2009 2-and-4 stroke No-Stabil Old Gas report.
 

I said before I'm lazy, so I never used Stabil or run out the gas in
my lawn equipment. But more important, I've never had problems.
I just stop using the engines when the green stuff stops growing.
Then start them up again when I have to start hacking again.
Craftsman 4-stroke mower with a Honda 5 hp.
Craftsman 2-stroke weed-whacker - about 80cc.
Sixth season for both. Original plugs and everything.
The mower had a little gas left and got fresh gas added.
Changed the crankcase oil.
Started first pull.
Weed-whacker had a pint of last year's mix showing in the transparent
tank, and started after 4 or 5 pulls, which oddly enough is better
than normal. But maybe I'm getting better at quickly opening the
choke when it catches. It's touchy.
I did notice the weed-whacker started idling real high after a bit of
whacking. Maybe something is getting gummed up.
Looks like it has an idle screw I'll futz with later if I have to.
Had to stop because it needs a new spool, as it wont feed line. Line
gets stuck in the spool. Might be my fault, as I've used a bigger
diameter line than it calls for since season 2. The skinnier line got
ate up too fast. Anyway, a new spool is cheap enough. Plastic.
I'm thinking some carbs are more susceptible to gumming up than
others, but I don't buy the notion of gas going bad in six or seven
months, which is the idle time around here.
Used old gas many times.
I'm not advising about Stabil, just saying I'm lazy and been lucky so
far. Might catch up to me.
Then too, after 6 years you sort of want to buy new stuff anyway.
hehe.

--Vic

2009 2-and-4 stroke No-Stabil Old Gas report.
 

On May 2, 12:57*pm, Vic Smith wrote:
I said before I'm lazy, so I never used Stabil or run out the gas in
my lawn equipment. *But more important, I've never had problems.
I just stop using the engines when the green stuff stops growing.
Then start them up again when I have to start hacking again.
Craftsman 4-stroke mower with a Honda 5 hp.
Craftsman 2-stroke weed-whacker - about 80cc.
Sixth season for both. *Original plugs and everything.
The mower had a little gas left and got fresh gas added.
Changed the crankcase oil.
Started first pull.
Weed-whacker had a pint of last year's mix showing in the transparent
tank, and started after 4 or 5 pulls, which oddly enough is better
than normal. *But maybe I'm getting better at quickly opening the
choke when it catches. *It's touchy.
I did notice the weed-whacker started idling real high after a bit of
whacking. *Maybe something is getting gummed up.
Looks like it has an idle screw I'll futz with later if I have to.
Had to stop because it needs a new spool, as it wont feed line. *Line
gets stuck in the spool. *Might be my fault, as I've used a bigger
diameter line than it calls for since season 2. *The skinnier line got
ate up too fast. *Anyway, a new spool is cheap enough. *Plastic.
I'm thinking some carbs are more susceptible to gumming up than
others, but I don't buy the notion of gas going bad in six or seven
months, which is the idle time around here.
Used old gas many times.
I'm not advising about Stabil, just saying I'm lazy and been lucky so
far. *Might catch up to me.
Then too, after 6 years you sort of want to buy new stuff anyway.
hehe.

--Vic

Vic:

I agree, I never drain gas and just let it sit in the tank of the
mower from November till April.

2009 2-and-4 stroke No-Stabil Old Gas report.
 

On Sat, 2 May 2009 20:08:03 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:


I agree, I never drain gas and just let it sit in the tank of the
mower from November till April.

Mine usually sits a bit longer. End of September until about now.
Whatever works. When I was a lad I'd hear stuff like "I always put a
can of Heet in my gas tank in the winter. Every time I fill up. You
got a lot of moisture in the gas in the winter. Yep, absorbs the
water in the gas. Car starts every time."
So I got a case of Heet and started using it. Just in case.
My car always started anyway, because I kept it tuned.
But why not add some Heet for insurance?
With the Heet added, damned if the car didn't continue to start.
Then the case of Heet ran out and I quit using it.
Car kept starting every time anyway.
So I didn't buy another case.
Then I heard another guy say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Cool guy. I still follow that advice.
BTW, I read that Sta-bil itself has a shelf life of 2 years.
So if you use it, make sure it's fresh.
But maybe they sell a stabilizer to stabilize Sta-bil.

--Vic