Storing Lawnmower for the Winter?

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
last winter, I stored my new lawnmower for the first winter. I used stabil with a full tank of ethanol gas free. this past spring, it was hard to start the lawn mower up. took almost 20 pulls.


I find it hard to believe your gas was ethanol free since its pretty much impossible to find. Even stations who claim to be ethanol free have been found with ethanol in them. Higher octane grades such as 91 and 93 still have ethanol in them. You need to use the blue MARINE stabil, otherwise you will have problems.

 

[jhellwig]

Ethanol is not the problem. Been using it for years. Never added stabil till a few years ago when I started having problems with premium in my chainsaw being unuseable after two weeks. We dont have ethanol in our premium around here.

I say that if it is in good running condition when you last used it it will start up fine the next time you use it. I have never done anything other than park my mower at the end of the year and let it set. It always fires up in the spring and I have never touched the carb.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Ethanol is not the problem. Been using it for years. Never added stabil till a few years ago when I started having problems with premium in my chainsaw being unuseable after two weeks. We dont have ethanol in our premium around here.

I say that if it is in good running condition when you last used it it will start up fine the next time you use it. I have never done anything other than park my mower at the end of the year and let it set. It always fires up in the spring and I have never touched the carb.


What else would make the fuel unusable after two weeks? How do you know there isn't ethanol in the premium?

I hate to tell you bud but the ethanol is the problem. It attracts moisture to the fuel and that is what makes it go bad. The moisture causes corrosion. I've seen ethanol fuel that had set and was so bad that there was green algae in the carb, so what you are saying doesn't make any sense.

 

[jhellwig]

Well "bud", my issue with my saw is that after two weeks or more the octane has dropped to the point that is wont idle or rev very well. My gas is stored in a steel carb compliant gas can. Nothing gets in or out unless you open the lid. It either has pressure or vaccume on it depending on the tempature. I still had the same issues when I stored it in a vented plastic can. None of my other saws or weed eaters or tiller or blower have a problem. Just this one saw that is very high preformance.

There is not ethanol in the premium gas around here. It wouldnt mater if it did. The gas will evaporate before the ethanol anyways.

You are treating ethanol like a gallon in a bickeringbucket next to a lake would drain the lake in a week. It will only get what you allow to get in it. Even when it gets in there and gets mixed with the fuel it mixed in the fuel and stays in it longer than gas without ethanol. My simple eigth grade science expirament proved that. That even proved that a lawn mower would run 10% water in the fuel with no Ill effect. It even ran longer with e10 with water in it than just gas with water in it.

My family and I have been using e10 since you could get it in iowa. The only problem we ever had was when we put it in grandpas truck that never had it and it cleaned out the tank and plugged the fuel filter. Changed the filter and all was good. We have alwats stored our gas powered equipment in poorly enclosed unheated buildings. Never winterized anything yet it all starts back up when needed. Cant argue with those results.

Is ethanol perfect? No, but neither is anything else. Just because you can find lots of "proof" on the internet about problems with ethanol does not make the ever greater sucesses with it not exist. In our society the good is always over shadowed by the bad yet there is more good than there will ever be bad. Instead of complaining about the bad either try to make it good or come up with a better option. That is the only way we did and will progress.

 

[Bob5150]

Quote:
last winter, I stored my new lawnmower for the first winter. I used stabil with a full tank of ethanol gas free. this past spring, it was hard to start the lawn mower up. took almost 20 pulls.


That's your problem. Need at least a little gas in your ethanol.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
You need to use the blue MARINE stabil, otherwise you will have problems.


Been using the red for the past 3 years without incident. I use it at the rate of 2oz/5 gallons. And yes we do have 10% E10 here.

 

[jhellwig]

A few years ago stabil said that if there was ethanol in the gas just use twice as much stabil. I bet that the blue stabil is just double strength maybe with some corosion inhibiter. The price sort of reflects that.

 

[Picky1]

I stopped using Stabil a few years ago and switched over the Seafoam as it not only stablizes the fuel but helps keep the carb etc. clean!

"As a fuel system additive, Sea Foam helps, clean carburetor jets, clean passageways, clean fuel injectors, clean deposits, stabilize fuel for up to 2 years, control moisture and adds lubricity to fuel."

 

[TFB1]

My OPE gas is always treated with Sta-bil, so after last cut of the year I push it in the corner and say see-ya next spring... I will check to see if there is enough fuel in tank to keep carb wet but that's it... No issues at all since I started this method...

 

[Dean85]

I have access to non-oxygenated premium fuel and use double dose of MMO when using and storing my OPE's, 2 and 4 cycle. I store my OPE's full of fuel, with a fresh oil change. My Dad always used regular fuel and never did any kind of "storage" prep on them. Never had an issue. Storing in a garage or shed is also best. I have had a guy bring me a snowblower every fall the past few years as it would not start. He stores it outside. The first time the tank was so bad that I had to use BB's inside to clean it up. He brought it back a few days ago, saying it would not start. He had it covered with a tarp this time and there was still water in the tank and crud in the float bowl. Plenty of advise but you will have to choose what you are comfortable with. It is not always fuel that causes issues. The smallest speck of debris can obstruct the tiny holes in OPE's

 

[derpanzerwagon]

Ohio, here. I don't trust alcohol or cheap gas. I run premium 91 fuel and buy mower and other small engine gas from company who says they don't have alcohol. Who knows? After last mow, I siphon all but an ounce or two of gas out, add a splash of stabil and about a 1/4 teaspoon of 2 stroke oil (yep) roll it back and forth to mix things up and start it till I see a little blue smoke then shut it down. Take out plug and ground the ignition wire for safety, sharpen and balance the blade, change the oil, clean the deck and lube the hardware all over and wipe some of the old oil on the blade before I put the plug back in and put a canvas tarp over the mower. In the spring, I clean the plug and fill it with fresh gas. Every year, it starts 2nd or third pull. Like this - buhhhuff....BUHHuufffff - Bup-p-p-p-puhr-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Using Synthetic oil, level is checked before every mow and only changed every fall - 15 years old and the plastic wheels sag, maybe time for a new one... this lacks GPS and cup holders.

 

[zoinks]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
My OPE gas is always treated with Sta-bil, so after last cut of the year I push it in the corner and say see-ya next spring... I will check to see if there is enough fuel in tank to keep carb wet but that's it... No issues at all since I started this method...


That's what I do.