ethanol testing results

[JONSSTIHL]

finally got a round to testing the ethanol content of gas this weekend here are the results

94 octane from petro canada sitting since october of last year 10%
94 octane from petro canada fresh 10%

regular gas from Irving sitting since last october 0%

really wasn't expecting that last one.

Maybe I should be running regular in the saws.

The octane rating is not marked at the pump so I don't know for sure what octane the regular gas was. As soon as the mowing season gets under way I will test the fresh regular to see if results vary.

I was under the impression that all gas in canada had ethanol in it. I guess I was mislead.

These tests were all conducted with the ethanol tester that bailey's has for sale. Not expensive at all.

Just a heads up for fellow canadians that are running 94 hoping to get away from the ethanol like I was. It isn't happening. I will try testing premium 91 octane to see if that would be a better way of avoiding the ethanol.

 

[CentaurG2]

Just got done getting the trimmers/brushcutter ready this weekend. All had sat since last fall in an unheated garage with some ammount of fuel in the tank. Fuel mix was premium 50:1 stihl ultra 10% etoh. Poured a ½ tank out of one FS250r and just like last year, fuel looked as good as the new mix I poured back into it. No water, no separation, no layering, just mix. Left the rest of the fuel in the fleet. All started without problems or hesitation.

You can do as you wish but I am no longer buying into the evils of etoh hype. It is better to burn your braincells out drinking ethanol than worrying about it in your mix.

 

[JustinM]

finally got a round to testing the ethanol content of gas this weekend here are the results

94 octane from petro canada sitting since october of last year 10%
94 octane from petro canada fresh 10%

regular gas from Irving sitting since last october 0%

really wasn't expecting that last one.

Maybe I should be running regular in the saws.

The octane rating is not marked at the pump so I don't know for sure what octane the regular gas was. As soon as the mowing season gets under way I will test the fresh regular to see if results vary.

I was under the impression that all gas in canada had ethanol in it. I guess I was mislead.

These tests were all conducted with the ethanol tester that bailey's has for sale. Not expensive at all.

Just a heads up for fellow canadians that are running 94 hoping to get away from the ethanol like I was. It isn't happening. I will try testing premium 91 octane to see if that would be a better way of avoiding the ethanol.

Jon, the answer to 94 octane with no ethanol in canada is Chevron.

There are certainly other companies that offer some ethanol free (some huskys I believe) but Chevron is ethanol free, across the country with their 94 octane gas.

 

[sunfish]

Just got done getting the trimmers/brushcutter ready this weekend. All had sat since last fall in an unheated garage with some ammount of fuel in the tank. Fuel mix was premium 50:1 stihl ultra 10% etoh. Poured a ½ tank out of one FS250r and just like last year, fuel looked as good as the new mix I poured back into it. No water, no separation, no layering, just mix. Left the rest of the fuel in the fleet. All started without problems or hesitation.

You can do as you wish but I am no longer buying into the evils of etoh hype. It is better to burn your braincells out drinking ethanol than worrying about it in your mix.

I leave mix (with ethanol) in my stuff year around, with no problems.
So, I'm kind of with ya here.

 

[JustinM]

Just got done getting the trimmers/brushcutter ready this weekend. All had sat since last fall in an unheated garage with some ammount of fuel in the tank. Fuel mix was premium 50:1 stihl ultra 10% etoh. Poured a ½ tank out of one FS250r and just like last year, fuel looked as good as the new mix I poured back into it. No water, no separation, no layering, just mix. Left the rest of the fuel in the fleet. All started without problems or hesitation.

You can do as you wish but I am no longer buying into the evils of etoh hype. It is better to burn your braincells out drinking ethanol than worrying about it in your mix.

While I take your point, Im not convinced the effects of ethanol are immediate. The biggest target seems to be rubber on hoses and seals - especially on older equipment designed before the proliferation of ethanol.

I believe the newer products are using a different sort of material for gaskets/hoses etc to compensate, but older saws will not have this luxury.

Its not to say the ethanol would necessarily cause any problems that wouldn't come eventually, but I believe they are speeding up the process (ie making hoses or seals go bad years sooner than they would if you were using ethanol-free fuel).

Will this translate into engine damage? Tough to say. If if meant wearing out a line that interfered with air/gas flow/mix then maybe (assuming you didnt notice & didnt know how to tune your carb). Either way though, I would rather go with the option that will prolong all parts of my saws longer - even the cheap parts like fuel lines etc.

Just my 2¢ though.

 

[Mad Professor]

My nearly 30 year old 028S, and 30+ years Homies have never seen fuel with MBTE or ethanol, and the have original seals, hoses, carb parts, and manifolds.

The homies just get started every year now, but the 028 always gets gallons and gallons of AV fuel run through it.

 

[gtread]

Ethinol

My Husky saws and Echo pruners, brush machines seem to run just fine on ethinol, so do my mowers.

However when I bought my log splitter with a chinese 4 stroke, the sales guy said to never use ethinol in that engine, because the cylinder sleeves are so thin the ethinol will rust through them because they sit for long piriods off season.

You bet I took his advice.

gtread

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

This saw sat most of the fall and winter with fuel in it, I tested it 10% ethanol. Owner pulled the saw out a week or so a go, and went to to cut up some firewood, saw ran fine for a bit then started acting up. I pulled the muffler and saw this score piston and cylinder, looks to be phase separation caused the damage.

 

[Ronaldo]

Ethanol

Never really understood all the fuss about this stuff! I have been putting ethanol in Hondas , Kawasakis , lawnmowers of all types and in old Poulans , Stihls , new Stihls and Huskys and basically anything that burns gasoline and have never had any issues with the fuel. Perhaps ignorance IS bliss!

 

[Anthony_Va.]

I think it's not a bad until you get some bad gas. I think a combination of bad gas (water) and Ethanol, plus sitting for about a month, caused the corrosion in my 660 carb. They call it white rust, and Ethanol causes it. I am waiting on parts now to rebuild my carb, and hopefully it will run once I get it back in.

 

[angelo c]

This saw sat most of the fall and winter with fuel in it, I tested it 10% ethanol. Owner pulled the saw out a week or so a go, and went to to cut up some firewood, saw ran fine for a bit then started acting up. I pulled the muffler and saw this score piston and cylinder, looks to be phase separation caused the damage.

..."but the saw ran fine yesterday !!! "

wish I had a dollar everytime I hear that line. It's usually after I drive an hour to check out a super sounding deal on CL...show up and the darn thing won't start. Tug on the cord-no compression as always...seller still insists it runs...I pull the muff and see what looks like your cylinder there...offer $100 buck and leave.

Back to the ethynol thing, I think weather extremes and humidity play a big factor in separation. I notice I dont have problems if the fuel stays in my basement and not in the "shed". sheds are out of the question for OPE for me.

 

[JONSSTIHL]

I haven't had any problems with the fuel either. It is stored in an insulated but not heated garage. the only time it gets heated is if I'm out there working in it.

I just posted this because I was surprised the regular had no ethanol and the premium had 10%.

I usually run my old mix through the saw but I only buy 2 gallons at a time so the only time the mix sits is through the winter.

 

[timberwolf]

Set a saw to run bang on with 100% gas then run it on 10% ethanol and it will be a little lean, let that ethanol soak up a percent or two of water and the mixture gets leaner yet. If it gets enough water to start to separate out the oil it is all over but the crying.

Even if the parts in the fuel system are designed to tollerate ethanol there are still problems with air fuel mixture and water absorbtion.

Keep the fuel fresh and rechecking tuning when switching fuels will go a long way to preventing problems.

 

[CentaurG2]

Proper re-tuning of a saw to run on 10% ethanol is recommend especially if you like to run your tools on ratty edge of lean but you really should reset your carb everytime your clean your air filter.

Just started the old troybilt tiller with a 7hp iron horse kholer. Sat since last spring with a tank of 10% ethanol fuel in an unheated shed. What do you know; no water in the fuel, no separation, no gummy gaskets, no fuel line problems and this thing aint seen a tune up since Carter was in office. I run 10% etoh in everything from saws to boat and have yet to have a problem.

 

[crane]

finally got a round to testing the ethanol content of gas this weekend here are the results

94 octane from petro canada sitting since october of last year 10%
94 octane from petro canada fresh 10%

regular gas from Irving sitting since last october 0%

really wasn't expecting that last one.

Maybe I should be running regular in the saws.

The octane rating is not marked at the pump so I don't know for sure what octane the regular gas was. As soon as the mowing season gets under way I will test the fresh regular to see if results vary.

I was under the impression that all gas in canada had ethanol in it. I guess I was mislead.
These tests were all conducted with the ethanol tester that bailey's has for sale. Not expensive at all.

Just a heads up for fellow canadians that are running 94 hoping to get away from the ethanol like I was. It isn't happening. I will try testing premium 91 octane to see if that would be a better way of avoiding the ethanol.

Out here in Alberta only a couple of companies are running ethanol in their fuel. Preimium gas at Petro Canada is still free of the stuff.....for now

 

[roostersgt]

Sure wish I had some of the experiences some here are claiming. My chainsaw (Old Mac) seems to need a carb rebuild and new fuel lines nearly every dang season due to "rubber" deterioration. My saw guy claims it's from the fuel drying out the carb diaphrams and fuel lines. This has happened nearly every year whether or not the thing is run dry, or not.