ethonal

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sunfish

sunfish

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I just ran our generato
I can get 87 E-free 25 min round trip.

My MS391 and 460 call for 89 octane plus in the manual. If I'm just screwing around with them, I'm not afraid to run the 87 in them. When I'm going to lean on them or run for extended periods of time, I use tru-fuel just because of the octane rating.

For other saws that don't specify higher octane, 87 E-free.

I don't know of a hi-octane E-free near me. But I do have a small regional airport nearby. I need to do my reading on 100LL and decide if I'd rather do that than trufuel.

But to get at the OP, yes, I'll go out of my way for E-free. And I flip a LOT of saws that I buy for cheap on CL that just need a carb kit and fuel lines. Obviously the previous owners were NOT using E-free. Trashed fuel lines on a 3-year old saw says something.
87 octane is fine in any saws, even highly modded saws.

Try marinas if want higher octane E-free.
 
JonCraig

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I've read that in the past, but never seen any hard data that it's okay. I have seen hard data, however, that lower octane in a high compression engine causes preignition.

To be honest, I'm a hobbyist, and rarely running the 391 or 460 for more than 4 or 5 hours at a time. So a couple cans of trufuel isn't the end of the world.

Besides that, after about 3 hours, by back starts to make me think seriously about whether or not I could be using the 028Super instead. ;-)
 
wde_1978

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I keep reading what lenghts You guys have to go to get "clean" fuel for Your equipment.
It stinks sky high like marketing garbage to increase parts sales and/or "super special won't damage Your equipment" canned fuel!

I am glad that I so far have unrestricted and hassle free access to pure high octane fuel - unleaded Euro Super 95/98.

To avoid ethanol containing fuel I once paid extra cash and refilled my car tank with 100 octane "Sports" fuel.
I don't drive a sporty car and the fuel didn't make it fly either, I just didn't want to consciously run my car on alcohol.

As long and whenever I have the choice any and all of my internal combustion equipment will be fed with pure gasoline - unless the equipments manual states otherwise!

Now, my diesel tractor I was playing with the thought to run on sunflower oil. ;)
 
SteveSr

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Just like to know how many of you guys go out of your way to get non ethonal gas for your saws. I have to drive
21 miles to a marina to find any. @0.86 cents more per gallon. I think it is worth the trip. opinions any one?
Marinas are probably an o.k. choice during boating season when the product doesn't get a chance to get old. This time of year I wouldn't be a buyer.

As was mentioned below here is the place to start looking for ethanol free gas:

http://pure-gas.org/

If you don't have any luck here the last resort is to start calling the local oil companies (fuel distributors) and ask them if they distribute ethanol free and to which local stations. I had fairly good success doing this before someone pointed me to the Pure-gas website.
 
merc_man

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I wont put ethnol gas in my saws anymore. I tried it once and went to use saw a week later and would not start. Decides to pull carb apart and check and was full of guey crap. I go by ethnol free gas everday on way to work so its convenient for me.

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merc_man

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When ever I can I try not to run ethanol fuel through my saws. I have access to 91 octane zero ethanol and access to Sunoco 94 octane zero ethanol easily. But if I had to drive 20 + miles to get it well two each is own. If the gas station you have access to has only one hose on each pump and it has other available octanes with ethanol in it and you go get a gallon of let's say 91 octane zero ethanol and the person before you bought 87 octane with ethanol. There's is going to be that 87 octane with ethanol gas in the hose until the 91 octane zero ethanol gets pumped through the hose.
I thought about tbe single gas nozle thing to so i put a few litters in the truck first.

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amberg

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sounds like you guys are not to fond of ethonal gas either. so when I get low again I will head on back down to lake anna for some more
e free gas. I will take couple more cans next time, or clean my truck diesel tank out, that will hold 50 gallons.
 
jrocket

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I have e-free gas at a station on my way to work so all my power equip gets that. another option is if there are any racetracks in your area, you may be able to find racegas, I know its expensive I think the station that sells it close to me sells it for around $8 per gal, but still better than getting your saws drunk.
 
Idahonative

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So what is regular gas? Better not drink any whiskey or other alcohol! If I remember my high school chemistry ETHAanol is intoxicating but not dangerous unless you O.D. METHanol is the poisonous BAD stuff which will cause blindness.

You missed my point. It is "poisonous" to your equipment engines and should not be used IMO.
 
catbuster

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Nope. I don't worry about it. And the thought of machines running better is baloney. Octanes are octanes, and they're what affects engine knock. If I paid extra for E-Free at the cost of time and extra cost per gallon I'd be blowing money on something totally not worth it.

Ethanol is not the great satan. It's what we have to use, and it will be available a lot longer than dino gas. So please stop the whining and use it. Most machine failures occur due to improper operation and maintenance. Let's face it.
 
RedFir Down

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thanol is not the great satan. It's what we have to use, and it will be available a lot longer than dino gas. So please stop the whining and use it. Most machine failures occur due to improper operation and maintenance. Let's face it.
I take it you dont repair many saws? I would say over 50% of the saws I repair are from ethanol related issues. Let's face it.
 
JonCraig

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There has been plenty of testing done on many formulations of fuel line. Ethanol causes earlier fuel line & carb diaphragm failure. That's quantifiable.

The question is would you rather replace the rubber fuel components at 2 year or 5 year intervals?

If I were using 20 gallons/week in a professional setting, paying an extra $1/gal would not be worth it. I'd just settle for regular fuel system maintenance & assume I'd be replacing Tygon fuel lines after a couple years.

For me, as an amateur/hobby guy, it's worth it to put off the hassle another few years.

To each his own.
 
catbuster

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I take it you dont repair many saws? I would say over 50% of the saws I repair are from ethanol related issues. Let's face it.

No, you're attributing failures to ethanol. Barring you actually seeing the failure happening, you can't guarantee a failure is caused by something. I don't wish to nitpick, but that's part of being a mechanic And the reasons you repair them are more than likely due to user error, like leaving fuel in the saw for far too long and letting it do damage. That is user error.

Signed,

An Engineer.
 
RedFir Down

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No, you're attributing failures to ethanol. Barring you actually seeing the failure happening, you can't guarantee a failure is caused by something. I don't wish to nitpick, but that's part of being a mechanic And the reasons you repair them are more than likely due to user error, like leaving fuel in the saw for far too long and letting it do damage. That is user error.

Signed,

An Engineer.
Call it what you want but I call it using ethanol fuel in this application.
What do you think causes fuel lines that turn to goo, carb diaphragm that are stiff as a board that need a carb kit at the very least and often they need replaced because 20 minutes in my heated ultrasonic won't clear the passages in the carb?
If you are actually in fact an engineer I suggest you hit the books and find out what you are talking about here.
 

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