On 3/18/2017 1:51 PM, Leon wrote:
On 3/18/2017 1:23 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 3/18/2017 10:19 AM, Larry Kraus wrote:
On 3/17/2017 7:16 PM, Electric Comet wrote:

only have two gas powered tools and apparently i do not follow best
practices when i expect not to use them for 3 months or so

do you empty the gas out or just shut off the gas from the tank to the
carb



Four-stroke lawn mower does not care. Empty and run dry, or add
stabilizer, or just park it - does not seem to matter. Starts with one
or two pulls, runs fine.

Two-stroke blower, trimmer and chain saw are emptied and run until they
stop, with every use. Otherwise, ethanol in the gas destroys the fuel
line from the tank within a year.


"Simple" solution is to buy the pre-mixed gasoline from the 2-cycle
companies. Made with ethanol free premium (92 octane). My Echo
equipment starts first time, every time using it. Can has a shelf life
of 24 (?) months once opened.

I think the solution might be more expensive than the repair. In the
Houston area the premix is between $5~$8 per "quart".

Does that have the oil premixed too?

Yes, you pour it direct from the can and you're good to go.

And, yes, it is expensive. I sure wouldn't want to run a lawnmower on
the stuff, but in my case, I use it for string trimmer, leaf blower and
chain saw. Still expensive to buy but since I don't use all that much
of it, it's really not bad considering everything starts right up every
time and I can store it without worrying about degradation of the fuel
or the equipment.

For larger equipment including my emergency generator, I stick with the
premium non-ethanol gasoline. Note that I'm buying premium not for the
octane but rather for the lack of ethanol. Unavailable in all but a few
spots in Illinois but since I live close to the state line, it's easy
for me to go up and pick up 5 gallons when needed. Friggin' ethanol
destroyed one carb on the generator. Not going to happen again if I can
help it.


Cheaper, not as simple, mix up your 2-cycle fuel using premium, ethanol
free gasoline if it's available in your state. Ethanol means death to
small gasoline engines.

And I have been told by many repair shops to use Echo brand oil additive
for 2 stroke engines.

My small engine shop sells and recommends the pre-mix and non-alcohol
fuel for ALL their small engines. They also recommend "Sea Foam" over
Sta-Bil. I still use Sta-bil in the gasoline stored in Jerry cans for
the generator but always use Sea Foam in the last tank of gas in the
fall and first tank in the spring.

I don't know how much difference Echo brand oil would make in the fuel
equation, but what could it hurt other than, maybe, your wallet. I
think that if you get rid of the alcohol you've gotten rid of 95% of the
problem.