How long will you go before emptying and running your saws dry? My Husky dealer said the new ethanol fuel mixture is not the greatest for these small engines but is great for his repair shop. He suggested I run any small engine machine dry if not in use for more than 2 weeks and to run High octane in the saws. Is he full of BS?
Leaving fuel in a saw
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HeatsTwice said:
The mix has it in there, If going over a month it sure would be a good idea. Mine just always needs fuel and dont set for to long.
- Jun 12, 2006
- 1,053
I agree with him.
When I was in the engine business we had occasion to test fuel samples. Fuel from Ontario Canada was pretty scary. high amounts oa alcohol, co-solvents, butane, not much gasoline...
I am believe draining fuel and avoiding alcohol are good for small engines.
ATB,
Mike
When I was in the engine business we had occasion to test fuel samples. Fuel from Ontario Canada was pretty scary. high amounts oa alcohol, co-solvents, butane, not much gasoline...
I am believe draining fuel and avoiding alcohol are good for small engines.
ATB,
Mike
Honestly never gave it much thought. The gas in my saw is 6-7 months old I would guess. We don't have ethanol mixed in our gas though.
If I know the saws wont be used for more than 2 weeks,I run them dry & dont refill until next time they're needed.Otherwise I top off the tanks if using them sooner.I do hit the teeth 3-4 strokes with a file when I'm done for the day though.Saves a bit of time & its ready to go next time.
In the 30 plus years I owned my current saw, I never once deliberately ran it dry. I did once dump the fuel from the tank so I could reattach the pickup filter after the end of the hose cracked and it fell off.
I think the idea behind the high-octane is that some stations don't have ethanol in their higher grade fuels.CTYank said:
Any reduction in power due to higher octane will be negligible; you won't notice it.
I have seen pistons from saws that run low octane.. Kinda look like they have been strait gassed...
I've never emptied the saw tank but I don't use ethanol either. I do use stablizer and dry gas each time I get a can of gas.
NATE379 said:
Are you saying the gas in your saw is six or seven months old? OR are you saying that it has been IN your saw for six or seven months. Big difference. Gas just sitting in any small engine.... chain saw, weed eater, lawn mower, can gum up the works. I run all of my equipment dry when I'm done with them for the season. And I started doing this long before ethanol was an issue.
I don't buy gasoline to let it sit around in jerry cans for months.
Just sayin'
I have owned my 029 since new in '96. I have never emptied the gas from it. We have had only E10 here in NY for years. Whether the saw sits for one day or two months it starts and runs just fine.
I've never intentionally ran my saw dry or dumped the gas out. I use my saw on a fairly regular basis all year round. I'm sure there are times when it goes a couple months with no use. When I need it I take it out and start it, cut what I need to cut, refuel as needed, and put it away. I buy regular gas at the gas station and put 2-cycle oil in it and refill the can with more gas + oil as needed. New spark plug every 5-10 years.
I just take them all out now and again and let them all sit idling...
The new neighbors love it....
Ever heard 6 muffler modded saws idle???
The new neighbors love it....
Ever heard 6 muffler modded saws idle???
Mine runs out just as i'm almost finished cutting & the gas jug is empty. So it gets put away empty
till i get some more gas.
I follow the operations manual until the warranty runs out. That happened in 1983.
Lucky though, we don't get much ethanol gas,
(Maybe that's why our gas cost so much, no ethanol.. reg is $3.49 today)
If you want some good gas just for your small engines that don't do well on ethanol/gas. Go buy
a can of "aviation gas", high octane, leaded (no ethanol). It comes in 5 gal metal cans, mix it for you saw, keep the lid on tight.
Good to go for a long time & engine runs cooler.
till i get some more gas.
I follow the operations manual until the warranty runs out. That happened in 1983.
Lucky though, we don't get much ethanol gas,
(Maybe that's why our gas cost so much, no ethanol.. reg is $3.49 today)
If you want some good gas just for your small engines that don't do well on ethanol/gas. Go buy
a can of "aviation gas", high octane, leaded (no ethanol). It comes in 5 gal metal cans, mix it for you saw, keep the lid on tight.
Good to go for a long time & engine runs cooler.
I have to admit that I don't tend to do much with the gas in my saw . . . which is strange since I am pretty careful with the fuel in the sleds . . . then again I often run the saw out of fuel or close to it . . . and even when I don't run the saw dry it always seems to start with no problems several days, weeks or even months later.
- Jun 12, 2006
- 1,053
As more alcohol came into use I replaced a lot of fuel lines, carbs, fuel system parts. It's more rare now that industry standards have largely caught up.
Alcohol loves water. Dry-gas is alcohol. Water is not our friend... I suspect that temperature cycling also has a place in the mix of problems.
The older the equipment the more likely it is to have issues with prolonged alcohol exposure.
So - I shy away from alcohol fuels and try to leave tanks dry unless I'm planning to run the saw in a few days.
Alcohol loves water. Dry-gas is alcohol. Water is not our friend... I suspect that temperature cycling also has a place in the mix of problems.
The older the equipment the more likely it is to have issues with prolonged alcohol exposure.
So - I shy away from alcohol fuels and try to leave tanks dry unless I'm planning to run the saw in a few days.
I run 93 octane (with ethanol, all I can get) with synthetic oil mixed at about 45:1 with a capful of seafoam per gallon. If I haven't used that gas in 60 days, I dump it and mix new. I no longer run my saws dry because I don't have a problem doing a quick carb clean or fitting a new fuel line if necessary.
On the other hand, I did an experiment last year with my el cheapo wead eater blower. I filled the tank up after I used it for the last time in the fall. It sat all winter and well in to the spring. It fired right up with the "old" gas and ran just fine. I pulled the muffler and the piston and cylinder look great to my dismay....... was hoping it would blow up so I could get a BR600.
On the other hand, I did an experiment last year with my el cheapo wead eater blower. I filled the tank up after I used it for the last time in the fall. It sat all winter and well in to the spring. It fired right up with the "old" gas and ran just fine. I pulled the muffler and the piston and cylinder look great to my dismay....... was hoping it would blow up so I could get a BR600.
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