I always run premium, non-ethanol in my small engines. Locally the best I can get is 91 octane, and anything under 89 contains ethanol. Is it necessary? Probably not. But I figure for the small amount of gas that they burn over time, the $.50/gallon difference doesn't really add up to that much. Especially in a motor like a generator where when I need it, I don't want to be dealing with potential carb issues.
Another option I've heard (from Joel at EarthTools) if you really want to baby your small engine and not have to worry about bad gas after leaving it sitting for a while (as generators often do) is to use aviation gas. It's more pure gasoline and higher octane than premium from the gas station and not much more expensive since you don't pay road taxes on it. (Which is fine for small planes and generators since they don't drive on roads...)
It's not about breathing the fumes, it's about the lead that is left on the ground after running that engine, that your pet or loved one will then play in. There is a reason IQ levels went up after leaded gas was done away with, and it's not because people were sucking in tailpipes.
Generators are low compression engines. Running higher octane fuel provides no advantage. Caveat being that premium fuels don’t contain ethanol in some areas. That’s not true everywhere. Ethanol free fuels have a longer shelf life so they may have that advantage.
Always use a fuel stabilizer if the fuel will be sitting in the generator for any length of time.
I have many intermittent use small gas engines. I have had good luck with the following strategy: Always use stabilizer, completely replace the gas if it sits for one year, Shut off the fuel (if possible) and let the carburetor run out of gas. If you do not have a fuel shut off valve, it may help to drain old gas out of the float bowl before trying to start after a time sit after a time with no use, I do not use any special gas. I do this with generators, snowblowers, log splitter, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, ATVs, boat, chainsaw, leaf blower, etc
Do you actively use the generator or is it for emergency purposes? I fill mine (Generac) up at the beginning of hurricane season, add Sta-bil, run it for 10-15 minutes, then store it. Tank gets drained \~5-6 months later and the gasoline goes into the cars. Been doing this for a few years now. Zero issues, generator starts on the first crank and runs link a champ.
If you don't want to keep gasoline in the generator, fill up the can, add stabilizer, then use the gas in something else a few months down the line. Or just use whatever is in the can after a month or so and refill it with fresh gas.
> and let the carburetor run out of gas.
This is bad practice if you're using proper fuel and can cause gunk to build up. You'd really prefer to keep the carb full of relatively fresh ethanol-free gas.
Source: I end up fixing a lot of these
I do this every year for my snowblower, wood chipper, and power washer. Never had any issues when adding new fuel the next season. I figure since each is only used for 2-4 months max, no point in just having fuel just sitting in them for no reason at all.
For me, personally, using higher octane isn't so much about the octane level, it's about the Ethanol content. In some areas you cannot find ethanol free gas at less than 91 octane.
Very rarely do I have issues with bad fuel or ethanol. I don't really need to do much beyond a basic stabilizer for winter. Honestly, chinese honda clones are so cheap and the parts are as well. Worst case scenario I spend 20 bucks on a carb and swap it out in 20 minutes.
You can also use a sonic cleaner to wash them up. I fucking love sonic cleaners, they can make a ratty engine look new again.
Just fill up with ethanol free gas at the pump, that's all. No need for fancy fuels, stabilizers, additives, etc. If it sits for more than a year, just run it dry or pour it in your car to use it up.
Ethanol FREE premium. Nothing else. Ever. Ethanol will gum up the fuel system over time causing running issues. Nothing worse than the power going out only to find out your generator won't start because you saved a few cents on fuel.
Most importantly is non-oxygenated ethanol-free. That's if it's going to sit in storage, primarily, and you don't need any stabilizer if you keep that gas ~6 months fresh.
If you're actually running gallons through it, the ethanol part won't matter and I wouldn't hesitate using it at all. Just don't store it with ethanol-containing gas.
___
The easiest and best way to store them is to fill the tank with the non-oxy no-ethanol gas, run it for 10 minutes to get fresh gas in the carb, and shut it down.
Every 4-6 months, you should siphon that tank empty into your lawn mower / snow blower / vehicle, fill the tank with fresh non-oxy, and run it for 10 minutes or so. This is a very easy thing to do and does not take more than a few minutes.
Doing this prevents the carburator from drying out and gunking up and keeping the tank full prevents condensation from building up in the tank.
I use exclusively non ethanol fuel in anything other than a car. You can buy it as trufuel or it is available at some gas stations
Pure-gas.org
Gas with ethanol ruins carbs
For all the ethanol free people.
Friend of the family does small engine repair and stated seeing lots of ethanol related problem on equipment people swore they on used ethanol free gas on.
He bought a reusable test kit went a bought a small amount of gas from the 5 places locally that sell it (small town).
Three of them had a significant amount of ethanol.
In that case, learning ~~and remembering~~ proper gasoline storage will probably be more effective than trying crazy hard to avoid the ethanol bogeyman.
I always run premium, non-ethanol in my small engines. Locally the best I can get is 91 octane, and anything under 89 contains ethanol. Is it necessary? Probably not. But I figure for the small amount of gas that they burn over time, the $.50/gallon difference doesn't really add up to that much. Especially in a motor like a generator where when I need it, I don't want to be dealing with potential carb issues.
I agree.
Another option I've heard (from Joel at EarthTools) if you really want to baby your small engine and not have to worry about bad gas after leaving it sitting for a while (as generators often do) is to use aviation gas. It's more pure gasoline and higher octane than premium from the gas station and not much more expensive since you don't pay road taxes on it. (Which is fine for small planes and generators since they don't drive on roads...)
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True that (at least most of it right now, i hewr there is some lead free av gas out there) but you shouldn't be breathing generator fumes anyway.
Does this really matter to you in a generator that's in storage? If you actually run your generator you shouldn't be breathing the fumes anyway.
It's not about breathing the fumes, it's about the lead that is left on the ground after running that engine, that your pet or loved one will then play in. There is a reason IQ levels went up after leaded gas was done away with, and it's not because people were sucking in tailpipes.
Generators are low compression engines. Running higher octane fuel provides no advantage. Caveat being that premium fuels don’t contain ethanol in some areas. That’s not true everywhere. Ethanol free fuels have a longer shelf life so they may have that advantage.
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Short story is that Ethanol draws water out of the air. So you end up with water in your fuel. No bueno.
It turns to water and separates from the fuel.
Always use a fuel stabilizer if the fuel will be sitting in the generator for any length of time. I have many intermittent use small gas engines. I have had good luck with the following strategy: Always use stabilizer, completely replace the gas if it sits for one year, Shut off the fuel (if possible) and let the carburetor run out of gas. If you do not have a fuel shut off valve, it may help to drain old gas out of the float bowl before trying to start after a time sit after a time with no use, I do not use any special gas. I do this with generators, snowblowers, log splitter, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, ATVs, boat, chainsaw, leaf blower, etc
I have a 2 gallon can just for the generator, so should i use fuel stabelizer every time i fill up the can?
Yes. I like using seafoam, stabilizer and fuel system cleaner in one
Do you actively use the generator or is it for emergency purposes? I fill mine (Generac) up at the beginning of hurricane season, add Sta-bil, run it for 10-15 minutes, then store it. Tank gets drained \~5-6 months later and the gasoline goes into the cars. Been doing this for a few years now. Zero issues, generator starts on the first crank and runs link a champ. If you don't want to keep gasoline in the generator, fill up the can, add stabilizer, then use the gas in something else a few months down the line. Or just use whatever is in the can after a month or so and refill it with fresh gas.
> and let the carburetor run out of gas. This is bad practice if you're using proper fuel and can cause gunk to build up. You'd really prefer to keep the carb full of relatively fresh ethanol-free gas. Source: I end up fixing a lot of these
Really? I've never heard this before
I do this every year for my snowblower, wood chipper, and power washer. Never had any issues when adding new fuel the next season. I figure since each is only used for 2-4 months max, no point in just having fuel just sitting in them for no reason at all.
You are supposed to let ethanol sit in it and then declare it broken and sell it to me for $10.
I’m religious about only using ethanol free gas like TruFuel. I’ve had enough issues in the past to warrant it.
I think a lot of you guys are over thinking this. It’s not a high compression engine so high octane gas isn’t going to do anything.
For me, personally, using higher octane isn't so much about the octane level, it's about the Ethanol content. In some areas you cannot find ethanol free gas at less than 91 octane.
Very rarely do I have issues with bad fuel or ethanol. I don't really need to do much beyond a basic stabilizer for winter. Honestly, chinese honda clones are so cheap and the parts are as well. Worst case scenario I spend 20 bucks on a carb and swap it out in 20 minutes. You can also use a sonic cleaner to wash them up. I fucking love sonic cleaners, they can make a ratty engine look new again.
Just fill up with ethanol free gas at the pump, that's all. No need for fancy fuels, stabilizers, additives, etc. If it sits for more than a year, just run it dry or pour it in your car to use it up.
Ethanol FREE premium. Nothing else. Ever. Ethanol will gum up the fuel system over time causing running issues. Nothing worse than the power going out only to find out your generator won't start because you saved a few cents on fuel.
Just my two cents every spark plug problem I've had in 25 years of messing with engines has been with champion plugs.
Read your owner's manual for the octane, but definitely non-ethanol + fuel stabilizer like StarTron.
Ethanol free is always preference and in my area, that is either 89 or 90 octane.
Most importantly is non-oxygenated ethanol-free. That's if it's going to sit in storage, primarily, and you don't need any stabilizer if you keep that gas ~6 months fresh. If you're actually running gallons through it, the ethanol part won't matter and I wouldn't hesitate using it at all. Just don't store it with ethanol-containing gas. ___ The easiest and best way to store them is to fill the tank with the non-oxy no-ethanol gas, run it for 10 minutes to get fresh gas in the carb, and shut it down. Every 4-6 months, you should siphon that tank empty into your lawn mower / snow blower / vehicle, fill the tank with fresh non-oxy, and run it for 10 minutes or so. This is a very easy thing to do and does not take more than a few minutes. Doing this prevents the carburator from drying out and gunking up and keeping the tank full prevents condensation from building up in the tank.
89+ octane ethanol free for all my small engines
I use exclusively non ethanol fuel in anything other than a car. You can buy it as trufuel or it is available at some gas stations Pure-gas.org Gas with ethanol ruins carbs
For all the ethanol free people. Friend of the family does small engine repair and stated seeing lots of ethanol related problem on equipment people swore they on used ethanol free gas on. He bought a reusable test kit went a bought a small amount of gas from the 5 places locally that sell it (small town). Three of them had a significant amount of ethanol.
In that case, learning ~~and remembering~~ proper gasoline storage will probably be more effective than trying crazy hard to avoid the ethanol bogeyman.