Do you guys do anything to negate the harmful effects of 10% Ethanol in the gas we get now ? I can't find any local "no ethanol" stations. Do you put additives in your gas mix ? If so, what ? I know I have six saws, and keep them well maintained, and only 2 are running worth a derned. I just don't have the time to pull all of the carbs., impulse lines, fuel lines, etc... I'm fairly confident the ill-effects are from the ethanol in the fuel mix.
Chainsaws/Ethanol
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Keep your saws empty if you are not using them. If you are not a frequent wood cutter, buy the pre-mixed ethanol free cans of fuel, they come in 40:1 and 50:1. Its more expensive, but if you don't use them much, alot cheaper than rebuilding carbs. Thats the only way you can buy ethanol free gas that I know of. You can buy the 50:1 at Lowes, but its pricey. Best to buy a case from Baileys, alot cheaper. I use alot of the premix, I can backpack the quart cans easily, saves lugging a gas can through the woods.
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As Joe stated get the pre mix cans...drain gas out out of your saw...then add a few ounces of premix and start saw... let if run for a bit till premix gets into lines and carb...
Just had a carb replaced in a small saw and this is what the Stihl dealer told me to do... A real good saw man..so I listended to him.
Just had a carb replaced in a small saw and this is what the Stihl dealer told me to do... A real good saw man..so I listended to him.
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I got mine from Stihl..their brand...
I just use it for storeage...for running saws I use high test and Stihl synthetic 2 cycle
I just use it for storeage...for running saws I use high test and Stihl synthetic 2 cycle
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I use amsoil 2 cycle, and high test. I add startron ethanol additive, i don't fuel a saw but as much as i need it. The premix is expensive, steve's in muncy valley sell it but yikes! i'll stick with keeping them empty and usin startron.
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I do a fairly regular amount of cutting, at least a tank or two every weekend all winter long. I judge quitting time by when the saw runs out of fuel. Unless I have lots more to cut, I just stop for the day and fill the saw when I next use it. I shake the fuel mixture well before filling the saw.
Don't know whether it is true, but the local Stihl dealer told me that the ethanol causes the gas/oil mixture to separate. If it is not shaken up and mixed again, you get either straight gas with no oil, or straight oil, either way the saw quits working. I mix only a gallon at a time.
If the weed trimmer or pole saw is being stored for months, I drain the tank and run it out of gas.
Don't know whether it is true, but the local Stihl dealer told me that the ethanol causes the gas/oil mixture to separate. If it is not shaken up and mixed again, you get either straight gas with no oil, or straight oil, either way the saw quits working. I mix only a gallon at a time.
If the weed trimmer or pole saw is being stored for months, I drain the tank and run it out of gas.
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6,032 Posts
Ethanol free gas stations.
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=PA
There's a place near me in Cooperstown that sells it.
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=PA
There's a place near me in Cooperstown that sells it.
Can you please move the Cooperstown station over to Eastern Washington Co.
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I called Stihl. They recommend 93 Octane gas, the Stihl Oil mix of course, and Startron as an additive for the ethanol. The Startron mixes up to 48 gallons for under $10 if I heard him right. Think I'll give it a whirl.
The gas separation, and straight gas theory is scary. I tend to leave fuel in the saw tank for up to a few weeks at a time. One of my saws will whine high-pitch after it wamrms up. Gosh I'd hate to think it's being virtually straight gased by an ethanol mix. I get madder and madder the more I hear about this crappy ethanol.
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I called Stihl. They recommend 93 Octane gas, the Stihl Oil mix of course, and Startron as an additive for the ethanol. The Startron mixes up to 48 gallons for under $10 if I heard him right. Think I'll give it a whirl.
The gas separation, and straight gas theory is scary. I tend to leave fuel in the saw tank for up to a few weeks at a time. One of my saws will whine high-pitch after it wamrms up. Gosh I'd hate to think it's being virtually straight gased by an ethanol mix. I get madder and madder the more I hear about this crappy ethanol.
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536 Posts
SOme Sunoco's still have 93 no ethanol. I have a local small time station near me that sells it too. I mix with Stihl sythetic oil and not Startron. The Starton is mostly kerosene. Had another saw guy do a side by side test of startron and 2 other brands. In a nut shell startron is only good if your Tiki torch runs out of fuel but not for power equipment. I'll try and post a link to the stuff I run.
Also if you do run your saw out of fuel when you are done using it I would only do that at an idle. When you run a saw out of fuel you are running it very lean for a short time. Do that enough times and you will damage it.
Also if you do run your saw out of fuel when you are done using it I would only do that at an idle. When you run a saw out of fuel you are running it very lean for a short time. Do that enough times and you will damage it.
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There's a nice gas station in Lancaster County that sells Pure Gas, I think it's called Charlies Fuel & Deli. Heard the owner is a good guy too!rrroae said:
Pure Gas At Charlies
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A boat dealer, he repairs outboards motors etc, up by Tionesta (on 62 on the Tionesta side of Hunter bridge) told a friend of mine to do this.
Get a clear container that holds over 5.5 gals of liquid, put a valve on it that can easily be opened and closed. Add 5 gallons of high octane gas, then take .5 gal of water (any 10 to 1 ratio will work)and add food coloring (green or red) pour the water mix into the gas and shake it up. Turn the container upside down so the valve is on the bottom. Wait about 20 minutes or so and the liquids will seperate, you can see the "water" because of the food coloring and the gas rises to the top. Drain off the water and you will have about 4.5 or gallons of "pure" gas as the ethanol stays with the water.
My friend has been doing it for about a year, he cuts his own firewood, has a couple mowers and several outboards and has never had a problem since he started doing this trick.
He made a rig to hang up the container so he can see the "line" between the gas and water and says he loses very little gas, as for the food coloring, he says it doesn't take much and red's or greens are the easiest to see.
Get a clear container that holds over 5.5 gals of liquid, put a valve on it that can easily be opened and closed. Add 5 gallons of high octane gas, then take .5 gal of water (any 10 to 1 ratio will work)and add food coloring (green or red) pour the water mix into the gas and shake it up. Turn the container upside down so the valve is on the bottom. Wait about 20 minutes or so and the liquids will seperate, you can see the "water" because of the food coloring and the gas rises to the top. Drain off the water and you will have about 4.5 or gallons of "pure" gas as the ethanol stays with the water.
My friend has been doing it for about a year, he cuts his own firewood, has a couple mowers and several outboards and has never had a problem since he started doing this trick.
He made a rig to hang up the container so he can see the "line" between the gas and water and says he loses very little gas, as for the food coloring, he says it doesn't take much and red's or greens are the easiest to see.
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Be careful trying to get the ethanol outta gas.
The quality of fuel left would also be in question.
Pure ethanol is 116 octane. The gasoline coming up the pipeline is 84 octane. This subpar, 84 octane is mixed with 10% pure ethanol to get the 87 octane at the pump.
So when the ethanol is removed from 87 octane you end up with 84 octane.
The quality of fuel left would also be in question.
Pure ethanol is 116 octane. The gasoline coming up the pipeline is 84 octane. This subpar, 84 octane is mixed with 10% pure ethanol to get the 87 octane at the pump.
So when the ethanol is removed from 87 octane you end up with 84 octane.
Redneck, what a neat concept. I may give that a whirl. Although it will hurt me to pour 1/2 gal. of water into 5 gal of high octane, until I see it separate.
So the gas will rise, and the food coloring water settles at the bottom ?
So the gas will rise, and the food coloring water settles at the bottom ?
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Since 10% of gas is ethanol you'd end up with a gallon of water/ethanol mix.
How you gonna properly dispose of this left over gallon?
And make sure you do this trick in a No Smoking Zone.
How you gonna properly dispose of this left over gallon?
And make sure you do this trick in a No Smoking Zone.
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