Curious as to everyone's method of winterizing chainsaws and other small engines. My dealer recommends putting the 25dollar bottle of motomix. I will not spend that much money especially since I will likely use most of my small engine equipment during the winter a time or 2. What do you guys do? I have heard running dry is done often. I have heard that running every 30 days to keep the gas from gelling in the carb is a good method. I also have heard people will just dump out the fuel and put machine on its side. I am leaning to just running every few weeks. So if I choose that method, is there a downside to potentially having the full tank of fuel I have in it now not being used up other than to start up here and there for a few months. Will that mix go bad in the tank over a few months. Just want to baby all my equipment. Thanks in advance for the input.
I was wondering about this also. I do most my cutting, splitting storing and hoarding in the winter months. Works better for me. To hot in summer, no chiggers, ticks, poison ivy, and sweat! I use Sta-Bil or simmilar in all my gas cans (2 or 4 cycle). In summer when not in use some say to run it out of fuel and some say leave fuel in. I've done both. Not sure myself which is best. One guy heard if left empty, it would dry out filter and damage or shorten life of it. If left for over a month or so, I usually dump it out and use fresh. But with the price of fuel, I have used it in my 2 cycle weedeater that will run on older fuel okay. My Stihl seems to like fresh fuel, better. I would like to baby all my equipment better, but there just don't seem to be enough time to. And the older I get it seems, the clock speeds up! Except at work! Have a good day!
50/50 mix of anti-freeze and call it good... If you are using ethanol free gas and a stabilizer you should be fine leaving fuel in for a while. Personally, if it is not going to be used in the next 30 days it is drained and run dry.
Mine get run for spurts all year round.... So i dont do any thing. Every once in a while ill use a special attitive in my mix can to make me feel better... But thats it. I always leave tanks full... But to the top. On saws ive had awile... Ive let them sit 6 month before... Still no probs. Like i always say.... Do what makes you sleep all cozy in bed at night !
I was advised to put stabilizer in all the gas I bring home. The folks that seldom me my equipment say that our gas is the number one reason for shortening the lives lives of small engines. With stabilizer, most of my small engine tools start on the first or second pull year after year.
I drain fuel, start and let it run the gas out of the carb. Put a little squirt of mix oil down the plug hole, pull it through. I store saws for the winter where it stays above freezing and off concrete.
My mower gets a tank full of fuel with Seafoam the last time I mow. I don't bother topping it off since it can't be filled to the top, thanks to EPA regs. My weed whacker just goes in a corner, nothing special. Fresh gas in the spring and all is well. I shut the gas off on the tiller and run it dry. My generator gets run for an hour or so every 4-6 weeks. I use Seafoam in that as well, but I shut off the gas and let it run dry. The BS v-twin always starts on the second or third pull if the battery is dead. The float in my splitter carb sticks occasionally, so when I'm about done for the day I run it dry. Usually I can get the cylinder retracted before it dies. It gets stored inside, so I don't worry too much about that unless it will be sitting for weeks. My saws get used year 'round. There is ethanol-free gas about 20 minutes from here. I just acquired a few more non-CARB compliant cans, so I may start doing that since I'll be able to get about 25 gallons at a time.
