What mix do you prefer?

[Lakeside53]

40 years later, there are better choices...

 

[ciscoguy01]

Ethanol

Means this topic has been thrashed to death...

Oops, I see that Gary has replied. Yah, what he said. See, what brand, ratio, octane and rating of blue goo to use in chainsaws has been hotly debated so many times that we are all as blue as the oil mix.

I use about 45:1 gasil to keep the bearings happier with super gasoline (no ethanol blends, thank you) in the mix of saws and brush cutters here. I use Castrol currently, or many name brands that are JASO FB or FA rated (for air cooled engines). I have also used Stihl orange bottle stuff that seems to work OK. No engine scoring, or engine failures (yet).

How do you get Ethanol free gasoline??? Here it's in every gas you buy. I was at the Stihl dealer the other day and he told me the ethanol eats the rubber line to the carb and in the tanks much worse than years ago... Not sure if everyone else is noticing this also???

 

[brncreeper]

40 years later, there are better choices...

Absolutely, but I would still mix 32:1 with any of these:
Shell Super-M
Shell Advanced Racing X
Castrol A747
Castrol TTS (A545)
Castrol Pure Racing for 2-stroke Motorcycles
Rock Oil K2

 

[windthrown]

I personaly think that cost cutting on your saw mix is a huge mistake. seems like you would be stepping over hundred dollar bills to pick up a dime.

CMM

Indeed. We had a gal here last week from the county with the county's 290 working on creek bank erosion control (putting about 200 trees that I had dropped along a creek). Said all they run in it the 290 was regular gas and the cheapest blue goo. I shrugged it off then. Today I was dropping trees with my girlfriend and she asked me why we *have* to pay the extra money to run better gas and oil in our saws. I rolled my eyes... tried to explain pre-ignition and even burning in higher compression engines, then gave up. I showed her her 290 manual when we got back to the house, requiring higher octane, and that seemed to appease her. She was convinced by the county "experts" that regular gas and el-cheapo oil additive was fine. Our tax dollars at work!

Which reminds me of a story that my brother told me once. He used to be a shrink briefly at the Soledad maximum security prison in Soledad, CA. He asked the cons there what they did for amusement. One guy said he drained the oil out of lawn mower engines and ran them to see how long they would last before they blew up. Your tax dollars at work!

 

[ciscoguy01]

Mix

I NEVER run less than 45:1. I know you prolly can with the newer oils and what not, but i just don't and WON'T... NEVER scored a piston or cylinder, NEVER had problems with carbs or plugs. I DO however believe solemnly in 93 octane gas though. I definitely CAN tell a difference between 87 and 93 with performance. Torque, power, responsiveness etc...

 

[brncreeper]

One guy said he drained the oil out of lawn mower engines and ran them to see how long they would last before they blew up. Your tax dollars at work!

Castrol did a TV commercial like that.

 

[windthrown]

How do you get Ethanol free gasoline??? Here it's in every gas you buy. I was at the Stihl dealer the other day and he told me the ethanol eats the rubber line to the carb and in the tanks much worse than years ago... Not sure if everyone else is noticing this also???

Here in the west (CA and OR at least) they have notes on the gas pumps. The ones with ethanol are marked as having some percentage of ethanol, and the ones with 100% gasoline are also marked as such. Most biofuel is ethanol, so I'd avoid that stuff. I buy gas at a Pilot truck stop near here, and they have 100% gasoline. We also live well outside of any urban areas and we have no air quality restrictions in this county that require oxygenated gas for smog requirements.

 

[Brushwacker]

I am still using 25 to 1 mix and feel its better in a well run loose motor.
If I had all tight engines I'd consider changing and if it was a matter of warranty I'd do what it required. Obviousily 50 to 1 works well with high quality oils and about any thing that runs will get by. I haven't been convinced its the best choice in average conditions. Thats me.
If I had a few hundred dollars to blow I would buy 2 cheap saws new and run 1 on 25 to 1 and the other 50 to 1 and race them all day or several days through about 30 inch hardwood and see what happened.
I don't buy the best oils, but I try to keep it air cooled engine oil,and I do not have problems with oil comming out of my exhaust, or carbon build up, or excess smoke. I run saws for others that use 50 to 1 and do not see that great of a difference in the exhaust. I do keep my saws well tuned, clean the air filter regularly etc..

 

[Lakeside53]

How do you get Ethanol free gasoline??? Here it's in every gas you buy. I was at the Stihl dealer the other day and he told me the ethanol eats the rubber line to the carb and in the tanks much worse than years ago... Not sure if everyone else is noticing this also???

The only way to guarantee it up here in WA (King County - it varies by county due to smog rules) is to buy AV GAS. Currently, only Chevron premium has no alcohol here, but that may be going away also.

If you keep your gas fresh it really doesn't seem to make a difference in the eating department. The current gas lines (last few years) seem fine.

 

[aokpops]

got a couple quarts oh castrol. let you know how it works ? guess I,am the lab rat