Fuel ?

[Bdog]

I just pulled the triger on my first quality saw. I got a Husqvarna 353 and love it! I know it's not a monster wood eaten chip pullen pro saw, but I think it will fit my needs just fine. Plus I've been running a Craftsman for about 10 years , so it's got to be a big step forward. My dealer told me to use premium fuel and not to keep it for more than 30 days. I've heard alot about Stabil being a good product. Is this true? If so how long can I store my fuel? My dealer feels it dosen't work....So if I can't keep my gas fresh for more than 30 days , what the heck do I do with it after 30 days? I'll only be mixing a gallon at a time and some times I'll go threw it quick , sometimes I wont.

Thanks,

 

[blis]

The mix will stay just fine for few months, long as its kept in full container and isnt subject to big temperature changes.... But the smartest way is to mix, lets say enough fuel to fill the kombi-can at time, no more, no less...

Id be worried only if i stored the mix for lets say, 6 months, then it might be smarter to make fresh mix...

btw, incase you didnt know the 353 is a PRO saw, just doesnt have the xp tags...

 

[computeruser]

So if I can't keep my gas fresh for more than 30 days , what the heck do I do with it after 30 days? I'll only be mixing a gallon at a time and some times I'll go threw it quick , sometimes I wont.

That's a good question.

I try to mix small batches and blend the left-over stuff with fresh 93 octane and burn the resulting mix in something else. _EDIT:_ The fuel consumption issue is easier for me, since all of my saws except for the Echo are very thirsty. I can imagine that a 353 would be a lighter sipper, making your problem a bit worse than mine. _End EDIT_ It was easier when I still had my lawn tractor, since it went through fuel at a faster pace than I could make my left-over fuel mix. More recently my junk gas can it has been filling up and I have nowhere to burn it. I know I *can* burn it in the car, but I'd rather not since cars and their myriad sensors are expensive. Sometimes I save it for rental equipment, but I realize that's kinda crappy of me to do.

Anyone else have a better suggestion?

 

[ShoerFast]

With a big long tranny funnel, it wouldent hurt a thing dumping a whats left of a gallon of mixed fuel in your car or truck.

Quick math, if you dumped a gallon of mixed gas into a vehicle with 10 gallons of gas in it, (And now 3oz of 2 cycle oil) the gas : oil ratio would be close to 500 :1 , not a big whoopy to a 4-cycle engine.

IOW: if your planning of spending a day cutting, burn the older gas on the way to filling your saw can.

 

[1wildthing]

That's a good question.

I try to mix small batches and blend the left-over stuff with fresh 93 octane and burn the resulting mix in something else. It was easier when I still had my lawn tractor, since it went through fuel at a faster pace than I could make my left-over fuel mix. More recently my junk gas can it has been filling up and I have nowhere to burn it. I know I *can* burn it in the car, but I'd rather not since cars and their myriad sensors are expensive. Sometimes I save it for rental equipment, but I realize that's kinda crappy of me to do.

Anyone else have a better suggestion?

Dump it in your car and don't worry about it. As long as you are not putting in a lot at the same time, you will never know the difference. The only sensor that ever comes in contact with gas is the O2 sensor(s), but that is after the gas is burned so it won't really matter. Putting the left over gas in your tank is really only adding less than 1 oz. of oil to you tank. If you have a 15 gal tank it is a 1920:1 mix ratio. It will not change anything in the way that the fuel burns. Most cars will burn more oil than that anyway.

 

[Hard Knocks]

The stabilizers work fine too. Most brands claim to keep fuel fresh for up to two years but I think that is excessive. I would not hesitate to keep it for up to one year with properly added stabilizer. You can also buy 2 cycle oil with stabilizer already added to it.

 

[norma]

The stabilizers work fine too. Most brands claim to keep fuel fresh for up to two years but I think that is excessive. I would not hesitate to keep it for up to one year with properly added stabilizer. You can also buy 2 cycle oil with stabilizer already added to it.

I had heard that gas, once mixed was only good for 30 days, stabilizer didn't matter. I do know that after two months, the Stihl oil, with stabilizer is getting old. The saw starts, but it smokes more and is definatley cold blooded.

 

[jimmysisson]

I had heard that gas, once mixed was only good for 30 days, stabilizer didn't matter. I do know that after two months, the Stihl oil, with stabilizer is getting old. The saw starts, but it smokes more and is definatley cold blooded.

I've heard this said many times and have never experienced it. My baby 2-stroke tiller 50:1 mix is maybe 3 years old, with a little Stabil. The tiller always runs, only maybe 3-4 times a year for an hour or so.
My saws don't see much use from March to October, and never fail to start and run when I want 'em. I don't know if it's the Stabil or not but just haven't noticed. I put the Stabil in my 5-gal cans and use that to mix saw gas.
On the other hand, a neighbor gave me an almost brand new push mower 'cause it wouldn't start, and that carb was full of green goop, took three cleanings + a kit to resurrect it. Runs perfect now, but I gave the neighbor a can of Stabil to save him having the same trouble again. We'll see if he uses it!
Jim

 

[begleytree]

Dump it in your car and don't worry about it. As long as you are not putting in a lot at the same time, you will never know the difference. The only sensor that ever comes in contact with gas is the O2 sensor(s), but that is after the gas is burned so it won't really matter. Putting the left over gas in your tank is really only adding less than 1 oz. of oil to you tank. If you have a 15 gal tank it is a 1920:1 mix ratio. It will not change anything in the way that the fuel burns. Most cars will burn more oil than that anyway.

Spot on. I dump mine into the chipper. If I don't have enough mixed gas to do the days job, I dump what I have and mix more. never did like adding gas and mixing oil to an already mixed batch. I've seen other people do it though.
I can't help with the stabil question. I go through a lot of mixed gas, so it's ever been a problem for me.
-Ralph

 

[Hard Knocks]

I've heard this said many times and have never experienced it. My baby 2-stroke tiller 50:1 mix is maybe 3 years old, with a little Stabil. The tiller always runs, only maybe 3-4 times a year for an hour or so.
My saws don't see much use from March to October, and never fail to start and run when I want 'em. I don't know if it's the Stabil or not but just haven't noticed. I put the Stabil in my 5-gal cans and use that to mix saw gas.
On the other hand, a neighbor gave me an almost brand new push mower 'cause it wouldn't start, and that carb was full of green goop, took three cleanings + a kit to resurrect it. Runs perfect now, but I gave the neighbor a can of Stabil to save him having the same trouble again. We'll see if he uses it!
Jim

I have also had no problem with stabilized mix. We use Husqvarna oil with stabilizer in our shop gas. It gets run through my own Husky string trimmer and saws. My trimmer gets hung up in the fall and not touched again until I grab it in the spring to put it to work. It has never given me a problem or smoked excessively. My saws at the cottage get used in the spring to clean up and cut firewood and set aside until next spring. Again never a problem. I see the opposite result daily in the shop when equipment comes in that has not been stabilized and needs to have the fuel system rebuilt!

 

[spike60]

Most premium branded 2 cycle oils already have the stabilizer in them, and it works fine. I may have some fuel around for a couple of months at home, but after that I will burn it off in either the mower, log splitter or snow blower. The 50:1 mix doesn't hurt these other machines, and you get the bonus of having the stabilizer in it.

I have come to believe that, as another poster mentioned, one of the biggest factors is constant temperature, rather that wide swings in temp.

 

[tawilson]

I believe keeping the gas in a tightly sealed container helps also.

 

[BLACKeR]

if you want to keep gas around for a while, see if you can find a metal container to store it in. the metal blocks sunlight and keeps more moisture out. metal is getting hard to find though.

 

[bytehoven]

I have made it habit to cycle my gas storage every 6 months.

I maintain (8) 5 gal cans of 87 octane for emergency generator use, and (1) 5 gal can of Hi-Octane for use in the snow blower and lawn equipment. Every 6 months, I fill up the truck with these cans, refill and stablize. On occassion I have forgotten and gone longer than 6 months without any problem, but I try to limit the cycle.

I mix 50:1 with the hi-octane in a 1 gal can for the saws, trimmer and blower.

If this 50:1 mix sits for awhile, I put in the truck to top off a fresh fill up.

I think the trick it to avoid the ethanol blend gas in the 2 cycle engines. Atleast that's the advice my 2 cycle engine mechanic gave me a long time ago.