We have one place around that it ethanol free but what dad and I do Is get premium gas from shell or BP which both have ethanol and then treat it with stabil and seafoam and we've never had any issues weve done this for years everything always fires up in the spring
Ethonol free Gasoline.
- Thread starter Josef
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Our co op advertises it and I use it most of the time. I usually treat the gas for my small engines; ATVs, mowers, weed eaters, etc. with Stabil Marine, it is advertised as helping with ethanol related issues and I figure if it is good enough for finicky boat motors it should help my small engines, can't hurt and cheap insurance, so far so good. I also exclusively use the highest octane fuel I can get, no matter where I but it.
Josef
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2014 Kubota MX 5200 with 6 la1065 loader, sq172 Bush hog shredder, 6 ' Armstrong
Awesome article from popular mechanics about ethanol fuels and how to
Minimize damage. If you don't do anything else read the last couple of
paragraphs which are basically recommendations. It pretty well goes
hand and hand with what many here are saying about going with the higher
octane.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...-small-engines-from-the-wear-and-tear-of-e10/
Minimize damage. If you don't do anything else read the last couple of
paragraphs which are basically recommendations. It pretty well goes
hand and hand with what many here are saying about going with the higher
octane.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...-small-engines-from-the-wear-and-tear-of-e10/
I have wondered about why ethanol was ever made such a big deal. Now the genie is out of the bottle and too many people profit, politically and financially. The implementers did not seem to worry about the harm to machines and the cost to hard working people. Or am I missing something? Grain based products have increased dramatically, I know of several people that have quit having chickens because the feed is so high.
Here in Wisconsin most of the premium grade gasoline is ethanol free. Is this just a Wisconsin thing?
RCW
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BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Maybe, or a sign of your market area, where there’s more demand for ethanol free.
Guessing about half of the stations have 91 octane ethanol free here. Rest still have 93 octane with ethanol.
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Josef
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How can you tell it's ethanol free?? Here in TX, the pumps themselves have a sticker which states may contain 10% ethanol.
RCW
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BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Seems e-free high-test is 91 octane, and high-test with ethanol is 93 octane.
Not sure if that is always true - just my observation.
Not sure if that is always true - just my observation.
Josef, I have some limited knowledge about gasoline since I was in retail gas for over 20 years but no longer, recently. Anyways you already have the test kit at home. Water and a glass jar with a lid. For example put 1” of water in a glass jar and mark it with a marker. Fill a good amount of gasoline, lets say a cup or 2. Put on lid and shake it well. Let it settle, overnight for example. The water and ethanol will combine, water is heavier than gas. So now win it settles you should see the water and ethanol will now be taller than 1” and above your marked line. The ethanol is only 10% here in this state so that could very per state. So 10% of a cup isnt very much, so using a little more gas, just to see a good separation.
Also ehtanol is 113 octane, so when it does seperate, you are basically running racing fuel thru an air cooled engine, not good. Hey Im all for using 10% less oil but ehtanol is more expensive than gas, it’s subsidized from the government. I dont know who is really winning here but now its just common thing. Lastly when we use to splash blend, buy gas and ethanol seperately, the ethanol would jump the octane 2 points. For example we would buy sub par 85 octane and 10% ethanol to make it 87. So if you take out the ethanol, you would be losing about 2 points of octane. Using a higher grade first, then you may not need an octane booster to get an 87 final octane for most engines. Most states very per signage and ethanol standards.
Also ehtanol is 113 octane, so when it does seperate, you are basically running racing fuel thru an air cooled engine, not good. Hey Im all for using 10% less oil but ehtanol is more expensive than gas, it’s subsidized from the government. I dont know who is really winning here but now its just common thing. Lastly when we use to splash blend, buy gas and ethanol seperately, the ethanol would jump the octane 2 points. For example we would buy sub par 85 octane and 10% ethanol to make it 87. So if you take out the ethanol, you would be losing about 2 points of octane. Using a higher grade first, then you may not need an octane booster to get an 87 final octane for most engines. Most states very per signage and ethanol standards.
Josef
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2014 Kubota MX 5200 with 6 la1065 loader, sq172 Bush hog shredder, 6 ' Armstrong
Very well written, learned a lot. So, if I wanted to separate 5 gallons,
all I would have to do is add water and a little blue dye, shake it up a
lot, let it sit a while and siphon off all the dyed material add an octane
booster to get my octane back and I should have ethanol free gas?????
all I would have to do is add water and a little blue dye, shake it up a
lot, let it sit a while and siphon off all the dyed material add an octane
booster to get my octane back and I should have ethanol free gas?????
Two other ways to get ethanol free gas are
One - Sunoco Optima race gas. Expensive, $60 for 5 gallons, but ethanol free, 95 octane.
https://www.sunocoracefuels.com/fuel/optima
Two - get your diesel fuel supplier to bring you some. Mine can do 85 to 93 octane, with or without ethanol.
One - Sunoco Optima race gas. Expensive, $60 for 5 gallons, but ethanol free, 95 octane.
https://www.sunocoracefuels.com/fuel/optima
Two - get your diesel fuel supplier to bring you some. Mine can do 85 to 93 octane, with or without ethanol.
Water will combine with the ethanol and pull it to the bottom. Use a higher octane 89-93 and no octane booster is needed. Not sure if the dye will stick with the gas/ethanol/water? Would be an interesting experiment?
Honestly? E10 is fine. Add stabilzer. Store where there are not great temperature and humidity fluctuations. Steel is better than plastic. Fuel octane does diminish over time as the light aromatics evaporate first (they provide anti-knock properties) so I never store fuel more than two years even if the stabilizer is 'rated' for two..
In my tiny 2S engines (chain saws and weedwackers), I buy the expensive 'Non-Gas mix, at about $6 a can. I only use a few cans a year. Lawn tractor, back pack leaf blower, tiller, chipper, back up generator, push mower, all live on the E10 I buy and add stabilizer to. If any fuel is close to a year old, I drain it out, dump it in my pickup and refill the machine with 'fresh' fuel. 40+ years, never a problem.
I'd only buy 'pure gas' if it was close and convenient. Otherwise, it is just a time consumer that has minimal benefit.
In my tiny 2S engines (chain saws and weedwackers), I buy the expensive 'Non-Gas mix, at about $6 a can. I only use a few cans a year. Lawn tractor, back pack leaf blower, tiller, chipper, back up generator, push mower, all live on the E10 I buy and add stabilizer to. If any fuel is close to a year old, I drain it out, dump it in my pickup and refill the machine with 'fresh' fuel. 40+ years, never a problem.
I'd only buy 'pure gas' if it was close and convenient. Otherwise, it is just a time consumer that has minimal benefit.
RCW
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BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
I know guys that swear by the stuff, and say they've never had an issue, and the e-free stuff is too expensive.
I was indifferent, but shortened storage time, used an additive, etc.
Then I had a problem.....or two. First was a FS86 Stihl Brush Cutter. At 26 years young, still run it with a brush blade, but replaced with a 4 cycle FS130 for $400 for regular trimming.
Next was a Stihl 046 Magnum chainsaw. Ran like a Bandit on first pull for 2 seconds and quit. Never started on first pull. Good thing it quit - was probably running on straight ethanol. Seems no harm on that one - good thing because that's a $1,200 replacement.
Granted - these were 2 cycles, but I don't think the small cans of stuff were readily available back then. Not here, anyways.
I firmly believe modern cars/trucks are made to accommodate ethanol gas, but I will stick to ethanol free for everything small engine, whether 2 or 4 cycle.
Thankfully, since I live in a rural and farm area, e-free is convenient. Can buy it at a station a mile away.
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