I'm sure a lot of you use your saws all winter but it looks like I'm done cutting until spring. I have no real system for storage. Some years I've drained gas, some I've let them sit full. Buddy of mine drains out the gas and fills it up with that true fuel for storage. Another guy I know drains and sprays a little fogging spray in cylinder and carb. I use only non-ethanol gas, maybe just leave it in there? Am I thinking into this too much? What do you guys do?
If you're using e-free gas you'll be fine. The problem with ethanol gas is that the ethanol attracts moisture out of the air, and eventually separates; so it "goes bad" after a time. The trufuel is premixed e-free gas in a can. I still do like to run them out of gas if I'm sure I won't be using it for a while.
I say leaving it in is fine. I use ethanol free gas, but I believe the 2 stroke mix has stabilizer in it. I could be mistaken on that though. Regardless, I have not had any issues.
Like the others, I use ethanol-free gas. And like the others, I don't drain any of my outdoor equipment for the winter, though I sometimes run them dry. So far no problem.
Me and my son get all our saws out and cut a bunch of cookies on a somewhat frequent basis. I keep enough wood laying around to do so. If I were storing them for a prolonged amount of time, I'd run it dry of fuel. Trufuel is too expensive for this guy!
I only use the cheapest ethanol (e10) in all my stuff. It gets used sporadically or seasonally. Some stuff sits out in the elements like my sawmill, every spring that cheap harbor freight predator fires at the flick of the key. If it were long term, I'd run it dry and use fogging oil, its easier on bearings and rings.
This might not be the bestest answer, but I'm not a real saw guy, so................. Bought my first saw about 9 years ago, and have yet to empty the fuel by either dumping or running it out. I do sometime use Sta-Bil, and have no idea if the gas I use has ethanol in it. Probably does. Whenever I need to use the saw, I make sure it has fuel, and after about 3-4 pulls, it starts. Every time. I've replaced the plug once (didn't really need it), and same for the fuel filter. Maybe I've been lucky.
It's like those 100+ year olders when asked "What's the secret?" The response is as likely as not, "I drink two shots of whiskey every evening, and smoke a pack a day ..."
I've only used non-ethanol in both saws since new, and that's what gums it up I guess. There already drained so I'm just gonna keep em like that and throw them in the basement where there's a steady temp, not like the garage where there's constant fluctuations in temp and humidity. I used them a bunch last winter but I'm pretty far ahead and still have 3 cord split that I need to get to my house so I think I'm good till spring.
If I'm not planning on using any of my small engines withing the next 3-4 months, I'll drain the gas, fire it up and let it run until it dies. This goes for chainsaws, weed trimmer, leaf blower, hydraulic splitter, generator, and my dirt bikes when I used to ride. It's easy to add fresh gas and need to use a few extra pulls to get something started, but it really sucks to have to pull the carb and clean it out if you forget and leave gas in there for too long. Some of my larger stuff like my mower I just fill the tanks with fresh 93 octane mixed with Stabil. I normally have to shuffle it around in the shed a few times in the winter so I don't like draining it's tank.
I use 91 octane in all my saws, Stihl oil, and Startron enzymatic ethanol treatment. This is a year round practice, and I keep them filled all winter with little to no use, they never fail to fire!
I try to start everything up periodically, even if its not in use. Mostly e-gas here, wish I still had access to the good stuff. I like my corn in a jar
I was thinking of posting this same type of question but for my splitter. Its a DHT with a 6.5 hp kohler. I wanted to know if it is ok to mix sta-bil fuel stabilizer in with fresh gas and let it sit over the winter. It will be sitting outside covered up and away from wind. So drain it, or fill it up with fresh fuel and sta-bil?
I always use ethanol-free gas in all my small engines and have always had success with making sure the tanks are full before putting them away, even for many months at a time. If it has a fuel shut off I'll shut it off.
The manual clearly says to shut off the fuel flow and run the carb dry .... read that while cleaning the dammed carb on a 20 degree day.
If any of the saws are going to be sitting idle for more than a month,then the gas gets drained back into the can.Same with the soybean/canola oil I use for bar oil.
I have the same splitter. I just filled it with ethanol free, fired it up, turned off gas and ran it till it stopped. Should be fine if you have ethanol free gas. Great splitter. For the short time I've had it it's been great. Have to change oil and hydro filter in the spring. I put a hour meter on it so I could keep track of that stuff.