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12-12-2010, 03:51 PM #1
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Posts
- 9
- Tractor
- 1976 JD Track loader
Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
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
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12-12-2010, 03:59 PM #2
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
I've collected a couple of these saws. I bought my first one about 30 years or so. Still going good. I have 2 others that were garage sale finds ($10). The guy had the chains on backwards.
These are not high oil ratio motors as I recall, so I run the gas to oil ratio pretty low. The smoke doesn't bother me, the air quality in China is not affected and the mosquitoes don't get much of a chance to complain.There is no "I" in team, but there is a "Me" if you want to jumble it up a bit...
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12-12-2010, 04:04 PM #3
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Posts
- 9
- Tractor
- 1976 JD Track loader
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
Lol! Guy brought an electric Poulan in to me the other day and said "man, this things is just not cutting good!". He too had the chain on backwards lol! I was trying not to laugh when I looked at it but boy was it hard to keep a straight face. Poor guy was running the saw to death and getting nowhere.........
Wish I could find another Super XL for parts, it sure was a good saw. My Stihl's and Husqvarna's are nice saws, but I used the Super XL for cutting dirty wood, stumps and such.
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12-12-2010, 06:04 PM #4
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
Somewhere around I got either a XL-12 or super XL, can't remember which. I was using it as back up just in case I got my bar pinched. It needs a new chain so it's sitting in a corner somewhere, probably near the old stihl and partner.
Kubota L4240,Case 580K backhoe, Case 450 Dozer, Deere X500
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12-12-2010, 10:12 PM #5
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Posts
- 16,332
- Location
- Daleville, IN
- Tractor
- Jinma 254/284 Ford 861 Powermaster at work
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
I never believe in a one size fits all product. I have seen this type of oil but always passed on it. Glad I do now.
By the way, I run bar oil in my saws, not used motor oil...
Chris
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12-13-2010, 12:12 AM #6
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Posts
- 9
- Tractor
- 1976 JD Track loader
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
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12-13-2010, 08:37 AM #7
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
If it stated 40:1 = that entire bottle in a gallon of gas then that would make sense. I don't see how it could work for all ratios unless you adjust the amount of oil per gallon...
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12-13-2010, 09:08 AM #8
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
- Posts
- 10,899
- Location
- Bismarck Arkansas
- Tractor
- 2009 Kubota RTV 900, 2009 Kubota B26 TLB & 2010 model LS P7010
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
I used the pro-mix in my old Troybuilt leaf blower and never had a problem in 15 years. I finally thru it away rather than replace all the fuel hoses as it was leaking everywhere. Engine still ran and started on the first couple of pulls. The pro mix is not a one bottle for all mixes in that you do have to adjust the oil ratio depending on what ratio your motor requires. THere is a side panel that tells you how much to put per gallon for each ratio. Maybe the OP was using the wrong ratio, however if as he said he rebuilds small engines, he should know how to read the directions on the 2 cycle oil mix.
2010 LS P-7010C 20F/20R gear tractor & FEL, 2009 Kubota B 26 TLB, RTV 900 Kubota,17 foot Lund boat with 70HP motor, 2012-20 ft 12k GVW trailer, 2011- 52" Craftsman ZTR mower, 2013 Ferris Zero Turn, 3 weed whackers, pressure washer, leaf blowers, 7 foot bush hog, 8 foot landscape rake , 8 foot 3 PH disc, 2 row cultivator, 350 amp Miller AC/DC welding machine and all the tools needed to keep them all repaired and running.
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12-13-2010, 10:44 AM #9
- Join Date
- Nov 2010
- Posts
- 117
- Location
- Custer Park, IL
- Tractor
- TC 40DA
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12-13-2010, 04:30 PM #10
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Posts
- 9
- Tractor
- 1976 JD Track loader
Re: Beware of "pro-mix 2-cycle"
Thanks Gary. This particular bottle of "Pro-Mix" Say's "Safely Replaces all mix ratios" 50:1 down to 16:1 uses the same mix.
Say's "Mix a 2.6 Oz chamber of oil to one gallon of gasoline" "Use this ratio for 50:1, 40:1, 32:1, and 16:1 ratios"
There is no chart on the side, nor are there any other instructions than the above mention. I included a picture of the bottle if you can read it. I would have preffered a chart with richer ratios than having a seized saw (twice)
Tad