So, the snowblower says 25:1, the string trimmer says 40:1, and the power blower says 50:1. Anyone having a wee bit difficulty getting the mixtures right? Seems all the little oil mix containers say to mix with a gallon of gas and some don't even give the ratio on the label. What gives?
I mix the separate tool mixtures and keep each in a gallon milk container in the shed. I use a permanent marker to write the mixture ratio, # of ounces of oil per gallon, and what tool it goes with, on the container. To get the proper mixture of oil per gallon of gas, divide 128 (# of ounces in a gallon) by ratio. i.e. 128 / 40 = 3.2, so a 40:1 ratio needs 3.2 oz. of oil. Other ratios:
when i worked in lawn equipment we loved people who used milk jugs. gas breaks them down and clogs the inlet screens with white goo. fantastic for business. you've gotten lucky so far. Chip
After spending a few moments to compute all my proper ratios, I made a 'guide sheet' in Word and posted it in my shed (right by my gas cans). It goes like:
Weedeater XX oz to five gallons Outboard XX oz to six gallons etc
That way I add the exact amount and don't score a cylinder because I screwed up the mix.
Additional note: I add the oil first, a little gas, slosh around real good and top off with gas.
The milk jugs are made of HDPE (high density polyethylene), which is the same as used for oil and gasoline containers. Perhaps you were thinking of some other plastic?
I just mix one batch - to the richest ratio - and use it in all my 2 cycle engines (two mini-tillers, four chain saws, water pump) - and actually I usually mix it richer than the stated ratio - I never buy the manufacturers expensive small oil bottles , just get quart bottles from major oil companies and measure out 3 ounces in a few small glass jars - and I only approximate the amount of gas I mix it with. Haven't blown an engine yet (knock on wood). When I ran the old 2 cycle Saabs and snowmobiles I bought the oil in a small barrel (can't remember wether it was 16 or 20 gallon) but it seemed to gel after a couple years even though manufacturers claim there is no shelf life.
Thanks to all the above posters. Y'know, I haven't seen anything larger than the little (what are they 2 oz?) bottles of the mix that says to mix with a gallon of gas. I like the idea of running a bit richer mixture just so I don't need 3 or 4 seperate little red plastic gas containers. As an aside, squirrels chewed through a wooden window pane in my garage thinking they're gonna winter down inside and have started eating the yellow plastic pouring spout on one of those containers! Gas tastes good to squirrels?
That's what I do too. Use the richest ratio mix for all. These two cycle engines are all very similar, it's hard to believe that even an average ratio will result in much difference in the typical engine life, which is pretty short.
Run all your equipment with 50:1. The richer the blend, the more apt you are to overheat and scauld the bearings. While it may seem that more oil would prevent wear/tear...it is quite opposite in a 2 cycle motor. The lubrication is throughout the entire engine, and the richer the blend, the harder it is on the life of the engine components (especially if running at high rpms).
Try this: stick one index finger into a cup of oil and your other index finger into a cup of gas. Pull out both fingers at the same time. Which one feels cooler? I attended a two week repair course for Stihl products, and it made a believer out of me.
For the best deal on two cycle oil, visit your local Wal-Mart automotive section. They have the little pint bottles for about 75 cents...which have kept all of my landscape maintenance crews running for over two years now. For those of you who use very little fuel, I recommend buying only one gallon at a time, and also purchasing 89 octane.
Around here, *all* the 89 octane gas is ethanol blended. Now I know this plays havoc with the rubber parts in a carburetor. How compatible is this with 2 cycle engines and the oil gas mix?
try this and it works because gas evaporates at room temperature, that's why it feels cooler. the less oil you run the hotter the equipment will run, that's why at stihl school they harp on adjustments and lean seizure. I went there too. if you run stihl, echo, tanaka, husqvarna.. oils they are true multi-ratio oils. run them at 50:1 even in old 32:1 or 16:1 and it will be fine. don't by the cheaper outboard oil!! it combusts befor entering the combustion chamber, and will roast a 2-stroke in short order. Chip
on a stihl chainsaw turning 13,000 rpm no load it will carbon track the main bearings and lean seize the piston. on a piece of crap like ryobi, or the other reed motors and low rpm equipment it may work out. 8 years of small engine service experience showed me that, and we did it at stihl school to a brand new saw. try your luck, Chip
This sounds more like a Stihl problem than an oil problem. I use 100:1 synthetic in my Stihl chainsaw. After 20 years and cutting 1-2 cords/year it runs and starts great.
100:1 synthetic is fine. it's the cheap outboard crap that gets people into trouble. outboards are water cooled, lawn wquipment is air cooled and runs hotter. quality oil is fine, crappy i only want to spend 50 cents oil is not. Chip
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