When I was at the JD store in northern Michigan, we had a lot of Stihl equipment come in for various smoking/non starting/ not running right complaints. We'd ask the owner what fuel they were using. Most bragged about using rec gas from the local co-op. The assumption was this was ethanol free. We'd always drain the gas and fill with the Stihl pre-mix. about 50% of the time this was the fix. Expensive though, at $120/hour, and not covered by warranty. So we suggested it to the owner before taking the unit in. Most were too smart to believe it, paid up later. My own stuff, I use the same gas as I put in my vehicles, with some Stabil added year round. I don't use a lot of gas, some of my engines get used only a few times a year, and don't know when the next use will be. It's worked out well for me. But I do still avoid 2 strokes like the plague!
Pre mixed fuel vs mix it up yourself
- Thread starter coffeesnob
- Start date
I use 91 non oxy premium in all the 2 cycle stuff, and recommend yit for my daughters snowblower and mower since she isn’t conducive to treating it, or running the carb dry when she puts it away. All the 2 cycle gets Sea Foam. Since I started doing that 20 yrs ago I have not made a trip to the small engine shop.
I think some of this stuff is overthought! 22 yrs ago I bought a Kubota 3 cylinder 21 hp mower. I still havent touched the carb or the plugs. Rule of thumb, the smaller the csrb the bigger the problem. Mix, IIRC 30 ml of 50-1 with a gallon of non oxy, and a splash of Sea Foam. Drain the tank at the end of the season, and run the carb dry. Rinse and repeat!
I think some of this stuff is overthought! 22 yrs ago I bought a Kubota 3 cylinder 21 hp mower. I still havent touched the carb or the plugs. Rule of thumb, the smaller the csrb the bigger the problem. Mix, IIRC 30 ml of 50-1 with a gallon of non oxy, and a splash of Sea Foam. Drain the tank at the end of the season, and run the carb dry. Rinse and repeat!
MyGrassHasCrabs
Member
I may as well add my 2c - after I started using Stabil in all lawn equipment gas, my problems with difficult/not starting vanished. I don't know the technical reasons why, just my experience over the past several years.
Exactly right. The problem with ethanol is that it absorbs water and gets stinky and rotten when it sits in a tank too long. You can let a small engine sit all winter with pure gasoline in he tank, fill it up in spring and it will usually run fine. Do the same with ethanol gas and you will be lucky if it starts and you don't have to clean the carb bowl, needle, seat, jet, and passages. I'm so forgetful I stopped using ethanol gas altogether. It makes the exhaust stinky anyway.
rutbuster1
Member
I've used both my own mix and canned fuel for years and never had a problem. If the canned fuel you got was "TruFuel", that's most likely your problem. I dunno what it is, but that fuel is horrible. There's videos on the tube about it and at first I didn't believe it but I had to try it out for myself. That fuel is garbage. Using a tachometer really tells the tale. When I use canned fuel I use either SEF or Husqvarna. SEF is made by VP racing fuels but costs less. The Wally World canned fuel is SEF. Haven't researched the Husqvarna fuel. The thing about the canned fuel is to remember to shake it before you use it. At least that's what I do. You can in all reality use whatever fuel you want but just mix it correctly and remember that it's only good for a couple of months storage. Try to use non ethanol if possible cause it will last longer. If commercial, you can use whatever fuel cause it gets used daily. As with any equipment, if it is to be stored for a long time, it's best to run the gas out. I know a lot of people on here will gig me on that but I've done this for decades and have had good success. But I also keep maintenance up on my equipment as well. Most of the equipment I work on with carburetor problems are the ones that have been stored for long periods of time with stale gas in the carbs.
rutbuster1
Member
I tinker with R/C nitro cars running with 20-30% nitro and depending upon how long they sit and not used, the lines will either harden or gel up. I think the oil content whether 9% or 15% is the factor with that.
Piros1
Forum Newbie
This seems to be quite a controversial subject so I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. I had a similar discussion with an engineer from my fuel supplier for my business. To sum it up he told me that summer fuel stores longer than winter fuel due to operating conditions in cooler climates winter fuel has more additives to boost its volatility. Now if you live in warmer climates that don’t have the cold weather your fuel may not have these same additives. He did state typically the additive package was regional based on temperature. It boils down to keep your fuel fresh. I don’t really think that the 10% ethanol affects your equipment especially if you have always used it. On the other hand if you started using the 10% ethanol fuel after using standard fuel the ethanol can release deposits within the fuel system and may cause some pour operating issues. In personally won’t spend the money for the premixed fuel. I run the oil recommended by the manufacturer of my equipment and little to no issues unless I don’t run the equipment for several months and the fuel drys out. Most of my equipment is Stihl and I use their oil.
Everybody has strong opinions on this and lots of people like to present what they do as fact or the only way to do it or the best way.
This is not really the case as there are many ways to obtain the desired results.
I would never touch that can fuel because it's ridiculously overpriced
I've heard people have good results with it though but again I'm not paying that for it.
Ethanol does not destroy engines and the only thing ethanol has really ever destroyed would be arrested up carburetor or corroded up or whatever that you couldn't disassemble and even that could have occurred with standard not ethanol fuel.
It doesn't even destroy the rubber and plastic parts etc it just shortens their life.
If I had my choice for about the same price I would definitely take ethanol free fuel but I haven't had that option in my area for well over 20 years.
Actually it's easier to find ethanol free gas now than it was 20 years ago because there's a demand for it but they want a lot more money for it.
I don't use any of it.
It also is irrelevant whether you use the most expensive premium gas you can buy or plan old 87 if that's the lowest in your state. In my state it's 87 89 and 91 typically. It used to be 5 cents for each grade up and then 10 and then 20 and then 40 and now it's 50.
It's literally a dollar more for premium fuel than for 87 so again I'm not buying that either.
Tons of people have just as many no starts and problems using premium fuel so it's just a waste of your money.
I've done thousands upon thousands of these commercially for decades and all you need to do is put fresh stabilized fuel into them.
This is where some people drop the ball, have a bad experience with stabilizer and then claim it doesn't work.
This is usually because they grab some old four or five month old fuel from their gas can and added some stabilizer to it right before they put their mower away or added some into the gas tank of the mower and then poured the gas in there too which is the completely wrong way to do it.
Always start with an empty gas can!
And while you're at it get a flashlight look in there and see if there's any crap floating around because you might want to blow it out or shake it out or let it sit upside down all night long to dry out and then shake it..
But start with an empty gas can and then put 1 oz of stabilizer if you're using stable regular which is what I use because it's pretty much the cheapest and I really don't trust the Walmart brand as much...
Yes, 1 oz per gallon and not the 1 oz treats every 2 and 1/2 gallons for normal stuff. You want the long-term storage like they used to call it.
1 oz per gallon into the empty gas can and then get your gas from the gas pump at the station.
This is as fresh as you can get it. Now go home and fill your gas tank of your push mower all the way to the top and then mow with it. When you're done top it off again.
This is the best insurance you have for starting and running properly next year and all you need to do. You do not need to run it dry and in fact it is worse to run them dry because you will have cracking and sealing problems with rubber parts far earlier than if you store them with a fresh wet tank of stabilized fuel.
I will claim this is the best way to do it all factors considered, cost, convenience, chances of no problems, etc.
A person could go above and beyond and use premium fuel and ethanol free fuel and then make sure it's fresh and use a stabilizer and probably increase their chances but it's probably overkill.
I'm a minimalist and I don't like Overkill unless it's horsepower in a car.
My dad always said that my friends and I always did what little dab we had to...to get by.
I've always seen that as meeting your goal!
This is not really the case as there are many ways to obtain the desired results.
I would never touch that can fuel because it's ridiculously overpriced
I've heard people have good results with it though but again I'm not paying that for it.
Ethanol does not destroy engines and the only thing ethanol has really ever destroyed would be arrested up carburetor or corroded up or whatever that you couldn't disassemble and even that could have occurred with standard not ethanol fuel.
It doesn't even destroy the rubber and plastic parts etc it just shortens their life.
If I had my choice for about the same price I would definitely take ethanol free fuel but I haven't had that option in my area for well over 20 years.
Actually it's easier to find ethanol free gas now than it was 20 years ago because there's a demand for it but they want a lot more money for it.
I don't use any of it.
It also is irrelevant whether you use the most expensive premium gas you can buy or plan old 87 if that's the lowest in your state. In my state it's 87 89 and 91 typically. It used to be 5 cents for each grade up and then 10 and then 20 and then 40 and now it's 50.
It's literally a dollar more for premium fuel than for 87 so again I'm not buying that either.
Tons of people have just as many no starts and problems using premium fuel so it's just a waste of your money.
I've done thousands upon thousands of these commercially for decades and all you need to do is put fresh stabilized fuel into them.
This is where some people drop the ball, have a bad experience with stabilizer and then claim it doesn't work.
This is usually because they grab some old four or five month old fuel from their gas can and added some stabilizer to it right before they put their mower away or added some into the gas tank of the mower and then poured the gas in there too which is the completely wrong way to do it.
Always start with an empty gas can!
And while you're at it get a flashlight look in there and see if there's any crap floating around because you might want to blow it out or shake it out or let it sit upside down all night long to dry out and then shake it..
But start with an empty gas can and then put 1 oz of stabilizer if you're using stable regular which is what I use because it's pretty much the cheapest and I really don't trust the Walmart brand as much...
Yes, 1 oz per gallon and not the 1 oz treats every 2 and 1/2 gallons for normal stuff. You want the long-term storage like they used to call it.
1 oz per gallon into the empty gas can and then get your gas from the gas pump at the station.
This is as fresh as you can get it. Now go home and fill your gas tank of your push mower all the way to the top and then mow with it. When you're done top it off again.
This is the best insurance you have for starting and running properly next year and all you need to do. You do not need to run it dry and in fact it is worse to run them dry because you will have cracking and sealing problems with rubber parts far earlier than if you store them with a fresh wet tank of stabilized fuel.
I will claim this is the best way to do it all factors considered, cost, convenience, chances of no problems, etc.
A person could go above and beyond and use premium fuel and ethanol free fuel and then make sure it's fresh and use a stabilizer and probably increase their chances but it's probably overkill.
I'm a minimalist and I don't like Overkill unless it's horsepower in a car.
My dad always said that my friends and I always did what little dab we had to...to get by.
I've always seen that as meeting your goal!
Tiger Small Engine
Lawn Addict
I can sum my personal experience and opinion up in one paragraph. I agree with TobyU.
I use 87 ethanol in all my equipment. Keep it fresh and moving. 30-60 days old. Not uncommon to pour out customer pre-mix in handheld equipment and put in my fuel and it starts and runs.