Is there a preference on using regular gas over premium, 6 horse Ariens 4 cycle?, using Gas stabilizer a waste of money?

 

A real preference is to use a gas that doesn't have the ethanol in it. Also.... make sure blower is filled with winter fuel as opposed to summer fuel. With fresh gas.... an additive really isn't needed unless you don't drain the tank in the spring.

 

Thanks for your reply
I drain the tank at the end of the snow season

 

I am sure the manual says to use 91 octane, however, not all 91 octane is ethanol free. I have noticed some stations in my area now offer 89 octane alcohol free.

Not a fan of additives, I have drained and cleaned just as many carbs with red/blue and green fuel as I have plain fuel. If all these "Mechanic in a Bottle" were so great, I would never have to clean another carb

 

I've never once seen high octane non Ethanol gas, I keep seeing this myth posted on this and every DIY site.
Any power tool that only gets seasonal or intermittent use needs non ethanol gas, rototillers, generators, as an example.
Only use fresh fuel!
At the end of the season let it run until all the fuel has ran out.
Using regular gas then add an additive that counteracts the effects of the ethanol fuel not something like red Stabil.
It needs to be the blue one instead.
https://www.goldeagle.com/tips-tools...yths-debunked/

 

You need to see more of the country then joe
There are areas of the country that do not even have Ethanol free gas in any form, even aviation fuel.

 

Agreed, we have it here too. Non ethanol available in all grades if you want it.

 

Joe,

Good link. You can even print out a rebate form for your next purchase of Sta-Bil.

Yes, non-Ethanol gas can be had in most metro areas. It costly, it's not readily available and in most cases it you must travel miles to find a station that carries it. AND even non-ethanol gas will degrade over time!

With that said, why bother with the expense and hassle of finding and using non-ethanol? The use of a stabilizer will do the job and make life easy.

For the average user of outdoor power tools, regular gas is fine and with intermittent use or seasonal storage, Sta-Bil or other stabilizers are the way to go.

By the way, questionable gasoline, (not real old stuff but meaning a bit older that you might feel comfortable using in the lawnmower, etc...) can be safely put into a car so as not to waste it or illegally dispose of it. A multi cylinder engine with a quantity of seasonal gas can easily handle a gal or two of older gasoline without incident.
edit...FWIW. Just read some info on the Sta-Bil web site. They recommend NOT to drain the equipment of gas for storage. They claim the moisture in the air will cause rust and corrosion in the engine and carb. Technically that's true, but I found draining the engine and carb has worked for me as opposed to keeping it full. I had to have two carbs replaced/rebuilt due to keeping gas in the unit during off season.

 

I agree with Norm201, using a fuel stabilizer resolves ethanol issues in most small engines - those less than 15 years old.

Beyond that, though, avoiding ethanol related (phase separation) issues without stabilizer is fairly easy. As it takes at least 30 days for phase separation to begin, only keep sufficient gasoline to last a month and add remaining gas in your vehicles. Also, run your snow blower periodically if not used otherwise.

 

Some states have mandatory ethanol content. I can't remember the last time I bought gasoline that wasn't a blend. I run E10 gas in my car and all my power equipment only because I don't have a choice.
That said, the operator's manuals for my snow blower, lawn tractor and portable generator all state that 87 octane with an E10 mix is acceptable. They also all state that using E15 is not and may void the engine warranty.

Winter fuel vs summer - when you go to the gas station how do you know what you're getting?

 

Don't worry about it. Gas stations refill their tanks so often that the blend for seasons is always current. Or current enough that you won't notice a difference.

 

The use of stabilizer is not equivalent to the use on non ethanol fuel in my experience.

 

The only real way I know of is to watch for the price hike just prior to the change as refineries switch over and jack the price a bit for the inconvenience.

If you have gas left over from the summer and try to use it in a snow blower the first cold day...you will notice as you may not be able to get it started with out aid.
If you have gas left over from winter and try to use it the first warm day of spring...you will likely notice a difference..back firing, pre ignition, over heating....

This of course is in reference to small engines and OPE. Auto not so much since they have many more cylinders and efi.

 

I apologize for my poorly worded comment. What I should have said was that winter gas or summer gas you get what the station is selling.

I have used "summer" gas in my snow blower (which gets a lot of use in the winter) and winter gas in my lawn tractor and I have never noticed a difference. The same is true for my generator. In almost 30 years of high performance outboard use I never noticed a difference between the two. I suspect that if there is a significant difference it may be due to location. I know that summer gas is supposed to be more efficient but I think that for the typical user there isn't enough difference to notice.

 

From my understanding the difference in summer vs winter mix is in the volatility. A winter mix for your outboard on a hot summer day could cause the fuel to boil IN the tank.

 

The manual will say it's "acceptable" because 1) it will function, 2) it might be all you can find in your area and 3) things change and it wouldn't be wise to recommend a fuel type that might disappear in 10 years.

Non-ethanol (or treated) is still preferred, IMO. The same problem you get with non-recommended E15 you will have with E10--it just takes a bit longer for the rubber seals to degrade.