Oil

[Diet Ginger Beer]

I have been using Stihl oil for nearly 20 years in my MS250 and followed their 50:1 rule for their oil. I recently decided to stop using their Ultra and have decided on a semi-synthetic either from Castrol: Activ 2T (claims JASO FD but shows as FC on the official list) or Penrite semi-synthetic which claims to meet FC but not on the JASO list.
Thing is, I think Stihl are still saying that it's 50:1 for their oil and 25:1 for any other brand yet I see nowhere on this site on all the many oil discussions, where anyone has said that they are using 25:1 for anything.

Should I now be using 25:1 or is what Stihl really implying is that their oils are so much better than anyone else's that you need to use double of theirs ie is this just subtle marketing or sound advice from them?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Where does stihl say 25:1?

 

[J D]

Any reputable JASO FD oil should be fine at 50:1.
Many feel that a bit more oil is preferable & manufacturers mainly went to 50:1 for lower emissions over engine life.
Some manufacturers also recommend a higher oil ratio for larger saws, saws used in adverse conditions, or in countries without emission regulations.
Personally I use 40:1 generally & 32:1 for my milling saws

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

Where does stihl say 25:1?

"You’ll need STIHL 2-Stroke oil, an empty and clean fuel can and fresh unleaded fuel. We recommend a 50:1 mix ratio (20mls oil per 1 litre fuel) when using STIHL 2-Stroke oil.
If you’re using a different brand of 2-Stroke oil, you’ll need to mix at 25:1 (40mls oil per 1 litre fuel). "

https://www.stihl.com.au/en/work-te...n-guides-and-projects/how-to-mix-2stroke-fuel

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Interesting, it checks out, but definitely the first time I've ever seen 25:1 reccomended.

 

[sean donato]

He's from Australia, so it's no surprise they didn't get the updated north American manual.
I'm in the 40 to 1 camp as well. Fd rated oil is all your need.

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

He's from Australia, so it's no surprise they didn't get the updated north American manual.
I'm in the 40 to 1 camp as well. Fd rated oil is all your need.

From Stihl international site:
https://www.stihl.com/fuels--.aspx

We recommend the following mix ratios:​

for STIHL 1 : 50 two-stroke engine oil:
1 : 50 => 1 part oil + 50 parts petrol

For other high-quality two-stroke engine oil with the TC classification:
1 : 25 => 1 part oil + 25 parts petrol

Mixing ratios​

For a mixing ratio of 1 : 50 you need 5 litres of petrol and 0.10 litres (100cm³) of STIHL two-stroke oil.

Petrol quantity	STIHL two-stroke oil 1:50		Other brand name two-stroke engine oils 1:25
Litres	Litres	cm³	Litres	cm³
1	0.02	(20)	(40)	0.04
5	0.10	(100)	(200)	0.20
10	0.20	(200)	(400)	0.40
15	0.30	(300)	(600)	0.60
20	0.40	(400)	(800)	0.80
25	0.50	(500)	(1000)	1.00

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

It's interesting that they appear to be recommending that oils other than Stihl should have a rating of at least API TC which I think is equivalent to JASO FC. In which case they appear to be suggesting that you use double the amount of FC rated oil despite their Ultra rated at only FB.
I would think that their international website is run from their HQ in Germany, so this would appear to be up to date advice.

 

[sean donato]

It's std marketing bs that's been done for years and years. Use our oil run at 50 to 1, use other oil run at (fill in whatever here) ratio.
Point being don't over think it. Run a quality oil at a moderate ratio and call it a day. Lots of options out there that are good.

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

It's std marketing bs that's been done for years and years. Use our oil run at 50 to 1, use other oil run at (fill in whatever here) ratio.
Point being don't over think it. Run a quality oil at a moderate ratio and call it a day. Lots of options out there that are good.

It's all about trust. I trust that the people who make and sell me the saw will ensure that I use what's best for the saw. It's not only me who thinks that (or at least,did) when I spoke to technical at Castrol, he kept saying to me "you should use the specification of 2 stroke oil that the manufacturer of the saw recommends".
I have since discovered that the Stihl bar oil they sell in Australia has half the viscosity of the Castrol and Penrite bar oils. I have drawn my own conclusion about why they would do this and the Husqvarna bar oil was only slightly more viscous than the Stihl.
It seems that oil manuacturers have a vested interest in selling you oil as a repeat customer, and chainsaw manufacturers seem to have a vested interest in selling you chainsaws and bars and chains with a big side order of cynical marketing of other products to help that process move along as quickly as possible.

I had a already mixed 2 litres of the Castrol at 25:1 which I will now throw out. The glaring contradiction of advising to use double the FC grade over the FB is too obvious to ignore and I can only relcutantly draw the same conclusions that you have, now that I have seen it.
I trusted Stihl, but no more.

 

[sean donato]

It's not just stihl, every mfg has had that tid bit in the manual since at least the 80's when they were half a pint of 30wt motor oil per gallon of gas if you're not using stihl, husqy etc oil.
Run whatever bar oil you'd like. Different viscosities are generally for different ambient temps. Ie summer vs winter grade.

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

It's not just stihl, every mfg has had that tid bit in the manual since at least the 80's when they were half a pint of 30wt motor oil per gallon of gas if you're not using stihl, husqy etc oil.
Run whatever bar oil you'd like. Different viscosities are generally for different ambient temps. Ie summer vs winter grade.

We don't get the extreme winters here (except for a couple of places) as the US, so there are no summer or winter bar oils sold here that I know of.
I also don't think this is a tid bit of info somehow hanging around un-noticed and un-edited since the 1980's. The Germans are generally way more efficient than that. It may well be old advice, but it appears that they have left it there as it suits their current purposes.

 

[grizz55chev]

 

[lone wolf]

It's all about trust. I trust that the people who make and sell me the saw will ensure that I use what's best for the saw. It's not only me who thinks that (or at least,did) when I spoke to technical at Castrol, he kept saying to me "you should use the specification of 2 stroke oil that the manufacturer of the saw recommends".
I have since discovered that the Stihl bar oil they sell in Australia has half the viscosity of the Castrol and Penrite bar oils. I have drawn my own conclusion about why they would do this and the Husqvarna bar oil was only slightly more viscous than the Stihl.
It seems that oil manuacturers have a vested interest in selling you oil as a repeat customer, and chainsaw manufacturers seem to have a vested interest in selling you chainsaws and bars and chains with a big side order of cynical marketing of other products to help that process move along as quickly as possible.

I had a already mixed 2 litres of the Castrol at 25:1 which I will now throw out. The glaring contradiction of advising to use double the FC grade over the FB is too obvious to ignore and I can only relcutantly draw the same conclusions that you have, now that I have seen it.
I trusted Stihl, but no more.

Don't throw it out, add more fuel!

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

Don't throw it out, add more fuel!

If I added 80ml of oil to 2 litres of petrol, how much more petrol will I need to add to get from 25:1 to 40:1?.......
'cos that's way more math than I can cope with.

 

[lone wolf]

If I added 80ml of oil to 2 litres of petrol, how much more petrol will I need to add to get from 25:1 to 40:1?.......
'cos that's way more math than I can cope with.

https://2strokemix.com/?s=40+to+1+fuel+chart

This help you? Three Liters looks close.

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

https://2strokemix.com/?s=40+to+1+fuel+chart

This help you? Three Liters looks close.

Thanks

 

[grizz55chev]

If I added 80ml of oil to 2 litres of petrol, how much more petrol will I need to add to get from 25:1 to 40:1?.......
'cos that's way more math than I can cope with.

I'd just throw it in the 4 stroke lawn mower and move on!

 

[Husky77]

In the 80's my local dealer only stocked oregon 2t and he supplied forestry as well as contractor's. 50/1 was the recommendation and I ran it in clearing saw-strimmers-chainsaws-disc cutters. Never any problem with it and beleive at the time it was semi synthetic, not a clue what jaso rating it was then or even if it existed. It worked so did it matter, it seems these days we have so much to choose from and so many run an oil down and praise another oil up, people follow like sheep because if it's on the internet it has to be right.
This was just before they removed the lead out of petrol and you had a choice of leaded or unleaded which was a green pump (because it was better for us and the environment just like ethanol is now, or so they tell us) I remember the lead free fuel gave a splitting head ache and made your nose burn.
Now I never use pump fuel and never going back, ok so it costs more but I'm cutting for fun these days so it dont matter. If you get Husqvarna or Aspen with their own oil already mixed its FD and at 50/1 it runs perfectly and wouldnt hesitate putting it in a new saw. But I buy the fuel straight and add/mix my own oil whatever brand I want. Each to their own but 40/1 or 50/1 your saws will run fine and last a very long time if looked after and kept SHARP.

 

[Seachaser]

Every forum, I’ve ever been on: oil is the biggest discussion.
Whether chainsaws, guns, boats, reels, trucks, or chainsaws.