?? About octane for mowers and chain saw

[fried1765]

Will do.

Thank you !
I most certainly do appreciate your candor!

 

[Coyote machine]

When E-10 sits and sometimes even when it's supposedly fresh at the pump, it begins phase separation, as mentioned on the Startron gas treatment bottle posted further up this thread. Phase separation is the components of E-10 breaking down, and results in the water in the gas to settle to the bottom of the tank. Water and combustion in gas engines simply don't mix. Additionally, for chainsaws and things that require gas AND oil mixed together the oil also separates out from the gas and causes additional lubrication/combustion issues in 2 stroke engines. So, at the end of the day, when one let's their can/container of E-10 mixed with 2 stroke oil sit for weeks, or months and then goes to use it - does the operator shake the container vigorously BEFORE adding the mix to the saw, and then shake the saw also to mix further with the remaining fuel already in the saw's tank? I doubt it. It is now stated in some recent owner's manuals to do exactly that, remix the mix by vigorously shaking the container prior to refueling.

So most are using gas, if E-10, that has poor mixture of needed oil, as required, and quite likely a watered down mix as well. Not a good combination for the saw's engine or operability.

Additionally, today most plastic fuel containers no longer have vents on them. This is because with no air vent there is less chance of additional air getting into the container while in storage. This is a relatively new design and comes from the need to keep E-10 from absorbing more atmospheric moisture than it already contains when at the pump. And to keep gas fumes from entering the atmosphere that we all breath, even conservatives!

So why bother with all the possible downsides of E-10, IF one can access NON-E-10 fuel, then I say go for it. I know I do. I drive over to NYS to get my E0 gas and use it in everything that takes gas. 2 stroke, 4 stroke, etc. I also put half the container of Stihl's ultra oil in the gas container then fill halfway and close it,shake it up, then fill it the rest of the way and shake to mix the mix again. When using the mix gas I shake it before filling the saw, and then the saw, as described earlier. I never leave the top off any container of gas. I see landscapers and loggers and everyone driving their pickups around with the old vented gas containers with the spout in the ready to pour position and wonder how their equipment runs?!:confused3:
YMMV, but I don't do the drain everything I own routine- I can't justify the time for little to no benefit.
And if one can't find E0 in a reasonable distance, then by all means buy the quart sized lab grade gas for usurious prices...

 

[MossRoad]

Could be, but Hudson, NH is well over 100 miles from me in SE, Ma.
100LL is usually priced at around $6.50/gal.

I used to work at airports back in the 70s and 80's at fixed base operators. Back then, generally speaking, 100LL was almost always 2X the price of regular car gas. So, it was about $2.00 per gallon back then. Seem to recall it being a high of less than $3.00.

40 years later, car gas was as low as $2.19 here yesterday. Back up to $2.27 today. I keep three 6-gallon cans of 87 octane 10% ehanol, and a couple 2-gallon cans. I mix one gallon of 2-stroke 50:1 at a time. My tractor uses just a tad over 1 gallon per hour. Between the tractor, log splitter, tiller, weed eater, power washer, generator and chainsaws, I go through about 3-4 fillings of those cans per year, so between 72 and 90 gallons per year( it was a lot more back when I did volunteer work with the machines). The fuel in the cans gets rotated out by useage at least 3 times per year. All the equipment just gets used when I need it. I shut off the fuel valve and let it run till it dies. Only exception is the generator. It stays full all the time. It only runs about half an hour 2-3 times per year. I will generally drain that out once a year, and run it through my other machines, refilling it with fresh stabil-treated gas. That's the only one I treat with Stabil. No need to treat any of the others, as they have never failed to start and get run often enough that it has never been a problem. If I do drain something, I just run it through a more frequently used machine, or pour it into my Suburban. Nothing gets wasted.

 

[Redbug]

For my small 2 stroke engines, I use typical regular gas with the alcohol in it. However, I always add the ethanol treatment Sta-bil and some octane booster. I also empty the tanks and run the carbs dry when I am finished working with the tool.

 

[MossRoad]

Thank you !
I most certainly do appreciate your candor!

Wish we could meet in person and have the discussion face-to-face, as sometimes its hard to get someone's attitude when typing. Not trying to come across as a **** but darn sure know I do sometimes.

 

[goeduck]

Wish we could meet in person and have the discussion face-to-face, as sometimes its hard to get someone's attitude when typing. Not trying to come across as a **** but darn sure know I do sometimes.

Don稚 you two get all misty eyed on us now :laughing:

 

[RalphVa]

I don't recall ever seeing an octane in a chain saw or mower owners manual or never paid any attention because 87 octane, both with 10% ethanol and no ethanol, are 87 locally. The local non ethanol is very expensive. I only buy it for my push mowers.

Won't hurt to use higher octane, unless you're putting stuff with lead in it, as others have pointed out. The engine will actually run less efficiently.

Ralph

 

[RSKY]

When E-10 sits and sometimes even when it's supposedly fresh at the pump, it begins phase separation, as mentioned on the Startron gas treatment bottle posted further up this thread. Phase separation is the components of E-10 breaking down, and results in the water in the gas to settle to the bottom of the tank. Water and combustion in gas engines simply don't mix. Additionally, for chainsaws and things that require gas AND oil mixed together the oil also separates out from the gas and causes additional lubrication/combustion issues in 2 stroke engines. So, at the end of the day, when one let's their can/container of E-10 mixed with 2 stroke oil sit for weeks, or months and then goes to use it - does the operator shake the container vigorously BEFORE adding the mix to the saw, and then shake the saw also to mix further with the remaining fuel already in the saw's tank? I doubt it. It is now stated in some recent owner's manuals to do exactly that, remix the mix by vigorously shaking the container prior to refueling.

So most are using gas, if E-10, that has poor mixture of needed oil, as required, and quite likely a watered down mix as well. Not a good combination for the saw's engine or operability.

Additionally, today most plastic fuel containers no longer have vents on them. This is because with no air vent there is less chance of additional air getting into the container while in storage. This is a relatively new design and comes from the need to keep E-10 from absorbing more atmospheric moisture than it already contains when at the pump. And to keep gas fumes from entering the atmosphere that we all breath, even conservatives!

So why bother with all the possible downsides of E-10, IF one can access NON-E-10 fuel, then I say go for it. I know I do. I drive over to NYS to get my E0 gas and use it in everything that takes gas. 2 stroke, 4 stroke, etc. I also put half the container of Stihl's ultra oil in the gas container then fill halfway and close it,shake it up, then fill it the rest of the way and shake to mix the mix again. When using the mix gas I shake it before filling the saw, and then the saw, as described earlier. I never leave the top off any container of gas. I see landscapers and loggers and everyone driving their pickups around with the old vented gas containers with the spout in the ready to pour position and wonder how their equipment runs?!:confused3:
YMMV, but I don't do the drain everything I own routine- I can't justify the time for little to no benefit.
And if one can't find E0 in a reasonable distance, then by all means buy the quart sized lab grade gas for usurious prices...

And after burning up a chainsaw for the reason stated above, oil separating from the fuel, I shake everything up again before cranking. If I am going to use a lot of fuel I will burn gasohol, if it may sit for a while I drive the extra twenty miles and get pure gas.

Cheap insurance.

RSKY

 

[4570Man]

I guess I have it lucky with ethanol free gas. I know of at least 3 stations that sell it within 3 miles from my house. There's probably more in town.

 

[buickanddeere]

What are you trying to say here? I used the exact same numbers you just quoted.

My error. I should have seen the litres to gallons conversion. Old 100/130 was 4.24 grams per gallon. I would worry more about lead solder in water pipes