Evolv-ing Thread

[MikeE3]

My local chain-saw, string-cutter, blower, log splitter dealer (most of the pro's use his shop) recommends this stuff. I've been using it for years in all my small equipment and lawn tractors. He says put a cap full per gallon into your gas container each time you fill it up. I use a bit more as the directions say 30ml per 6 gallons.

Yepper, Ethanol is nasty. Before I started using Star-Tron, I had bought a new Husqvarna blower, the gas-line dissolved the 1st season I had it. But I blame that more on Husqvarna ... ethanol was around for years and they should have used a better tubing for the gas line.

Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment Gas Additive Small Engine

 

[BillW50]

Rejuvenates stale fuel too? OMG, I need to get some of that stuff.

 

[cigatron]

My local chain-saw, string-cutter, blower, log splitter dealer (most of the pro's use his shop) recommends this stuff. I've been using it for years in all my small equipment and lawn tractors. He says put a cap full per gallon into your gas container each time you fill it up. I use a bit more as the directions say 30ml per 6 gallons.

Yepper, Ethanol is nasty. Before I started using Star-Tron, I had bought a new Husqvarna blower, the gas-line dissolved the 1st season I had it. But I blame that more on Husqvarna ... ethanol was around for years and they should have used a better tubing for the gas line.

Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment Gas Additive Small Engine

I haven't tried that one. I've tested Seafoam, Lucas, Stabil and a host of others for the prevention of ethanol residue left over after evaporation and none of them work. EPA Compensating Carbs are found on pretty much every 2-stroke sold in the USA for the last decade. There is a very small non serviceable valve in the carb that automatically reduces fuel flow to the engine as the air filter gets dirtier. This is EPAs enforced solution to prevent an excessively rich running condition when people fail to clean their air filters regularly. That little compensating valve has hair-like fibers inside that when clogged will lean the fuel mixture so much that that engine won't run. Let one or two tanks of fuel evaporate through a 2-stroke EPA carb and it's game over. The ethanolated fuel just plugs them right up. None of the fuel treatments I've tried have worked, maybe Star Tron would work but it's way too exepensive. The cheapest and surest way to prevent the ill effects of ethanol deposits is to just run the engines dry after each use or at the end of each season if the equipment is used weekly.

 

[MikeE3]

The cheapest and surest way to prevent the ill effects of ethanol deposits is to just run the engines dry after each use or at the end of each season if the equipment is used weekly.

Yep ... seasonal equipment like snow blower and push mower I like to run the tank dry or at a minimum shut off the fuel line and run the carb dry.

Well, I've got no way of knowing how effective it is ... I just went on the recommendation of the shop owner. It's seems to have kept my yard tractor, push mower, snow blower, chain saw, hedge trimmer, string cutter, and hedge trimmer trouble free with respect to start-ups and deteriorating fuel lines. Hell for what I pay for fuel to maintain the property a few more bucks for this stuff is Ok by me.

 

[BillW50]

The cheapest and surest way to prevent the ill effects of ethanol deposits is to just run the engines dry after each use or at the end of each season if the equipment is used weekly.

Yeah well I forget and I am doing something like rebuilding coils or trying to cut 18 inch fallen trees with a bow saw. Then I forget what I left in the tank. Especially when I think I am going to use it again soon, but I never do.

It's bad enough I have the recharge my five DJI lithium batteries up to storage charge every two months or they might fall into hibernation mode or worse, worthless. And they cost $150 apiece. Yes they have a charger and a discharger built into each battery pack (no wonder why they are so damn expensive). Okay they are 4 cell and 5400mah I seem to recall (which isn't like $40 batteries), but that doesn't cost $150 either. And leaving one of their batteries alone for 4 or 5 months would likely become worthless.

 

[Steamer861]

Eliminate the ethanol & you eliminate the problem! There is more than one way to do that, easy way like I do, buy fuel with no ethanol Maybe I'm taxing my 4 strokes a bit with high octane fuel? Not a big deal to Me
I agree additives only work to a certain extent. There great for long term storage, but don't help with the rubber degradation & carb issues caused by ethanol
Running all my small engines dry, not an option for me. An empty fuel system is going to rust over the winter months

 

[Steamer861]

I see the drain hole in the Pulse X RTA Looks real small! Wonder how well it will drain?

 

[BillW50]

Running all my small engines dry, not an option for me. An empty fuel system is going to rust over the winter months

Do you live near the ocean? I lived in Hawaii for two years and in California for 6 months and that salt air was a PITA. I had to wax everything every week or it would start rusting. Chrome was the worst since that would rust first.

 

[BillW50]

Do you live near the ocean? I lived in Hawaii for two years and in California for 6 months and that salt air was a PITA. I had to wax everything every week or it would start rusting. Chrome was the worst since that would rust first.

I also lived two years in South Carolina not far from the ocean and I never noticed any problems with rust. But in North America, air generally moves west to east (is this true for those down under?), so maybe the salty air didn't really get into the inland too much.

 

[BillW50]

I see the drain hole in the Pulse X RTA Looks real small! Wonder how well it will drain?

Yeah that one looks a bit different than the illustration that I saw. The hole in the pipe going to the faucets looks the same, but the second hole I saw had a hole in the deck. But yours is a bit different and it isn't in the deck. Maybe they are still working things out until it is really for production.

 

[tiburonfirst]

 

[cigatron]

Eliminate the ethanol & you eliminate the problem! There is more than one way to do that, easy way like I do, buy fuel with no ethanol Maybe I'm taxing my 4 strokes a bit with high octane fuel? Not a big deal to Me
I agree additives only work to a certain extent. There great for long term storage, but don't help with the rubber degradation & carb issues caused by ethanol
Running all my small engines dry, not an option for me. An empty fuel system is going to rust over the winter months

If I could get non ethanol fuel close by I would be using it for all my small engines, unfortunately the closest place that sells it is an hour away.
You won't be harming your small engines by running high octane fuel steamer, as long as they're tuned for it. If not then your small engines may run a little rich, especially the 2-strokes.
Rust in an empty fuel system? Well I suppose that could be a problem with older steel fuel tanks in humid/salty regions. My commercial pressure washer is the only small engine I have with a steel tank, no rust so far over wintering with an empty tank. These days it would be unlikely to find a steel tank on any residential small engine.

 

[dwcraig1]

 

[cigatron]

I see the drain hole in the Pulse X RTA Looks real small! Wonder how well it will drain?

To pool, or not to pool juice in the well after a squonk, a point of contention among squonk vapers since the introduction of bf attys. I like my bf attys to leave a pool of juice in the well, it keeps me from having to squonk so often with high wattage builds. Others like the well empty after squonking, usually those that vape at lower power levels.
Looks to me like the Pulse XL would only pull juice from the well until the nozzle tube empties, after that air would enter the system and leave the remaining juice in the well. If the diameter of the nozzle tube and nozzles is much larger than the juice holes in the well it may not pull much juice from the well at all.

 

[Rossum]

Battery powered Chain Saw? Just wouldn't do for what I need.
The problem with seasonal use small engines is the Ethanol content in the fuel, use a 0 % ethanol fuel & you small engine will start every time

A chainsaw isn't really a seasonal thing for me. It's an occasional, when I need it, I need it right now thing.

I do agree with the ethanol situation. Trouble is it's darn near impossible to find ethanol-free gas in some areas. Here in Florida, you can usually get it at marinas. Near my cabin in the Blue Ridge, no problem; there's a station in town that has both regular and premium "Pure" gas. It's more expensive, but definitely worth it for small engines. Now up in the Philly burbs, forget it.

 

[awsum140]

The whole ethanol thing is a big joke. All it does is drive food prices up and ruin engines. It lowers the octane of gasoline and takes more energy to produce than it returns, or takes to produce an equivalent amount of gasoline. More "feel good" stuff that is totally worthless, no, not worthless, expensive to everyone including the environment it's supposed to help.

 

[Rossum]

The whole ethanol thing is a big joke. All it does is drive food prices up and ruin engines. It lowers the octane of gasoline and takes more energy to produce than it returns, or takes to produce an equivalent amount of gasoline. More "feel good" stuff that is totally worthless, no, not worthless, expensive to everyone including the environment it's supposed to help.

Agree on all points except the octane. Pure ethanol has an R+M/2 octane value of 99, which is considerably higher than any pump gas, so I'm not sure how it could possibly lower the octane of gasoline.

 

[tiburonfirst]

Agree on all points except the octane. Pure ethanol has an R+M/2 octane value of 99, which is considerably higher than any pump gas, so I'm not sure how it could possibly lower the octane of gasoline.

but ethanol has a limited shelf life so once it disintegrates? it would lower the octane in gas because it is originally used to bring up the octane rating. at least that's how i understood it

 

[SlickWilly]

Those tiny chain saw carburetors aren't worth trying to rebuild, IF your successful your not saving that much, a rebuild kit or parts vs a carb that is around $25, at least that the prices I found last time looked for one. I finally tossed both my old chainsaws in the dump last summer and bought a cheap electric from Harbor Freight, I have lots of extension cords. It is a junky looking thing but so far it's worked well enough to impress me, if it dies I won't feel bad, didn't pay much, $40 with coupon I think? At least I won't be pulling my shoulder out of socket trying to start one from old gas ruining a carb anymore.

Now my weed wacker, I've had that one going on ten years I think and it's always started, I have never done a thing to it or anything with the fuel, no additive, no running it dry for the winter, just use it and forget it, next spring it fires right up. But chain saws, always gave me trouble, carbs clogged every year I went to use one, got mad at having to yank on them one day and drove a load to the dump with them both on the top of the pile. I enjoyed giving them a good throw off the trailer!

 

[BillW50]

To pool, or not to pool juice in the well after a squonk, a point of contention among squonk vapers since the introduction of bf attys. I like my bf attys to leave a pool of juice in the well, it keeps me from having to squonk so often with high wattage builds. Others like the well empty after squonking, usually those that vape at lower power levels.

Sounds like the Vandy Vape Pyro V2 RDTA is right up your alley.