I have many tools which rely on small engines…lawn mowers, tillers, augers, ATVs, weed-eaters, blowers, etc.
If you do, you may soon notice that they run poorly or not at all. The 10% ethanol mandate was pushed through with no thought of the possible effects on small engines. Apparently, ethanol and gasoline tend to separate, with the ethanol going to the bottom of your fuel tank. This is wreaking havoc on fuel lines and any aluminum parts, particularly carburetors. Your maintenance costs can skyrocket.
There isn’t a lot you can do about it, with a couple of exceptions:
1. Run your tank completely out before adding fuel. If you run it halfway out, then refill constantly, before long you are running something closer to straight ethanol.
2. When you store your tools, at least in the Winter, fill up your tank. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but the expert i consulted said it is far better to crank up your tools every other week to keep the fule mixed.
Manufacturers are scrambling to catch up, but many are not honoring warranties for engines running this 10% mix. (like you can buy it without)
Good luck!
