Tru- Fuel

[John Mc]

...The only difference I've seen when running canned fuel, is a little lower idle speed, and a little rich on the high end, but nothing drastic and nothing that would cause an engine to not start or run...

Your statement makes me think that the canned fuel is a non-oxygenated gas.

Most auto fuels (at least in my area) are oxygenated, which makes them burn cleaner. Oxygenated fuels are mandated in some areas air quality reasons (the ethanol in E10 gas is an oxygenate; there are others in use as well). An oxygenated fuel will tend to run a bit leaner than a non-oxygenated fuel (basically, because there is already some oxygen in the fuel). Not a big deal -- you can just adjust the mixture a bit to compensate.

If you switch back and forth between fuels and don't always remember (or know how) to adjust the mixture, leave the saw set for the oxygenated fuel. It will run a tad rich when you go to the canned stuff, but running a bit rich doesn't kill saws.

[qbilder]

I burn the highest octane I can get from the pump, and have no stations in town that even sell non-ethanol fuel. Maybe I'm lucky, but if it were not for all the fuss on the internet, I'd never know the difference. I have yet to have any fuel related issues, and I run five saws from a 170 to an 084. My newest saw is 5 yrs. old. I have an old 029 truck saw that's about due for a rebuild or trash can, but dang that thing must be going on 20yrs old. Still starts easy & cuts.

When I was a kid, long before the ethanol scare, I used to run dirt bikes. It was not uncommon for me to replace fuel lines or diaphragms that rotted. These issues existed even when fuel was "good". Rings & pistons still burned up, bearings still blew out, and fuel systems still failed. Obviously, with all the fuss about ethanol, there must be a thread of truth to the rumor that it's bad for fuel systems & engines. But I question the extent of it. I don't have any different problems with my saws as I did with my dirt bikes. Actually I have less, but attribute it more to maturity. I'm not running my saws like I want them to explode. I simply have not personally seen any issue that I can pinpoint blame on ethanol gas. 

[7sleeper]

I burn the highest octane I can get from the pump, and have no stations in town that even sell non-ethanol fuel. Maybe I'm lucky, but if it were not for all the fuss on the internet, I'd never know the difference. I have yet to have any fuel related issues, and I run five saws from a 170 to an 084. My newest saw is 5 yrs. old. I have an old 029 truck saw that's about due for a rebuild or trash can, but dang that thing must be going on 20yrs old. Still starts easy & cuts.

When I was a kid, long before the ethanol scare, I used to run dirt bikes. It was not uncommon for me to replace fuel lines or diaphragms that rotted. These issues existed even when fuel was "good". Rings & pistons still burned up, bearings still blew out, and fuel systems still failed. Obviously, with all the fuss about ethanol, there must be a thread of truth to the rumor that it's bad for fuel systems & engines. But I question the extent of it. I don't have any different problems with my saws as I did with my dirt bikes. Actually I have less, but attribute it more to maturity. I'm not running my saws like I want them to explode. I simply have not personally seen any issue that I can pinpoint blame on ethanol gas.

Excellent post!

7

[AdkStihl]

I simply have not personally seen any issue that I can pinpoint blame on ethanol gas.

You haven't been inside many carburetors lately then have you?

[John Mc]

I burn the highest octane I can get from the pump, and have no stations in town that even sell non-ethanol fuel. Maybe I'm lucky, but if it were not for all the fuss on the internet, I'd never know the difference. I have yet to have any fuel related issues, and I run five saws from a 170 to an 084. My newest saw is 5 yrs. old. I have an old 029 truck saw that's about due for a rebuild or trash can, but dang that thing must be going on 20yrs old. Still starts easy & cuts.

When I was a kid, long before the ethanol scare, I used to run dirt bikes. It was not uncommon for me to replace fuel lines or diaphragms that rotted. These issues existed even when fuel was "good". Rings & pistons still burned up, bearings still blew out, and fuel systems still failed. Obviously, with all the fuss about ethanol, there must be a thread of truth to the rumor that it's bad for fuel systems & engines. But I question the extent of it. I don't have any different problems with my saws as I did with my dirt bikes. Actually I have less, but attribute it more to maturity. I'm not running my saws like I want them to explode. I simply have not personally seen any issue that I can pinpoint blame on ethanol gas.

A good post, and thanks for sharing your experience. One of the keys to using E10 gas is to turn it over quickly.  If you are suing your saws regularly, and keep the gas in them (and in your cans) fresh, you won't have as much of an issue. Old fuel is a problem with almost any fuel, but ethanol blends tend to have a shorter shelf life than other blends of gas. (Aviation gas and the canned fuel are much better on this front)

I've heard that other oxygenates that were/are added to gas also caused problems with old rubber lines (more so than the the old "pure" gas before oxygenates were added in many parts of the country). These have been around since well before E10 became prevalent.  However, these apparently are not quite the problem that ethanol is.

Also, some of the problems it causes can be tough to trace back to ethanol.  If you got an air leak and your saw lean-seized, was that leak because ethanol caused something to deteriorate, or caused by old age, or was it just that someone didn't pay enough attention when their saw started "talking" to them, and kept right on running it anyway?

I've heard from local saw repair guys that they've seen a lot more internal corrosion, bad fuel lines and diaphragms, scored cylinders, & etc. since E10 gas became prevalent in our area. I take them at their word, however, I will grant that some of this may be that there are a bunch of folks getting in to doing their own firewood than there used to be. More problems could be at least in part due to more users (and more users who don't know much about taking care of their saws).

[qbilder]

I simply have not personally seen any issue that I can pinpoint blame on ethanol gas.

You haven't been inside many carburetors lately then have you?

Haven't needed to, knock on wood  :-\

[thecfarm]

qbilder,I posted the same thing about the highest grade that I can buy at my local station. Like I said I may have fools luck. I wonder if the hoses are made cheaper now too? But I go through my fuel too. I mix 4 gallons of chainssaw fuel and in no more than 3 weeks it's gone. Just about the same way with gas for the mower and wood splitter too.

[Jiles]

"I simply have not personally seen any issue that I can pinpoint blame on ethanol gas."

I have run into problems caused with ethanol fuel that I never ran into in over FIFTY years!
Ethanol absorbers moisture and deteriorates older fuel lines. One carb problem it causes is that the ethanol/water chemical produces a FINE brown powder that will jam up the tiny holes that are covered with a welch plug. Plug must be removed to clean out contaminant!
I have never purchased Tru-Fuel and don't plan to--far too expensive for me!
I know there is a difference but I don't buy pre-mixed products like--Antifreeze, Herbicides, Pesticides or Fuels.
I purchase Non-Ethanol Premium gasoline, treat it with Sta-Bil as soon as I get home, and my chainsaws, trimmers, blowers get a 40 to 1 semi-synthetic Husqvarna oil. The rest, I use in Lawnmowers and other small engines.

[Andyshine77]

"I simply have not personally seen any issue that I can pinpoint blame on ethanol gas."

I have run into problems caused with ethanol fuel that I never ran into in over FIFTY years!
Ethanol absorbers moisture and deteriorates older fuel lines. One carb problem it causes is that the ethanol/water chemical produces a FINE brown powder that will jam up the tiny holes that are covered with a welch plug. Plug must be removed to clean out contaminant!
I have never purchased Tru-Fuel and don't plan to--far too expensive for me!
I know there is a difference but I don't buy pre-mixed products like--Antifreeze, Herbicides, Pesticides or Fuels.
I purchase Non-Ethanol Premium gasoline, treat it with Sta-Bil as soon as I get home, and my chainsaws, trimmers, blowers get a 40 to 1 semi-synthetic Husqvarna oil. The rest, I use in Lawnmowers and other small engines.

The problem is many people simply cannot buy Ethanol free pump fuel locally. Yes canned fuel is expensive for someone that burns fuel like I do but, I recommend TF or VP's canned fuel to every backyard warrior I know.     

[Jiles]

Sta-Bil makes an additive that is supposed to eliminate ethanol problems?? I have not tried any but am told it works.

[Andyshine77]

Sta-Bil makes an additive that is supposed to eliminate ethanol problems?? I have not tried any but am told it works.

Nothing will completely eliminate the issues with ethanol, but additives do help with phase separation. This keeps the moisture from sitting at the bottom of your fuel tanks, but it does little to help fuel lines and other fuel system components. The best thing to do is keep fuel fresh, don't store your equipment with fuel in the tanks or fuel system, aka run then dry. 

[Rob5073]

Another one is named Startron for ethanol stabilization.

[Jiles]

All this discussion makes me remember what I heard Rick on "Pawnstars" say.
He made the remark that the reason newer model cars make more horsepower is because the gas we have today is so much better!! .