UK Users, what fuel?

[LondonNeil]

For the UK Users, a question on fuel, what do you use? What is your use practice and have you had troubles?

I've only been using a chainsaw for just over 2 years and having read of trouble from ethanol I started my practice of ALWAYS running my saw dry to store from the start. As an occasional user it seemed daft not to. On top of that since I use very little fuel and can take a year to use a gallon I've taken to mixing 2.5 litre amounts. I always buy 98/99 Ron as it is often not E10, although currently I understand only BP ultimate is guaranteed e free, add startron stabiliser and stihl green oil which I understand has a stabiliser.

On the other hand, my mower just sits there with fuel and just works.

So what do you do?

 

[Angelr]

Hi, I am not from UK but for a little consumption I would use a fuel type that has stihl, lasts a long time and would leave the saw loaded, not dry, carburetor membranes when they dry rise and stop doing their function, valves

 

[Adamski]

Never had a problem with UK fuel. Had my old 371xp sitting with 50:1 regular and stihl red for two years without cranking it. Started first time.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

umm, fuel and oil, uk thread..lol...

I just use any of the cheap old fuel stuff, as for oil what ever is on offer.

as for leaving it in a saw, my thoughts are no more than 2 months. so I try to run it dry. or make an effort to run it if it don't get used and empty it. my believing/understanding is fuel evaporates and leaves a varnish which will if your unlucky clog up small holes in your carb.


your mileage may vary. but ive seen small engines work after fuel being left for ages and other that have not even after flushing
leave some fuel in a cup open to the elements and leave another with fuel and oil. the difference is the oil will still be there making it an oily rich smokey fuel, the other very little fuel will be left.
keep doing this and the varnish starts to build up or clog up.

so a recap is if a saw is / has been left with fuel in it for 3 months or more, the more fuel left in it, the more concentrated the varnish oil mix will be, empty it, maybe even flush the tank,refuel with fresh and run it fast (WOT) for a long time, and try to leave it empty or as empty as pos

anyhow if you read stihl's literature it says run dry if it is to be left for x time and that is not just empty the tank, remember fuel would still be in the carb and fuel line

cheers

 

[LondonNeil]

I read into fuel aging a little and found there are 3 distinct problems
1. Evaporation of volatiles. The lighter fractions there to help cold engines start evaporate easily and are actually small enough to diffuse through plastic cans. Old fuel with no volatiles does no damage, it is just hard to start. Sitting in a sealed metal can helps.
2. Aromatics. These are fractions such as benzene. These oxidise over time to form varnishes and gums, blocking lines and ports. Some of those varnishes aren't even soluble in petrol, so cleaning isn't an option. This is where fuel stabiliser helps, they slow the oxidation and varnish formation.
3. Ethanol. This bad boy does 2 things, softens and swells some plastics and rubbers which is bad enough, but it also absorbs water. If enough is absorbed phase separation occurs where the watery ethanol forms a gel which sinks to the bottom and blocks lines. Avoid this by keeping canisters sealed, and using ethanol free fuel if you can. Avoid the swollen rubbers by avoiding ethanol and not leaving fuel in the saw.

That's my understanding anyway.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

yeh I read something like that somewhere as well.
all things being as we would want, no fuel left in saw, 1-5 pull starts would be great , but make it 20 or more to pull fuel through, I guess that's why they put priming bulbs on strimmers

if I get a pig of a saw to start/ with or without fuel left in the tank. I either dribble a little fuel in carb through air/ venture or in the spark plug hole which ever is easier. if it fires up after 3 pulls, it pulls fuel into the carb as well. it works for me

 

[LondonNeil]

Yep, I usually find its 20 pulls for my ms 180, which is more time consuming than tiring for such a little saw. Somehow the 038 seems to take a few less, thankfully!

 

[Angelr]

El combustible stihl (husqvarna supongo que será similar) no es gasolina y tiene un plazo de uso de dos años

 

[MattG]

I just use regular UK 95-RON, from wherever, but typically nearest tescos. And mix 50:1 stihl red oil in it.

In fact I'd recommend a low RON fuel i.e. prefer 95 to 98, since it will less additives in it and more regular hydrocarbons. The main reason for 98 octane is high compression, lean burn cars remember, not chainsaws.

I think some of the worries about storage (with gasoline) are over blown, but you do make a very interesting re. Aromatics, i.e. benzene ring, used increasingly since we no longer put that naughty lead in fuel.

If I remember I dry store my strimmer and hedge trimmer - but when I do forget, it does not seem to matter. And yeah to dry store, I tip as much fuel as poss back in storage, and start the machine and just let it idle itself dry.

 

[jb-chainsaws]

I normally run bog standard 95 octane, however I have used 98/99 octane from shell a few times for extended periods without worry, can't say I noticed the difference.

As for oil, I'm a bit of a snob on that and run amsoil saber 32:1 in all my own equipment, customers saws get red Stihl 50:1 for testing purposes etc

 

[LondonNeil]

I wouldn't expect higher octane to run differently in a chainsaw, it's just that 95 Ron is E10 by law, but that law doesn't apply to 98 etc and it tends to be ethanol free or low ethanol. I tend to use shell vpower as that's what my car gets, but only BP ultimate is currently guaranteed e free.

 

[jake wells]

I feel for everyone over there having to pay the expensive price of ethanol fuel.
fuel here in US is cut with ethanol and the shelf life is poor with out a additive.

 

[LondonNeil]

What percentage ethanol do you have? With our 10% many people don't have any problems, lots of people don't think there are any problems.

 

[jake wells]

What percentage ethanol do you have? With our 10% many people don't have any problems, lots of people don't think there are any problems.

8-15 %. the fuel i buy is around 8%

 

[Finnrpm]

Hello!
I have been using alkylate fuel for last 3 years, and will not go back to normal pump gas. It has 4 years shelf life, but the best advantage is that it burns cleaner. Just remember that you are breathing those exhaust fumes right into your lunges, so i would rather get the exhaust gases as clean as possible.
Retune is a must for carburetor models, autotunes & m-tronics will compensate by themselves.
Only downside is the price, it is more expensive, but how much fuel you really use with your saw during the year? And if you are using chainsaw for living this fuel would be a good investment for health in the future.

https://aspenfuel.co.uk/

RV

 

[LondonNeil]

I wondered how long it would take for someone to say Aspen. It's a good fuel in sure, but ludicrously expensive.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

I used a 661 using aspen, for 1/2 a day milling and I still went home with a headache,
It maybe cleaner ie not have all that petrol has in it, but it's still a petroleum product.

 

[Adamski]

Use a filter face mask that protects against 2k isocyanates fumes. They are pretty hardcore.

 

[force10powertools]

Ive been selling Aspen for about 18 months, it really divides people. I tip out customers fuel before i start work on every tool and fill with aspen. I now spend a lot less time diagnosing fuel faults. Half of my customers whinge and moan at the price yet don't think twice about putting stale petrol in their tool and bringing it back to me a week later. The other half are firm converts and wont use anything else. Personally if i'm doing a lot of sawing ill use pump fuel and switch back to aspen for the last tank of the day so the saws are stored with it in, if i'm only doing a hour or so i'll just run aspen.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

I was told by a friend that you shouldn't swap, and if it's been run on petrol it needs a decoke, as it will knacker it.
I'm open to be told by someone who knows better,

Cheers
Btw, I always said, why pay more, and never use it. Edit: I always run mine dry if I'm not using it for a while.