# Two cycle fuel options



## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

Have been looking for some new lawn equipment and in the process hearing good bit about fuel options. Seems some brands really believe in their premix fuel to the point with purchase of theirs with the equipment they double the factory warranty.

I have been using ethanol free gas for last few years and have had good service from it. Ethanol in small gas engine is bad news. Have learned recently even ethanol free gas mixed should not be stored think was not over 30 days or it begins to break down.

Have a good friend who bragged on the premix and said his machine ran great and used less fuel. So had reached decision would try the premix my self and then Thursday talked to one more dealership and got into conversation on premix fuel and his suggestion was a surprise, at least to me. He is not a rookie and also has remote control air planes and helicopter. His recommendation was Coleman or Crown fuel. According to him the cost is about $8 per gallon, does not smell, keeps for long time and has octane rating small engines need. (note this is not premixed, so must add oil)

What are you using and how is it working?


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

Ethanol free premium (can't find it other than premium) with Husqvarna mix. Years ago I mixed 5 gallons at a time and used Stihl mix. The past few years I get it a gallon at a time just so it doesn't set as long. Went to Husky mix just because I like the blue color, easy to tell that the gas is mixed gas. I stick with name brand mix and mix it myself. When I help somebody out and they want to provide fuel I bring my jug.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Wethay said:


> Ethanol free premium (can't find it other than premium) with Husqvarna mix. Years ago I mixed 5 gallons at a time and used Stihl mix. The past few years I get it a gallon at a time just so it doesn't set as long. Went to Husky mix just because I like the blue color, easy to tell that the gas is mixed gas. I stick with name brand mix and mix it myself. When I help somebody out and they want to provide fuel I bring my jug.


Ditto here.

Regards, Mike


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

My buddy has been proud of the VP stuff but it's expensive. $15-18 for a gallon. Pssh I'll use enough of my own mixed 93-94 to save for a replacement tool and come out ahead. I think that might be why there's a double warranty, it costs so much for premix.

Neighbor uses whatever premix is on sale, he buys it for convenience.

It is some good stuff but I've had equipment that's 15 years old and it still works fine and I have more money.


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

High test/octane which is ethanol free and a big jug of Lucas 2 stroke oil for me here. Measure out the oil with a large marked syringe. No problems.

I've heard of the guys buying the premix fuel in the cans at Lowes and such and I still can't believe it - WAY too much money when you can get the same results by taking a few minutes out of your day to mix it yourself. The key is using non ethanol gas.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I really don't worry about fuel too much for our small engines. Biggest issue on most of em is with the EPA carbs they run too lean. On our 5hp Briggs we run the chokes on a few clicks until I get time to drill the main jet out.

Stihl would double your warranty if you bought a 6 pack of their high end two stroke oil when buying the chainsaw, weed whacker etc. Right now I'm running Red Armor from Echo and they claim to have additives to negate ethanol in it.

Biggest thing we've found, get a container of the Marine grade Stabil and use it religiously. The Marine grade is formulated to handle high moisture applications and since ethanol attracts water....

Regular ole pump gas in the Honda engines on the seed tenders and both started on the second pull after sitting a year. They had 93 octane gas in them and a double slug of Stabil.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

We get ethanol free regular off of our bulk truck. Only have a 100 gallon bulk tank as the only gas we run is in the atv, utv, and small engines. I treat the whole 100 gallons with stabil when the fuel man delivers it. Used to just treat a small jug as needed for the small engines but as cheap as stabil is its more convient to treat the whole works then I know the lawn mower and atvs have it in there if they get parked for the winter.


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

Premium with MFGs oil. Mix 2-1/2 gallons at a time, but still sits longer than 30 days. Gotta keep it out of the sun too from what I understand.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I've been getting along great using 87 regular (no ethanol) and generic 2 stroke oil. I disregard what the engine manufacturer specifies for oil mix and run 20:1 in everything. 5 gallons lasts me quite a long time (years?) and I haven't had any problems with it.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

Gearclash said:


> I've been getting along great using 87 regular (no ethanol) and generic 2 stroke oil. I disregard what the engine manufacturer specifies for oil mix and run 20:1 in everything. 5 gallons lasts me quite a long time (years?) and I haven't had any problems with it.


Interesting on the ratio you are using. I assume the engines smoke some but do you find it any harder to crank? Only time in my life I have used a pull to crank outboard was mixing twice the oil was suppose to and that Johnson was a pain to crank. That was a 1962 outboard and of course a lot has changed in the oils being used and the motors also.

Well the over all I get from each person's reply is using gas, most ethanol free, and mixing your own. We do have choice of regular and premium ethanol free here. I normally run the premium ethanol free in our boat and can tell it gets better mileage with it over the regular. On that point hope to put boat on water this year enough to make up not being able last year. Thanks for each persons contribution.

I did do some additional searching on the Coleman fuel on the internet and it all was from about 2012 and per what I found there was some support for it but not near as many as those saying the octane rating was way low, think 55. Makes me wonder about the mechanic who recommended it.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Sure can't say I've noticed that my 2 stokes crank hard, the biggest 2 stroke that I have is a Yamaha 600 V-Max sled engine and that naturally is a fairly hefty engine to start by hand. For what it's worth, for a while I ran a Yamaha SRX 440 which specified a 16:1 ratio and we ran it at that ratio as the SRX was a hot little engine. Never thought it was hard to crank. Is it possible that said Johnson had leaky rings and that the extra oil was helping it hold compression?


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## jr in va (Apr 15, 2015)

Only use ethanol free even though it's 87 octane here. Mix with Stihl Ultra. Plugs look good and saws and trimmer riun fine.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Why 30 day storage limit? The pre-mix ethanol free probably sits around a lot more than 30 days--in the warehouse, on a truck, on the self.

Ralph


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

So a bit of an update, been running Red Armor for three years now with regular old pump gas. Was using Stihl’s Ultra or whatever it was. With the Red Armor haven’t had to burn the spark arrestor screen clean yet on the leaf blower, with the Stihl oil had to do it a couple times a year or it would clog up with soot and carbon to the point it wouldn’t rev up.


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## HardnoseCattleCo (Jan 3, 2022)

I run whatever has I have on hand. I don't believe I've had any ethanol free gas ran threw my saw in the 14 years I've had it. Never once have had a issue with any of my small engines. That being said I know people who tried that theory once and had issues. Asked a few really good engine guys about it and they think the reason I don't have issues is because I run my small engines on the regular and they don't sit for long.


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