Oil & Fuel Fuel Treatments Year 'Round?

[bp fick]

If you all are like me, I care for the diesel with the white bottle. But frankly, my tractor doesn't sit for 6 months. My small engines do. Weed whippers, leaf blower, 22" push mower, riding lawn mower, chain saws and most importantly, my 25 Merc outboard on my fishing boat.

I have given up. I just never know if I can "remember" to fuss with all these things and here's the important thing, I just never know when the engine might be run for the last time in a summer. Who is to say whether I am going to run this or this piece of equipment? Who's to say, despite my good intentions, as to whether I am really going to take the boat out one last time or one the boys will? See what I mean. I give up.

I just run the fuel stabilizers in the re-fill cans all the time. That way, I don't have to "remember". Anybody else just get to that point?

 

[thavil]

I started doing the same thing about a year ago. Before I fill either my gas or diesel cans, I treat them before I take them to the store. Sta-Bil for gas, gray Power Service in the warm months and white Power Service in the colder months.

 

[whistlepig]

Diesel has a much longer shelf life than gas. I started doing the Sta-bil thing for gas this year when I bought a generator. The only thing that I worry about is the generator, chainsaw, weed eaters, and lawnmowers. These are the tools most likely to sit through the winter. The ATV's and diesel tractor get run time during the winter. I think stabilizer is the way to go but it has a shelf life also. I keep track of time on the lawnmowers, chainsaws, generator, and weed eaters. It is a hassle.

 

[Runner]

I always run StaBil in the cans and tanks for things that I suspect may sit for awhile, including the boats, chain saw and weed eater.

I keep a couple of 5 gallon cans for lawn tractor use that I don't use the stabilizer in during the summer because I use them up, but I try to remember to give them a shot just before the last fill of the summer.

I run the diesel treatment year round because I figure it can't hurt anything and I don't use that much diesel.

 

[RalphVa]

I put Stabil in the gas I buy.

Best treatment for little engines with carburetors is Seafoam. Fixed a bad idle problem on a Gravely I had. This summer, both walk behind lawn mowers had troublesome idles and one started "hunting" at speed. Treated them with Seafoam. Now they're fine.

Ralph

 

[Allan_Cen_Ont]

What I do when I use the weedeater and push mower the last time of the season is I drain the gas from their gas tanks if they have a lot in them, then I start them up and run them out of gas and then remove the spark plugs and squirt a few drops of oil in the cylinder and pul the start cord slowly once to lube the cylinders up or in the case of the generator I shut the gas off and let it run til it quits .

 

[whistlepig]

The biggest hassle is keeping fresh gas for a generator year round. Never know when a wind storm comes or someone hits a pole. No well water for the livestock or to flush toilets when that happens.

 

[WH401]

I run Sta-bil in all the gas I buy, both mix and regular. For the mix I also run one mixture in everything, Amsoil Saber 2-stroke at 80:1, so I don't have to mess with a whole bunch of different cans. I've never had a problem with that method, and I don't plan to change it. In every diesel engine I have, whether tractor or vehicle, I run Power Service. Ever since the introduction of ULSD, diesel fuel is no where near the quality it used to be. Lubricity and gelling are two key issues to be concerned with, but stability isn't as big of an issue with diesel fuel, it doesn't rapidly deteriorate like gasoline.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I use my tractor year 'round, so a non issue.

I run the gas out of all of my small vehicles, and use Stabil in my Corvette which I like to store full of gas to reduce condensation. I store my motorcycles in my heated basement, so I don't worry about condensation, but I do use Stabil.

 

[DWCox]

I put Stabil in the gas I buy.

Best treatment for little engines with carburetors is Seafoam. Fixed a bad idle problem on a Gravely I had. This summer, both walk behind lawn mowers had troublesome idles and one started "hunting" at speed. Treated them with Seafoam. Now they're fine.

Ralph

I concur on the Seafoam. It was highly recommended to me by a top-notch lawn and small equipment business that does superb work for lawn care businesses and homeowners in this region. I have been putting some into my chainsaw, weedeater, and roadbike just before putting them up for the winter, and they fire right up almost first crank in the late spring. Dirty carbs which I would previously have to use caustic carb cleaners on to clean (which often destroyed certain rubber diaphragms and o-rings), the aerosol version of Seafoam cleans right up with no damage whatsoever. I keep it on my shelf continuously in both liquid and aerosol forms.