A strimmer tip

[Burnerman]

Just a tip for you folks that only use your strimmer infrequently - maybe only using a couple of tanks of fuel per year......
Consider using Aspen fuel or equivalent - each large manufacturer sells their own. Basically it's a pure petrol that is ethanol free and it's available ready mixed for two strokes also at 50:1 mix.
This stuff doesn't deteriorate until it's around 4 years old, and no ethanol means no rotting fuel pipes or diaphragms.
Granted, it costs around £20 for 5 litres but it can save a load of grief.
John

 

[Nigel_Cro]

Great tip Burnerman!

What is your opinion of the additives you get that promise to prolong the life of petrol? I guess the ethanol is still present, so the bad effects are still the same??

 

[Burnerman]

For sure, the likes of Briggs and Stratton etc produce fuel stabilisers, and they do exactly what they say. The ethanol remains in the fuel of course but the gumming and corrosion properties it causes are effectively masked.
If you decide to use the product, it has to be added to fresh fuel and then the engine run on it for some time - just tipping it into the tank won't do.
I have noticed carburettors being gum free after using the product, but on one machine the fuel pipes had decomposed but of course this could be a coincidence.
Personally I find that normal unleaded has a life much longer than claimed......I have a Briggs generator that stood for two years and started up second pull! No additive there.
John

 

[d000hg]

Thanks...I wasn't aware this was even a problem! Should things be stored empty then?

Do they do other mixes (my Stihl blower is 50:1 but my strimmer is 40:1) and do manufacturers approve it? No idea if E.g. Stihl 2stroke oil is different to cheap stuff.

 

[Burnerman]

If you use the genuine Stihl oil, it's a 50:1 mix. Being fully synthetic, it will provide protection even for chainsaws, the hardest working machine of them all.
If you want to store your machine without and fuel enhancer it's probably best to tip the fuel out, and run it until it shuts down.
Of course, a 50:1 mix is pretty lean really, so I'd recommend buying the one bottle sorts 5 litres stuff - or mixing your own very carefully. I use a lot of Oregon oil too - as it's bright red you can at least tell that it is a mixture!
Too much two stroke oil isn't a good idea either.....apart from creating a lot of smoke it does weaken the fuel mixture a bit, which can make the machine run hotter. For sure, if it's good enough for stihl, it's fine by me!
John