Using expensive pre-mix fuel versus mixing my own

[plowhog]

The 50:1 pre-mix seems *way* more expensive than mixing my own. But, very convenient to use and store.

Is there any functional advantage to pre-mix except for storage? It seems that stuff is ~$20/gallon, more than double the cost to mix my own?

 

[KYErik]

How many gallons do you burn per year? I would guess that the canned gas would last longer but you could probably mix up a new batch every 3 months and come out $ ahead.

So many people have fuel issues with their 2 cycle's but thankfully I am not one of them. I have a 10 year old weedeater and a 15 year old chainsaw. I have replaced the gas line in the weed eater once and rebuilt the carb in the chainsaw once. I buy cheap gas (with ethanol) mix up a gallon of fuel at a time and just keep it until I use it all up. Many times part of a gallon sits all winter- it still works fine for me the next spring. I never keep a mix for 2 years though. I give it the smell test before I put it in the tank.

 

[ericm979]

I use pump 89 octane (what my chainsaw etc manufacturers recommend), high quality synthetic two stroke oil and Stabil. The Stabil goes in the straight gas when I get it home. I pour a gallon at a time from that container into a small container for premix. Like KYErik's experience it can sit for months and still be good.

I use a Ratio-rite for measuring the oil, rinsing it out with gas and pouring that into the premix container so I get all the oil I measured.

The premix gas stuff would be convenient but I've never found making premix to be bothersome and I like knowing what oil I'm using. And it's way cheaper.

 

[bandaidmd]

the way i use my saw and weed eater the canned gas is really not a huge cost factor, having a piece of equipment thats starts and runs great even with sporadic use more than makes up for the sticker shock of that $20 can of fuel. When I asked my stihl dealer his opinion on the canned fuels he told me that if i use them i wont have to come back to him for any carb work and if i use e10 i will.

 

[not2old]

I use Chevron 94 with Amsoil Dominator at 50:1 for my dirt bike so usually have some on hand that isn't too old, but have used a little about three years old with no problem after an initial hard start that took about twenty pulls to get going. My trimmer and blower are near ten years old and my saw at least fifteen and neither one has even had the spark plug removed. I know I'm living on borrowed time even if I don't use them a lot.

 

[bferg]

One of the advantages is many of the pre-mixed cans are ethanol free which is what many weed eaters and chain saws recommend but can be hard to find at a gas station. (There are 2 gas stations that I know of in my town that have ethanol free gas- both on the other side of town from me).

The other advantage for many people (not me because I have multiple 2 stroke machines that I use quite a bit) is that they don't have to store a 2.5 or 5 gallon tank of mixed gas when the only use a weed eater to trim their subdivision yard- which translates to probably 2 gallons a year of usage. For those people it seems the pre-mixed containers are a lot more convenient than buying an extra gas can, a bunch of oil, and storing it all (plus making sure it doesn't get put into the mower).

 

[newbury]

I've the saws in my sig, an FS250 weedeater/brush cutter and an FS90. I LOVE those little cans of premix fuel.

I've probably have bought at least 4 over the last 10 years. I've got one at my son's, one on the back porch in Virginia, one down in Mississippi and one lost in a shed. After emptying them I refill with E-free gas and a squirt of high grade 2 stroke oil, which has a "stabil" in it. The squirt depends on if I'm going to do CSM (1:40 mix) or everything else.

Thus when a son or BIL goes to fill up a 2 stroke of mine they can find the can that says 1:50 fuel mix and NOT straight gas my engine.

Only problem is that I have to smuggle E-free gas into Northern Virginia

 

[Fiziksgeek]

This topic comes up on a regular basis, just look around for the other threads.

I mix my own with pump gas (89 octane) when I expect to be regularly using the equipment. When storing for long periods, I drain it, fill the tank with the expensive pre-mix, run for a few minutes, then put in on the shelf....

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

I use pump 89 octane (what my chainsaw etc manufacturers recommend), high quality synthetic two stroke oil and Stabil. The Stabil goes in the straight gas when I get it home. I pour a gallon at a time from that container into a small container for premix. Like KYErik's experience it can sit for months and still be good.

Exactly what I do. No problems. That pre-mix is insanely expensive.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I used to travel 10 miles to get ethanol free gas for all my small engines but got tired of doing that. Now I use 87 octane with 10% ethanol from a station about 1 mile away. I put stabil in my 5 gallon containers as soon as I get home. If I need 2 stroke gas it comes from this supply and I add in the necessary full synthetic grade of oil to make 1 gallon. This lasts me quite a while but it doesn't seem to go bad in 3 months of storage. It works in my Stihl weed eater and Stihl chainsaw and my 10 year old Poulan leaf blower. The only 2 cycle engine that doesn't work well on 87 is my Husky chainsaw. It likes high test for some reason. It runs on 87 but not very well and has very little power.

I cant see paying about $8 a quart for mixed gas when I can make it(if I wanted to) with pure gas for $3.50 per gallon including the cost of the 2 cycle oil. This cost is assuming that I bought my none ethanol gas from the distant station when I was going that way on other business.

I cant see it being that much trouble to pour in a couple oz. of oil in a 1 gallon container and fill with gas. I do shake the container well after it sets for a while prior to filling my 2 cycle tanks.