So what's the current two stroke oil favorite?

[Broken]

I think you hit it the nail on the head about good quality oil. And for now I’m just gonna stick to my 40 to 1
Donnie Walker just posted a video of 661
It may have nothing to do with oil. makes comment that the bearings are not good quality anymore both bearings are gone in it.
He supposed to check the numbers to see how many hours are on it but he thinks it’s all may have only 400 hours on it.

Donnie certainly would know !

 

[qurotro]

Have run snowmobiles , dirt bikes competitively . Torn down a lot of 2 cycle engines . Have ran saws with 16:1 , 24:1 , 32:1 , 40:1 manufacturer recommended ratio's . Today's 50:1 is a EPA . driven recommendation imo . Actually there is no bad oil ratio with a quality oil in a properly tuned saw too the intended application . I run all my Pro grade saws @ 44:1 . I run my homeowner saws at 50 :1 . I run Dominator in my 346 xp , 357 xp & 5105H & 7900 series . However have ran Motul , Maxima , Shell , Castrol & Klotz also over the yrs . Never...Never have had an oil related engine failure !

I hear ya! My pro saw gets 32:1. But trimmer or low power 2 stroke needs 50:1. 32:1 will wet the muffler, I think they are not running hot enough to burn all that oil.

 

[Eagle1899]

Motul 800 @ 40:1 has been my go to for the last two years. Dosen't smell bad and leaves everything coated.

 

[DC1072]

I hear ya! My pro saw gets 32:1. But trimmer or low power 2 stroke needs 50:1. 32:1 will wet the muffler, I think they are not running hot enough to burn all that oil.

I agree with the heat thing.

 

[Broken]

I hear ya! My pro saw gets 32:1. But trimmer or low power 2 stroke needs 50:1. 32:1 will wet the muffler, I think they are not running hot enough to burn all that oil.

Exactly brother , some of the oil burns with the fuel as energy some seals the rings the rest lubricates or fouls (spung) the cylinder ...it all depends on the engine tune & the engine application !

 

[Wood Duck]

I'm a weekend hack. Been running Maxima K2 at 40:1 for a few years in my stock and MMWS saws both without issue. Everything I've peeked at looks clean enough to me, but I'm no saw builder either. I can get Amsoil Dominator for about half of what Maxima costs me looks like, so I'm going that route once I get the rest of this K2 burned up. Luckily, there is a local fuel company that sells non-ethanol fuel still, because finding ethanol-free gas at the pump is pretty scarce in my area these days....

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Over the year's I've Customers have brought me 6 or 7
True oil failures
All had excessive carbon and stuck rings
All from Stihl ultra
I have no idea on age or mix ratio or ethanol free or not
Don't recall any orange bottle issues.

I’d suggest that’s user error rather than the oil.
I wouldn’t use my customers OPE condition as a validation on if an oil is good - most home users who have no idea what they are doing will be part throttling their ope, never truly getting them hot and running dull chains causing their saws to be 4 stroking in the cut. Stihl hp ultra is a good oil, but it needs proper engine operating temperatures and full throttle.

 

[Duce]

I’d suggest that’s user error rather than the oil.
I wouldn’t use my customers OPE condition as a validation on if an oil is good - most home users who have no idea what they are doing will be part throttling their ope, never truly getting them hot and running dull chains causing their saws to be 4 stroking in the cut. Stihl hp ultra is a good oil, but it needs proper engine operating temperatures and full throttle.

It's your equipment, so run what you like. But that oil receives no love from most saw builders.

 

[huskihl]

It's your equipment, so run what you like. But that oil receives no love from most saw builders.

Almost zero residual oil in the bottom end and it doesn’t stay clean with some fuels due to not having detergent additives. As opposed to several different oils that keep things clean regardless of the fuel

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Almost zero residual oil in the bottom end and it doesn’t stay clean with some fuels due to not having detergent additives. As opposed to several different oils that keep things clean regardless of the fuel

That’s interesting you have found that, I get a great oil film and the few saws I have stripped down that I have run with hp are great internally. This oil film picture was after about 4-5 tanks after a new rebuild.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

It's your equipment, so run what you like. But that oil receives no love from most saw builders.

Yeah I haven’t found many that like it!

 

[huskihl]

That’s interesting you have found that, I get a great oil film and the few saws I have stripped down that I have run with hp are great internally. This oil film picture was after about 4-5 tanks after a new rebuild.

View attachment 348452

There is always oil on the piston, even using vegetable oil for mix. But I’ve never seen any sort of puddle in the bottom of the crank case after they sit for a week,. Usually the crank lobes and rod appear to be dry even

 

[huskihl]

I just happen to be porting a local’s MS361 today. I have ported a couple saws for him and I know that he was running 100 LL from the airport and Stihl Ultra in the grey bottle at 50:1. Saw has been sitting on my bench in the upright position for approximately 6 weeks. I just pulled the cylinder off and thought I would take some pics

 

[farminkarman]

I just happen to be porting a local’s MS361 today. I have ported a couple saws for him and I know that he was running 100 LL from the airport and Stihl Ultra in the grey bottle at 50:1. Saw has been sitting on my bench in the upright position for approximately 6 weeks. I just pulled the cylinder off and thought I would take some pics

View attachment 348459 View attachment 348460 View attachment 348461 View attachment 348462 View attachment 348463

Yeah…kinda looks like zero oil in the bottom. An ms362 I recently worked on that was run on ultra actually had some hints of oil in the bottom end. Owner said they run 40:1 ultra w/ 91 e-free. The piston crown, ring grooves, and exhaust port were nasty…real nasty.

 

[huskihl]

As opposed to an MS362C that was run at 40:1 on 100LL and Red Armor

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

As opposed to an MS362C that was run at 40:1 on 100LL and Red Armor

View attachment 348464 View attachment 348465 View attachment 348466

WOW! Now that’s eye opening! Thanks for that, that’s crazy…

 

[huskihl]

WOW! Now that’s eye opening! Thanks for that, that’s crazy…

Ultra appears to be a fine lubricant. I don’t ever see much smearing or scoring in a properly running saw if it was just in for port work. But it’s migration properties aren’t the greatest in my opinion

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Ultra appears to be a fine lubricant. I don’t ever see much smearing or scoring in a properly running saw if it was just in for port work. But it’s migration properties aren’t the greatest in my opinion

Really interesting, thank you sharing the pictures. I have 200mls of ultra left and although it’s all I have used for the last few years in both my own equipment as well as anything I service and repair, I’m going to try something different. Those red armour pictures gives me a perspective that I haven’t seen before. I can’t get red armour here in Australia, sadly so I may try the other popular choice of Amsoil saber. Hmmm

 

[Squareground3691]

Really interesting, thank you sharing the pictures. I have 200mls of ultra left and although it’s all I have used for the last few years in both my own equipment as well as anything I service and repair, I’m going to try something different. Those red armour pictures gives me a perspective that I haven’t seen before. I can’t get red armour here in Australia, sadly so I may try the other popular choice of Amsoil saber. Hmmm

Here’s some oil should be able to get and it very good .

 

[DC1072]

That’s a big difference from ultra to red armor.
Thanks for sharing those pics