Raising Oil Ratio Hell

[z4lunch]

New 025

Steve here...
Here is a pick of my cylinder after a tank of 50/1 Stihl oil, no it's not junk but it aint pretty. I run 32/1 Maxima K2 synthetic, in all my saws now.
my two cents,
Steve

 

[NevadaWalrus]

I think 288 was asking if it was safe to use 50/1 when the makers oil ratio was something different, like 32/1 or 40/1.

I wouldn't. General rule of thumb is to mix according to the oil bottle label. 50/1 oil is far superior ( or supposed to be ) to one rated for 32/1.

 

[bwalker]

Steve, Thats actually a pretty ugly cylinder . The exhaust port likes pretty dirty and the cylinders walls are pretty worn. Stihl and husky mix oils are really poor for what they cost.

 

[Tony Snyder]

Some people just experiment with oil mixes until the find something that won't work.

I have always had good luck with saw branded oil mixed 50 to 1 or, 40 to 1. I just have not got the time to experiment with everyone favorite specialty oil. Beside if such experimenting is not done under standardized conditions you will not get solid factual evaluations that will do anyone else any good.

I tried some Grandberg synthetic stuff years ago and siezed up some saws. I'll stick with the manufacturers recommendations.

 

[stihltech]

oil

OK, you blame that wear on 1 tank of Stihl 50 to 1. You better keep looking. If that were true, there would not be any stihls running. I know I have most of my sales still going strong at 50 to 1, and the pistons look great. That ain't no lean seize, you got foreign material cutting the piston.

 

[jokers]

Sorry Steve, I have to agree with Ben that you show a pretty ugly cylinder there for the reported age, but I don`t agree with his statement that Stihl and Husky oils are pretty poor for what they cost. I seen many cylinders with hundreds of hours on them running nothing but OEM oil at the proper ratio that look much better than what you showed us. I think Stihltech is right. I have been running one of the "better oils for the price", Mobil MX2T, in my saws lately, and it is a little disconcerting to be dumping gas that looks like it has no oil in it into a two strokes fuel tank. I could see where complacency could lead to someone using plain gas in their saw using this stuff.

Russ

 

[Jwoods]

Melzer's 025

Who got Steve's password? What happened? Did one of your 090's backfire, and spit out an 025?

 

[tony marks]

before i went to stihl or echo 50-1
it was alway one problem or another.
as i used this stuff daily,i had a dread of getting these 2cycles to run dependably.
since day one, of 50-1 ive experienced
no problems . even the cheap equipment will perform well and last.
i have gone to a little higher ratio
when im working on big hardwood.
but thats just to be on the safe side.
this is not to say u cant blow a motor
as i did. but it was my fault for leaning it out to much.
ps havnt tried it but i suspect stihl mix would probably work 32-1 alrite. just have oily exhaust.. also, to the posters question, no i wouldnt run 50-1 if using the various other brand oils out there.
go by the directions on the container.

 

[Stumper]

The manufacturer's all tell us to use their own oils. They then tell us to either use an equivalent oil or to mix it richer if we aren't using their stuff.. This is CYA marketing. The warranty law in the USA is simple-you can't require your own brand of oil! The US standards for aircooled oils are archaic. The makers want to make sure you don't come in with warranty work after using a 30 year old bottle of mix oil which was rated for 16/1 usage. The facts are that if you want to run hardware store brand oil-they WILL have to fix any problems. Mixing it at the oil makers reccomendation is actually safe-if the oil caused a failure the saw maker would have recourse against the oil maker. Obviously they wouldn't bother for one case-but if the oil were ACTUALLY inadequate it would result in multiple (huge numbers) of failures and the engine makers would quickly jump on the oil. Are some oils better than others-I'm convinced that they are but FWIW-I used outboard oil for over a decade mixed at 32/1-40/1 and never had any oil related problem.
I would use Echo oil in place of Stihl or Husky in a heartbeat (actually I prefer it since it is labeled as meeting the highest European nd Japanese standards). I also would use ANY 2/cycle oil mixed 32/1 and have no fear.

 

[Tony Snyder]

Why would you not want to use oil branded and approved by the maker of your saw? Is it cost? Is it stuberness? Is it curiosity of seeing what you can get away with?

Heck I'd put some Lawnboy in there at 16 to 1, you can smoke the bugs and get double bang for your oil dollar.

I believe manufacturers recommend their oil because there are just too many other kinds out there that are unsuitable, or at least not optimum.

 

[bwalker]

Why would you not want to use oil branded and approved by the maker of your saw?

Thats a simple one Tony. Be cause superior products are available that cost less. Why pay a Ford price for a Yugo?

 

[glens]

Ben, your analogy fails since we all know there's nothing better than Ford.&nbsp; Are you sure you didn't mean <i>Chevy</i> &amp; Yugo?

Glen

 

[bwalker]

Glens, I worked in auto industry in quality control . Ford has some serious quality issues that go back severtal years. Explorers, new diesel engine, etc. Ill stick with my Ddodge diesel.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

If for no other reason, the smell of the exaust on a saw running synthetic oil, takes me back to happier times, racing motocross, snowmobiles, and boats. The added protection of superior oil at no extra cost, is just a bonus.

 

[don]

C'mon guys

Remember the scene in the movie of Crockadile Dundee where upon traveling to NEW YORK, sees a TV for the second time after 20 years turns it on and proceeds to watch a rerun syndicate program he saw the last time he watched.

I will log in again a couple more months from now and see how you guys are doing.

BTW MOTUL 800 synthetic rules and is complete overkill buy so is a supercharger on the family SuburbanMOTUL 800 Synthetic

 

[max2cam]

I was just told by a Solo tech guy NOT to use Echo oil or Amzoil. He said the Solo Nikasil cylinders didn't like those brands of oil and to use either Solo oil or substitute Stihl or Husky oil instead.

I also used outboard oil for years, but no more...

 

[bwalker]

I think youe solo tech guy is full of ????, trying to peddle his own brand oil, or both. Bothe oils mentioned would work fine although I dont care for amsoil much.

 

[jokers]

Hey Ben, do you mix any dye or anything with your MX2T so that you can be sure the oil was added? It`s weird putting what looks like plain gas in my saws but after running about 5 gallons mixed with the MX2T in them I haven`t seized anything yet. Just waiting for the day when I screw up though.

Russ

 

[Harley]

Russ,

Try the Maxima 927. Its yellow. I can't tell its in there unless I pour some out in a clear glass. I don't mind that, cause I trust myself to mix it, but I can't see the mix in my saws anymore.

 

[bwalker]

Hey Ben, do you mix any dye or anything with your MX2T so that you can be sure the oil was added? It`s weird putting what looks like plain gas in my saws but after running about 5 gallons mixed with the MX2T in them I haven`t seized anything yet. Just waiting for the day when I screw up though.

I dont add dye myself, but I have done so a few times. The red dye used for offroad diesel would work fine.