Winter two stroke

Joined
Jan 2, 2020
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225
Location
South Carolina
Our winters here in Seattle area usually don't fall below low 40's. But occasionally we get snow. The other day we had our snow-magedon and as usual ingot my LEAF blower out. .......... Got a chuckle out of it? Okay....... Yes... If we have fresh and dry snow unusually blow it around to clear s path. But while getting my blower out of the she-shed my eyes came across my stihl saw. It has winter and summer settings. My BR800 blower does not. It was 27F outside, blower started as it usually does, but needed a little time to "warm up". It would not run open throttle and bog down for about 2-3 min. It ran perfectly fine after with no changes. Was it a bad idea for me to run it? Should have I change something before running?
 
Hardly worth the effort for a short cold spell but if you were really concerned you could pick up a bottle of snowmobile oil. When in Canada:

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No, you didn't hurt it. My son and I have a small firewood/ sawmill operation. We run chainsaws in very cold weather. You did everything just right, let it idle until it gets warmed up enough to take full throttle.
 
Even using best practices (no ethanol in gas and emptying tank and running fuel out of lines at end of season so gas doesn't sit in it and turn to varnish), you will eventually, still need to clean the carb or replace it. There's only so much fuss to make before accepting this inevitability. Fortunately the generic chinese carbs are so cheap that it hardly makes sense to get a gasket kit and clean your existing carb, tho' the generics can be a lottery, some are good and others have factory defects.
 
Even using best practices (no ethanol in gas and emptying tank and running fuel out of lines at end of season so gas doesn't sit in it and turn to varnish), you will eventually, still need to clean the carb or replace it. There's only so much fuss to make before accepting this inevitability. Fortunately the generic chinese carbs are so cheap that it hardly makes sense to get a gasket kit and clean your existing carb, tho' the generics can be a lottery, some are good and others have factory defects.
I'm came to the same conclusion. And doing some preemptive cleaning (carb cleaner and some extra PEA) hopefully will postpone carb change ;)
 
No need for snowmobile oil as the blower is not oil injected, any premix will do just fine in cold weather.
I mentioned to the OP it wouldn’t matter much, but what do you think the connection is between oil injection and pre-mixed carbureted machines and their use of lower viscosity snowmobile oil. :)
 
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I mentioned to the OP it wouldn’t matter much, but what do you think the connection is between oil injection and pre-mixed carbureted machines and their use of lower viscosity snowmobile oil. :)
Makes no difference at all when a premix for a 2 stroke rather than 4.

My 4 cycle snowblower is running 10W-30. The engine manufacturer chart shows that's good down to -20C.
 
His question was not about oil. His saw has a setting that you change for winter and summer.

The setting you saw operate a shutter that allows warmer air to come into the air intake to keep the filter and carb from icing up. Saws are operated close the ground in the snow in winter and can suck it in plugging up stuff and causing problems. Your blower does not have this because it is not usually operated where it can suck in large amounts of snow.
 
I mentioned to the OP it wouldn’t matter much, but what do you think the connection is between oil injection and pre-mixed carbureted machines and their use of lower viscosity snowmobile oil. :)
There is no connection. There is no premix only snowmobile oil because a snowmobile oil is an injection oil for cold temp, nothing else.
 
His question was not about oil. His saw has a setting that you change for winter and summer.

The setting you saw operate a shutter that allows warmer air to come into the air intake to keep the filter and carb from icing up. Saws are operated close the ground in the snow in winter and can suck it in plugging up stuff and causing problems. Your blower does not have this because it is not usually operated where it can suck in large amounts of snow.
So you saying, in a way, that it "pre-heats" intake air?
 
If a 2 stroke like a sled is oil injected, I would consider a synthetic in really cold Temps (at those temps you don't sled recreationally) otherwise any oil will work in premix. I had no issues sledding with premix conventional at -35c ambient. Never had an injection issue at -30 with conventional either.
 
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