Ethanol free gas?

diyer2 · March 14, 2023

I no longer have yard work. Glad it's gone.

KARNUT · March 14, 2023

2 minutes ago, diyer2 said:

I no longer have yard work. Glad it's gone.

I don’t mind it. I only mow when it’s damp. Most every morning there’s dew. I hate dust. So my deck is usually done after 10 years. I like living in the country so I have 3 acres to mow. Yard service for that would be expensive. I looked into robotic mowers. My yard is too rough. I want a steering wheel so zero turn is out. When I was working yard work was always rushed. Now I can enjoy it as well as other yard work. And the exercise doesn’t hurt.

Grumpy Bear · March 14, 2023

3 hours ago, KARNUT said:

I went battery on my weed eater 22 years ago. Then my extended hedge trimming. All the same brand so the battery exchanges. My 30 year old chainsaw is on premixed from Home Depot. There’s three year old gas in it now. And I used it recently to cut a limb. That’s going battery next. I usually change riding mowers every 10 years. My brother has my last two. He doesn’t mind working on them. I’m checking out battery power on that. Only because of the noise, no other reason. My wife for the last 10 years has said just get a yard service. That buys me a ton of leverage on yard equipment, doing it myself.

Last ice storm dropped some big limbs out of the Box Elder Maples. Never had a need for a chainsaw before but after my experiences with NEWER premix equipment using $35-$40 a gallon fuel I bought a Stihl 12" Electric. It is slick. As the old equipment dies, blower, line trimmer, they too will be replaced by electric.

I suppose with the size of your property and your job history a 12" seems a bit of a toy but it's perfect for my little half acre with seven trees. If I have to drop one of the 40-year-old hardwoods, I'll hire it out.

poconojoe · March 14, 2023

1 hour ago, Grumpy Bear said:

I suppose with the size of your property and your job history a 12" seems a bit of a toy but it's perfect for my little half acre with seven trees. If I have to drop one of the 40-year-old hardwoods, I'll hire it out.

I'm sure your 12" chainsaw is super lightweight due to it's size and the fact that it's electric.

You'd be surprised what you can do with a 12" chainsaw.

I had a 16" (gas) that I needed to replace. I made the mistake by replacing it with a 20" (gas) thinking I should go bigger. I kind of regret it because the 20" is much heavier.

Grumpy Bear · March 14, 2023

1 hour ago, poconojoe said:

I'm sure your 12" chainsaw is super lightweight due to it's size and the fact that it's electric.

You'd be surprised what you can do with a 12" chainsaw.

I had a 16" (gas) that I needed to replace. I made the mistake by replacing it with a 20" (gas) thinking I should go bigger. I kind of regret it because the 20" is much heavier.

The 12" Stihl is about 8 pounds. Very light and for what it is I was surprised. I use to cut timber as a much younger me on my days off with a friend for side money who was into it seriously. Two-man gas rigs clear cutting farm timber for pasture. This isn't that but.....

poconojoe · March 15, 2023

4 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

The 12" Stihl is about 8 pounds. Very light and for what it is I was surprised. I use to cut timber as a much younger me on my days off with a friend for side money who was into it seriously. Two-man gas rigs clear cutting farm timber for pasture. This isn't that but.....

Someone dropped off some huge chunks of tree trunks at my daughter's house. These things had a diameter of like 4 feet! They were tremendous. Her friend cut them up with his tiny electric chainsaw, a few wedges and a sledge hammer! I couldn't believe it. It took him a long time, but he eventually got them cut up to fit in the wood splitter.

MikeBMW · March 15, 2023

I know we're getting way off topic here, but I've had yard tools - edger, weed eater, mower, chain saw, hedge trimmers, blower, probably forgot one with the EGO system (battery powered and going on 7 years) - oh, yeah, an 1800 watt power generator, as well (batteries installed and charged).
At any rate, I use ethanol-free on the few remaining gas powered tools, my generator and power washer.
I always use Stabil and have yet to see an issue with those items.
On my truck, since I did a tune for 91+ octane, I just find the pump with 93 octane and go about my day.
I don't even look at ethanol free unless it's for my generator or pressure washer.
Also, I always run my gas powered items, when I shut them down, by turning of the fuel line and letting all the gas go through and shut it off for lack of fuel.
Keeps the carb clean.

Edited March 15, 2023 by MikeBMW

swathdiver · March 15, 2023

If not mentioned already, ethanol replaced anti-knock additives in our gasoline.

All of my lawn equipment and generators from 2004 and on can use E10 and my old mower and generator even call for 93 octane gasoline with up to 10% ethanol.