Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2017 09:46:30 -0500
From: Bruce Hively
Subject: gas without ethanol…
I know that the Marathon stations in Siler City sell non-ethanol high test.
This is the fuel I recommend all my clients to use in their outdoor power equipment, i.e., mower, blowers, trimmers and saws, etc.
Seems to work well in tractors that are older than most of the folks using them too.
This is because fuel with ethanol added does not play well with engines that have no electronics (computers) to regulate fuel/air mixture constantly.
Also, in smaller 2-cycle engines that you usually don’t use that often, the ethanol acts as a water magnet in the unused fuel which makes for hard starting at the least. Not to mention rapid deterioration of fuel lines and plastic in all systems.
If you cannot find non-ethanol fuel near you, at least mix your gas with a product that preserves the fuel as well as negates the side effects of that nasty ethanol.
BTW, why is it we have to put up with fuel with ethanol?? politics?…naw, cant be…
Bruce “Bear” Hively
owner, ceo, coo, and chief wrench twister at
Little Creek Power Equipment Service and Repair
right here in Chatham County
The manufacturers of all small engines typically recommend one of two things when dealing with fuel. If you are not going to use the piece of equipment in over 30 days, they recommend that you stabilize the fuel, or drain the tank. Interesting to note that nearly all owner’s manuals make this recommendation absent of even mentioning ethanol. You should follow this advice with ethanol free, just as you should with E10 (or 10% ethanol). Never use a higher level of ethanol in small engines.