Is fuel stabilizer necessary?

Guilty as charged. I often use my lawn mower deep into fall to pick up fallen leaves, and usually it gets too cold (or snowed) to work on it. It gets shoved into the shed until spring.

 

I've been a longtime user of certain chemicals like Sta-Bil Storage & BG 44K fuel (system) injector cleaner, these types of additives have proven themselves effective time & time again for me.

Currently I occasionally use Lucas Safeguard* Ethanol treatment when I fill up with my Costco top tier E-10 gas.


Rob43

* Same performance as Sta-Bil 360

 

It does come with low fuel warnings, just like non-plug-in cars.. And the folks who stretch out full tanks that long would likely have a couple months of warnings before actually reaching fuel starvation.

 

I just unplug mine.

 

Yeah, I hear you. If my lawn is small and well maintained I would switch to an electric mowers. I really don't have lawn. I just have big yard with weeds and mostly woods.

 

My mower just won't die. Was hopeful when the metal flange holding the wheel snapped from fatigue, but the wife took it to a metal shop to weld it back together.

 

Same here.

 

Would having winter gas vs summer gas make a difference in stability?

 

In a sealed car tank, no. You might have some more hydrocarbon emissions coming off the car with winter blend during the summer, but a car's full emission system includes components to reduce those by keeping them in the tank. The gasoline used for emission and fuel economy testing isn't something available at a gas station.

Keep in mind that gasoline formulations are designed to work with the old, dirty cars still on the road. Some of which still have carburetors.

 

I probably shouldn't mention this, but some of these replies remind me of the tiger-proof fence I have in my back yard. It has been effective time and time again in keeping tigers out of my yard.

 

Lol, tigers are dangerous....


Rob43

 

I just have a rock for that.

 

I have cars that only get out of the garage every two years and I usually don't put anything in the gas and they run fine. I always hear about old stale gas but I can't prove it. This year my 2003 Grand Marquis with 25,000 miles hits the road again after being stored in my back garage after two years. I have to have it pollution inspected that is why. My lawn mowers usually don't get anything in the tank either.

 

That's what I'd call gambling, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

I owned a landscape company when I was younger, I know first hand the detrimental effects of E-10 gasoline. Having said that, small 2 & 4 stroke engines and their fuel systems are not completely apples to apples when comparing to the more modern fuel system of the Prime, But...

They're close enough, so problems can & do arise, thus the possible need for specialized chemicals.


Rob43

 

the only additive I use is Lucas Upper Cyclinder Lubricant. It helps to control the rattlingness of this tiny engine.

Its just isobutylene (small traces of other compunds) and an oil carrier.

I know that isobutylene helps with anti knocking.

IIRC... It makes the fluid wetter (chemistry lingo) so helps with more complete burn. but gotta double check on that

But the results all depends on how the air tumbles into the cyclinder. It may help some and may not help at all. Gotta test it out if it works on the Prime

 

Stale gas is a thing that can damage engines. Knew a guy that had the gum deposits from old gas bend push rods.

Now the car was a 1975 Chrysler Newport in which any sealing to the tank, if there was any, was defeated by rust holes in the tank. Oh, and the car and gas had sat for ten years before he got it.

An extreme example, but I would use stabilizer in cars that would sit for over a year. I would also have concerns about other parts and fluids degrading.

 

I am not a good example I know.
For someone who drives a lot it isn't even an issue. Mine is from having too many cars and not putting enough miles on any of them being the problem. I have two cars that haven't been started in years that I will drain the tanks before I start them up.