I'm torn....

getting ready to put up the lawn mower for the season. Some tell me to top it off with stabilized gas while others say drain the gas. Anyone have any actual insight to share?

Reply to
Kurt Ullman
Loading thread data ...

draining the gas is cheaper

Reply to
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds

I was told by a Honda/Stihl dealer to use only premium gas in equipment because it doesn't contain ethanol and therefore wwon't spoil like regular gas YMMV

Reply to
ChairMan

Best way is to empty tank and then start it up and run the carb dry...

Reply to
SRN

On 11/28/2012 5:38 PM, ChairMan wrote: ...

Well, good story but it ain't so...almost all premium is also E10.

Only a very few stations sell 100% gasoline and you can generally pick 'em out in a market by being quite a bit higher than the prevailing price.

There's only one in town here; he's running about 3.40 for regular while everywhere else is about 3.25 now...

Reply to
dpb

I'd run it dry. Gas stability is not the only problem. It can evaporate in some carburetors gumming them up. Happened in my snow thrower a couple of years ago and gas was stabilized.

My Honda mower has a shut off valve so I can keep gas in the tank yet run dry. Don't know why all don't have this. Cheapskates probably don't want to spend the extra 25 cents it might cost to install.

Reply to
Frank

Gasoline has been going bad, decades before ethanol. I vote for drain the gas, and run it dry. If it's stored indoors, that is.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

formatting link
.

I was told by a Honda/Stihl dealer to use only premium gas in equipment because it doesn't contain ethanol and therefore wwon't spoil like regular gas YMMV

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I use the opposing solution to what most are suggesting. I keep mine filled and use "seafoam", which I run through the carbs prior to storage. Been doing it for years with no problems. My machines usually start within a few pulls and some more instantly when it's time to use them again. They are stored in a cold shed in the southeast region of Michigan if that helps.

Reply to
Meanie

I would suggest draining the bowl if you got time. I tried to start snowblower on cold winter day. Had to remove ice cube in fuel bowl.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

Pretty sure we did this last year.

After I suggested doing nothing, a lot of posters agreed.

Anyway, I do nothing. Last mowing was a month and a half ago. Starts every spring.

Reply to
Dan Espen

I usually do nothing. I had a generator sitting outside which ran early summer. A month ago tested. Saw water entering fuel bowl. Saw dry tank with a lot of varnish. Saw fuel leaking out near bowl after fueling. No starty.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

Yeah, I do nothing too, but it might not be best. Mower is only 7 years old. So is the wacker. I know the wacker wouldn't start with 2 year old gas. New gas fixed that. Three reasons I don't do anything.

  1. Lazy.
  2. Lazy.
  3. I wouldn't mind buying a new mower and whacker because of laziness. I think the best thing to do at the end of the season is run it dry and pour the oiled gas in the weeds, and put the clean gas in the car tank. Then buy new gas for fill ups when the next season begins. But I do nothing because it's worked for 7 years. And I'm lazy.
Reply to
Vic Smith

Same here. I don't think that many months between now and growing season in Spring will do any damage to equipment... at least it didn't to mine.

Reply to
Doug

Run it dry.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Danniken

My neighbor, the small engine mechanic, says to run it dry.

OTOH- I have a 12[?] yr old Honda that sits in the back yard with piece of tin covering it loosely. It has whatever gas was in it from the last time I ran it. I *might* chop up some leaves with it next week-- but if not, it will have sat from Nov 1 to mid May before I start it up. It took 2 pulls this year, so I guess I'm pushing my luck.

If it doesn't sound like it should in the spring I'll run some K100 in it for a few tanks.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

They also advertise that they sell real gasoline. Sometimes they only have a pump or two with the real stuff.

Reply to
krw

The last few engines I've had recommend against storing them dry. They recommend filling the tank before storage. I haven't had a problem in decades, though. One snow blower didn't like old gas but every other engine I've had gets over it.

Reply to
krw

Would it have killed you to exert a few extra micro-calories and put this in your subject line:

=================== Subject: Drain gas from mower or add stabilizer? ===================

?
Reply to
Home Guy

Insight is a compound word. It comes from within, it cannot be "shared."

Reply to
Smitty Two

Unless you can find it someplace pretty much all gasoline is at least E10. A few area stations had non-ethanol blend but gave up because everyone seems to shop on price (wholesale ethanol is cheaper to buy).

Reply to
George

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.