10% ethanol in mowers?

[wedge5]

I was at the gas station today when a woman came in to ask about a purchase issue. She filled her car and her gas can and she wanted to combine the bill. The woman behind the counter says " We don't have regular gas for your mower." I get this confused look on my face and ask "Regular Gas?" She then tells me you can't use Ethanol in lawn mowers! I ask her since when. She tells me forever.

I have used 89 octane with 10% ethanol in my mowers for years. My mowers run fine.

Did I miss something here or is that lady just talking out her azz?

 

[69clone]

That is what we always use. o.0

 

[Endangered Species]

. I'm in the Power Equipment business.

Ethanol is not good for small engines, especially the older ones. 10% is not good, however the problem is you don't always get 10% when you fill your tank, sometimes it's more.
The Ethanol wicks moisture and worse yet it will corrode the carburetor. The longer it sets the worse it gets. When you fill your car or truck the fuel really isn't in the tank more than a week or two, but in a mower or a trimmer it can be either in the can or the tank for more than a month. It will run fine for at first then a month or two later it will run like crap if at all.
Stay away from it if possible, if you can't use Briggs and Stratton's additive or Star Tron, which counters the Ethanol.

 

[Propwash]

I cringe when I have no choice but to put any kind of ethanol rating gas in my snowmobiles. Every fall I get to rip my carbs and fuel lines apart thanks to that garbage. If I didn't, I wouldn't be making it too far down the trails the next season. I run straight gas in the John Deere and the push Toro..

 

[Meep-Meep]

I cringe when I have no choice but to put any kind of ethanol rating gas in my snowmobiles. Every fall I get to rip my carbs and fuel lines apart thanks to that garbage. If I didn't, I wouldn't be making it too far down the trails the next season. I run straight gas in the John Deere and the push Toro..

Who has straight gas anymore???? :icon_sad:

 

[Ron 73]

I have often wondered about if there was something i could get to run it in my tractors and tiller.. There all used a lot and with summer coming along, this sounds good.. And your right, I don't dump out fuel for the winter months, i do use some of it for my Wheelhorse used for snow... Chain saws should be safer, considering there's oil mixed with the fuel. I would think safer anyway. I do think since i use fuel injection cleaner in everything ive had less problems using it, My problems always were the build up of whatever in the carb, the Wheelhorse has a glass filter, old time deal, you wouldnt believe how much water over one winter you can get in it anymore compared to years ago. Thanks!

 

[tpodwdog]

if theres 10% ethanol in our gas....then WHY IS IT SO FREEKIN EXPENSIVE??????????????

 

[hunt2elk]

. I'm in the Power Equipment business.

Ethanol is not good for small engines, especially the older ones. 10% is not good, however the problem is you don't always get 10% when you fill your tank, sometimes it's more.
The Ethanol wicks moisture and worse yet it will corrode the carburetor. The longer it sets the worse it gets. When you fill your car or truck the fuel really isn't in the tank more than a week or two, but in a mower or a trimmer it can be either in the can or the tank for more than a month. It will run fine for at first then a month or two later it will run like crap if at all.
Stay away from it if possible, if you can't use Briggs and Stratton's additive or Star Tron, which counters the Ethanol.

This is exactly what I was just told after a fuel pump problem on a 9 year old boat motor. It applies to all small engines. Mowers, chain saws, 4-wheelers, wood splitters, etc. We have one station fairly close that sells 87 oct. pure gas, or I was told to use the 91 oct. ,which is pure gas everywhere around me. The marina gave me a special fuel additive kinda like Stabil but it is blue to use. Makes me believe our good ol government should have informed the public better when ethanol was added to our fuel. Maybe they were thinking ahead to stimulating the economy whenwe have to replace our small engines.

 

[Endangered Species]

Prop,

Get some Briggs and Stratton or Star Tron and put it in the tank of the sled and run it for a few min. That's what I did to mine last weekend. The Briggs ethanol treatment is supposed to work for 2 years.

Hunt2elk, the blue bottle was probably Star Tron, my dealers tell me its good stuff.

Ron, the ethanol is hardest on the 2 cycle engines because it swells the gaskets in the carbs and clogs them up.

 

[Cranky]

I use the marine Sta-bil to treat my gas for all my small engines. I cannot find any info if the higher grades of gas here are ethanol free but I pretty much doubt it. Food for fuel....damn POS politicians. BOTH sides are morons and are not in there for us but for themselves!

 

[wannadrag]

Who has straight gas anymore???? :icon_sad:

We do here in central WI.Shell station sells it.

 

[Propwash]

Who has straight gas anymore???? :icon_sad:

We do here in central WI.Shell station sells it.

Same with the shells around here Jay...Problem is when you come rolling up out of the boonies on the sled, never know what you're gonna get.

 

[Kernel Sanders]

I use regular gas in my cars but when it comes time to store them, I always fill up the tank with fuel stabilizer and premium gas without any ethenol (Of course I run for a short time to ensure the lines and carb have only premium and stabilizer).

Havent had any issues so far

I would do this with any small engines like outboards too

 

[Ron 73]

Prop,

Get some Briggs and Stratton or Star Tron and put it in the tank of the sled and run it for a few min. That's what I did to mine last weekend. The Briggs ethanol treatment is supposed to work for 2 years.

Hunt2elk, the blue bottle was probably Star Tron, my dealers tell me its good stuff.

Ron, the ethanol is hardest on the 2 cycle engines because it swells the gaskets in the carbs and clogs them up.

If this is the case, Then since i started using fuel injection cleaner in everything, could that be it helps counter act the ethanol crap? Because ive had hardly any problems since i started doing this! I don't know what this counter additive has in it to do what it does, but you saying this im thinking injector cleaner may be some kind of alternative?

 

[rlsbee]

I've been putting Star-Tron in everything for the last couple of years. It seems to do the job.

 

[Budnicks]

I use Lucas gas fuel additive in My 99 Dakota EFI 5.2ltr Magnum, the Lucas diesel additive in my Powerstroke Ford Dually & in the winter I use Stabil in everything, I also use Stabil in any small engines like the, quad, generator, snow blower & chainsaw, I don't use a mower any longer thank god... The older engines especially anything with a carburetor are effected, the rubber lines & seal/o-rings etc. & any aluminum alloys will be effected, corrode &/or oxidized, let alone the water & condensation issues that are prevalent by Ethanol, Methanol, Gasohol or any alcohol blend based fuels or additives, also rusting any lines, parts, storage or tank that is steel... It's not bad enough we have to use this crap in our gasoline in the 1st place & we have to pay $4.44 a gallon now for crap gasoline, then we have spend even more money to buy additives to stave off any ill effects of the so called green fuel additives & we get worse mileage using anything with any alcohol based &/or blended fuels, because it take 170% of the amount of alcohol by percentage used to equal gasoline, 10% - 15% or what ever amount of the blend will require 170% more consumption per %, compared to straight Gasoline alone... How is that good for anyone ??, how is that saving on oil/gas consumption ??, I don't get it, the govt. & their regulation, needs to get out of the energy business period, they are clueless on the cost & effects...

 

[Endangered Species]

I use Lucas gas fuel additive in My 99 Dakota EFI 5.2ltr Magnum, the Lucas diesel additive in my Powerstroke Ford Dually & in the winter I use Stabil in everything, I also use Stabil in any small engines like the, quad, generator, snow blower & chainsaw, I don't use a mower any longer thank god... The older engines especially anything with a carburetor are effected, the rubber lines & seal/o-rings etc. & any aluminum alloys will be effected, corrode &/or oxidized, let alone the water & condensation issues that are prevalent by Ethanol, Methanol, Gasohol or any alcohol blend based fuels or additives, also rusting any lines, parts, storage or tank that is steel... It's not bad enough we have to use this crap in our gasoline in the 1st place & we have to pay $4.44 a gallon now for crap gasoline, then we have spend even more money to buy additives to stave off any ill effects of the so called green fuel additives & we get worse mileage using anything with any alcohol based &/or blended fuels, because it take 170% of the amount of alcohol by percentage used to equal gasoline, 10% - 15% or what ever amount of the blend will require 170% more consumption per %, compared to straight Gasoline alone... How is that good for anyone ??, how is that saving on oil/gas consumption ??, I don't get it, the govt. & their regulation, needs to get out of the energy business period, they are clueless on the cost & effects...

AMEN BROTHER!!! Well said.

 

[sawdoff]

The local stihl dealer has a list posted of the stores that have non ethanol fuel. It has destroyed alot of nice saws from what i hear. I decided at the beginning of the week when i ran my gas out i was going to run a couple tanks of the real stuff thru my 2500 ram. I figure if its 10% more expensive but increases my milage at least that much (hopefully more) i'll run it all the time. Has to be better on the hemi..

 

[Moparsmitty]

Here in western Washington, the gas that comes from the Conoco-Phillips refinery in Ferndale is ethanol free. At least for now. I have been using NAPA brand fuel stabilizer for everything and haven't had any problems. It's about half the cost of Sta-Bil. Also, most good 2 cycle oil has fuel stabilizer in it already.