Chainsaw fuel

woodtickgreg said:
Yes that is better fuel to use, but it still won't have the shelf life, just sayin. for the couple extra bucks I spend it is worth it in my opinion. And im not buying oil or fuel additives. would I use it when milling? dunno, depends on if I can get a deal on 1 to 5 gallons. I can tell you this though, my equipment has never run better and I'm no slouch when it comes to tuning a 2 stroke carb.
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Thanks for the info Greg. I've seen the stuff on the shelves and just thought it was a gimmick to sell an over priced item to unawares customers. (I thought I was being a smart shopper.) I've had to work on several of my various engines over the last few years and have known about the alcohol problems for about as long. I wonder... you said it is white gas, would it be cheaper to just buy coleman or some other brand of white gas and mix it with the echo oil? I haven't bought any coleman fuel in a while but the pre mix you speak of is pretty much out of my pay grade even with the price of repairs.
 
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Clay3063 said:
Thanks for the info Greg. I've seen the stuff on the shelves and just thought it was a gimmick to sell an over priced item to unawares customers. (I thought I was being a smart shopper.) I've had to work on several of my various engines over the last few years and have known about the alcohol problems for about as long. I wonder... you said it is white gas, would it be cheaper to just buy coleman or some other brand of white gas and mix it with the echo oil? I haven't bought any coleman fuel in a while but the pre mix you speak of is pretty much out of my pay grade even with the price of repairs.
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No I can't advise that with confidence yet even though it smells the same. But I have found a new source for the fuel. vp racing small engine 4 stroke fuel, they also sell it in pre mixed 50:1 and 40:1 but I don't know what kind of oil they use. You can buy this stuff on line pretty cheap if you shop around. I just ordered a 5 gallon can of the 4 stroke fuel and I will just add the Echo Red Armor oil myself. You can get 5 gallon cans of it for about $72 to $76 on line. That puts it at about $3.80 a quart instead of $7, Now that's not far off from pump gas. Plus it still has a 2 year shelf life and no ethanol and 94 octane. I won't be rebuilding carbs or replacing them or my fuel lines either. Another brand that can be found on line at good prices sometimes is Trufuel.
Because chainsaws spend so much time sitting I highly recommend using one of these fuels.
 
woodtickgreg said:
No I can't advise that with confidence yet even though it smells the same. But I have found a new source for the fuel. vp racing small engine 4 stroke fuel, they also sell it in pre mixed 50:1 and 40:1 but I don't know what kind of oil they use. You can buy this stuff on line pretty cheap if you shop around. I just ordered a 5 gallon can of the 4 stroke fuel and I will just add the Echo Red Armor oil myself. You can get 5 gallon cans of it for about $72 to $76 on line. That puts it at about $3.80 a quart instead of $7, Now that's not far off from pump gas. Plus it still has a 2 year shelf life and no ethanol and 94 octane. I won't be rebuilding carbs or replacing them or my fuel lines either. Another brand that can be found on line at good prices sometimes is Trufuel.
Because chainsaws spend so much time sitting I highly recommend using one of these fuels.
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I thank you for this valuable information Greg. This whole government subsidized fuel crap problem makes me sick. It's time for a reboot of the system. I am headed out this morning to cut some logs and I know sure as shootin that I'm going to have to jack with my saws to get em running before I can cut anything.
 
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And that is another reason I have switched to this fuel. For the little bit of extra cost it will save me time and money in the long run. With today's fuel it's not a question of if you will replace your carburetor and fuel lines, but when. Carbs are $40 to $100+ ish and a lot of $$$ for labor if you can't do the job yourself.
 
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Dunno, that's the second time this happened tonight . I deleted the post.
 
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Here's a link to a video I watched that explains better than I can what is in fuel today and what is bad for your small engines. I knew that it wasnt just the ethanol but didnt know the facts on what is actually in pump gas. Many more reasons why I only run this type of fuel in my saws.
 
Clay3063 said:
I thank you for this valuable information Greg. This whole government subsidized fuel crap problem makes me sick. It's time for a reboot of the system. I am headed out this morning to cut some logs and I know sure as shootin that I'm going to have to jack with my saws to get em running before I can cut anything.
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there will be no reboot. Too much infrastructure has been built. Ethanol plants and corn everywhere.
 
woodtickgreg said:
And that is another reason I have switched to this fuel. For the little bit of extra cost it will save me time and money in the long run. With today's fuel it's not a question of if you will replace your carburetor and fuel lines, but when. Carbs are $40 to $100+ ish and a lot of $$$ for labor if you can't do the job yourself.
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I buy the stihl gas for my stihl saw and blower. It is expensive but stays good a long time. saves a bunch on maintenance. So in long run it is much cheaper. Lawnmower and snowblower get The non ethanol hi-test. seems to work great
 
Mike1950 said:
I buy the stihl gas for my stihl saw and blower. It is expensive but stays good a long time. saves a bunch on maintenance. So in long run it is much cheaper. Lawnmower and snowblower get The non ethanol hi-test. seems to work great
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i have been using the green can 40 to 1 premix from lowes, in my chain saws and quickie saw. learned the hard way on 2 prior quickie saws and one chainsaw, destroyed cylinders from mixing my own gasoline.
 
woodtickgreg said:
Here's a link to a video I watched that explains better than I can what is in fuel today and what is bad for your small engines. I knew that it wasnt just the ethanol but didnt know the facts on what is actually in pump gas. Many more reasons why I only run this type of fuel in my saws.
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Based on my recent bout with my Stihl gas leaf blower, I am going to convert over to this fuel for the future. I also have a Stihl gas powered chainsaw and a Stihl gas powered hedge trimmer that I will also convert over. Thanks for posting this video and for all of the information you have provided. Chuck
 
I have a collection of chainsaws along with other yard and construction equipment. Besides using them extensively to cut trees on my own property and make several cords worth of firewood each year, as well as my woodworking pursuits that go from tree to finished product, I make a hobby out of buying vintage chainsaws and rebuilding them. Also just prefer using old, metal cased chainsaws that weren't made in Cheaper. Have rebuilt dozens of carbs and learned a lot about where issues come from and not. I don't disagree with the video guy except that if I used that "special canned gas" I would spend enough every year to buy another brand new chainsaw. I have a few quarts on hand that I keep for emergency but I make a special trip to get non-ethanol gas and then mix it with top of the line 2-cycle oil. Some my saws and other machines get put up wet, not used for six or eight months and start without issue when I take them off the hook with the same gas I put them up with.
Premium grade 2-cycle oil is made to neutralize the harmful factors of pump gas. Walmart grade oil isn't.
The other factor I've found to make a huge difference is to stop using those damned plastic gas cans. Over time, the volatile organics will evaporate right through the plastic wall. You notice the expensive Stihl gas comes in a metal can...

Just my $0.02 on the subject. Take it or leave it.
 
Schroedc said:
@woodtickgreg - Not to derail your thread and I will be getting some of this stuff for my saws but what about the 91 octane non-oxygenated/no alcohol gas available for classic cars and recreational equipment and whatnot? We have a couple places that carry it in our area. Is that a better option than the regular pump gas?
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I use the REC90 fuel now, or the canned stuff 👍
 
woodtickgreg said:
Here's a link to a video I watched that explains better than I can what is in fuel today and what is bad for your small engines. I knew that it wasnt just the ethanol but didnt know the facts on what is actually in pump gas. Many more reasons why I only run this type of fuel in my saws.
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As much as I like this Steve’s video, he is sponsored by Stihl (to what extent who knows) and is using Stihl marketing material. Makes me wonder if the stats can be backed up from an independent source that isn’t also trying to make money from those stats.

I can go through 2 to 4 gallons a month in my chainsaws so cost is a factor, but I’ll keep this fuel in mind for winter storage. Got the impression Steve will only be using canned fuel at the end of the season too.
 
Karl_TN said:
As much as I like this Steve’s video, he is sponsored by Stihl (to what extent who knows) and is using Stihl marketing material. Makes me wonder if the stats can be backed up from an independent source that isn’t also trying to make money from those stats.

I can go through 2 to 4 gallons a month in my chainsaws so cost is a factor, but I’ll keep this fuel in mind for winter storage. Got the impression Steve will only be using canned fuel at the end of the season too.
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2-4 gallons a month- use the stuff from gas station. I am lucky if I use a a gallon a year. I am a cheap B@stard but for me the stihl gas works. and it lasts.
 
I can't believe I am saying this but since moving here to Colorado, and after we finally got a property and have started work on building the infrastructure, we've had to purchase a couple of new saws and a weed wacker, etc. and as such I've gone to buying the canned gas. At the price of premium pump gas these days, there is still a price difference but not as much as before. So far, we've done well, leaving the saws put up wet for two or three weeks at a time. But I guess time will tell. We're cutting at an altitude between 7100 and almost 9000 feet. The saws and the mill run pretty good at or below 8K but no so good above that. If I were going to cut above 8K more than I do I'd re-adjust the carbs again.
 
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