What oil is best? and what ratio?

[huskihl]

More food for thought from a logger's point of view: 3 gallons of mix per day = 12oz of oil per day. 10 days (2 weeks) per gallon of oil (head math...bear with me), so 25ish gallons of oil used per year. Even a logger needs a vaca, so call it 20 gallons per saw per year. $12 wally world oil = $240 per year for oil. Multiply that cost by 5 for really good oil (or average oil buying by the qt or pint) and he spends $1200 per year on oil. The $960 he saves on oil buys him a new saw. I'm not advocating this, but that's why they do it.

 

[foragefarmer]

and 87-octane has to be 10% ethanol in my part of the country... extra oil (I suspect) will never make up for poor gas...(or water); if you take 91-octane pure-gas and add 10%-ethanol, does it give you 87-octane? I wonder...

Ethanol raises octane. It rates at about 99 octane R+M/2.

 

[Terry Hennessy]

lawn boy oil first formulated 2 cycle to a ashless spec in 1971 was SAE 40 back then today it is SAE 30 most oils today are a sae 20 - 30 today.
dad said he didn't see low ash 2 cycle oils till around 1975 and back then the mix for most saws was 16:1,32:1 or 40:1

Viscosity is probably zero after mixing w/ gas, so maybe a moot point? (probably resistance to flow, as compared to water?)

 

[jake wells]

ethanol is just a octane booster the only reason it was used is because the MTBE used before it is banned. ethanol free gas sold here using the replacement for MTBE which is MMT
and that is used in off road octane booster like klotz.

 

[Ron660]

ethanol is just a octane booster the only reason it was used is because the MTBE used before it is banned. ethanol free gas sold here using the replacement for MTBE which is MMT
and that is used in off road octane booster like klotz.

91 and 93 non-E is common in my area

 

[jake wells]

91 and 93 non-E is common in my area

87 and 90 is all you can get here.

 

[bwalker]

I got to stay at 32:1 for some of my stuff because of the fixed carburetors.

Lawnboy duraforce motora are very sensitive to oil ratio. I woukd never venture from 32:1 on that engine.

 

[bwalker]

PIB= ?? Try this, if you missed it... can be an interesting read....
http://www.redlineoil.com/content/files/tech/Two-Stroke Technical Info.pdf

(Not sure I ever hit post, but typed it at least once) short version is, "at what temp/ time, does an oil change from a lube to a goo, or a glue/ sludge?"

I have read that years ago.. Redline is the only oil I would tell anyone to never run. The base stock when combined with a little water turns carb brass black, corrode cranks,.etc. truly terrible stuff.

 

[bwalker]

I agree. But the key is "normal" conditions. IMO 50:1 doesn't leave enough fudge factor for anything outside normal conditions.

So many benefits to running 40:1. Even if your paying say $15 for a quart of 2t oil. It only costs .35 cents more per gallon mixed, to run 40:1. Heck run 45:1 (at least you get 10% more oil than 50:1) cost ya an extra .17 cents per gallon.

Me personally, yeah I'll pay an extra .25-.35 cents whatever for a little added insurance, a faster saw, cooler running saw.

32:1 has always worked well for me for normal conditions. If milling or something of the like 20:1 wouldn't be out of the question.

 

[bwalker]

Also, on the older stuff recommending 16:1, many of the bore surfaces were unplated aluminum. And there was no epa...

I have never seen a two stroke of any age with a bare aluminum bore. Many if the older two strokes had iron or steel sleeves.

 

[bwalker]

ethanol is just a octane booster the only reason it was used is because the MTBE used before it is banned. ethanol free gas sold here using the replacement for MTBE which is MMT
and that is used in off road octane booster like klotz.

While it's true that MTBE and ethanol raise octane their true purpose is to add oxygen content.

 

[bwalker]

I ran into pump gas with MMT while I lived in canada. You can tell because it turns spark plugs a rusty color.

 

[bwalker]

Viscosity is probably zero after mixing w/ gas, so maybe a moot point? (probably resistance to flow, as compared to water?)

Its not a moot point because it's oil alone that lubes your engine, not oil/fuel mix.
Not that I buy into the high viscosity oil argument or the fact that viscosity on a MSDS is indicative of the viscosity of the oil actually in your engine.

 

[P.M.P.]

Has anyone tested (ran and inspected) lucas out?

 

[mdavlee]

Hedgerow ran a bunch of it. His 7900 that was run a year or so on it looked great on the insides.

 

[P.M.P.]

Hedgerow ran a bunch of it. His 7o00 that was run a year or so on it looked great on the insides.

Do you know his formula or ratio was?

 

[mdavlee]

32:1 I'm pretty sure

 

[KenJax Tree]

I've used a lot of Lucas @40:1 with good results.

 

[KenJax Tree]

32:1 I'm pretty sure

Could be but I thought he always said 40:1 FTW!![emoji1]

 

[Magnumitis]

Has anyone tested (ran and inspected) lucas out?

Just started running it.

32:1

Saws seem to like it; I like the lack of odor from it.

Plus its $10/quart locally