Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"

[clemsonfor]

Yes the STIHL brand oil has stabil added also another added benefit, forgot that one.

I knew the Stihl bran oil had a stabilizer in it. Here is something that i just thought of. 2.6 oz of oil per gallon is 50:1. So assuming some minute amount has to be a stabilizer as that is not a lube like the oil and all 2.6 ozs are needed to make the 50:1 mix does that little 1 gallon mix bottle actually contain more like 2.7 or 2.8 ozs?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I knew the Stihl bran oil had a stabilizer in it. Here is something that i just thought of. 2.6 oz of oil per gallon is 50:1. So assuming some minute amount has to be a stabilizer as that is not a lube like the oil and all 2.6 ozs are needed to make the 50:1 mix does that little 1 gallon mix bottle actually contain more like 2.7 or 2.8 ozs?

I am sure it does. Still or any other company would not put the reputation of the company on something like that. Either way it would be minuscule. Takes 1oz of quality stabilizer to 10 gallons of fuel. By the way 90% of the little bottles of 2 cycle oil contains stabilizer. The gallons and quart jugs usually do not because they are marketed toward oil injected motors like late model motor cycles and outboards.

Chris

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I have been using this Opti-2 stuff in all of my 2 stroke stuff for a few years and it has worked great. From weed whackers to several brands of chainsaws.
By the way I have an old Homelite a guy gave me that the handle to body is cracked if you are interested. Don't remember which model off hand.
http://www.opti2-4.com/html/opti-2.html

 

[daman1]

I knew the Stihl bran oil had a stabilizer in it. Here is something that i just thought of. 2.6 oz of oil per gallon is 50:1. So assuming some minute amount has to be a stabilizer as that is not a lube like the oil and all 2.6 ozs are needed to make the 50:1 mix does that little 1 gallon mix bottle actually contain more like 2.7 or 2.8 ozs?

I don't know for sure but i'd say there's probably MORE then 2.6 oz like you said.

i rinse the little bottle out with a little swish of gas,get every drop.

 

[NIdaho]

Hey Folks,

For years I have used the same mix ratio in every 2-Stroke engine that I have. I use my "Saw-gas" 1 gallon jug and use AMSOIL SABER oil . That way I go thru enough "Saw-Gas" (mixed gas) that keeping it fresh usually isn't an issue. With 3 Husqvarna chainsaws, several weedeater/trimmers, blower, wife's small tiller/cultivator, ... the issue is usually -- ****, I need to mix another gallon of "saw-gas" already?"

I have probably done this for 8-10 years and have converted others to doing this as well. Before the Amsoil Saber was introduced they had a 100:1 Premix oil. I run a 50:1 ratio in everything whether it calls for 40:1 or 32:1 or anything else.

A couple of years ago my brother brought his old saw over to my place to cut some firewood, but he forgot his bar oil and saw gas (convienent huh?) after about his 2nd or 3rd tank that day he starts telling me how his saw hasn't run that good in years. Now he runs the 50:1 mix in all of his stuff too.

 

[daman1]

Right i do the same thing also one mix(50:1)for everything,,saw,gas trimmer,leaf blower,etc,etc...

 

[UncleTad]

I have been using this Opti-2 stuff in all of my 2 stroke stuff for a few years and it has worked great. From weed whackers to several brands of chainsaws.
By the way I have an old Homelite a guy gave me that the handle to body is cracked if you are interested. Don't remember which model off hand.
Opti-2

I would appreciate it greatly! Would be nice to put this back together at least a back up saw. I'll use the 6 Oz mix using good oil in it

Thanks,

Tad

 

[turbofiat124]

Hi Guys,

I had a old Homelite Super XL which had seized. Fortunately I had a spare piston and cylinder for this saw. I was running "Pro-Mix 2-cycle" from Lowes since I had run out of my Stihl pre mix and needed to cut a cord of wood for my shop heater. This premix say's there is only one formula for all ratios, so I took their advice and mixed it like the bottle said, 2.6Oz per gallon of fuel.

The saw was old and I had put many hours on it cutting firewood so I figured it was just a fluke that it had seized. I put a new piston and cylinder into it and got it tuned again. Ran the same gas with 1.5 Oz more oil added into it (4.1Oz total), I also richened up the screws on the saw just to make sure. About an hour into cutting wood the saw seized again! I grabbed my Stihl MS440 and fired it up, it had Stihl pre-mix still in it, but once that ran out I ran the same mix as the Homelite saw and noticed it was running hotter than usual, with gas tank was building up alot of pressure. I shut it down of course and stopped using the "Pro-Mix" in it since i was not going to burn up my best saw.

Not sure if anyone else has ever seen this issue with this pre mix but I figured I should say something. I rebuild small engines for a living so it wasn't that big of a deal for me, but someone else would probably be furious after this incident. I should make them pay for the parts for the Super XL since you can't find them any more = )

Tad

This maybe old news but thought I'd comment on it because I've been doing a lot of research on 2 cycle oils after finally being able to import a 2 cycle powered Trabant 601 and I am concerned about what is the best 2 cycle oil to use in it. Click on Trabant at the bottom:

turbofiat's Library | Photobucket

Back in 2000 when I moved into my Grandparent's house I had to buy all new lawn equiptment.

I went to Wal-Mart and purchased the cheapest weedwacker and leafblower they had for $69 each. Poulan weedeater brand.

I have been using Pro-Mix since then 2001 and both engines still run to this day and require usually no more than three pulls to get going. Granted I probably have only put 300 hours on each at the most but I usually run these at full throttle. I may test the compression of both and compare it to my new leaf blower to see how much wear they actually have on them.

The reason I replaced the leaf blower was because the starting mechanism is worn out and the cord won't retract and after having to reload the spring four times I decided to just give up on it and buy a new one. But the engine itself is still good though.

The Poulans made in 2000 required a 32:1 ratio. The newer Poulans are 40:1. I also have a couple of dirt bikes which I've ran Pro-Mix in.

I'm like you, I don't know where they get one mix covers all ratio but it seems like the ones that covers all ratios are always synthetic. I also don't know where manufacturers come up with which ratio to use in their engines. Is it the fact that newer 2 cycle oils protect better or the engine internals? I have never seen a 16:1 2 cycle engine.

One oil I am concerned about is Opti-2. It's a 100:1 ratio and covers everything. I bought a gallon of this stuff last year and have used half of it which is about ten tank fulls in my Trabant which is over 2500 miles. I don't know how many hours that would be but it has to be a lot more than my weedwacker.

I just recently mixed up a new batch of Opti-2 for my lawn equiptment and have already used it in several of my 2 cycle lawn equiptment.

I've heard of several people that swear by the Opti-2. A co-worker who repairs lawn mowers says he sells it and says it's the best stuff ever. So that was why I tried it.

In comparision it's not any cheaper than say Lucas. 6 ounces of Opti-2 will treat 5 gallons where with the Lucas you have to use 13 ounces for a 50:1 mix. So $64 versus $27 per gallon of oil, there is not much cost savings. But definetly cheaper than the Pro-Mix Lowes sells which only treats 6 gallons @ $8.00 a bottle.

So which is oil is better, which oil is crap? The thing is I have yet to have a 2 cycle engine actually seize up on me to find out!

I do know my father has purchased Stihl, Echo, Cub Cadet weedweaters and leafblowers for well over $150 each and they have all crapped long since I bought my Poulans and I don't know why. They don't seize up. They just stop running. When I test them they all have fire, seem to get fuel and have compression but just won't start even on ether.

Is Poulan just a better brand or is it the oil I am using? He says he is using the correct ratio of oil.

Here is one thing to consider. 4 stroke oils have come a long way. Used to oil would coke up the internals of an engine, maybe lasting 40K miles. Then they started recommending changing your oil every 3000 miles back in the 1980s. Now the owner's manual of most modern cars says to change the oil every 7500 miles. Dad has a Porsche Boxster that says to use synthetic only and it's intervals are every 15K miles!!

Dad told me back in the 1960s if you got 80K miles out of an engine, that was a incredible. Now there are cars still going with 200K miles on them.

So have the engine internals gotten any better or have the oils gotten better? More than likely I'd say the oils have gotten better. Have the rod bearings and piston rings really progressed over 100 years? They are still made with steel.

So maybe the same thing holds true for 2 cycle oils. What oil that was suitable for an engine in 1970 might require a 16:1 ratio but that same engine may get by with a 50:1 ratio today with a modern oil. Like the Opti-2.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Since this is an old thread I may have posted before. I have been using the opti 2 for several years now at the prescribed ratio on every flavor of 2 cycle I own from a Husky 2100 saw to Echo backpack blower and haven't had any issues at all. It isn't cheap but a gallon has lasted me a long time even with all of the saws and weed whackers I am feeding.

 

[turbofiat124]

I don't know why but for some reason it seems my Trabbi actually likes the Opti-2 better than other oils I've used like the Pro-Mix. I don't know why that is. Unless it's because of the 1:100 ratio, the engine is getting more fuel.

I figure if my car has ran for 1500 to 2000 miles on this stuff it must be "safe" to use it. Have you noticed that the Opti-2 is stickier and thicker than the run of the mill 2.6 ounce per gallon oil?

Trabants are supposed to use a 50:1 mixture with "old style" carburator which is what mine has on it. The "newer style" carb is supposed to increase fuel economy and because of that a lot of people use a 40:1 mixture. He says he can tell a difference in performance between a 40:1 and a 50:1 mixture.

Maybe that's why my car seems to run better on the Opti-2. Because I own a weadwacker (32:1), a leafblower, hedgetrimmer, chainsaw (40:1), a dirt bike (24:1) another dirt bike (50:1) and my Trabbi (50:1) it is nice to not have so many containers or gas around and accidently put the wrong mix in one of them.

I don't know what type of 2 cycle oil was being used in East Germany and other Eastern Bloc countries but they tended to smoke a lot even when warmed up. Today these cars typically only smokes when cold so it must be better oils. They will smoke for about a mile but once they warm up they don't smoke at all. Here is a photo from the 1989 mass exodus after East Germany opened their borders.