mowers, I use Seafoam at 2 oz/gallon, Stabil Marine and Yamaha Ring Free+. In the Stihl, Seafoam at 1oz/gallon. With these mixtures, I have never drained the fuel tanks or run till carbs are dry when cutting season is over. Instead, I start and run all three at least once monthly with not a single issue. After all, one of the worst things you can do to an engine is not run it for extended periods of time. Lose it if you don't use it. Also, some of the fuel I use is leftover from last year---again, with no problems. I'm sure this will get mixed responses, but hey it works for me.I know what is said about everyone's opinions ! Is it really worth the 85 cent extra cost over 93 octane gas to no ethanol gas? I will refilling at least 1 time every month.
#17
B
BigBlueEdge
In MN the only non-oxy (non-ethanol) gasoline is 92 octane. Unsure why that might be. But it obviously makes it quite a bit more costly than standard 87 octane ethanol gas. The last time I put some in my cycle it was probably $4.65/gal for non-oxy 92 when 87 regular unleaded was about $3.90. For my small engines when a 5 gal can lasts all summer, not a problem. But on my Rogue mower that I put 5-6 gallons per mowing into I'm not paying the extra. I burn it fast enough in that that it doesn't offer any value to me.
B
BigBlueEdge
I spend the extra for no ethanol, its 89 or 90, no need for 93. If your fuel system has brass parts in it, you will find it full of green goo every spring if you use ethanol and if it has rubber orings they will deteriorate in 5 years. No ethanol gas no such problems.
In MN the only non-oxy (non-ethanol) gasoline is 92 octane. Unsure why that might be. But it obviously makes it quite a bit more costly than standard 87 octane ethanol gas. The last time I put some in my cycle it was probably $4.65/gal for non-oxy 92 when 87 regular unleaded was about $3.90. For my small engines when a 5 gal can lasts all summer, not a problem. But on my Rogue mower that I put 5-6 gallons per mowing into I'm not paying the extra. I burn it fast enough in that that it doesn't offer any value to me.
#18
A
AdamE
A
AdamE
I've been meaning to ask you guys what you think about Sta-Bil's 360 Protection. It's Ethanol treatment as well as stabilizer.
#19
Hammermechanicman
Hammermechanicman
I have a gallon of 360 marine. When i am doing annual maint on customers mowers i add it to the fuel for storage. Not sure how much it helps but customers like it. Just remember to run engine long enough after adding to get it to the carb. Most folks don't.I've been meaning to ask you guys what you think about Sta-Bil's 360 Protection. It's Ethanol treatment as well as stabilizer.
#20
G
Graeden
Edit: Spelling corrections.
Link to video:
G
Graeden
Stabilizers like Sta-Bil, Lucas, etc are a ”scam”/false sense of security as is SeaFoam. They do NOT prevent ethanol containing fuels from absorbing water into the fuel. Ryan from FortNine tried several stabilizers promoted to motorcyclists for off season storage & through his tests, some actually increase the amount of water drawn into the fuel. The best practice is to either use non-ethanol fuel or run your tank dry @ the end of the season.I've been meaning to ask you guys what you think about Sta-Bil's 360 Protection. It's Ethanol treatment as well as stabilizer.
Edit: Spelling corrections.
Link to video:
#21
G
Gord Baker
G
Gord Baker
If you fill several 5 gal cans of fuel at the lowest price you can find and they are tightly sealed, no problem.
It is the moisture in the Air in partially filled tanks that offers the Ethanol moisture.
The fuel will normally last 30 days with no degradation.
I use Premium Ethanol Free in Ontario in my XLR. I always run small HP engines dry at season end and then drain the carb bowl which is very important.
It is the moisture in the Air in partially filled tanks that offers the Ethanol moisture.
The fuel will normally last 30 days with no degradation.
I use Premium Ethanol Free in Ontario in my XLR. I always run small HP engines dry at season end and then drain the carb bowl which is very important.
#22
B
bertsmobile1
The story is the same as fuel breakdown it is dependent on so many different climatic conditions it is impossible to make a blanket appraisal.
They are needed for some thing like 5% of the country.
At best they will do no harm if used in the concentrations prescribed on the cans other than lighten your wallet .
Scam is not quite the right word because in the 5 % of places they are needed they work quite well
Over marketed on par with WD 40 in order to convince the 95 % who don't need it to believe that they do thus sell a lot more product would be more like it .
As for the you tube video, regardless of the fact I agree with his conclusions, it is not proof of anything other than the fact he has little understanding of fuel physics & chemistry
I will use a for instance here.
Customer who hangs his line trimmers on hooks on the side of a steel yard shed , next to them is the two walk behinds and in the middle is the ride on .
It is a std 8' x 10' garden shed on concrete tiles ( to avoid planning laws ) .
The ride on & one of the walk behinds that is nearer the door never have any problems
The walk behind in the corner & the stuff hanging on the wall all suffer from fuel going off chronically
So he is now using Stabil for the walk behinds & tipping the trimmers out & running them dry
So the difference between needing Stabil & not needing it can be as little as a couple of feet away from a wall in an 8 x 10 shed .
I did try to fit taps to the walk behinds but the mowers are too compact & thus cumbersome to use the taps
B
bertsmobile1
New York elephant repellant is the term that comes to mindI've been meaning to ask you guys what you think about Sta-Bil's 360 Protection. It's Ethanol treatment as well as stabilizer.
The story is the same as fuel breakdown it is dependent on so many different climatic conditions it is impossible to make a blanket appraisal.
They are needed for some thing like 5% of the country.
At best they will do no harm if used in the concentrations prescribed on the cans other than lighten your wallet .
Scam is not quite the right word because in the 5 % of places they are needed they work quite well
Over marketed on par with WD 40 in order to convince the 95 % who don't need it to believe that they do thus sell a lot more product would be more like it .
As for the you tube video, regardless of the fact I agree with his conclusions, it is not proof of anything other than the fact he has little understanding of fuel physics & chemistry
I will use a for instance here.
Customer who hangs his line trimmers on hooks on the side of a steel yard shed , next to them is the two walk behinds and in the middle is the ride on .
It is a std 8' x 10' garden shed on concrete tiles ( to avoid planning laws ) .
The ride on & one of the walk behinds that is nearer the door never have any problems
The walk behind in the corner & the stuff hanging on the wall all suffer from fuel going off chronically
So he is now using Stabil for the walk behinds & tipping the trimmers out & running them dry
So the difference between needing Stabil & not needing it can be as little as a couple of feet away from a wall in an 8 x 10 shed .
I did try to fit taps to the walk behinds but the mowers are too compact & thus cumbersome to use the taps
#23
L
lbrac
L
lbrac
I have read that 2 cycle oil tends to stabilize gasohol and have had no problems w/ 2-stroke engines. I had filled a couple of outboard tanks and added oil in anticipation of using my boat, which didn't happen, so after about 6 or 7 years I used the fuel in trimmers, chain saw, etc. w/o any problem. The boat tanks were sealed and kept in the boat under cover. But I have had gasohol treated w/ Stabil go bad in 2 pickup tanks and one car tank from sitting too long (2 to 3 years). The FI fuel pumps were ruined. Many years ago, I would occasionally get a slug of water w/ straight gas in my car from a gas station. There was no ethanol to absorb the water, and it would settle to the bottom of the tank and get pumped to the carb bowl. I had to remove the top of the carb, and absorb the water w/ a paper towel to get the car to run again. Gas stations sometimes don't properly replace the tank covers after measuring the level of water and fuel in the tank, causing rain to get into the fuel. The water is supposed to be pumped out of the tanks when it is detected.
I was a fuels specialist in the Air Force. In Alaska, 50,000 gallon underground jet fuel tanks, that had fuel drawn from them and were refilled daily, would condense 5 gallons or more of water each that would have to be pumped out of the bottom of the tank sump each day. But full million gallon above ground reserve tanks, that didn't have fuel removed, would collect only a gallon or less of water per month.
I was a fuels specialist in the Air Force. In Alaska, 50,000 gallon underground jet fuel tanks, that had fuel drawn from them and were refilled daily, would condense 5 gallons or more of water each that would have to be pumped out of the bottom of the tank sump each day. But full million gallon above ground reserve tanks, that didn't have fuel removed, would collect only a gallon or less of water per month.
#24
O
oneoldsap
O
oneoldsap
I mow commercially , and use Regular 87 Octane gas in all my equipment . The last few tankfulls in the fall get treated with Sea Foam , and I store them for the winter with Sea Foam treated fuel in them , and they start right up in the Spring , and run just fine . I do however use 93 Non-Ethanol in my 2-stroke outboard motors . Also treated with Sea Foam .I know what is said about everyone's opinions ! Is it really worth the 85 cent extra cost over 93 octane gas to no ethanol gas? I will refilling at least 1 time every month.
#25
F
fescue
F
fescue
About what month do you think the summer blends are fully in the tanks of medium to high use stations? I can never tell when the summer blends actually begin. I live in eastern KS. Thanks.I deliver fuel to stations. Can not speak to CA Reformulation laws. What I do know is here in Indiana you will notice a change in MPG when the summer blend comes in. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 days depending on the volume of gas in the tanks at the loading terminal. Also can vary by your branded gas stations also. We move upwards of 350000 gallons of regular a day of 1 brand and 17000 gallons of another. So it takes longer for the lower volume brands to switch over. Granted other companies pull out if those terminals also.
#26
7
7997T
7
7997T
Here in Northern Indiana we made the switch a few weeks ago. Most station would be the same week. Your really low volume stations probably 2 weeks. Although alot of them run bottom of the tanks. So the change over could be fast. I see most places we go to buying 93 octane to 87 octane as a 1 to 7.5 ratio.About what month do you think the summer blends are fully in the tanks of medium to high use stations? I can never tell when the summer blends actually begin. I live in eastern KS. Thanks.
#27
C
catman606
C
catman606
In my Stihl chainsaw and weedeatet, non-ethanol definitely runs better. Engines just rev up much quicker and more crisp sounding. I used to do a lot of drag racing and I ran av gas in them. The guy at the airport told me it was at least a 100 octane, this was back in the 80's. Well, if I was at work and my wife decided to mow the grass, she would use my av gas in the mower! She'd just tell me that it run's so much better. Never had the first problem out of that old Craftsman, kept it for over 20 years until the deck was beyond patching.
My present Craftsman runs fine on the E10, although I have replaced the engine. I'm going to buy a new JD X350 this summer at some point, been busy getting my garden ready, grandson playing baseball and just haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'd like to run it on the non-ethanol, but with the prices, I don't know. Thanks Brandon!!!
My present Craftsman runs fine on the E10, although I have replaced the engine. I'm going to buy a new JD X350 this summer at some point, been busy getting my garden ready, grandson playing baseball and just haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'd like to run it on the non-ethanol, but with the prices, I don't know. Thanks Brandon!!!
#28
Ron3
Ron3
Yea me tooI use regular pump gas in everthing. 36hp zero turn, lo-boy tractor, 3 chainsaws, 2 string trimmers, hedge trimmer, blower, lawn boy mower, pole saw, 2 generators. Snowblower, Chipper, edger with no problems. I do run everthing dry at the end of its season. Ethanol gas runs fine it just doesn't store well.
#29
G
Graeden
G
Graeden
You do not need to have a full understanding of fuel physics to know that it is well documented that ethanol containing fuel absorbs moisture. I’ve repaired & replaced many carbs due to the use of ethanol fuel, both with & without some brand name of stabilizer used. Your example with the shed is as anecdotal as Ryan’s conclusion, however I refuse to lighten my wallet using a product that does not do as advertised. If people feel all warm & fuzzy by using SeaFoam, Sta-Bil, Lucas, or any other stabilizer, then they should continue to use them. Myself, I’ll save myself from the headaches these products cause.New York elephant repellant is the term that comes to mind
The story is the same as fuel breakdown it is dependent on so many different climatic conditions it is impossible to make a blanket appraisal.
They are needed for some thing like 5% of the country.
At best they will do no harm if used in the concentrations prescribed on the cans other than lighten your wallet .
Scam is not quite the right word because in the 5 % of places they are needed they work quite well
Over marketed on par with WD 40 in order to convince the 95 % who don't need it to believe that they do thus sell a lot more product would be more like it .
As for the you tube video, regardless of the fact I agree with his conclusions, it is not proof of anything other than the fact he has little understanding of fuel physics & chemistry
I will use a for instance here.
Customer who hangs his line trimmers on hooks on the side of a steel yard shed , next to them is the two walk behinds and in the middle is the ride on .
It is a std 8' x 10' garden shed on concrete tiles ( to avoid planning laws ) .
The ride on & one of the walk behinds that is nearer the door never have any problems
The walk behind in the corner & the stuff hanging on the wall all suffer from fuel going off chronically
So he is now using Stabil for the walk behinds & tipping the trimmers out & running them dry
So the difference between needing Stabil & not needing it can be as little as a couple of feet away from a wall in an 8 x 10 shed .
I did try to fit taps to the walk behinds but the mowers are too compact & thus cumbersome to use the taps