# Got Gas



## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Next season I'm thinking of doing some things different. Historically I have bought regular gas and used a fuel additive (Sta-Bil) and only bought 5 gallons at a time. I never completely fill my tanks on any of my equipment and they seem to work just fine.

Next year I'm thinking premium gas and maybe changing to synthetic oil. Any thoughts??


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

ctrav said:


> Next season I'm thinking of doing some things different. Historically I have bought regular gas and used a fuel additive (Sta-Bil) and only bought 5 gallons at a time. I never completely fill my tanks on any of my equipment and they seem to work just fine.
> 
> Next year I'm thinking premium gas and maybe changing to synthetic oil. Any thoughts??


I buy 91 or higher for all small engine. For my rider mid grade. Regular oil. I just run everything empty in the fall to store it.

I have ethenol free gas about fifteen miles from me but I always seem to need gas immediately to mow because I plan poorly so that's too far :lol:


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Agree @pennstater2005 bad gas is close and good stuff is sometimes hard to find. So high test and mid-grade are best?


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

ctrav said:


> Agree bad gas is close and good stuff is sometimes hard to find. So high test and mid-grade are best?


I'll admit I usually just go by whatever the manual states. For my blower and string trimmer it's 91 or higher. My rider actually just calls for 87 but it was running just a bit rough so I tried 91 for awhile and it did smooth out.

Whether or not that was the higher test is unknown and honestly probably wasn't. I'll go back to 87 again soon.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I run 91 in my outdoor power equipment because it is the only ethanol-free option around here.


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## social port (Jun 19, 2017)

Hmm...this is an interesting question. 
I don't know much about how premium gas improves performance--nothing at all, really.
I've read of some people using premium to improve performance in cars, but I've never thought about how gasoline might affect mowers.

Does using a higher grade gas improve how well an engine runs? I'd be willing to pay extra if my mower delivers a better cut because the engine is happy.


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## William (Oct 2, 2017)

I do non-ethanol highest octane I can get, then add stabil to it. Only do 5 gallons of non mix and 2.5 gallons of mix.


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## Killsocket (Mar 16, 2018)

According to Toro's website:

_Gasoline with no ethanol will greatly reduce the amount of moisture the gasoline can absorb from the atmosphere. Many areas of the country have ethanol-free gas available, and finding it is easy. Search for "ethanol free gasoline" on the Internet._


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## Smokindog (Jun 20, 2018)

Running premium gas when the engine doesn't call for it is a waste of money. Premium gas is called for in higher compression engines. It's not any better nor worse, just different for the situation.

@ctrav we used to have a couple non-ethanol stations in the area years ago but I don't know of any left.

Use of Stabil or other product is the right choice along with keeping your tanks full. I always shut of the fuel cutoffs after each mow as well.

The smaller the engine, the worse the ethanol hurts as the ports and passages in the carbs are smaller and more prone to the lacquer build up. I make sure to start all my engines weekly, even in the winter. I still replace some smaller carbs on 5HP or less engines every couple years. I've got spares in the cabinets, they're pretty cheap. I even have a spare for my 20ish HP V-Twins.

I typically make a Sam's gas run and fill multiple 5 gallon cans at a time. I put the Stabil in the can before filling. About once a month I add a little fuel injector cleaner to the tank of my mowers as well.

I like keeping gas around in case I need the generator. It sits with a full tank including Stabil and I run it monthly not weekly as the others but I allow it to run dry after closing the fuel cutoff.

Premium fuel isn't going to help anything....... Wish we could get some without the corn liquor included


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Great feedback from all!


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

Don't think anyone really addressed your question on synthetic oil. I'm no expert either, so here's a good thread on it.


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

adgattoni said:


> Don't think anyone really addressed your question on synthetic oil. I'm no expert either, so here's a good thread on it.


Thanks for the info on oil....


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Agree with @Smokindog, I think premium is a waste. My GM1000 manual actually calls for regular 87. So that, and Sta-bil is what I use.


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## ForsheeMS (May 21, 2018)

We have a small station about a mile from the house that sells non-ethanol in both 87 and 93 octane. They sell a lot so it's always fresh. That's all I've run in my equipment for years and never had a single carb issue. The main issue with ethanol fuel is the fact that ethanol draws moisture and moisture in your fuel system will cause all kinds of problems.

As far as oil goes, I prefer synthetic. While it's really not needed it does give a bit more protection which can be very beneficial with an air cooled engine. Just gives a little extra cushion in case something goes wrong.


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Great feedback...

From what I have gathered I think I will move up from regular gas to mid-grade and continue to use Sta-Bil. As for the oil I will continue as is for now.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

ctrav said:


> Great feedback...
> 
> From what I have gathered I think I will move up from regular gas to mid-grade and continue to use Sta-Bil. As for the oil I will continue as is for now.


Good plan. Does your small engine stuff call for mid grade? My blower and trimmer both do.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

You can try 89 vs 87 and see which one it runs smoother on. Over time, you can have carbon buildup in the cylinder and that may change your compression ratio as well as increase the possibility of hot spots and increase detonation. Run 87 if you don't want to spend extra but try 89 to see if it runs any better. If you don't notice a difference, buy 87 next time.

The bigger difference is buying gas without alcohol. If you can find that, that would be better.

Regarding oil, synthetic maintains its flow characteristics over a larger range of temps. It will be thinner at low temps and thick at high temps compared to conventional oil. This is more of a factor in a multiviscosity oil. So if you use a 10-30, you will see a bigger difference in thickening at lower temps in conventional oil as compared to synthetic. Most wear occurs when the motor is cold so thick oil at that time is bad. With all oil though, the additives break down over time and you are left with just the base oil so over time you lose many of the benefits of fresh oil. The additives package in motor oils may be up to 30% by volume and include antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, detergents, dispersants, friction modifiers, anti-foaming agents, alkalinity improves, viscosity modifiers, etc. Synthetic is much better than conventional especially if you use longer change intervals. But, the biggest factor is changing your oil on a routine basis. That will make the largest difference especially since most mowers don't have filters to remove particulate and that will increase wear on the bearings.


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## Smokindog (Jun 20, 2018)

Use your favorite search engine with these terms "using higher octane gas than required".


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