Pre-Mixed Fuel vs. Mixing It Yourself + Trimmer Saw Blade

[Dave Shepard]

Ethanol is a new fad up here, but I read on the refinery site that ethanol is only blended in regular. The refineries are only obligated to add it by volume in Canada, not by grade. Our Ultramar stations around my area have none at all in any grade. I always used mid grade for years before the ethanol graze and continue to.

The extended warranty must be a US thing, and don't mention using the saw professionally or that will likely change things. I see where it says so on that page.

What the heck can 3 bottles of manufacturer's pre-mix do to extend the saw's life? Not much. I bet they are pricey to.

And where to they list the limitations? That's the $1350 question.  Is your use agriculturally related, like a tree farm? You'll be, as they say, SOOL. ;D

Ethanol Blending in regular 87 octane

They take the extra $50 they make on the premix gas and put that in a warranty fund and hope you don't blow it up until the 105th week. :D

[thenorthman]

the premix is a scam, yeah its ok gas, but mix in some decent 2 stroke mix and chances are it has preservatives in it anyway...

at $8. a quart that's what $32. a gallon for ok fuel? I smell a scam...

As far as a piston being burned up because of mixing to thick?  Not likely worst case you foul a few plugs.  Mix it to thin then yeah you burn up motors.  The more likely culprit is improper tuning.

And for home use 50-1 is fine, you start hacking into the exhaust and opening things up that the factory never intended to open... then you might want to consider running a little more oil...

[DonT]

I think the pre mix fuel is aimed at the homeowner who does not burn a lot of gas in there big box store saw or is uncomfortable mixing there own fuel.I have thought of throwing a can in the chipper for that odd day the gas can mysteriously does not make it on the truck.

[GuyInHuntsville]

SwampDonkey, thanks...Wife and I are now the proud owners of 13 1/2 acres just outside of Huntsville, Texas. Bought/closed 2 weeks ago. I bought this tool, as well as other implements of destruction, to help me clear/thin out some of the underbrush....I'm seriously considering hiring a hydro-axe mulcher to come in and thin some of the place out, everything under 4" diameter or maybe 3"....Quoted $800 per acre...Need about 4 - 5 acres thinned out and leave the rest woods.


  

  

 

[GuyInHuntsville]

And where to they list the limitations? That's the $1350 question.  Is your use agriculturally related, like a tree farm? You'll be, as they say, SOOL. ;D

I had to Google SOOL....hahaha...I agree :embarassed:

[SwampDonkey]

You'll get too much damage to the leave trees with that machine if your thinking of thinning. Clearing is another matter or cutting paths. How wide between trees and how will the machine travel and swing the boom around them. The manual way gives the best results when thinning. Tried mechanized pre-commercial thinning up here a few years back. Didn't work. Job security. ;D

[GuyInHuntsville]

You'll get too much damage to the leave trees with that machine if your thinking of thinning. Clearing is another matter or cutting paths. How wide between trees and how will the machine travel and swing the boom around them. The manual way gives the best results when thinning. Tried mechanized pre-commercial thinning up here a few years back. Didn't work. Job security. ;D

This is what I love about this site and you guys....I'm not experienced enough to have considered that. I wouldn't want to scar any of the big beautiful trees and there's a whole lot of them. Thank you for bringing that up!
Do you have any problems clearing with your Stihl brushcutter? Probably very labor intensive....Do you experience a lot of kickback from the blade? Can you recommend a good blade?

[thecfarm]

You will have fun taking care of your forest and land!! It will take some time to get it the way you want it.

[GuyInHuntsville]

There are however a few -huge- pines that need to come down that are in the path of where we want the driveway to go.

From what I've gathered here is that probably everyone here mixes their own gas. Personally, my experience with the pre-mixed gas isn't good: I had to have my primer bulbs and gas lines replaced a couple of times on all of my Echo lawn equip and the repair guy said just use the pre-mix sold at Home Depot to solve the ethenol problem. So I did. 2 uses later my leaf blower motor was seized and the weed wacker refused to start...Nothing wrong with my stick edger (I didn't put the pre-mix in that one). Carb on the wacker needed overhauling so I just bought a cheap new carb off eBay. I'm positive the pre-mix did something to these 2 tools...The hardly used blower had to be replaced (with Ryobi and I like it way better than the Echo). The pre-mix I used was the right mix for these tools. I don't like the pre-mixed fuel. I wanted to ask about it here because maybe I was missing something.

[GuyInHuntsville]

You will have fun taking care of your forest and land!! It will take some time to get it the way you want it.

Thanks thecfarm! I certainly will....Hydro-axing seems like cheating. I can't wait to start using my tools. My problem is that I pretty much work 7 days a week (machinist). Looking forward to using vacation days and available weekends to get out there!!

[thecfarm]

Nothing wrong with mixing your fuel. Many have been doing it for years. Just use certain containers for the mix and ONLY for them.I wrote chain saw on my gas can. I always put the oil in first, at my house,than the gas. I do it the SAME way EVERY single time. When I put the gas into a smaller container I shake the big can real good,EVERY time. Have to get that oil to mix in with the gas, don't want the oil on the bottom of the gas can. Than when I fill up my saw I always shake it before filling. EVERY time. All this will just become a habit after a while.

[SwampDonkey]

Kickback is mostly when making a cut on the top right hand corner in bigger stems in clumps. And it's nothing to it. In little stuff there isn't much. Keep the rpm's up, but don't need to make the saw scream, probably somewhere in the mid rpm range unless the thinning is in excessively thick stuff. Too low rpm and your guard binds the saw a lot.

No big issues with the Stihl. There are some week points on the FS550, now discontinued, but an excellent saw. The elbow on the handle bar is a little week, but I have not broke one in years. Use the harnass when tugging the saw out of a pinched cut or your going to eventually snap off the handle bar. Keep the screen clean or install a courser one, I use drain screen. Clean the air filter every 8 tanks. Use sharp blades, don't use the saw like and axe whacking at the bigger stems, ease into the cut. Whacking is hard on the shaft, clutch and angle gear. I've only busted one shaft and clutch over the years. Set the carburetor according to the manual and leave it alone. Usually when you lose power it's lack of air (air filter/muffler screen).

We use the chisel tooth - 'maxi blades'. Make sure it's a 'maxi blade'. It won't have a rounded tooth front. In other words, there are two types of chisel tooth, get the right one. ;D Most of them come from Sweden, Stihl come from Japan. I actually like the Stihl blade better, holds an edge longer. Although last year, they had some too hard, and the teeth would break. Had a recall on them.

Proper thinning is done the hard way, no short cuts. ;D

[GuyInHuntsville]

Thanks SwampDonkey!! Where do I get the "maxi-blade"...A Stihl dealer? A lot comes up online for maxi-blade. Can I order it online?

Also, what do you mean by this? "Keep the screen clean or install a courser one, I use drain screen."

I don't know about your Stihl but my Husky is all plastic where the handle bars connect and I bet it could break if not careful. The other thing I don't like is that it's specifically designed for a right hander  :'( (I'm a lefty) so I'll have to get used to it being on my right side...I don't think there's any way to use it on my left side the way the handle bar mount angles off to the right.

[thenorthman]

that makes two wrong handed machinist I know, now I need to meet a blind one and my life will be complete...

As far as off handing power tools, You may be able to switch the handle bar over, probably void the warranty.

I really wouldn't advice doing so, the blade turns clockwise and if you try to run it wrong handed you'll be catching nearly everything it throws in the shins and points upward...

Most power tools are made for right handed use.

Speaking of machining do you poney up for the wrong handed calipers and mics?

[GuyInHuntsville]

that makes two wrong handed machinist I know, now I need to meet a blind one and my life will be complete...

As far as off handing power tools, You may be able to switch the handle bar over, probably void the warranty.

I really wouldn't advice doing so, the blade turns clockwise and if you try to run it wrong handed you'll be catching nearly everything it throws in the shins and points upward...

Most power tools are made for right handed use.

Speaking of machining do you poney up for the wrong handed calipers and mics?

hahaha! A blind machinist would make headline news :D Or even a blind logger!!

I didn't even know there were southpaw mics ...Been machining for about 19 years...Not a master machinist, just the basic lathes, mills (and CNC mill) and grinders refurbishing oil refinery equip components in Houston.

I try my best to get along in this right hand world ;D

[Skip]

I have become a believer in the can premix ,its pricey BUT I have noticed easier starts and more Power good gas and Most importantly NO ethanol . I use Trufuel , but husky and echo make it to. I  run it in Huskys 268 372 336 and my Husky weed eater and blower. Give it a try it might convert you ;D

[Dave Shepard]

VP Racing fuels also sells it. I've seen it at the local NAPA. $75 for a 5 gallon can. 50:1 High octane, no ethanol.

[pine]

Do you have any problems clearing with your Stihl brushcutter? Probably very labor intensive....Do you experience a lot of kickback from the blade? Can you recommend a good blade?

The Stihl FS550 was replaced with the FS560 as the 450 and 350 were replaced by the 460 and 360.  Stihl's never ending number update as they update their equipment lines.  I have two Stihl brushcutters that I use.  No problems with either one and I have no idea of the hours that I have on them but there are a lot.  My dealer said they had never seen the metal attach point (where the harness connects) wear out, not break but wear, and I looked at them and said what do you expect with the number of hours on this thing. 
I used to use the Stihl chisel tooth blade exclusively.  It could be resharpened which was nice.  Part numbers were 41197134200 and 41107134204 depending on which one you wanted.  I have never heard of the "maxi-blade" that SD referred to so it may be new or only available up in Canada.  A couple of years back I started to use a carbide tip chisel blade made by Champion Cutter and like them a lot.  I have pretty much stopped using the Stihl chisel blade and switched to the Champion carbide.

Labor intensive, yes but it is very therapeutic.  Working in the woods is always a good thing and your footprint is so much less using a hand brushcutter compared to bringing in big equipment and damaging other stiff that you wanted to save.

[pine]

I will try to upload pictures of the two blades so that you can see the carbide vs the standard.

Standard Stihl chisel blade



 

Carbide tip chisel blade



 

[sealark37]

Look for a marina or place close to the water to find ethanol-free gas.  I have a 40 year old Mac 10-10 and a 30 year old Husky that have always burned 100:1 oil mix.  Mix it and measure it carefully.  Works a treat.  Regards, Clark

[BargeMonkey]

 We doctor our gas pretty good, fuel stabilizer, lead additive and try to run 93 whenever possible and dont have an issue. Seen 5-7 gallons of saw gas go in 1 day with 3 guys cutting, buying the pre-mix I would be broke.

[David-L]

Depending on what blade you buy, there is a tool to set the Kerf , this can help as the blade tooth gets smaller after sharpening multiple times and doesn't take such a big bite until you set the Kerf. I run a 45cc Dolmar brush saw and these babys can save your back in the right application. Good luck and welcome to the forum. I will post a pic of my Kerf tool this evening. Good luck.

                                  David l

[GuyInHuntsville]

I have pretty much stopped using the Stihl chisel blade and switched to the Champion carbide.

Labor intensive, yes but it is very therapeutic.  Working in the woods is always a good thing and your footprint is so much less using a hand brushcutter compared to bringing in big equipment and damaging other stiff that you wanted to save.

I totally agree and I know I'll have fun...and get a lot of excercise too. Plus the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself. Also I was thinking about there are several fox, rabbit and armadillo holes (only 1 neighbor, says he feeds the foxes) and I should probably not disturb their habitat too much. IF I call in a hydro-mulcher it'll only be to get the driveway cleared so we can get into the place quicker and not have to park on the side of the highway.

Thanks for posting the photos. The first one looks exactly like the blade that came with the Husky minus the 2 little holes. But I like the carbide tipped one. I would think it would stay sharper longer. I'll be seaching for the Champion blade...Any chance you have a link to where you can order it?

[GuyInHuntsville]

Depending on what blade you buy, there is a tool to set the Kerf , this can help as the blade tooth gets smaller after sharpening multiple times and doesn't take such a big bite until you set the Kerf. I run a 45cc Dolmar brush saw and these babys can save your back in the right application. Good luck and welcome to the forum. I will post a pic of my Kerf tool this evening. Good luck.

                                  David l

Thanks for the info David-L! I'll watch for the pic.

[GuyInHuntsville]

I run a 45cc Dolmar brush saw and these babys can save your back in the right application.                                  David l

I like that the Dolmar is fully adjustable and metal where the handle bars meet the shaft. If I purchase another brushcutter (for a friend to use helping me) I'd be very inclined to get one of these and use it myself so I can be wrong-handed again 8)...Right handed friend could use the Husky ;D


 

By the way, thanks to everyone for all the info and about how you mix your fuel and what fuel you use :P