Trunk Monkey
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Storing gas power equipment (1 Viewer)
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Redgrrr
I have a problem with 40s
Keep them warm and ready to go in the wifes laundry room all winter!
Not D'Animal here, sorry, but I always empty the tank and run the carb dry before storing for more than a couple of months. Have had no issue ever, IIRC, with carbs getting clogged up over many tools and many years. Conversely, I've scored a few free or very cheap tools on CL because the PO could not get them to run after leaving gas in there for a long time. Although realistically, the latter is typically fairly straightforward to fix, if a bit time consuming.
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
I store everything with a full tank of ethenol free gas, no problems whatsoever. I did have a power washer that I struggled to get started after it sat for a couple of years with crap gasoline in it.
^ It is indeed a good idea to differentiate ethanol-free from other gas, I think. Not the same thing. But also not the same issues probably. My limited understanding is that the ethanol can be a problem primarily for rust and damage to rubber parts, whereas the gasoline fuel itself can cause the jet clogging etc issues.
As stated above I don't recall ever having had some issues with clogged carbs but I did have a number of problems with fuel lines cracking due to either age or ethanol. Probably the former as it is typically after many (10+) years; but if the latter, this could also be reduced by emptying the tank and running the tool dry to also empty the lines themselves.
I just simply don't use ethanol free gas, I can't find any locally in stations, and the little bottles in the stores are ungodly expensive if you use your tools regularly.
As stated above I don't recall ever having had some issues with clogged carbs but I did have a number of problems with fuel lines cracking due to either age or ethanol. Probably the former as it is typically after many (10+) years; but if the latter, this could also be reduced by emptying the tank and running the tool dry to also empty the lines themselves.
I just simply don't use ethanol free gas, I can't find any locally in stations, and the little bottles in the stores are ungodly expensive if you use your tools regularly.
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Redgrrr
I have a problem with 40s
In all seriousness I run 91 octane ethanol free/oil mix in all my chainsaws small engines and then before winter I Go pay up for the stihl gas that’s expensive $25/gallon...fill the tank and run that last tank down to about 1/8 of a tank and leave it in all winter. Spring time I dump it out put fresh fuel in and they all run no problems ever.
That fuel is supposed to be good for two years somehow if you believe the marketing... but I haven’t had problems since I’ve done that. It’s what my repair shop told me to do when I had them clean and rebuild my stihl 192t top handle Carb years ago. 6 pieces of equipment never any problems since.
That fuel is supposed to be good for two years somehow if you believe the marketing... but I haven’t had problems since I’ve done that. It’s what my repair shop told me to do when I had them clean and rebuild my stihl 192t top handle Carb years ago. 6 pieces of equipment never any problems since.
1911
chupacabra
I run the expensive Stihl Motomix in my chainsaw and just leave it in the tank; it always starts no matter what. Used and abused it for four years with minimal maintenance, and it always starts - but it is a rare month that I don't use it at least once, even through the winter.
All other gas equipment gets non-ethanol, and I never drain them either. It's worth the effort and expense to find and buy it.
All other gas equipment gets non-ethanol, and I never drain them either. It's worth the effort and expense to find and buy it.
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
I have the luxury of being able to find ethanol free gasoline locally. Literally 9 out of 10 gas stations have it at the pump.
John McVicker
SILVER Star
STABIL . Chainsaws, log splitter, lawn mower, weed eater power washer and motor home. Excellent results.
I buy the ethanol free gas at Home Depot/Lowes for my power equipment. No issues after that. Left a lawn mower sit for several years with it in the tank. Still fired up on the second pull of the rope and ran fine. I don't worry too much about the cost of the fuel because I don't use much of it (landlord takes care of the property).
Also use the same fuel in the snow blower. No issues each winter for the one or two times a year I need to move some snow (landlord plows the driveway too).
Nick
Also use the same fuel in the snow blower. No issues each winter for the one or two times a year I need to move some snow (landlord plows the driveway too).
Nick
Well, if I have to choose between paying $30 a gallon for ethanol-free premixed gas and taking literally 2 mins to empty the tank of a tool and run it dry in preparation for long term storage, I'll do the latter. If that would not be possible, I'd use fuel stabilizer, that should be much cheaper still. But to each his own.
But all this discussion reminds me that I would seriously consider a cordless tool instead nowadays if I had to replace one of my gas tools. Unfortunately for that, they seem to keep on going forever with very little maintenance.
But all this discussion reminds me that I would seriously consider a cordless tool instead nowadays if I had to replace one of my gas tools. Unfortunately for that, they seem to keep on going forever with very little maintenance.
I just spent hours pulling and cleaning the carb of my back up generator. The problem as I understand it is that ethanol separates from the gasoline and that the etoh absorbs 29% more water than non- ethanol gas. Ive found that non-ethanol mix stays good in my chainsaw so I found a place in town that sells non-ethanol gas. Cost today was $4 a gal. I’ll be using it in generators and lawnmowers from now on.
From what I understand, gasoline, even before the @%%$# ethanol mandates, was causing problems when stored too long, with waxy deposits in the carb jets and the like. I doubt that this has gone away completely, so using ethanol-free may help with other issues, but maybe not that one. Of course, that is all a matter of how significant the problem is. But I still think that running the carb dry is more likely to avoid all those problems. It is, of course, (a bit) more work.
On a related note, I have read reports that fuel sold as ethanol-free does sometime contain ethanol anyway, either fraud or error presumably. But it's very easy to check for that at home if you're wondering.
On a related note, I have read reports that fuel sold as ethanol-free does sometime contain ethanol anyway, either fraud or error presumably. But it's very easy to check for that at home if you're wondering.
Similar video to the Project Farm video above only from the motorcycle world...
Nick
Nick
Trunk Monkey
Moderator
- Thread starter
- #17
Ended up having to take my chainsaw in for service (would start once, but not again - ended up being ignitor), and asked the shop what they recommend for winterizing/storing. They said if you're using the "premium" fuel in a can, it can sit in a tool and in the carb for 2 years without issue, and 5 years in the bottle.
WarDamnEagle
SILVER Star
It's actually a bit more complicated. Ethanol and water are completely miscible for all practical purposes and ethanol and gasoline are more or less miscible for all practical purposes. Water and gasoline on the other hand are not miscible at all for all practical purposes (water just goes to the bottom).
The issue is when you add water to a mixture of ethanol and gasoline. It's actually helpful at very low concentrations of water as the water is absorbed into the mixture and it keeps water off the bottom of the container (which causes rust formation in metal tanks over time or at least once the coating fails). Unfortunately if you add enough water then everything drops out of solution and you get a mess (in layman's terms).
I usually use premium fuel in my power tools and don't really care if it has ethanol or not. If it's going to set for months then I will add some Sea Foam. I prefer Sea Foam to Stabil as Stabil just floats on top to prevent oxygen from contacting the mixture. Sea Foam mixes with the fuel and helps keep everything in solution. If it's going to set for years then I run the equipment dry. If cars are going to sit for years then I fill with premium and add Sea Foam. A lot of my stuff sits for years or has sat for years. Never had an issue with cars or power tools (2 stroke or 4 stroke) by following one of these two paths. FWIW, I've had cars sit in storage for more than 2 years with a full tank of premium and a can of Sea Foam without issue.
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I had a kohler engine in my lawnmower, every spring it took a while to get going, but after mowing 2-3 times wasn't a problem. That engine blew up and replaced with a brigs and stratton. Left for 2 months with gas in it and took too much effort to get started again (brand new, only run 20-30 minutes before storing).
This, and a chipper that got stored for years, and had to have the carb tore apart and a new jet installed to run again...
I installed shut off valves on them. If it's near the end of the season, done with it, flip the shut off valve and run the carb bowl dry. It takes an extra minute or two, and been working fine so far. The valves aren't large, but I don't think I'd want one on a chainsaw.
This, and a chipper that got stored for years, and had to have the carb tore apart and a new jet installed to run again...
I installed shut off valves on them. If it's near the end of the season, done with it, flip the shut off valve and run the carb bowl dry. It takes an extra minute or two, and been working fine so far. The valves aren't large, but I don't think I'd want one on a chainsaw.
WarDamnEagle
SILVER Star
Good point. My lawn mower and pressure washer have fuel shut-off valves and I always shut them off and let them die unless I'm going to be using them again immediately. Very good practice.
