Universal 2 cycle oil -pros and cons ??

[Saki]

Howdy there. Anybody out there have any good or bad experiences to share regarding the universal type 2 cycle oils. There is a company here locally that sells a product called sten mix that is supposed to be mixed at the rate of 1 packet per gallon of gas and be safe to use for any 2 cycle ratio from 16 to 1 all the way down to 50 to 1. The park where I worked tried it last year for our weedeaters and seemed to work OK. Anybody have any experience with a universal oil like this on a longer time ? Hope to hear from you. Thanks, Saki.

[CHARLIE]

My 2 cents. If I had a couple of hundred dollars, or more, invested in a 2 stroke engine, why would I take a chance with some universal oil. Oil is cheap and I would use what was recommended by the manufacturer or a well known brand from a big oil company. Why take the risk. Wear out an engine and you also have down time. Good oil is cheap.   :P

[DanG]

I agree with Charlie, on this one. I always had trouble with the Mercury outboard on an offshore fishing boat I had, until I started keeping it in a marina. The only oil they sold was Chevron, so that's what I started using. I never had any more problems with the carbs gumming up. I later found out that Chevron was the only oil, besides their own brand, that Mercury recommended. It made a big difference. You might not have trouble, right away, but cheap oil will cost you, in the long run.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 I use Stihl oil for my Stihl saws. They made it for my saw so I run it. I have had no fuel related problems.

[johncinquo]

I run a multitude of saws and other 2 cycle engines and got tired of having so many cans of fuel and types of oil so I did some extensive "research"  (basicly asking and seeing what many others do)  and decided to switch to one mix and one oil.  I am now using synthetic oil at a mix of about 40 to 1.  The directions say 50 to 1, but I have some older stuff that origianlly listed at 32 to 1 or higher so I fudged into the middle.  It burns clean, less smoke and smell, and I only have a couple cans for convenience.  I am still trying out a couple brands but they all seem to work well.  I have seen that 100 to 1 mix, but am not that adventourous or daring with my toys.  I am doing it for convenience more than expense.  I have had nothing get hot or scorched yet, and nothing foul up either.  I plan to use the synthetic in my sled this winter, but will have to adjust the automatic oil injection after running a bit.  

[smwwoody]

hi I have millions of board feet on 2 of my felling saws with nothing but amsoil sinthetic at 100:1 but i have also done the same with husky or still mix oil at 50:1 and 40:1 respectivly.