Treating the Mower's Fuel System

[JAYCEE]

If your sole purpose is to stabilize, Briggs & Stratton Fuel stabilizer is about the best. At my local small-engine repair shop, 32oz sells for $19.99. I think 1/2oz treats 1 gal of gas for two years. 32oz is a lifetime supply for most people. Wal-mart also sells this stuff in little packets that look like soy sauce. $3 for 3 treatments, if I remember correctly. For use in all 2-cycle and 4-cycle engines.

I like the added benefits that FP60 and MMO provide. Two birds, one stone.

 

[LarryL]

I put a big dose of FP in a ** powered mower that I could hardly keep running, added a new plug and air filter and ran it hard all day long. I now runs really well and starts right up. I got it running just good enough to hit a great big rock buried in the dirt and snapped off the blade. FP is good for engines, rocks, not so good. Anyone near North County in San Diego can have the mower for the taking. Instead of fixing it I bought a new one.

 

[jmacmaster]

I wouldn't put any additives in either the oil or the gas for any small engines. I don't think that you run them long enough over their lifetime to need additives. These aren't like car engines, that are run for anywhere between thousands to tens of thousands of hours before they die. The one exception is that I put a fuel stabilizer in the two plastic 5 gall. gas cans that fuel my small gas engine equipment. I have for years and it works. You can leave the gas in the lawn mower, rototiller, snowblower, etc. over the winter and they start right up the next spring with out harmful deposits having been formed, and the stabilizer keeps the fuel fresh in the gas cans. Its cheap and a bottle lasts a long time. I use the Sta-bil brand.

I just bought the biggest rear tine rototiller in the Sears Craftsman line. The owner's manual says not to use any fuel or oil additives as they may cause harm. However, the manual says that a fuel stabilizer is ok.

 

[michaelc80]

With the exception of 1 year I always use a fuel stabilizer (don't ask about the problems starting my tiller after sitting a year with no Stabil).

Last summer and fall I ran some FP through all the equipment, and had put some in the tiller earlier in the year (didn't use it after the first spring tilling).

Fast forward to Easter weekend. I decided that Saturday that I would till the garden and put in some seeds. When I've kept Stabil in it the tiller has always started on the 3-6th pull in the spring. I assumed this spring would be the same. Nope. First pull, fired right up. Actually surprised the daylights out of me.

From now on I think I'll keep FP in everything as a matter of course.