E10 and small engines

[pidster]

I've come to understand for quite some time now that ethanol blends are terrible for most yard equipment due to rubber fuel hoses, gaskets o-rings etc deteriorating faster with it.

I've taken to buying nothing but premium gas only from stations that state that there is NO ethanol content for my mower/trimmer/snowblower. Don't have that option in any other grade, and at about 4-5 liters of gas for a summers worth of lawnmowing I can afford it. Heck if there wasn't such a price difference I'd keep the ethanol in my glass on Saturday night where it belongs and out of my truck's tank too.

My question is, are manufacturers of such equipment changing or going to change their fuel systems to better tolerate ethanol? Or just continuing to recommend against it in their manuals and hoping people pay attention to that? Car manufacturers have done it but???

 

[Quattro Pete]

I currently have 4 small engines in my possession (not counting the bike):

Toro mower
Stihl leafblower/vacuum
Stihl trimmer
Honda snowblower

All bought about a year ago. Per their owner manuals and/or website FAQ, they all claim that E10 gasoline is OK for them.

 

[tmorris1]

You will be fine running it as long as you use it up relatively quickly. Don't store it for more than 30 days or so and you will be fine.

 

[dwendt44]

Been running E10 in Lawn-boy and Simplicity snow blower for years with no problems.
New Lawn-boy doesn't object either.

 

[MNgopher]

Any more recent build of small engine should be tolerant of E10 mixtures. Not doing so sets them up for failure. I haven't had issues with any lawn equipment and been using E10 for well over a decade now.

 

[meep]

worst I've experienced was a deteriorated primer bulb on a home depot blower after 6 years. don't know if it was ethanol-related. $2.00 part, 4-screw replacement.

 

[engineerscott]

Biggest problem I've seen with E10 is that if you let it sit around for more than a couple of weeks while the equipment is idle you can run into gumming issues. At the end of last years mowing season I ran the tank out to the point where the engine halted, however some E10 was left in the fuel system as it was gummed up when I attempted to crank the motor three months later. I only use about 4 gallons a season to cut grass, therefore since this last experience I am running non-ethanol containing gasoline. The price difference is negligible for so little fuel and it is only a little inconvenient to go out of my way to find a station that sells gasoline without alcohol. Cleaning out a gummed up carb is enough of a hassle that it's worth it to me.

 

[Von]

I don't know if this qualifies as a small engine, but my Yamaha Big Bear ATV is leaking gas and the mechanic said ethanol affected the rubber tips on the needles in the carb. He said stabil helps, but stabil formula was about a year behind the 10% ethanol in our area and the damage was done by then. The stabil bottles now say good for ethanol. Hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[tig1]

My Honda mower is 20 years old and has been on E 10 for half that time with no problems. Also no guming problems at all even with fuel left over through the winter.

 

[badtlc]

Gas over 3 weeks old in my snow blower completely shuts it down. I have to drain it and refill with fresh and crank it (electric start, phew) for about 5 min and then it will start. I'm hoping the Green Earth Tech. stabilizer will make a difference this year.

 

[StevieC]

Just wait until you get E-15!

 

[andyd]

Since I started adding a capful of MMO at evry fillup, My mowers and blowers start easier and run a little better. Much less trouble getting them started for the first time in the season.

 

[severach]

Though it wasn't obvious until afterwards, the invasion of ethanol greatly increased the frequency of seasonal maintenance, parts replacement, and hard starting.

Back to normal with MMO and Gumout Regane.

 

[boraticus]

Considering that there are so many different opinions and suspicions about the effects of E10, one has to wonder if it's the fuel or if it's other maintenance related issues. I've said it before in a number of similar discussions. I personally doubt that it's the fuel. I've never had a fuel related problem other than contamination and in most cases, it's water.

I'm operating at least thirty engines from automobiles to two cycle trimmers. Every one of them runs well on regular E10 fuel and have been doing so forever. Yesterday, I refilled my two ATVs with gasoline I left at camp last September with no stabilizer in it. No issues. Both fired right up and ran well.

Unless warmer climates have an effect on E10 or any other gasoline, I cannot make the connection that fuel related problems are caused by E10?

Regarding the comment that the fuel damaged the "rubber tips" on the float needle, I'm having trouble with that one. The tip is actually Viton, not rubber and is pretty much impervious to any fuel. I'd say that the problem was more likely dirt in the fuel which impeded the float needle from closing. I've put in-line fuel filters on both of my machines and motorcycles. If you don't have one on yours, you'd we better off if you did. You'll be surprised how few fuel related problems you'll have.

 

[OilNerd]

Boraticus, good info, as usual.

My big concern with E10 is the persistent high humidity in my area (currently 74%). In the sealed storage jugs, no problem, but in the equipment tanks (some not very air-tight), I'm a little worried about moisture asorption.

Do you get high humidity in your area in the summer?

 

[boraticus]

"Do you get high humidity in your area in the summer?"

Occasionally, we get hot humid weather but generally speaking, it's moderate. Even with a vented fuel tank, it would take a fair amount of time for that little vent hole to pull in enough air/moisture to contaminate the fuel. My thoughts are that bad fuel is usually bought that way in most cases. Any problems I've had with fuel has come that way from the pump. Taking a look inside the fuel contain, if possible and an in line fuel filters will save people a lot of grief.

 

[OilNerd]

Thanks, boraticus.