Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
100% on this.
All of my small equipment gets run dry when it's put away for an extended period (3-months). I never have a starting issue with any of it (the Stihl saw the exception). My Echo leaf blower I usually don't drain and run dry because I use it year round; I keep Stabil in my gasoline for the small equipment. But after 8 years or so the Echo need a new carburetor. The fail on the Echo was the float needle valve de-chromed and bits of chrome got all in the passages. I suspect the ethanol helped the carburetor deteriorate. A good thing in the end really, because the replacement carb has none of the speed adjustment screws capped or tamper-proofed.
The few Stihl equipment I have had recalls because the fuel caps would react with the ethanol and expand and get locked in place.
Most Joe homeowners have no idea how to care for their equipment, let alone read the owner's manual.
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They really don't. The number of engine failures I've seen on relatively new equipment due to being run out of engine oil is staggering. Crazy that someone spends $7,000 on a zero turn mower, and 2 years later they blew the $1500-2000 engine because it ran low on oil. I deal with quite a few small lawn care businesses as well, and those guys are honestly the worst. They buy brand new equipment they can't afford, then don't maintain it and cost themselves money in failures while still making payments. For a lot of homeowners it's just their stuff sits around and the fuel goes bad or mice get into the machines.
Another rule I live by is assume all fuel has ethanol. I've seen E10 gas come from stations that "claimed" to have E0 in their pump.