Fresh Start vs. Sta-bil

[G]

I recently bought a Craftsman 38886 from Sears, works great, no complaints from me so far. But it came with a proprietary fuel cap from Briggs & Stratton that dispenses fuel stablizer (called Fresh Start) into the gas for supposedly up to 6 months (I'm about 1 month into it and the cap is still fairly full).

Since my mower came with it, I was going to just stick with it during the winter storage period along with a full gas tank to prevent the moisture condensation you folks mention if I leave it empty for the winter.

Question: Anybody have any longer-term experience with the Fresh Start stabilizer vs. Sta-bil?

Any opinions on whether or not I should stick with that stuff or switch to Sta-bil BEFORE next season and before the stuff runs out?

Also, if next season, when the Fresh Start has run out, can I then add Sta-bil instead, or does mixing fuel stabilizers cause potential problems?

[Tom J]

'd use the cheapest. As for me, I have a shut-off valve in the gas line and run the engine until it dies. I only add Sta-bil to the tank if it's going to sit for more than 4 months. My current mower is over 35 years old, has never had anything done but change spark plug about every 5 years and still cranks on the 1st or 2nd pull.

Tom J

[Mel-Donnie Kelly]

I buy my small engine gas from Hartland was Farm Bureau Co-Op. They have a gas they call 90 +. You don't need to add anything to it. It don't get stale and it don't gum. It smells like gas did back years ago. I fill the tanks full when I put them away for the winter and when I get them out in the spring they start like I used them the day before. I don't use any additives anymore. The small engines love it. I even use it in my 2-cycles.

Mel & Donnie down in Bluebird Valley In the middle of beautiful down town Yountsville. Managers of the water works.

[Toller]

Never used Fresh Start, or even heard of it for that matter; but the idea seems stupid. You don't need the drip thing during mowing season, and you don't want it during storage. So when would it ever be useful?

I store gas in my generator with Sta-bil in it; starting it for 5 minutes once a month. It gets progressively harder to start until I change the gas after a year. On the other hand, I have never put anything but gas & oil in my weedwacker, lawn blower, or chain saw, and have never had any trouble starting them; even after a year of no use. Maybe 2 cycle is less sensitive to bad gas?

[mm]

Two reasons for the drip thing during mowing season.

1) You never know when you'll stop mowing, either because you have a heart attack or you get a new mower, even though you already have one. So you're *always* ready for the end of the mowing season. Remember, insurance will pay for treating the heart attack, but it won't pay for repairing the lawn mower. 2) Some people would rather put the stuff in every tank of gas than have to remember to do anything at the end of the season.

Not saying these are good reasons, but since I got two working mowers (out of 6) I can't decide which one to use each time. The one that is in front of the others, or the other one for a change. Or which one I'll try to fix next. Or when the end of the outdoor mowing or repair seasons will be. So I put Sta-bil in all the gas tanks, probably cost less than a dollar total, and I don't have to think anymore.

Interesting.

I wouldn't be surpirsed. IIUC, it's not that the gas is bad. It's that it leaves gum in small apertures. Maybe the oil prevents that. Maybe it's the oil in 2-cycle mixtures that gave them the idea for Sta-bil. Just a guess.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

[Robatoy]

Just marketing hype. There will be a laser on the frickin things soon enough.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

I have a five gallon can that I add Sta-bil to when I fill it. I use that can both to feed the John Deere directly and to fill a smaller one gallon can that I then mix with oil for the chain saw, weed eater, etc. I don't have to worry about when I'll use anything next.

Considering the cost, it's cheap insurance.

[pjhartman]

Neither. I use Sea Foam, adding it directly to the gas cans in the proper mixture. I also dry out my mower, trimmer, etc. at the end of the season, removing all gas and running the carburetors empty.

[Rolling Thunder]

Trim:

The 2 cycle motor oil usually contains the gas additive to prevent gumming, etc. Or at least, the most current products.

Thunder

[Steveo]

Run it out of gas and drain the tank. (free)