Stihl Warranty Rant

[2458n]

yOU CAN NOT BUY FUEL AROUND HERE WITHOUT THE ETHANOL. Sthil is bad poulan and craftsman bad. Have used Marine Stabil with some success. My parts man has 10 spools of different size fuel line. Need to take a piece each time I go, as well as the carb no. because the diaphram is also shot. Lots of items out there cheap because it only runs one season.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Locally the parts stores even have the NO ethanol cans of two cycle mixed gas. Not a cheap choice for power users but if you live near a body of water with marines they typically still pump pure gas.

 

[murphy1244]

Locally the parts stores even have the NO ethanol cans of two cycle mixed gas. Not a cheap choice for power users but if you live near a body of water with marines they typically still pump pure gas.

After all these years the Manufactures can't make tools that can run on pump gas?

 

[Coyote machine]

After all these years the Manufactures can't make tools that can run on pump gas?

NO. Not really. ALL 2 cycle engines are susceptible to ethanol gas damage. It causes carb issues that CANNOT be fixed and a new carb needs to be installed in most instances. ALL brands, everywhere are prone to failure now, and the only real solution is to burn the highest octane ETHANOL FREE gas available or buy the pre-mixed gas- wicked expensive, for sure.
It's because of the EPA and CARB,(California air resources board) requirements for emissions and ridiculously small orifices through which the gas has to pass in the machine(s). They rust due to moisture absorbed by ethanol, phase separation, of the alcohol and the octane in the mix from the refinery, after the fuel sits for a very short time, etc. Ethanol in underground tanks may have sat around prior to being sold so it's not just how long one has it in their saw, weedeater, lawnmower, etc.

The whole ethanol thing wreaks havoc- especially in seasonal use of outboard motor boats. I personally drain any saw or run it till it runs out of gas when I think it will not be used for any amount of time, especially over the winter, etc. I try to run E10 FREE gas whenever I can- and now it is available as premium ONLY almost year round due to motorboats in summer and snowmobiles in winter.
Bad for tourism if everything breaks down during tourist, (boating/snowmobiling seasons).

 

[newbury]

yOU CAN NOT BUY FUEL AROUND HERE WITHOUT THE ETHANOL. Sthil is bad poulan and craftsman bad. Have used Marine Stabil with some success. My parts man has 10 spools of different size fuel line. Need to take a piece each time I go, as well as the carb no. because the diaphram is also shot. Lots of items out there cheap because it only runs one season.

I doubt it is that dramatic that you have to use caps.
I bought the quarts of premix, ethanol free, at Lowes, WalMart, and the Stihl dealer.

I've got 6 chainsaws and 2 brushcutters, 6 of them Stihl. Years ago if I let them sit for a month they would be hard starting. During 1 period about 4 years ago I had been running most of them, suddenly had to have back surgery, got laid up. All sat for about 2 or more months and "gummed up" badly.

I put ethanol free gas and SeaFoam in them and went thru a routine of pulling them once a day for weeks. They all finally started to fire and now, after a strict adherence to ethanol free gas, all are running like new.

I have to drive about 70 miles for ethanol free gas. It's banned in Northern Virginia and around DC. Instead I buy it in Mississippi and bring 5 gallon jugs back. These I immediately treat with Stabil. If I run out I get a can of premix at Lowes.

Here's a site showing ethanol free gas stations:
pure-gas.org : ethanol-free gas stations

 

[mikehaugen]

You can't find that here, you telling me you need that to run a Stihl?

My manual says they suggest less than 10% ethanol. I for one have not really had all of the ethanol related issues others claim. I don't have much choice, only ethanol free gas around me is 45 mins away in a direction I rarely travel.

 

[Bird]

I've had no problems with my Stihl string trimmer, my Mantis tiller, or my Toro ZTR (Kohler engine) using gas with ethanol. I do only buy the mid-grade, with the old original Stabil added, and of course Stihl Ultra 2-cycle oil for the 2-cycle engines. Of course my Stihl string trimmer is over 8 years old, and always has gas in it, ready to go, so maybe the newer ones are not as good.

 

[murphy1244]

NO. Not really. ALL 2 cycle engines are susceptible to ethanol gas damage. It causes carb issues that CANNOT be fixed and a new carb needs to be installed in most instances. ALL brands, everywhere are prone to failure now, and the only real solution is to burn the highest octane ETHANOL FREE gas available or buy the pre-mixed gas- wicked expensive, for sure.
It's because of the EPA and CARB,(California air resources board) requirements for emissions and ridiculously small orifices through which the gas has to pass in the machine(s). They rust due to moisture absorbed by ethanol, phase separation, of the alcohol and the octane in the mix from the refinery, after the fuel sits for a very short time, etc. Ethanol in underground tanks may have sat around prior to being sold so it's not just how long one has it in their saw, weedeater, lawnmower, etc.

The whole ethanol thing wreaks havoc- especially in seasonal use of outboard motor boats. I personally drain any saw or run it till it runs out of gas when I think it will not be used for any amount of time, especially over the winter, etc. I try to run E10 FREE gas whenever I can- and now it is available as premium ONLY almost year round due to motorboats in summer and snowmobiles in winter.
Bad for tourism if everything breaks down during tourist, (boating/snowmobiling seasons).

Doesn't ALL manufactures cover ALL 2 cycle machines.?

 

[murphy1244]

I've had no problems with my Stihl string trimmer, my Mantis tiller, or my Toro ZTR (Kohler engine) using gas with ethanol. I do only buy the mid-grade, with the old original Stabil added, and of course Stihl Ultra 2-cycle oil for the 2-cycle engines. Of course my Stihl string trimmer is over 8 years old, and always has gas in it, ready to go, so maybe the newer ones are not as good.

I'm with you Bird, I have a 79.00 Homelite that's been lurking in my garage for 12 years that runs on corn gas

 

[DFB]

For years I used Sta-bil and now have been using Startron We recommend it down at the motorcycle shop to keep new gas from gumming up fuel systems. I believe it does what it says it does and works well. May be even better than the old fuel stabilizers. I use it in the fuel on every piece of equipment I run.