Gas Additives - What's your favorite snake oil..?

[Drifthopper]

What's everyone's thought's on gas additives..?

I use Seafoam from time to time, been using it for a good number of years. I add it to the gas in my snowmobiles and snow thrower before putting them away for the summer time.
No problems starting them up in the fall before the winter season hits.
And, I add it to the lawn mower and rider occasionally thru the summer. Along with adding it to their gas tanks before their winter storage.

Another additive that I just started using is Mechanic In a Bottle. MIB.
I had ( 2 ) rough running motors, the Honda on the log s[litter, and a leaf blower I recently purchased. after running a good dose of MIB in a fresh tank of gas,,,, they run pretty smooth now.

 

[hedgerow]

I grew up in a small truck stop, filling station business in the 60's and 70's and the amount of gas, diesel and oil additives we would sell would scare you. People have there favorite's. I don't use additives. I buy good clean non corn gas for my small engines. Keep it clean and fresh and have zero issues. Mix number one diesel in the winter in my diesels no additives and never have any problems. Keep my oils changed and never use additives in the oil. People like there additives the stores are full of them. Just cleaned a tank, changed gas filter and cleaned the carb on a 2520 JD tractor Monday that a guy was trying seafoam for a month to get the tractor to stay running. Tractor had been setting in the shed for a number of years and the gas went bad.

 

[Tughill Tom]

I use Lucas Ethanol treatment in all the 5 Gal jugs I have. Never have I had an issue in any of my equipment.

 

[lynnmor]

Taryl Fixes All did a long term test on a variety of gasoline additives and his conclusion is that it is all snake oil. look it up on YouTube.

I do use Sta-Bil Storage in gas that may sit awhile such as the premix for the chainsaws. Several chainsaw manufacturers recommended this for at least 48 years.

Think about this; you buy 9 gallons of gasoline and 1 gallon of ethanol at most pumps today and somehow the snake oil sellers want you to believe that a few ounces of their product will somehow make that gallon of ethanol go away.

 

[Biker1mike]

Stihl 2 stroke oil and 91 octane for the small stuff. All Stihl products,
Sta-bil and 86 octane push mower and small rider.
Sta-bil and 91 octane for generator. Octane overkill for sure.
Tech tron every 5K in cars and run only Top Tier fuels. Mainly due to Kia valve issue.
Howes in diesel for tractor and outdoor fuel oil tank.

Generator fuel is stored less than one year. I pour it into the cars and refill cans.

My equipment and my money so there is no argument. Your results may vary.

 

[Freeheeler]

I use Stabil for any gas that might sit for awhile (boat, mower, jeep, spare jug) but no other additives. I only get cornless and never have problems.

 

[Biker1mike]

Think about this; you buy 9 gallons of gasoline and 1 gallon of ethanol at most pumps today and somehow the snake oil sellers want you to believe that a few ounces of their product will somehow make that gallon of ethanol go away.

They do not make it go away. They keep it from turning to gunk in the carb and other fuel systems after sitting idle for long periods.
If your equipment never sits you may never any.

 

[lynnmor]

They do not make it go away. They keep it from turning to gunk in the carb and other fuel systems after sitting idle for long periods.
If your equipment never sits you may never any.

Watch the Taryl videos, especially the ones near the end of the testing. The additives did nothing.

 

[Oil pan 4]

Echo red armor 2 stroke oil.

 

[DaveFromMi]

I use sea foam in all the gas I use in small equipment. I use 87 octane gas for lawnmower and 89 octane for the Stihl 2 cycle equipment; 2 blowers, 2 trimmers, and 3 chainsaws. 1 oz/gal sea foam for mower and 2 oz/gal sea foam for the 2 cycle engines. I don't have many starting or fouling issues when using sea foam with E10. The treated gas is stored for up to 8 months.

 

[Clint from Flint]

In the 17,500 watt Generac portable generator I use non-etanol gas and Stabil. The small engines(chainsaw, leaf blower, log splitter and weedeaters)midgrade gas with Stabil. In the L2350 Kubota I use #2 diesel fuel with Power Service Diesel Fuel Treatment...No problems here.

 

[jimh406]

I use Sea-Foam for my regular gasoline engines, but I also avoid Ethanol for my small motors and vehicles that run Premium vehicles. Fwiw, our Lexus SC430 and Lexus GX460 run Premium. I also run non-Ethanol in my Polaris Ranger, riding lawnmower, pressure washer, push weedeater, nand pull behind mower.

Yeah, I know. I have too many engines to maintain, and that doesn't even count the two Harleys, diesel truck, and Kubota.

 

[Motion]

I use Berryman 12 and Seafoam.

 

[jkrubi12]

Non-ethanol gas? Corn gas? Wouldn't even know where to look for those products! I just get fresh 87 octane gas from my local convenience store

I use Sta-Bil in all gas for small engines (added to the fuel can), but I always run them dry after use (let them idle until stall with fuel supply shut off). Snowblower gets carb bowl drained after use, only b/c it's so easy to reach. I have used Marvel Mystery Oil in my gas before, but not lately.

In my diesels it's Howe's, Diesel Treat for winter, Meaner Power Cleaner in the summer. Howe's winter treatment formula is not an emulsifier like some other products, which allows the water separator do it's thing better, IMO.

One thing I haven't addressed in my diesels is tank 'algae' or whatever the tank bloom is; I believe that it's a result of extensive biodiesel use (I may be wrong on this) but I've been relying on my other diesel additives to handle that. The diesel I use is colored opaque yellow, where the biodiesel I've seen is bright green, like anti-freeze. Here in the Northeast, biodiesel is relatively uncommon.

 

[mcfarmall]

Pure-gas.org is where you find non-ethanol gas near you.

 

[hodge]

I use Seafoam in my gas cans. I also use a maintenance additive in our diesel tank, to keep bacteria from forming.
Up until recently, I've had access to ethanol-free gas at a station about 3 miles away. I use it exclusively in all of my small engines, and my CJ7. But, with the economy and shortages, that station hasn't reliably had gas available. So, I am using Stabil in some cans of ethanol-enriched gas.
"My equipment and my money so there is no argument." Thanks, Biker. I appreciate the comment, and agree.
"

 

[mikester]

Ethanol free gas would be my goto, like finding sasquatch theses days in Ontario

 

[lynnmor]

Here in the Northeast, biodiesel is relatively uncommon.

Biodiesel is almost everywhere, the lower percentages are not required to be posted on the pump.

 

[hodge]

Non-ethanol gas? Corn gas? Wouldn't even know where to look for those products! I just get fresh 87 octane gas from my local convenience store

I use Sta-Bil in all gas for small engines (added to the fuel can), but I always run them dry after use (let them idle until stall with fuel supply shut off). Snowblower gets carb bowl drained after use, only b/c it's so easy to reach. I have used Marvel Mystery Oil in my gas before, but not lately.

In my diesels it's Howe's, Diesel Treat for winter, Meaner Power Cleaner in the summer. Howe's winter treatment formula is not an emulsifier like some other products, which allows the water separator do it's thing better, IMO.

One thing I haven't addressed in my diesels is tank 'algae' or whatever the tank bloom is; I believe that it's a result of extensive biodiesel use (I may be wrong on this) but I've been relying on my other diesel additives to handle that. The diesel I use is colored opaque yellow, where the biodiesel I've seen is bright green, like anti-freeze. Here in the Northeast, biodiesel is relatively uncommon.

Bacteria can form in any carbon based fuel, if water is present.

"Fuel bacteria
Bacteria in Fuel. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria thrive in fuel tanks when given the right conditions. Undetected and untreated bacterial growth in fuel systems often leads to fuel quality degradation and fuel system corrosion. Bacteria and fungal problems affect fuel and fuel-systems for diesel, biofuels , jet fuel, and other fuels."

 

[Bmyers]

I use Stabil gas additive in all my gas cans.

I also use Stabil Fast Fix once a year in my different small engines to clean them out and keep them humming along well. Since we have nothing but ethanol fuel around use, I feel treating the fuel is more important.

In my diesel fuel, I use Stabil All Season diesel treatment.