Posted: 8/4/2012 5:49:54 PM EDT
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I just want to give the SF a reminder about fuel lines and filters. We all have many power tools. Genny's, chainsaws, trimmers, mowers and more. In the past two years and twice this summer I have had fuel lines on various items split, crack or just plain fall apart. I think its because of the ethanol in the fuel. This morning on my 1999 Ryobi trimmer, the fuel line broke off of the tank and when i removed the in-tank filter to change the line, the filter fell apart in my hand. 3 weeks ago my dad gave me a 2005 straight shaft trimmer that didnt run.... upon figuring it out I found the fuel lines were soft and they melted between my fingers. Last summer the in-tank fuel pick-up on my Stihl Farm Boss melted right in the tank. What I am saying here is that in an emergency what good is a chainsaw or genny that has something simple as a fuel line broken? I am sourcing spare filters for all my stuff as well as a roll of fuel line in the sizes i may need. |
| +1 on that. It is because of the ethanol... I just replaced the gas line on one of my chain saws. The others are only a year old and should be good for a while. I should probably pick up a couple rolls of line but truth of the matter is, I will probably use up all my fuel before the lines become an issue as I use all my saws all year long so I will know if there is a problem... I only keep about 15+ gallons of gas on hand so hopefully my three saws can last that long should SHTF. |
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I run only canned race fuel in my small engines: It has STOPPED this sort of thing from happening
(and the equipment runs a LOT better too) I do keep 10ft of every size fuel line from the little-bitty stuff to 3/8" in stock, and a handfull of inline fuel filters too. (it's over $100 in spare hose, but I don't have to worry if I've got it or not.) |
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I bought a walmart weedeater last year, forget the brand but they carried it and it actually did a decent job. This year, middle of year, its little primer bulb died. I need to take it off to get a replacment. I tried just bypassing it but the sucker helps meter fuel or something and I can't get the weedeater to run worth diddly squat. The lines are also not in that great a shape for being a year or two old. I buy the fuel without ethanol but I am still having issues so I wonder if a load of ethanol fuel got into the mix somehow? Fuel lines, filters, and primer bulbs are what I am working on having in stock. |
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starbrite fuel treatment. Ethanol sucks, they knew it was no good and sold it to us anyway, adds to the disposable economy I use Starbrite in everything and I am not impressed at all. At $4 a bottle on sale I bought 10 bottles because i heard how great it is. I was not buying non ethanol fuel, because i was treating it with the above mentioned blue colored snake oil. Many of my gas powered items are older and all these years they ran without fail, then in the past two years after being exposed to ethanol blended and treated fuels for the past 4-5 all my fuel lines and related fuel system parts are failing. This is nothing new, look at what has happened in the marine industry and across the board in the small engine industry. Look at the plastic parts in your carbs. The choke shafts are usually plastic. I had to rebuild 1 carb this spring because the choke plate shaft broke/melted. I am looking forward to repairing all my gas engines soon (sarcasm). It was in my tiller, an item that was valuable to me as a prep item. Do you know how bad it would have been if i had to till my garden by hand or God forbid expand my garden? I really look forward to my genny not starting in the dead of winter cause some government official decided ethanol was a good way to boost the economy. |
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Quoted: I use Starbrite in everything and I am not impressed at all. At $4 a bottle on sale I bought 10 bottles because i heard how great it is. I was not buying non ethanol fuel, because i was treating it with the above mentioned blue colored snake oil. <snip> I really look forward to my genny not starting in the dead of winter cause some government official decided ethanol was a good way to boost the economy buy votes. I don't know of any additive that can make the ethanol go away. I'm not a chemist, but they all seem to be snake oil. And FIFY ETA: Thanks for the tip BTW. I need to stuff a little extra fuel hose in the barn just in case. |
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I was doing some digging, and I have found that "Premium Non-Oxygenated Fuel" is exempt from the Ethanol Requirement, at least in Minnesota.
I ONLY use premium in my chainsaws, weed eaters, all small engines but the lawn mower. The lawn mower has new, ethanol safe fuel lines. I wonder if this is true throughout the country, and why I have thus far NEVER had fuel line problems on small engines that are 5-10+ years old from ethanol related problems. Minnesota Statutes: 239.791 OXYGENATED GASOLINE. Subdivision 1. Minimum ethanol content required. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions 10 to 14, a person responsible for the product shall ensure that all gasoline sold or offered for sale in Minnesota must contain at least 10.0 percent denatured ethanol by volume. Subd. 12. Exemption for collector vehicle and off-road use. (a) A person responsible for the product may offer for sale, sell, or dispense at a retail gasoline station for use in collector vehicles or vehicles eligible to be licensed as collector vehicles, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, or small engines, gasoline that is not oxygenated in accordance with subdivision 1 if the person meets the conditions in paragraphs (b) to (e). If the nonoxygenated gasoline is for use in a small engine, it must be dispensed into a can with a capacity of six or fewer gallons. (b) The nonoxygenated gasoline must be unleaded premium grade as defined in section 239.751, subdivision 4. |