Non Ethanol vs Ethanol w/Stabil

[woodlandfarms]

Generally I buy Non Eth for all my small engines. Problem is that non eth is a half hour away and we are having big windstorm issues and am running the generator more than normal.

What I am getting at is this, wanted to run into town and buy some Ethanol but throw in some Stabil in case I don't use it all up. Thoughts? I tend to hold non ethanol for about 6 months max (usually 2 or 3 months before my 20 gallons are gone) with no issue. Wondering if Stabil in an ethanol product will give me the same results. I have had Ethanol gas seem more problmatic after only a few months of storage.

 

[davesl708]

StaBil has a product for ethanol gas. The other issue is the effects of alcohol on the components of your engine.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Correct. I guess my question should have been twofold. Question 2, scenario will I have damage to my carbs like I did when I used ethanol without Stabil?

 

[Ford850]

I've only had ethanol blended fuel (E10) readily available here for many years, so I haven't had a choice. I treat it with regular Stabil every time, and store it longer than I should probably, but not 6 months. What I usually do is top off my old Ford tractor if I haven't used it all within 2 or 3 months. Then I start with fresh again.
I use that E10 gas in my Ford tractor, a lawn mower that doesn't get used often, wood splitter, BCS 2 wheel, and my 18 year old JD rider mower that I sold recently. I've never had a fuel issue with any of them.

 

[davesl708]

I had three weedeaters and one push mower that had ethanol run in them. All three were given to me because they would not run anymore. The fuel lines and primer bulbs were hardened and brittle. The carbs were in bad shape.

Cleaned and rebuilt they run fine. My own I never use ethanol and my push mower is 18 years old and still starts with one prime and one pull.

 

[s219]

My opinion is that no additive can eliminate the bad aspects of ethanol. When I have to run ethanol gas in two strokes, I don't keep it around more than about 6 weeks.

 

[KennyG]

Everyone here seems to be really conservative, but I have no source of non-ethanol fuel. I haven't seen any problems with stabilized fuel, 2 stroke or 4 stroke, for 6 months or more.

 

[Bird]

Everyone here seems to be really conservative, but I have no source of non-ethanol fuel. I haven't seen any problems with stabilized fuel, 2 stroke or 4 stroke, for 6 months or more.

I have NEVER had a problem that could be attributed to ethanol, but I do use the old original Stabil in my small engine gas every time; a double dose when it might stay 6 months or more as it sometimes does in my Mantis tiller. Of course, that Mantis tiller was a reconditioned one and I've only had it about eight and a half years. The Stihl string trimmer is more than ten and a half years old. Those are both 2 stroke. The Toro ZTR with a Kohler engine is a 4 stroke but barely over 5 years old. The only thing I've replaced on it, so far, is the battery.

 

[Clipse3GT]

I've been using Stabil Protection, now known as Stabil 360 Performance. For the past 3 years or so in all of my small engines, not one system issue, perform regular maintenance yearly on all of them without one issue with the fuel system on my Stihl BR600 blower, Husqvarna string trimmer, Mantis Tiller, Stihl MS 290 chainsaw, or Husqvarna lawn tractor. Everything runs as it should even if the gas sittings around for longer than 6 weeks.

 

[Ford850]

I'm no proponent of ethanol fuel, but I think it is a scapegoat many times. Just reading on this site, you'll see it blamed for gelling, varnish, hardening of rubber, softening of rubber, gumming up lines, etc. From factual studies I have read, it can cause softening of rubber parts, and due to it collecting and holding water it can cause rusting. All those other things can be caused by any stale gasoline, which does not last as long as it used to due to many other modern additives and EPA mandates. In my opinion, Ethanol gets blamed for everything that can't be blamed on George Bush.

 

[Patches]

That doesn't leave much----

 

[Copperhead]

LMAO! That is probably true that ethanol gets blamed for everything that can't be put on George Bush!

While I generally have no use for Amsoil products, they do make a very good product for E10 that gets used in small engines. I have used it occasionally.

AMSOIL Quickshot®

 

[sld]

I use E10 in all my stuff but do treat it with the Marine Stabil. There are many reasons I don't like ethanol but I have never had an issue storing it for up to 6 months (or more) when properly treated. I do like to keep all the tanks full in mowers, trimmers, blowers, roto-tillers, etc... Less dead air space is a good thing.

Most of my equipment is probably less than 10 years old so that may explain the lack of issues I have had.

 

[abyss]

My sons filled up their new boat with E10 and it melted the fuel lines, but I have a still and make my own rum and I feel fine.

 

[Sodo]

Over the last 10years I have concluded that my hoses and seals etc in all of my cars, bikes, snowmobiles, tools, etc can tolerate E10.

I never had any trouble with ethanol E10 until summer 2015 when it was boiling in the tank on a hot day. Probably because all the other years I was smart enough not to work on those hot days. I searched out some straight gas, and problem went away. And the saw seemed to have a little more power too.

THEN, after going BACK to ethanol, I had some problems this fall. A little Honda Generator which NEVER missed a beat in 5 years, needed the carb cleaned twice in a month. Now it's running fine (on E10 again). Two Chainsaws got harder to start, had no power. I did not clean the chainsaw carbs (yet). One seems to have healed.

I'm wondering if going back and forth between E10 and pure gas is what causes problems. I never had problems (for 10 years) running E10. The problems I had were with the smaller engines (which have smaller carb jets).

Not having trouble for 10 years it's reasonable to say the pure-gas caused problems. Maybe StaBil is necessary when switching back and forth betw E10 and pure gas?

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Non-alcohol gas is not an option here due to price and haul distance. Have used Staybil for years, moved up to Staybil marine when alcohol came in, and now just moved up to Staybil 360 marine. Staybil reccommended the Marine version due to the high humidity in the Puget Sound area as it is formulated to greater protection from condensed moisture. I buy 50 GL in a transfer tank and it last 2-4 months. Pump out through a 10 micron water absorbing filter I change yearly. Rather than me yammer about why to use product recommend you read their literature on line. I have 3 Husky chain saws, trimmers, generators and etc. Not having any problems now that I am using the latest Staybil formula. I may change my mind in 2 years, who knows.

Ron

 

[2458n]

Would not use the E gas if anything else was available. Rebuild stuff bought at auctions and some of it has the melted fuel lines and hard primer bulbs. Carbs do not pump gas the way they should. Once rebuilt I always run them dry before storing. I would hate to guess the number of people who have died trying to start their Mantis tillers in the spring after setting all winter with gas in them. I quit after getting a blister.

 

[rekees4300]

Ethanol sucks. Here's my horror story from last Spring. Put 6 month old Ethanol/Stabil mix into almost new JD X500 riding mower. It wouldn't start. Lightbulb went off in head that the mix was bad. Drained the tank, bought some fresh high-test Ethanol and tried that. Guess what, X500 still wouldn't start. I figured it couldn't be bad gas because what are the odds the mix and the fresh high-test gas would both be bad? So called the JD dealer to pickup the X500. One week and $100 later he returned it and said the problem was BAD GAS!!! Anyway to make a long story short, I have decided not to store Ethanol more than 3 months and I always mix it with Stabil. For my two cycle equipment I will only use Stihl Motomix. It's expensive but it's non-ethanol, high-test, premixed, and can be stored a couple years.

 

[RickB]

Everyone here seems to be really conservative, but I have no source of non-ethanol fuel. I haven't seen any problems with stabilized fuel, 2 stroke or 4 stroke, for 6 months or more.

I have NEVER had a problem that could be attributed to ethanol, but I do use the old original Stabil in my small engine gas every time; a double dose when it might stay 6 months or more as it sometimes does in my Mantis tiller. Of course, that Mantis tiller was a reconditioned one and I've only had it about eight and a half years. The Stihl string trimmer is more than ten and a half years old. Those are both 2 stroke. The Toro ZTR with a Kohler engine is a 4 stroke but barely over 5 years old. The only thing I've replaced on it, so far, is the battery.

Same for me.

 

[Garandman]

Everyone here seems to be really conservative, but I have no source of non-ethanol fuel. I haven't seen any problems with stabilized fuel, 2 stroke or 4 stroke, for 6 months or more.

Our boat had a 100 gallon fuel tank, we stabilized it from September to May every year, no problem. But outboard was fuel injected.

Also stored E10 fuel for up to six months with no problems. I try to get MOGAS when I can but we run E10 in our snowmobiles, for example, as we might use 10-20 gallons in a day. End of season I drain them and burn it in the cars.

We always use the "storage dose" which is 1 ounce per five gallons.