Use the RIGHT gas in trimmers

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  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    Use the RIGHT gas in trimmers

    I have two gas weed eaters for different needs. One is a Poulan and the other is a Ryobi, both 2 cycle. Poulan uses 40 to 1 gas and the Ryobi uses 50-1. Last fall I decided to buy the already mixed and bought a 50-1. The Poulan did OK but when trying to get it to start this morning it was like it was gummed up. I sprayed the carb good with cleaner and blew it off with the air hose. Still the Poulan wouldn't start. I poured the half a tank of 50-1 out and opened a new can of 40-1 for the Poulan and it ran like it should.

    I didn't realize the difference were that much in how each engine operates. The 50-1 runs well in the Ryobi but not in the Poulan.
    Last edited by leehljp; 04-15-2020, 11:27 PM.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!
  • Jim Frye
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2002
    • 1051
    • Maumee, OH, USA.
    • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

    #2
    I have a Homelite chain saw that is a 32 to 1 2 stroke and one fall I left it with mix in the tank. Next spring, it was so gummed up, it would not start. Nothing would work to get it started. Out of desperation, I filled the tank with straight 87 octane gas, put a non-vented cap on the tank and set the saw in the sun for a few hours. Darn thing started on the third pull. Put new mix in and it ran fine from then on. But you are correct, the mix ratio is important for some of these little motors.
    Jim Frye
    The Nut in the Cellar.
    ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

    Comment

    • capncarl
      Veteran Member
      • Jan 2007
      • 3564
      • Leesburg Georgia USA
      • SawStop CTS

      #3
      The very reason I gave all of my gasoline weed eaters, pole saw, leaf blower and chain saw away and replaced them with battery powered tools! They may not last much
      longer but I was tired of fiddling around with gummed up carbs and pulling a cord! The 58 volt Echo weed eater is a beast!

      Comment

      • leehljp
        Just me
        • Dec 2002
        • 8429
        • Tunica, MS
        • BT3000/3100

        #4
        Originally posted by capncarl
        The very reason I gave all of my gasoline weed eaters, pole saw, leaf blower and chain saw away and replaced them with battery powered tools! They may not last much
        longer but I was tired of fiddling around with gummed up carbs and pulling a cord! The 58 volt Echo weed eater is a beast!
        A different beast but relevant to your post: I bought a Husqvarna 22 inch push mower as a trim mower about 6 or 7 years ago. That thing has not failed to start on the first pull but one time, and it had water in the gas line then.

        In general, I don't clean my gas powered equipment as much as I should but I do take care of them and don't abuse them. They generally reward me with longevity. My craftsman purchased in 2000 is still running strong; that Husqvarna is a jewel of a mower.
        Hank Lee

        Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

        Comment

        • Carlos
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2004
          • 1893
          • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

          #5
          I've run a lot of two-stroke motors in my life, your results are the opposite of what I'd expect. I've had engines from RC sized to a 750 triple, and built/rebuilt a lot of motors. When you run a HIGHER oil ratio is when you often have trouble with the engine running right, and when things gum up. Running a too-low ratio like you tried to do is bad for the longevity of the motor. I would bet that you had carb issues before, and cleaning it was the real solution. I would expect the 50 to run better...for a while.

          Comment

          • durango dude
            Senior Member
            • Mar 2011
            • 934
            • a thousand or so feet above insanity
            • 50s vintage Craftsman Contractor Saw

            #6
            For my first 20 years of owning property, I used Amsoil. .
            I used it on a 25 yr old McColloch chainsaw, and a 10 yr old Poulon. I also had a modern 2-cycle weed whacker.
            I never had a broken engine. (the weed eater died mechanically)


            2 years ago, after a nasty divorce ----- I lost all my power tools, and moved to West by Gawd.

            In a raging act of rebellion, I decided I was going with Stihl instead of Home Depot. I use their over-priced mix (you extend the warranty when you buy the mix).
            I haven't had any problems, but they're only 2 years old. (I have 2 acres ---- so they get decent amount of use).

            I only use about 5 gallons a year, and I bought 25 cans of that crap ----- so it's going to be 5 years before I can return to my old habits.



            Last edited by durango dude; 04-20-2020, 09:49 AM.

            Comment

            • Jim Frye
              Veteran Member
              • Dec 2002
              • 1051
              • Maumee, OH, USA.
              • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

              #7
              I’m down to just three ICE outdoor tools. I have a 20+year old 2 cycle Toro snow thrower. The primer bulb dry rotted off this winter and you have to prime it by blowing into the oriface with a tiny straw. Fortunately, with global warming. the machine only gets used a couple of times a year. When it dies, a BEV snow thrower will replace it. The two Ames snow shovels I bought in 1974 are still working perfectly. Yes, I’ve put new steel edges on them a couple of times. The other ICE tool is the TroyBilt 4 stroke string trimmer power head (based on Ryobi’s original 4 stroke model 990r). By the time it packs it in, replacement will be tough because I have a bunch of Ryobi’s add on tools that fit the TroyBilt (& the 990r). The third tool is Dewalt power washer. It’s a 4;stroke Honda engine. This one gets used less than the snow thrower.
              Last edited by Jim Frye; 04-20-2020, 10:58 AM.
              Jim Frye
              The Nut in the Cellar.
              ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

              Comment

              • capncarl
                Veteran Member
                • Jan 2007
                • 3564
                • Leesburg Georgia USA
                • SawStop CTS

                #8
                Jim, the Ryobi add on tools that you use on the Troy Bilt will fit on the Ryobi 40v powerhead. I use the Troy Bilt pole saw that came with the TToy Bilt 4 stroke I bought 12 years ago. The 40volt Ryobi powers it well without the hassle of the gasoline engine. The Ryobi / Troy Bolton add on tools will not attach to the Echo 58 volt powerhead though, it’s shaft size is a bit larger and the tool will not couple up.
                capncarl

                Comment

                • Jim Frye
                  Veteran Member
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 1051
                  • Maumee, OH, USA.
                  • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

                  #9
                  Originally posted by capncarl
                  Jim, the Ryobi add on tools that you use on the Troy Bilt will fit on the Ryobi 40v powerhead. I use the Troy Bilt pole saw that came with the TToy Bilt 4 stroke I bought 12 years ago. The 40volt Ryobi powers it well without the hassle of the gasoline engine. The Ryobi / Troy Bolton add on tools will not attach to the Echo 58 volt powerhead though, it’s shaft size is a bit larger and the tool will not couple up.
                  capncarl
                  Good to know. The original Ryobi 990r ran for over 15 years before the cam went soft. The TroyBilt was $194, which was less than the cost to replace the worn cam on the 990r. TroyBilt bought the rights to Ryobi’s outdoor line of tools and then MTD bought TroyBilt. The TroyBilt 4 stroke is an improved design of Ryobi’s trimmer, so it may run for quite some time. The old Ryobi attachment will also not attach to Sthil’s line either. I don’t have any 40 volt Ryobi tools now (my one neighbor does though and likes them. His battery snow thrower is an eGo model. When the snow thrower dies, I’ll get lookin.
                  Jim Frye
                  The Nut in the Cellar.
                  ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

                  Comment

                  • onedash
                    Veteran Member
                    • Mar 2005
                    • 1013
                    • Maryland
                    • Craftsman 22124

                    #10
                    I get ethanol free fuel for my two stroke engines. And starting last fall I set a reminder on my phone to start them every three weeks. That way if it's raining or something I can wait another week and still hit the once a month goal. Apparently the smaller the amount of fuel in a container (carb) the faster it will go bad and if it has ethanol its 1000 times worse. So a five gallon jug of gasoline should easily last two years, that timeline shrinks considerably when it's like 3 drops in a a carb. So keep the fuel tanks full and start them every month and you should be ok. If you have ethanol fuel in them I'm not sure that will save them but it should at least delay the problems. That moto mix from what I've read is 1000 times better than automotive fuel but haven't had the need to try it yet. My leaf blower holds a half gallon and I can easily go through a gallon in a day.
                    YOU DONT HAVE TO TRAIN TO BE MISERABLE. YOU HAVE TO TRAIN TO ENDURE MISERY.

                    Comment

                    • Carlos
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jan 2004
                      • 1893
                      • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                      #11
                      I have only two small gas motors left in my life now; a yard blower/vac and a generator. I've been using the premix stuff from the big box in the blower. I almost never use it, and it's getting used less all the time. This weekend was the first time I've fired it in a year. I later looked at the date on the gas bottle (I date consumables, just like glue and such). I bought it mid-2018. The blower fired up on the third pull and ran great. So for low usage like mine, the $5 quart is well worth it.

                      Unfortunately that doesn't help with the generator, which is a four stroke. We use it for camping sometimes, and as home backup although we never lose power here.

                      Comment

                      • d_meister
                        Established Member
                        • Feb 2009
                        • 184
                        • La Conner, WA.
                        • BT3000

                        #12
                        I had learned somewhere, that gasoline loses 1 octane point per month of storage. Not wanting to give incorrect info, I searched Google on the subject. It turns out that the consensus is to not store gasoline more than three months:

                        Comment

                        • Carlos
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jan 2004
                          • 1893
                          • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                          #13
                          When you add two-stroke oil, the octane is significantly modified, and it changes everything. It acts as a buffer and somewhat of a preservative. But ethanol or not, I wouldn't want to keep gas around for a year, and maybe half that.

                          Comment

                          • twistsol
                            Veteran Member
                            • Dec 2002
                            • 2893
                            • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
                            • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

                            #14
                            I've been slowly getting rid of my 2 cycle engine powered items. I got tired of having all the fuel cans, Plain, 24:1, 40:1, 50:1 and Diesel. I have no idea ho much gas was wasted over the years due to spoilage.

                            Diesel tractor and bobcat are gone,
                            Trimmer was replaced with a Ryobi 18v. It took three batteries in one trimming in the country ... one covers the entire yard with power to spare which is perfect in the suburbs.
                            An 18" chainsaw is serious overkill for the twigs/trees in the subirbs so that should be gone today based on the craigslist responses.
                            Still need to get rid of the leaf blower and roto tiller to get down to a single fuel can.

                            New mower, snowblower and pressure washer are all plain gas.



                            Chr's
                            __________
                            An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
                            A moral man does it.

                            Comment

                            • woodturner
                              Veteran Member
                              • Jun 2008
                              • 2047
                              • Western Pennsylvania
                              • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

                              #15
                              Originally posted by leehljp
                              I have two gas weed eaters for different needs. One is a Poulan and the other is a Ryobi, both 2 cycle. Poulan uses 40 to 1 gas and the Ryobi uses 50-1. Last fall I decided to buy the already mixed and bought a 50-1. The Poulan did OK but when trying to get it to start this morning it was like it was gummed up. I sprayed the carb good with cleaner and blew it off with the air hose. Still the Poulan wouldn't start. I poured the half a tank of 50-1 out and opened a new can of 40-1 for the Poulan and it ran like it should.

                              I didn't realize the difference were that much in how each engine operates. The 50-1 runs well in the Ryobi but not in the Poulan.
                              I just use the lowest ratio gas for everything. In your case that would be the 40 to 1. The 50 to 1 probably does not not have enough oil for the Poulan and could potentially damage it, even if it did run OK. More oil is not harmful.

                              It is a good idea to flush at the end of the season, use fresh gas, etc. but I have to admit I don't actually do that. I refill the can when empty, probably every two years, use the ethanol fuel from the local gas station, and just leave the gas in for the winter. I have not had any problems or issues doing it that way, but it is better to properly maintain the equipment, so I am not suggesting neglecting maintenance as I do :-).
                              Last edited by woodturner; 04-08-2021, 07:27 AM.
                              --------------------------------------------------
                              Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

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