Dumb question about 2 stroke oil.

[N80]

I am pretty much prepped for the big ice storm ( which most likely won’t even happen) and I realized I forgot something: two stroke oil for my chainsaw. I’ve got about half a gallon mixed and I might have one bottle of the oil somewhere. That will probably be more than enough but there are a lot of big trees in my yard and one my street.

So my question is, can you mix gas and regular motor oil for two stroke engines. I’m assuming not but don’t know why.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I am pretty much prepped for the big ice storm ( which most likely won’t even happen) and I realized I forgot something: two stroke oil for my chainsaw. I’ve got about half a gallon mixed and I might have one bottle of the oil somewhere. That will probably be more than enough but there are a lot of big trees in my yard and one my street.

So my question is, can you mix gas and regular motor oil for two stroke engines. I’m assuming not but don’t know why.

yeah no its not the same, as for why there is a big list but mainly motor oil is not design to mix with gas and also not design to burn so it will create massive soot deposit. They have different additive in them.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I am pretty much prepped for the big ice storm ( which most likely won’t even happen) and I realized I forgot something: two stroke oil for my chainsaw. I’ve got about half a gallon mixed and I might have one bottle of the oil somewhere. That will probably be more than enough but there are a lot of big trees in my yard and one my street.

So my question is, can you mix gas and regular motor oil for two stroke engines. I’m assuming not but don’t know why.

great question.... IMHO....in a real emergency sure its ok / better than nothing.
Regularly? or by choice?.... not this guy.

Motor oil , unlike 2-stroke, will not burn clean. Will build up carbon and likely burn out engine.

I burn a lot of 2 stroke fuel. Measure in 5 gallon jugs per week.

In an emergency I would pick my poorest saw and mix it heavy (like +50%) and do absolute min. if I had too.
But would never choose to on purpose.

Now for chain / bars.... I use motor oil regularly. Not dirty used oil but I get a lot of partial / clean / new stuff from our local dump which has an oil drop off depot. Seems people have partial jugs all the time they want to get rid of instead of mixing brands/weights/etc.... I just turn up my oil pumps and burn a little more. Chains / bars seem to last just as long as using the tacky expensive stuff.

 

[N80]

Thanks. I’ll run by Tractor Supply or the hardware store but I suspect all the more thoughtful folks have bought it all. Nothing like the panic in southern states when ice and snow are on the way. Although even the local meteorologists are saying power may be out for days.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Thanks. I’ll run by Tractor Supply or the hardware store but I suspect all the more thoughtful folks have bought it all. Nothing like the panic in southern states when ice and snow are on the way. Although even the local meteorologists are saying power may be out for days.

lots of snowmobile 2 stroke oil can be used to pre mix gas

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[N80]

lots of snowmobile 2 stroke oil can be used to pre mix gas

Finding snowmobile oil here would be as likely as finding a polar bear.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Finding snowmobile oil here would be as likely as finding a polar bear.

lol I didn't look where you are from, now that I looked I don't know where SC is, South Caroline ?? .... perhaps you can replace the word snowmobile with boat outboard motor ... now if you are going to tell me you are from the desert you can replace outboard motor with dirt bike....

 

[N80]

South Carolina. We haven’t had a big snow in years. We haven’t had a serious ice storm in decades. Temperatures are supposed to drop into the low teens following the storm. No power and those sorts of temperatures will be a real problem here. I’ve got fireplaces, plenty of firewood, plenty of propane and a gas stove so we’ll be fine at my house. But it could be bad for a lot of people if the power is out for long.

At the same time, in the last few years forecasts of snow and ice have been utterly wrong.

 

[CalG]

When "oil was oil"

Two stroke mix was 20:1, "a quart to five".

But any oil was fine.

Problems will come if you don't adjust the high speed carb needle. OIL takes up room in the fuel flow, so a 20:1 mix will be lean on a saw adjusted for 50:1.

In an emergency use requirement, carbon build up is NOT something to be concerned with.

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks. I’ll run by Tractor Supply or the hardware store but I suspect all the more thoughtful folks have bought it all. Nothing like the panic in southern states when ice and snow are on the way. Although even the local meteorologists are saying power may be out for days.

If you can’t find it today, just order some from Amazon or WalMart. It’ll be here tomorrow if you order overnight.

 

[JasperFrank]

Not really an issue for short term use. Mix in slightly leaner ways. If its 30 to 1, make it 50 to 1. You can use 30W or even ATF. The diff is that two stroke is designed to be in-suspension in the gas and a total lose system. Four stroke is not. So it can settle if left alone and thats where the uptake is. So you got a whole lot of shaken and mixing going on before you run. And you'll have to deal with fouled plugs due to the additives in four stroke oils. Other wise you are okay.

 

[Topzide]

You can look for marine 2 stroke oil also. I've been running Walmart marine oil for years through my saws, trimmers and blowers. In a gallon jug and have many measuring cups to pour out into 1 gal jugs.

 

[anomad]

Finding snowmobile oil here would be as likely as finding a polar bear.

You can find Yama-Lube. Same stuff is used for snow machines, bikes, jet skis etc.. I haven't bought it in a long time, but used to go through a lot when we had a 115hp 2-stroke outboard. It was a lot cheaper than the little bottles at Lowes or wherever.

Using motor oil in an emergency would sure be better than straight gas! I would do it if push came to shove.

 

[deserteagle71]

In the last few years finding 2-stroke oil on the shelf in any store in larger containers has become a problem. I used to buy it in 1-gallon jugs, now I see it in like 3 oz bottles meant to be mixed with 1 gallon of gas. But mostly I see pre-mix on the shelf. Either way, much more expensive than buying it in 1 gallon jugs and mixing it yourself. I won't use the premix since some of my chainsaws are over 40 years old and require a 32:1 mix while most of the premix seems to be 50:1.

 

[RandyT]

Back before 2 stroke oil was a thing and saws ran at 16:1 it was actually 8 oz of 30w non detergent motor oil to a gallon of gas.

 

[rontaki]

If one has to use 4-stroke oil in a 2-stroke engine, would it be better to run the engine harder to reduce carbon fouling?

 

[Topzide]

I don't think you'd get more than 1 tank through before the saw would be toast!

 

[etpm]

Years ago I used to goof around with antique outboard motors. These motors would sometimes originally specify 8 to 1 ratio though most older outboards would specify 16 to 1. Oil in the gas reduces octane, the denser oil tends to ignite sooner. Since outboards have variable ignition timing this wasn't a huge problem when running modern oils at 24 to 1 or 32 to 1. Just had to fiddle with the carb a bit. If an engine had needle bearings on the crank and wrist pins then leaner mixes with modern oils were better for the engine. For engines with plain bearings I never went leaner than 24 to 1 with modern two stroke oils. I never had an engine seize. Or had bearings fail. Modern oils are so much better than the oils the old engines were designed to run with. If I was using 4 stroke oil in my chainsaw I would run the mix just a little richer, but not too much, because the richer oil mixture might cause pre-ignition.
Eric

 

[airbiscuit]

1/2 gallon will do a lot of cutting on its own. 4 tanks of gas for a 50cc saw.