Gas stabililizer for small engines ?

[razz]

Well, it snowed and my new gas snowblower won't start. We bought in in January 2011 and used it four times since then with no difficulty. It needs the oil changed. I started up the engine this week to warm up the oil for draining, it caught and died and won't start again. I didn't use a gas stabilizer in the gas tank so probably it has some problems in the carburetor as a result. Grrrr.

As I looked at all the gas engines that need maintenance around here, I suddenly realized that stabilizer has not been added to the gas tanks of the rototiller, the log splitter, the old lawn mower and the emergency generator. I need them operational.

What gas stabilizer is best for small engines? Do you add it each time you top up the gas tank? How long could the gas remain stable between uses? I have phoned someone who is supposed to pick up the machines and do the maintenance on them soon. I looked at the instructions, the challenges in cleaning each carburetor and reassembling and decided that my life has limits for doing this.

This is part vent and part need for info. TIA

[spirit]

I use STA-BIL. Since I started the ritual a couple of years ago, all my fuel related problems have disappeared. I suspect the problem is really the ethanol added to the gasoline. Also, my experience is that the smaller the engine, the bigger the potential problem.

I add it to the gasoline when I buy it as recommended by the STA-BIL manufacturer.

[Alan]

Over the years I've learned to take certain precautions for all engines, small or large, during periods of no use. I always ensure that the gas tank is full, which will minimize condensation, and use a quality fuel stabilizer to keep things from gumming up. Just remember to run the engine for a short while after adding to give the additive a chance to move through the fuel lines and carburetor. This is especially important when using gasoline containing ethanol.

I use Sea Foam Motor Treatment in all my small engines, as well as in the motorcycle and motorhome, which sit un-used seasonally. During periods of regular use, I believe it's not necessary.

I can't speak for the longevity of additives in general, but Sea Foam is supposed to work for up to 2 years. I'll have to take their word for that since I've never gone that long without refreshing the gas in an engine.

[SteveinMN]

I've been using Opti 2, which I get at my local Ace Hardware store (most likely available elsewhere). It's oil and fuel stabilizer premeasured and sold by the packet in a size that treats a gallon of gasoline at typical small two-stroke fuel/oil/stabilizer ratios. It's probably cheaper to buy a bottle of STA-BIL and a bottle of two-stroke oil, but it certainly is not simpler for me. I tired of doing the math and pouring liquids into measuring spoons to get the ratio correct. My snowblower is the only piece of power equipment I own and can't hold more than about half a gallon, so the additive amounts were quite small.

I just empty the packet into my gallon of fuel, mix it up, and then just add the fuel to the snowblower as needed. I go through only a couple of gallons of gas each year. The Opti 2 is supposed to stabilize for up to two years. Not an issue for me as I go through it sooner than that.