premix in a 1qt can or av gas

I am getting more saws than what I use regularly. To avoid the issues of ethanol fuel I have thought about using av gas or the premix in a can. The premix mix is very expensive imo. Baileys has it on sale 8qtz of vp racing feul for about 45$. My stihl and husqvarna dealer sells the husqvarna and stihl for 8$/qt.

There is a saw shop about an hour away that converts saws to run on av gas. lots of folks seem to really like it. Right now they are selling premixed av gas with sta-mix for 5.90/ gal.

What are your all thoughts.

 

What does this "conversion" consist of?

 

Opinions on avgas are all over the place. I look at it as: the saw was designed to run on 89 or 91 Octane, so 100LL is way overboard. I do like ethanol free for less damage to fuel lines and carb diaphragms. I buy e-free 93 Octane because it's the most convenient station and mix with Lucas semi-syn at 40:1.
As for saw conversion to avgas....I guess that means tuning carb leaner cuz avgas runs richer.

You can check for an ethanol free station here: Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

 

Home Depot has trufuel pre-mix for about $23/gallon. During my cutting season I mix my own. During off-season I use the tru-fuel. Tru-fuel is 92 octane ethanol free. During the season I usually run the tank dry. Off-season, with the tru-fuel I don't worry as much.

Seems to work for me.

KaptJaq

 

Hi there, almost neighbor.

Check out this link....there's still quite a bit of e-free gas to be had in Indiana.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

 

There are 2 gas stations within 10 miles of my house that sell 91 e-free. Looks like lukem beat me to the punch in posting the link.

 

Checked out the website. It was very helpful. I guess I was looking in all the wrong places for e-free fuel.

I am not sure how they convert saws to run on av gas but they say once converted, pump gas will kill it fast. So I did not really want to go that route and the premix is around $20+ \ gallon. So thanks for the helpful info.

 

If they lean out the carb adjustment for AV fuel, then pump gas would be too lean and toast the top end in a hurry.

 

I'm an aviation mechanic for 30 years. I see no value in using avgas in a chainsaw. Avgas is a specialty fuel that was designed for one purpose, and the extra cost outside of that purpose is just money wasted in most cases.

The main problem is lead - your saw was (likely) not designed for it, so it is a contaminant to the saw. Lead fouls things up in our aircraft engines as well, despite that they and their oils were designed for it. Lead is also a poison that you should not be breathing.

The higher octane of the avgas adds no value to an engine not designed to need it. Contrary to popular belief, octane does not add performance.

If one built a specialty chainsaw with high compression and advanced timing, the higher octane may be needed, but no daily-use chainsaw would gain from it.

Greg

 

I would not use 100LL or low LEAD on a saw where the air hangs around and you breathe in the ex house fumes regularly its bad enough already!!!

I also would not pay for a conversion for LL fuel that does not exist all they do is tune the saw on it! I can tell some difference in some saws from 91 to 87 E free.

All that said I would not buy canned fuel either personally!! My big saw holds a qt! No way id pay $8 a tank for it!! I burn 4 tanks sometimes cutting wood in a day! I would run E fuel and just drain and run my saws dry. Save the money for carb rebuilds and new rubber when needed there not that much to have done every few years. I have burned 6 gallons that I can think of or so this year so far. That would be something like $200 with tax in fuel!. I think that you could get 3 years easy more like 5 before rebuild was needed and that is a lot of saved money by running E fuel. I think you can pay for new fuel lines and rubber no problem. But if you burn a gallon of gas a year I would use cans.

 

^^^^ This...

Lowes had it on sale for $5 a can the other day.
Very handy stuff.

 

I've used the canned juice from, Lowes, Home Depot, and the Still canned juice as well. All of it works well for me except for the price. Then I used the website listed above and began driving 45 miles round trip for 90 octaine E free. Even with the travel it was less money than the canned stuff. As luck would have it the marina about one mile from my house was sold and the new owners installed 90 E free marine fuel pumps. Now I can just skip down the street for 5 gallons and mix it with some good synthedic two cycle oil and it's off to the races. I've used about 15 gallons in both saws and small 4 stroke engins and so far all is gooder.

 

Yep, I have a E-free station close to me as well. Use it for all my small engine equipment around the house.

 

I use E free pump gas in all my saws and ATV and sometimes in mower but I installed a fuel cutoff and that solved its issues with e fuel sitting in it for weeks.

 

I use it on weed wackers and things like that as well. Also on my buddies splitter when I borrow it.

 

I found e-free gas close to my house a year ago. I buy it 2.5 gallons at a time. I use it for all 2 stroke equipment, and my small gas engines- generator, pressure washer, push mower and my ATV (it doesn't get used much-changed the oil today-119 miles and 20 hours in the last 3 years.)

 

You use it in all that stuff and only buy 2.5 gallons at the time!!! You must buy it often? I buy saw gas 2 gallons at the time usually and I am not really a big user of it!!

 

You can buy 5 gallons cans of VP or trufuel for $50-75 depending on who carries it. Just search around a little and maybe you can find some. eBay has it for $75 delivered in 5 gallon cans or $99 for 6 1 gallon cans of VP 94. Then mix as needed.

 

I only use about 5 gallons of mix a year between the saw...blower...and trimmer.