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.

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.

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

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.

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:
check puregas.com (?)

It's actually http://pure-gas.org/

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)

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.

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.

I can still get alcohol free and use it in my 3 small engines and top the car off when I buy it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

Happy to oblige!

-Rob

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.

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.

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.

You mean $24/gallon. There are 4 quarts in a gallon.

Talk to the guys with large power boats with built-in fiberglass fuel tanks. Tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.

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.

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....