Frozen Saws

[chainbrake]

It's that time of year. I's a small operator - only have 2 working saws.
Last Friday, I rode my saws hard in the rain and locked them away wet in the shipping container - like always.
It was no surprise to me that after sharpening them up on my snowy tailgate and heading out this morning
- both carburetors/fuel lines froze up after about 3 minutes of running.
45 years of chainsaws, and I had never had one freeze - let alone 2!
I took them back to my shop and thawed them for an hour in front of the wood stove.
They worked fine for 5 hours after that.
Has anyone ever put methyl hydrate in a fuel tank in the winter? If so, how much do you use? Thanks.

 

[holeycow]

Yes. Very little, maybe an ounce, max. Less is best.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Sounds like you got water in the fuel, maybe absorbed by the ethanol and came out of the mix? Or do you think the water got in the fuel from the rain? I wouldn't add more alcohol, I would mix up fresh fuel. I would be concerned with the additional alcohol affecting the octane rating and mixture.

 

[GenXer]

Go to Canadian tire and get a 6 pack of gas line antifreeze, put 1 of those bottles in a 5 gal can of fuel, I do that to mine here all winter.

 

[holeycow]

Yup. Normal procedure in Canada.

speakin' of which, I should add some to my mixed-a-while-ago 5 gallons

 

[SteveSr]

Go to Canadian tire and get a 6 pack of gas line antifreeze, put 1 of those bottles in a 5 gal can of fuel, I do that to mine here all winter.

Isn't gas line antifreeze just ethanol?

 

[holeycow]

No. It's Methyl hydrate with maybe a colorant or lubricant or both.

 

[GenXer]

Isn't gas line antifreeze just ethanol?

Methyl hydrate I think

 

[GenXer]

No. It's Methyl hydrate with maybe a colorant or lubricant or both.

I'm a slow typer. Lol

I was going to say methanol but deleted it and put methyl hydrate

 

[KASH]

Your gas is real gas if it contained ethanol it would not have froze at such a warm tempature.I nget a real kick out of people who add gas line anti freeze to ethanol gas it makes it even worse for all the rubber parts and is a waste of time.
Kash

 

[Joisey]

Methyl Hydrate is just another name for Methanol, or wood alcohol.

 

[holeycow]

Naw. Methanol is just another name for methyl hydrate.

 

[Yukon Stihl]

Some is is isopropyl alcohol.Thats what we use in our sleds and saws in the North

 

[bwalker]

It's that time of year. I's a small operator - only have 2 working saws.
Last Friday, I rode my saws hard in the rain and locked them away wet in the shipping container - like always.
It was no surprise to me that after sharpening them up on my snowy tailgate and heading out this morning
- both carburetors/fuel lines froze up after about 3 minutes of running.
45 years of chainsaws, and I had never had one freeze - let alone 2!
I took them back to my shop and thawed them for an hour in front of the wood stove.
They worked fine for 5 hours after that.
Has anyone ever put methyl hydrate in a fuel tank in the winter? If so, how much do you use? Thanks.

Don't add methyl hydrate. Use iso propy if you absolutely must.

 

[Huskybill]

I was cutting all winter here my saws in a heated garage, on the road they were in the warm cab in the truck. My fuel was kept at outside temps.

 

[Canyon Angler]

"methyl hydrate" LOL the authorities are prolly afraid if they call it "wood alcohol" they'll get

 

[GenXer]

Methyl hydrate contains methyl alcohol, also known as methanol, which is often added to gasoline in minute quantities as gas-line antifreeze. Isopropyl alcohol is also known as isopropanol or “rubbing alcohol.”


Both of these products can be used as de-icers. Methanol is the more potent of the two, meaning less is required for the job and it’s quicker.

 

[Canyon Angler]

Methyl hydrate contains methyl alcohol,

Kinda like saying "ethanol contains ethyl alcohol" or "H2O contains water"

 

[chainbrake]

Sounds like you got water in the fuel, maybe absorbed by the ethanol and came out of the mix? Or do you think the water got in the fuel from the rain? I wouldn't add more alcohol, I would mix up fresh fuel. I would be concerned with the additional alcohol affecting the octane rating and mixture.

This is something I never would have thought of. I will keep your reply in mind in the future. As of yet, we have no ethanol in our gasoline here on the East Coast - as far as I know.

 

[chainbrake]

Go to Canadian tire and get a 6 pack of gas line antifreeze, put 1 of those bottles in a 5 gal can of fuel, I do that to mine here all winter.

I have a big can of methyl hydrate that I pour into my truck throughout the winters (a bit at a time). I know the size of those little six-pack bottles. Your post gives me the ratio to mix - thanks.