gas-oil mix

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Likewise, I use one mix for weed whacker, chain saw, and snow blower using low ash high quality oil.

[Ashton Crusher]

That's pretty much what I do also. And I always buy Synthetic oil with the hope that it provides me some added measure of safety.

[Danny D]

Apparently none of the two-stroke oils I had meet TM specifications.

There's only mention of "FD" & "TC-WIII":

Lesson learned:

- Buy only TM-rated TC-W# motor oil at the autoparts store.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi. I always used 2 cycle marine engine oil and never had problem.

[Larry W]

It is not critical in most applications, but an oil designed and certified for use in a water-cooled outboard motor is not the opitmal choice for lightweight air-cooled engines such as those found in weed wackers and chain saws.

[gregz]

I mostly use 32-1 for my lawn boy, husqvarna, stihl, etc. I started using three blends, and a local small engine repair said I didn't have to. At one time, it was much the quality of the oil, and how well it mixed, that determined ratio. I think we started mixing 16-1 for an evenrude. You should not use water cooled engine oil in an air cooled, or so I'm told.

Greg

[Steve Barker]

No, if you use a name brand quality ash free oil, you can run EVERYTHING (yes including 16:1 lawnboys) at 50:1.

[Steve Barker]

you are exactly right, Dave. But i wasn't going to argue with the know it alls in the group. If you use too much oil, you will actually make the engine run hotter, because the oil is taking up space that would normally be occupied by gasoline molecules, hence a LEANER mixture. The Stihl man explained AND demonstrated (with electronic thermometers) this to us in a seminar.

[clare]

If you adjust the carb for the fuel you are running, the engine will NOT run leaner. And the oil is also a fuel - and a fuel of higher SG and density which, depending on the oil, also burns as part of the mixture if the mix is not TOO oil rich. So simply put - if you adjust the mixture to run with a particular blend and do not change blends, there is NO mixture problem.

[clare]

Another thing - if you adjust for the oil blend you are using, the oil flowing through the engine absorbs some heat, carrying it away with the waste oil - and the extra oil protects the engine from seizing when the temperatures get high. In west africa all the Mopeds are running about 20:1 to prevent seizure - they smoke like fiends, but over half of them are pushing 40 years old and still running. They pop the head off every month or so and scrape the oily carbon off the piston and head with a wooden stick.

[cj]

can you recommend a brand? not much choice @ home d

cj

[Steve Barker]

We use the Stihl oil. Mix 1 gallon of oil into 50 gallons of gas in a barrel once a week or so. I used the mercury quicksilver oil in the mix for 3 years until the stihl man threatened to void our warranties. I think he was just pissed I wasn't buying the oil from him. So I switched to the Stihl oil and bought it online.