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Picture of cne32507
posted
Rant on:

I just finished the 5th lawn equipment gas engine fuel line/primer bulb/fuel pump replacement. One at a time, the chain saw, riding mower fuel pump, edger, pole saw, leaf blower all rotted by ethanol. Hell, for years I didn't know that the ethanol in common gasoline destroys flexible plastic. Got to use "marine" gas, when you can find it. The Tool Shack counter guy sez there is no posted notice on the engine (I wouldn't know about that because I'm a guy: I don't read instructions), but they get lots of repair business because of this known issue. I fixed them all myself, but have to drive 10 miles on US 98 to get the fuel lines and primer bulbs.

Rant off.
 
Posts: 2520 | Location: High Sierra & Low Desert | Registered: February 03, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I always buy non-ethanol premium for my small engines, but can't believe manufacturers are still putting parts that aren't compatible in their engines. We've had it in MN for 20 years! I doubt many pre-ethanol lawn mowers are still in service.
 
Posts: 8944 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Striker in waiting
Picture of BurtonRW
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Dude... if you're just now learning about this, that's kind of on you.

Unless you have a convenient source for pure gas (check puregas.com (?)), you can sways just add a stabilizer or use an oil additive that has stabilizers in your two-stroke mix.

You do know that you have to add oil to your two-stroke fuel, right?

-Rob




I predict that there will be many suggestions and statements about the law made here, and some of them will be spectacularly wrong. - jhe888

A=A
 
Posts: 16263 | Location: Maryland, AA Co. | Registered: March 16, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of jcat
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quote:
Originally posted by MNSIG:
I always buy non-ethanol premium for my small engines, but can't believe manufacturers are still putting parts that aren't compatible in their engines..


I can't get non-ethanol unless I pay $8 a gallon for race fuel. I recently hired a landscaper so my small engines are limited to my generator and a snowblower. Sta-bil and religious running keeps them in shape mostly.

The second part of your statement really is the rub. How on earth can I go down to autozone and get ethanol-rated fuel line for essentially pennies a foot but these giant equipment manufacturers can't seem to pony up? It's ridiculous.


________________________
 
Posts: 9958 | Location: RI | Registered: October 08, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drill Here, Drill Now
Picture of tatortodd
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by BurtonRW:
check puregas.com (?)
It's actually http://pure-gas.org/



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
 
Posts: 23101 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of cne32507
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Hurricane Ivan destroyed my power tools 12 years ago, so my current inventory is no older than about 10 years. Took about 6 years before they started failing. I caught on and switched to non-ethanol gasoline but by then the damage was done, and the parts have continued to fail. I didn't know which, if any, had resistant parts. Answer: NONE. In my dim memory decades ago I remember talk of ethanol damaging older cars. My rant was that I assumed small engine manufacturers had switched to ethanol resistant parts decades ago. I was wrong.

BurtonRW: (insert smart-ass remark here) Roll Eyes
 
Posts: 2520 | Location: High Sierra & Low Desert | Registered: February 03, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drill Here, Drill Now
Picture of tatortodd
posted Hide Post
I religiously put Sta-bil in my gasoline cans prior to filling with gasoline. It didn't stop my Toro's fuel line from swelling up.



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
 
Posts: 23101 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Don't Panic
Picture of joel9507
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I don't use a lot of it, but I was happy to see pre-mixed 50:1, ethanol-free gas for two-stroke engines start to be available in cans in stores a while back.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/TRUFUEL-32-fl-oz-Pre-Blended-2-Cycle-Fuel/3456454



Currently about $6 for a half-gallon, so pricey. But sealed, and no need to buy oil to mix in, or go search out ethanol-free sources.
 
Posts: 15001 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: October 15, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
teacher of history
Picture of maxwayne
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I can still get alcohol free and use it in my 3 small engines and top the car off when I buy it.
 
Posts: 5610 | Location: Central Illinois | Registered: March 04, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of mikeyspizza
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Only ethanol-free gas goes in the Honda mower (luckily available about a mile away), and only pre-mixed 50:1 ethanol-free for the weedeater.
 
Posts: 4006 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: August 16, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of SIG 229R
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We only have a couple of stations in my area that have non-ethanol gas and it is substantially higher than ethanol.

I thought everyone knew ethanol gas was garbage.


SigP229R
Harry Callahan "A man has got to know his limitations".
Teddy Roosevelt "Talk soft carry a big stick"
I Cor10: 13 "1611KJV"
 
Posts: 6066 | Registered: March 04, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by SIG 229R:
We only have a couple of stations in my area that have non-ethanol gas and it is substantially higher than ethanol.


Interesting. We have a fair percentage that sell it. Usually .30-.50 more per gallon, but no where near the quarts shown above at $12/gal. Eek
 
Posts: 8944 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Staring back
from the abyss
Picture of Gustofer
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I'm against the ethanol scam completely, but I have to say that after running it in all of my small engines since the onset, I've yet to have any of the problems that so many seem to claim.


________________________________________________________
"Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
 
Posts: 19975 | Location: Montana | Registered: November 01, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Striker in waiting
Picture of BurtonRW
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by cne32507:
Hurricane Ivan destroyed my power tools 12 years ago, so my current inventory is no older than about 10 years. Took about 6 years before they started failing. I caught on and switched to non-ethanol gasoline but by then the damage was done, and the parts have continued to fail. I didn't know which, if any, had resistant parts. Answer: NONE. In my dim memory decades ago I remember talk of ethanol damaging older cars. My rant was that I assumed small engine manufacturers had switched to ethanol resistant parts decades ago. I was wrong.

BurtonRW: (insert smart-ass remark here) You know what happens when you assume... Roll Eyes


Happy to oblige! Razz

-Rob




I predict that there will be many suggestions and statements about the law made here, and some of them will be spectacularly wrong. - jhe888

A=A
 
Posts: 16263 | Location: Maryland, AA Co. | Registered: March 16, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of Rinehart
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Well, it's not just small engines, it's all engines.

I can remember buying old cars that sat behind a barn for 10-15 years. You would go up with a fresh 5-gallon can of gas and a good battery. Pour a little gas in the carb (or run the pump for fuel injection rack) and the car would start.

I have driven cars out onto the highway after years and years of storage with the old type gasoline.

You can forget that sh*t now. With this crap ethanol gasoline if a car isn't prepped properly before sitting you can chalk off everything from the gas tank to the injectors/carbs.
 
Posts: 1507 | Location: PA | Registered: March 15, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Page late and a dollar short
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I had to replace the carburetor on my backup generator because of Ethanol damage. My S-I-L was a small engine tech at a J-D dealership and lectured me on the damage this stuff does to small engines.

The closest Ethanol free station is about fifteen miles from here.


-------------------------------------——————
————————--Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even, usually, surpassing knowledge(E.J.Potter, A.K.A. The Michigan Madman)
 
Posts: 8066 | Location: Livingston County Michigan USA | Registered: August 11, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of mikeyspizza
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by MNSIG:
quote:
Originally posted by SIG 229R:
We only have a couple of stations in my area that have non-ethanol gas and it is substantially higher than ethanol.


Interesting. We have a fair percentage that sell it. Usually .30-.50 more per gallon, but no where near the quarts shown above at $12/gal. Eek
You mean $24/gallon. There are 4 quarts in a gallon.
 
Posts: 4006 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: August 16, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Too clever by half
Picture of jigray3
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Talk to the guys with large power boats with built-in fiberglass fuel tanks. Tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.




"We have a system that increasingly taxes work, and increasingly subsidizes non-work" - Milton Friedman
 
Posts: 10350 | Location: Richmond, VA | Registered: December 11, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Dances With
Tornados
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I'm thankful I live where 100% pure gas is everywhere, I filled up for 2.21 a few days ago. I feel badly for those of you who have no choice in fuel.
 
Posts: 11812 | Registered: October 26, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
I'm against the ethanol scam completely, but I have to say that after running it in all of my small engines since the onset, I've yet to have any of the problems that so many seem to claim.


Likewise. Still use same mower and trimmer that I bought last century.

Though, those new echo trimmers look nice....


--
I always prefer reality when I can figure out what it is.

JALLEN 10/18/18
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...610094844#7610094844
 
Posts: 2362 | Location: Roswell, GA | Registered: March 10, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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