Hey Y'all! Thanks for watching! Just a side note.. I know many other TH-camrs have recommended what they use and don't. There are other great brands out there. I just want you to know what I have found to work for me. When I say short term storage, we're talking over winter, like 6-8 months. I do not trust any fuel stabilizer to last what they actually say, 2-3 years. Whatever they are doing to our ethanol fuel these days, BIG GOV doesn't want it to last...
Stabil usually says in its instructions that the maximum time it can stabilize fuel is half a year at best. Not years like you're asking. Remember as well that the United States is finally trying to catch up to cutting emissions as it is the biggest polluter on the planet currently. Looking at a per-person average pollution, my country of Canada isn't much better.
Thank you for providing this educational content, and yesterday, my WONDERFUL wife and I were at Sam's Club in Saginaw, Michigan and heard your theme song at the beginning of your videos and I was looking all around television 📺 area but didn't see your videos playing and then I realized that it was coming from the store pa background system 😅
I've used mechanic in a bottle for a while on all my equipment. It will clean gunk left by ethanol in a carb, if you pull the plug and pull the rope a few times to get it into bowl, then let it set a few days. Put plug in and try it.
I'm a retired/disabled mechanic that works on a lot of neighbors small engines every spring. My recommendation for equipment storage? drain the fuel tank and run the equipment until the carb runs dry. It's the only way to be sure.
Correct- But ADD A SMAL AMOUNT OF 2 Cycle Oil Into A 4 STROKE Fuel Tank Of Gas Before Running It DRY TO STOP HUMIDITY CORROSION IN A DRY CARBURATOR : )
@@thomashowlett8295 lol. All I could do was read your last sentence in the voice of the Lt. in the movie Aliens. He was parroting back Ripley’s statement, ‘take off and nuke the site from orbit…it’s the only way to be sure’.
I've used stab-bil in all my small engines from atv's to tillers. I've been extremely happy with the product. I haven't had any issues at all with the fuel gumming up my machines. When spring comes after a long winter storage my machines always start right up every time. That is all I ask out of a fuel stabilizer. Don't care about water I just care about results. Just my honest opinion. Love your channel, it's always the first place I turn to when I'm stuck on a problem.
I regularly use it to store gas up to two years at my bush camp. You can tell there is degradation but nowhere near an untreated batch. I think a key component is the vessel you store it in.
I was a manufacturer's representative for several years calling on the largest group of independently owned auto parts stores. Ethanol Shield is a great product.
@@nicknick2350 What do you think gasoline has in it? There are quite a few additives in it. Also, speaking of antifreeze, just buy a six-pack of gas line antifreeze, same price as one small bottle of ethanol shield and just as effective.
Less air in the tank also reduces the potential for fire from fumes/vapor. The more gasoline vapor escapes into the air the greater potential for ignition.
I have used Stabil Marine 360 for close to 20 years now and never have had carburetor problem. From chainsaws, to outboards, inboards, lawnmowers, ate's, etc. never a problem. I keep 50 gallons of gasoline on hand at all times and never a problem with the stored fuel. This is in New England.
I’ve ran a 15 gallon test with E10 gasoline that was stored with Marine Stabil. It was stored in the red 5 gallon plastic gas cans, under a lean to that was 100% exposed to the elements and the gas cans were in the sun about 2 hours each day. These gas cans were stored for 1 year. The test equipment was a 2018 KIA Niro hybrid. I monitored ignition timing via a Scan Gauge II. Any loss of octane would be seen as timing being pulled by the factory computer. I ran all 15 gallons through the car and saw zero problems, driveability was 100% like normal, and the ignition timing was just like normal. That was my test. So I now rotate my fuel every year just to be on the safe side, and all stored fuel is treated with Marine Stabil.
I have a 250 Gal. bulk storage gasoline tank that I use for 2 vehicles and all small engines. It will last about 2 months before needing to be refilled. I always get Non-Ethanol. When the gas company comes out to fill it , I always recirculate 1 Qt. of Sta-Bil 360 Marine (treats 320 Gals. , so the label says). Totally unnecessary to do so I presume but kinda gives me a little psychological assurance. The last bottle I bought of S-B 360 Marine was black. It's supposed to be blue. I figured out how to decifer the date code on the bottle , and concluded that it was from 2018. This was in 2024. I added it in the tank anyway. Haven't had any problems with it. The psychological assurance of adding a Qt. of Sta-Bil evolved into a psychological fear of adding a Qt. of Sta-Bil. Anyone else seen it turn black ? Does it have a shelf life ?
I used to work for a major refining company and we have discovered that ethanol is a water scavenger and actually attracts water which makes it impossible to prevent its formation without a costly additional additive. Refiners are not in the business to store gasoline, but rather ship it as fast as it's blended because of its perishable nature. We as consumers do store gasoline on a limited basis and a stabilizer does help a little to keep the fuel components from separation, but that whooshing sound when a gasoline can is opened are the light hydrocarbons escaping. As for the water, your additive collects the water and by volume holds it in suspension as you described, but it's still there. Great video!
Interesting video. I have many engines to maintain. I called and talked to stabil a while back and they said the regular red stabil is good for 2 years, and the blue marine 360 is good for 1 year but has a reaction that outgasses and fills the fuel tank with fumes that protect a metal tank from rusting. They are good for different things. They both seem to work great for me for 20 years and dozens of cars, motorcycles and small engines
I also have used Sta-Bil for as long as I can remember. I use it in my portable Honda hurricane generator, and after every season I just burn the gas in my lawnmower. That generator never fails to start. Now does it remove water, that's a good question.
I have been using stahbil along with ethanol free gas for years and haven't had any issues. Now i dont use it for removing water but to keep the fuel from going bad over the winter. The longest i had not used any equipment was alittle over a year and it started up fine with no issues. Nice to know about this product tho. Thanks for the informative video.
The biggest thing from my perspective and experience is that you use real gas😂. The trouble that ethanol has caused is tremendous (from my experience/ perspective/ thoughts). It is a horrible sham that has cost millions to the good people who don’t understand, and/ or afford gas. I use just regular during the mowing season, but finish with the good stuff at the end. My chainsaws and RC engines always get premium with great oil. No issues since being firmly committed to this plan. Former caterpillar, helicopter , airplane, boat engine mechanic.
What I do every year is ,always mix in some carb cleaner or injector cleaner in the gas.Run the small engines till empty and a full fresh load of gas every spring.Some small engines ,I bought shut off valves for and run the engine till empty after each use.Worked for 45 years,never a problem.
I’ve used it at the recommendation of a guy that sells small engine equipment and farm equipment. I’ve noted first hand that it does what it says. Have a small generator that was stumbling a bit. Used Star-tron and ran it. Let it sit overnight and ran it again. It cleaned it up. Been using it since and it has made me a believer. My small engines all seem to start with no issue even if I happen to leave the fuel in them for a couple months or (sometimes) longer.
Pretty sure star tron didn't live up to its claims in the testing taryl fixes all did on a bunch of these products. It beat some, but still fell short if I remember correctly. And startrons marketing it as having enzymes seems like a lie.
I've been using the original red Stabil since 1985 in all my small engines. I have never had a problem no matter the age of the gas or whether it was stored in the tank for the machine or in any old gas can. I have never done anything to "winterize" the equipment. I have no idea how or if it handles water. All I know is the engines always start on the first or second try. The gas can for my push mower was at least 4 years old before I finally used it up. No issues.
Same here - 20+ years and not one single problem in lawn mower, weed whacker, pressure washer, snow blower, backpack blower, motorcycles, boats, and wave runner. If you're worried about water, just dump a small jug of gasline antifreeze (Isopropyl alcohol) into your tank before running it again - I haven't had to do this in any engine yet, though.
Same here I had 2 year old gas treated with stabil and wasn’t sure if I should use it but did try some in the lawnmower and never had a problem even with the whole 4 gallon supply that was used til it finished 👍
I have worked in the marine business for 50 years and used the marine sta bil and never had any trouble! The dealer I work for normally winterizes about 1500 boats each fall. My last boat I had for 20 years used marine sta bil and never had any fuel problems. STA BIL works!!!!!!!
Ive personally used that stabilizer that's red and it is EXCELLENT ive stored gas for over 4 years and it works perfect the vehicle didn't even lug down like regular gas and as a plus I put it in my gas tank on my truck when I get gas because my mileage drastically increases and makes the engine really peppy it must clean the injectors of varnish and trash. It has really impressed me.
I used the red stuff over one winter in my motorcycle, and the next spring I top off the tanks, went for a ride where I was stranded when the bike stopped running. Injectors were gummed up. The way the mechanic explained it to me was that the fuel stabilizer (red) had ethanol in it too, and that ethanol attracts water. When the water and ethanol mix, it becomes a gummy varnish. He recommended I should use the green, marine type as it was ethanol free. Not sure how true it is, but it sounded reasonable. Glad you’ve had better results than I did. I guess that’s a case of YMMV. Take care.
Here in Minnesota, I've been using non oxygenated (no ethanol) gas, putting Seafoam in and running the engine to make sure the Seafoam makes it to the carbs or injectors, last year my snowblower gave me troubles when I took it out, so this spring I ran it dry before putting it away, it will be interesting if it starts easily, but I also have to store a motorcycle and a lawn tractor and will use Seafoam with both
I am the Repairman for a large Lawn & Landscape company. Got 46 years of small engine repair shop behind me. Four cycle equipment at our place = 30 days = nothing, leave the fuel in it. Anything longer than that = drain fuel out the bowl with the unit tilted to get as much out of the tank as possible. Then completely refilled with Stihl 50-1 2-cycle mixed gas. Started, run for 10-15 minutes, then drained again same way. It's perfect. Stuff could and has sat idle 5 years, been refilled with straight 87 oct. ethanol = goes on the first pull. After explaining to Boss how unlikely 2-cycle fuel is to hurt a snowblower (beyond not vaporizing as well in cold weather as well as straight gas) We agreed to run our 4-cycle snow blowers on 2-cycle gas. Just drain them when done with winter = perfect.
This is one of the best bets as the oil will keep all the non-metal parts from drying out and shrinking and causing issues. I did this years ago when they started this crazy ethanol stuff with all the 4-cycle gas equipment at the house and never had any issues other than some smoke on start up.....which was always quick and easy.
I started working in the middle 1960s on all kinds of engines and vehicles. I try to still learn and enjoy your channel. We started sitting up some fuel injected vehicles and used the Sta-Bil treatment. They sat for 9-12 months because we were out of state. This was back in 2009 and again in 2011. They did start up quickly and haven't needed any fuel work. Maybe I was lucky, but it seems it worked well enough. I have bought this new fuel treatment for my 3 generators when Hurricane season ends in November here in Houston.
I live in Canada, lawn mower goes in the shed in November,(after mulching). Take the battery out, slow charge it and store it in the basement. April, I put the lawn mower away and put the mower in the garage. Change oil, filters, sharpen and balance blade, clean the deck and remove grass clumps, spray it with light oil, put the blade back on, store in the shed, til spring. It’s 10 years old already. New blade due next season.
So I did just as you said about putting oil in my fuel tank last year. And guess what it worked. Yea!!! I'm a career firefighter and I we have issues a lot of times with our chain saws and K-12 saws not wanting to run. I will recommend ethanol shield over the Stabil. Thanks for all your great information you pass along on TH-cam. Have a great weekend.
I have used Sta-bil for 15 years. The only years I had any problems were the years I forgot to use it. I put the required amount in my gas can before I put gas in, so I don't need to shake 5 gals of gas. Try cleaning out a carb in a garage in -2 degree temp on a snowblower first thing in the morning, so I could get my SUV back in the driveway because it slid out into the street overnight.
Back during the change-over from leaded to unleaded, Standard oil advertised 'iceguard' in their fuel. It was just ethanol before it was mandated. Ethanol is alcohol and the alcohol molecule is smaller than a water molecule so the alcohol can fit inside the water molecule. This 'joining' keeps the water from freezing at 32 deg and helps the water "burn" in the cylinder.
Thanks Chickanic. Star Tron Enzyme fuel treatment is some pretty Great stuff too. Used it for years, engines always fire right up after several months of storage. It's all I use now.
Nice video Chickanic, the stuff I’ve always used to remove gasoline is isopropyl alcohol. Not the 70% you get at the grocery store, but the 99% stuff. That is a little harder to find. I have used the 90% in a pinch, but you are literally pouring some water into your tank. Now for a bit of chemistry. The reason water will not mix with oil (or gas) is because water is a polar molecule and oils are nonpolar. The polar parts are water are very attracted to each other and that will push them away from everything that isn’t polar. That is why water beads up on a waxed car. It will defy gravity to stay together. The beauty of alcohols is that they are mostly nonpolar, with a slightly polar ‘tail.’ Most of the body of the alcohol will happily exist in the nonpolar oil (or gas) and the little polar tail will attract the polar water molecules. Isopropyl alcohol is perfect for this. In fact, it is so soluble in water, you can have any kind of mixture. From 1% water with 99% isopropyl to 99% isopropyl with 1% water. The 70% rubbing alcohol you can buy in the store is the same stuff as 99% isopropyl, with some water added. Every once in a while, I’ll pour a pint of 99% isopropyl in a full tank of gas in my car and run it to mostly empty. The alcohol will mix with whatever water is in the tank, and it is collected and burned in the engine. Not sure how this will exactly help someone with a small motor they are getting ready to store, but maybe you can derive something from that bit of information. I’ll bet if you take a sniff of the Ethanol Shield, it will smell like rubbing alcohol.
Your "fill it with oil" trick sounds 100% believable. I saw a mechanic on here that was working on a boat that had been recently sunk and recovered and was trying to preserve its value/triage. Step 1) drain the engines of all the salt water and oil that's left in them. pull the filters, injectors, bar it over, etc make sure it's empty. step 2) fill the entire thing all the way to the top with diesel. with no plans on being able to run them any time soon, diesel is oil... any water remaining on parts, in the rings, clinging on cams, etc etc is displaced, and the metal is coated and protected... blew my mind.
I've run Marine 360 for years and all my motorcycles, snow blower, lawn mower run great every year. Even when sitting in an unheated garage...My lawn mower is over 20 years old and still runs as strong as day 1.
I bought a pressure washer a few years ago that said warranty was void if I don't use ethanol shield. I assumed it was some sort of kickback deal. I added it to my gas can, happened to use the same gas in my lawnmower. The next spring when I cranked up the ol lawnmower, it fired right up. ( I usually have hard time starting after winter) use it religiously ever since then. Thanks for the video
I have used stabil for decades Lawnmower, snowblower, power washer, generator 4 cycle Weed whacker, leaf blower, chain saw 2 cycle All machines start no issue after seasonal service
Perfect timing! I was just starting to think on putting some things in long term for the winter. I have a LOT of gas equipment on the homestead. Never knew this product existed, thanks so much!
I’ve used Stabil for decades in my 2-cycle equipment and for the last 6+ years simply run dry the engines with no problems come spring! This includes both the older Stabil as well as the most recent. ALWAYS, religiously run your equipment dry before storing it!
did exact same test with Seafoam, got exact same results, basically in front of my eyes it was in the gas out of carb bowl. a few drops and mixed gone .. Nice to see it in action Thanks
I enjoy your videos. I'm in Montana and get firewood every year. I use a Stihl for over 30 years now with few problems, Except when I loaned my saw out (once). Usually i just fill up the fuel and oil for storage and have had no problems with Stihl equipment. You have to forgive my heathenness for the following reasons: I'm a man, I figure if a girl can do this then it can't be hard and I a 74 year old disabled Marine. This is proof that I'm a little stubborn! I'm hoping The you take this with the humor intended!! The 07 in my name is the year Corvette I owned in the past. Have a great day!
Dear Chickanic, thank you! For all of the wonderful advice and videos you provide for us newbie's to much of this. The detail you provide is much appreciated and has been incredibly helpful! Your husband is a lucky man as you are incredibly smart at things that most men would be proud/excited to know, direct, easy on the eyes and real. Blessings to you and yours! Fred
I use stabil on my daughter's generator I got for her 4 years ago, she never ran it until Helene hit and it started on the second pull. I have used it in all my lawn equipment and my motorcycles for the last 30 years and never had an issue.
I do use stabil but I do try to run the equipment every 3-4 months for about 15-20 minutes. So far so good. Learned the hard way of not draining or using a product. A lot of cuss words and Amazon packages were needed.
I don't base my evaluation of how effective a FUEL STABILIZER is on how much water it absorbs. Water in a fuel system is the easiest contaminate to remove. I want the fuel itself to stay viable over the winter. For this, I have relied on Sta-Bil for decades. If water is a problem, then HEET takes it out. I have found that two-stroke pre-mix seems to have far fewer problems from long-term storage than does straight gas such as is used in my four-stroke equipment.
My son was a Honda certified mechanic for years, they sent out a technical bulletin to advise the mechanics to use startron for every carb and fuel injected motorcycle or water craft, I myself have been using it for years, just got the toto stump grinder out after sitting for over 2 years, tilted it back and used a baster to draw fuel out of the bottom of the tank, Absolutely No water, turned the gas on and let it run out of the bowl drain , no water. Buttoned it up and 2 pulls it started up and runs like new. So I myself recommend startron for everything that runs on gas. But that's my opinion.
I have a chainsaw, weed wacker and not expensive ones, I've gad both for 25 years and both start fine and run good. They have hundreds of hours on them and I've always used stabil from day one. Never had an issue and I leave fuel in them all winter. The only word I take is my own experience with products, I sure an hell won't listen to someone half my age.
In 1990 I moved from Abiline Texas to Wagoner Oklahoma. Big change in humidity. Lesson 1. Water in the fuel is a constant battle. I learned the value of a product called Heat fuel treatment which is just an emulsafier which absoebes the water back into the fuel. Don't forget to add some to the gas can you store fuel in for your lawn eauipment or you will have real problems. Your product works well too it'sjust more expensive.
@@Vfh........y That was the friendliest town I ever lived in. Nice place to raise our kids then too, I did my last 5 years there and retired from there in 87.
Yeah, but you’re probably building up lead on the rings. It’s for sure a quality product, but really not great for you, the engine, or the environment. Can’t wait for unleaded AvGas. Cleaning that stuff up is a pain.
I used Sta-Bil to store some gasoline in March of 2020 (covid) and just used it within the past month. The gasoline was straight from the pump Chevron, and ran fine in both my lawn mower and my Subaru. Alcohol is required in gasoline in my area due to the EPA. Your mileage may vary.
I use seafoam for winterizing my equipment. I used too use stable but it was clogging up the carbs an old farmer friend suggested seafoam and haven't had a problem since. Thanks for the info
Always great info, thank you. I have spread the Gospel of Chickanic to so many friends and neighbors. Your program is especially receptive to the independent ladies who appreciate your approach of no swearing, macho and other non-relevant nonsense. Keep it going!
I did an experiment 10? Years ago. I had gas in glass jars, vented and in a cool garage. I did not have any issues with all the stabilizers i tried except one. It was stabil maintainer . Red stabil, and 5 other products were all fine.
Thank you. No more Stabil for me. I will go for Ethanol Shield from now on. I always use rec gas in my small engines, including pre-1990 4 stroke motorcycles.
Tried several brands in the past...but none worked. Until I tried Ethanol Shield! What a difference in seasonal startup. Follow Bre's order of storage and you will become a believer of Ethanol Shield. Thanks so much Bre for your honesty and being our TH-cam friend!
I gave up on stabilizers a long time ago. They are expensive and they don't work. Our local Circle K chain carries non ethanol fuel so that is what I use and I have had zero problems since I switched.
Same here. NONE of those "stabilizers" have ever worked for me, so ALL my 2-stroke and 4-stroke yard machines and tractors run on non-ethanol, and I've had NO carburetor problems since.
@@powrguy1696 I use E10 regular in all of my equipment and it works just fine. I've also used regular in a snow blower engine from 1969 and it ran about as well as a Briggs typically does: Just good enough. The same was for other flathead engines, and if anything, the Tecumseh flat heads ran better than any and every Briggs I had. The CBC show Market Place did a show years back saying if burning premium fuel in your engine makes a difference and they shot down all of the myths plus adding that most modern engines made in the last 30-40 years run the same (no significant change in power) on both regular and premium but there are more polluting emissions with premium. Both have detergents mixed in so that's a non issue as well.
@mattthescrapwhisperer you will have problems with that too. Half the time the fuel trucks put regular in those tanks and regular is fine but mixing them isn't. Not to mention when it sits in the tanks for 6 months before a refuel it's going to have moisture in it. Same with premium and mid grade, they just sit too long.
I've used sta-bil for many years. Call me a bad-boy, but I've got 2-year-old treated premium gas that runs great in my outdoor power equipment. I don't seem to have a water problem, but I do decant stored gas just in case there is water in the bottom of the can. I'll try some Ethanol Shield tho. Cheers to my favorite small-engine mechanic!
@@gungadingo or if I can figure is not as warm and humid. But different parts of the country here different mid Midwest oh my gosh six months of the year no fun especially June July August September As well as part of May
I use it all the time now after I put stored gas in the car that clogged all the injectors. I put it in a generator & it started after 5yrs. I put it in all my small engines & stored gas but recently I switch to non ethanol & will still treat it. I don’t care what anyone says because if it works for me I’ll still use it. I had all kinds of carburetor problems at first when not using it. I live in the Rocky Mountains
Good information, thank you! Preparing to store walk behind, self propelled Toro lawnmowers for the Winter, ran the older Toro out of gas, then removed spark plug & squirted 30W oil into cylinder. After viewing your video, plan to top off the fuel tank with treated ethanol free gasoline on other (newer) Toro. After snowblower with treated fuel LAST Year, was unable to get it to run. Ended up disassembling carburetor & cleaning “Gummed-Up” needle valve, VERY Disappointed with Sta-Bil! Will give Ethanol Shield a try.
We recommend draining all tanks and running it until the carb runs dry. If a customer cannot do that, put in Seafoam and Stabil, fill tanks as full as possible with ETHANOL FREE fuel. Run about 5 min. If the tank is full, it doesn't have moisture rich air to condense into water. Normally the carbs don't gum up and it fires right back up in spring. My leaf vac started after 3 pulls this fall after not being run for a year.
A tidbit of history I learned from an article in Popular Mechanics years and years ago. During WWII the Germans did not have access to a lot of oil. They ran their military machines on ethanol. Ethanol attracts water like a magnet which is very bad for engines especially in the cold of winter. They found that mixing a ratio of 5% isopropanol to 95% ethanol solved their problem with water freezing in their fuel lines plus it kept their soldiers from drinking their fuel.
Stay bill turns into red goo in the bottom of your carburetor bowl and gums it up. 20 years ago I switched to startron. No problems ever since. I put 2 oz of startron in a gallon steel Military can, I then add 5 gallons ethanol free gas. I rotate my gas cans and I am now using gasoline.That I put down in 2016 in my lawnmower and snow blower. Now that's what I call long term storage.
Startron is by far the best additive out there , i get same results as long as a yr or more storage and the fuel is and performs like new and no damage in my 2 cycle tools from ethanol
I miss the days of ethanol free gas. There is even a racetrack in Milwaukee where I live, but there is not a gas station that sells race gas, unfortunately.
I only use ethanol free! At the hunting property a few years ago, we pulled a generator out that hadn't been started in 8 years. I insisted at the time we were first using it (8 years prior) to use ethanol free gas in it. We put some fresh ethanol free gas in it (the tank was about 1/3 full of the old ethanol free gas). It started on the third pull!
Here in south Louisiana, our winter is short lived. I have a concoction I've used for years. Per 5 gallons of non-ethanol gas is 15 oz Seafoam, 1 oz Stabil Marine and 1/2 oz Yamaha RingFree. During the 3-4 month off season, I'll crank up the lawn equipment, let 'em run for 10 or so minutes twice monthly. I don't drain the tanks or run the carbs till dry. Without fail, the Honda powered TroyBilt, Yamaha generator and Scag Liberty 48" w/Kawa FR651V start effortlessly and run well at any rpm.
I use a product called PRI - G, I’ve been using it for 15 years now. I normally rotated it every two years, but I forgot and had some gasoline that had been treated four years ago. I put it in my truck and it ran fine, you could smell a little bit of bad gas smell coming out of the tailpipe, but it ran just fine.
@@williamscott3444 you've got your math wrong, its not expensive per gallon treated. its cheaper than most products on that measure. yes the bottle is more but it treats far more gallons. I've been using this for a very long time and never an issue. PRI-D also
Great Video! I have been adding SeaFoam to All My Gasoline Powered Stuff for Years, it Works for me. and Ethanol Free Gas in All Small Engines, Weedwhackers, chainsaw,lawnmowers, Quads etc....
Since using Stabil in California I have had no problems with tool storage. I try to run tools dry for winter but I use the gas next year. I keep a gallon of each and whatever is left , keeps until spring. I always use it.
I've used StarTron for over 30 years with great results and it also really helps remove varnish in carbs I buy it by the quart to take to deer camp for all the guys ATV's that they haven't taken care of. The marine version only takes a ounce to 15 gallons
I have also used StarTron for several years after I was introduced to it by a small engine, mechanic friend of mine. I would certainly recommend this product as the number one stabilizer hands-down .
I’ve been mixing my gas for all my yard equipment and snow blower with StarTron, Ethanol Shield and Sea Foam. Might sound excessive but everything starts on the first pull and runs throughout the year. I make it a point to start up everything every month or so to keep the gas flowing.
I used StarTron as well. An older guy my friend knows from another store they both worked at suggested it to me when I told him my chainsaw was acting all boggy. Now I treat all of my ethanol-free fuel with it just in case and I put 5oz Marvels Mystery Oil in my 5gallon can to give the fuel some extra lubricity. I should see if any of the stores carry Ethanol Shield.
I’ve used PRI-G for years and it’s great! It will actually allow you to use old gas! Try it, and it’ll make you a believer too! Even better with non ethanol!
Are used to work with a guy whose dad was an engineer at Briggs & Stratton. Briggs was selling engines to lawnmower manufactures that were guaranteed to start within two or three pulls. They had instructions for storage over the winter of filling the tank and putting Stabil in with it. That next year they were confronted with millions of dollars worth of warranty work because engines weren’t starting and they found out that Stabil didn’t work. They invented their own fuel stabilizer, but they don’t make it anymore. When I found out they were going to quit making it. I bought a lifetime supply off of eBay now I put all of my non-ethanol gas towards the end of the year. I can have a chainsaw from the previous summer and go out the next spring and fire it right up. Stuff is great.
@@stevendunn6255it’s not the same. The old stuff was called Fuel Stabilizer PLUS. The new stuff might be the same or better than my old stuff. I stocked up on the old stuff because I KNOW it works.
2 stroke mix does the same thing, run like 20:1 the last few mintues, pull the plug dump some engine oil, turn it over a few times slowly, spark plug back in and your done with storage. Top it up with stabilized gas to reduce air in tank and your good for atleast 6 months. If your going super long term like year plus, drain tank run till dies, fuel line off, bowl dropped and emptied. I would then probably Reccomdend a fogging oil into the carb side to keep from anything rusting (another reason I use heavy 2 stroke mix, a good coat of oil is on every internal metal part)
@@jmabs5096 Yea I've found that two stroke fuel lasts a lot longer than regular gas alone. I've been using the same gas in my equipment sometimes a couple years old and it starts right up.
@@drozcompany4132 I run low lead 100 aviation fuel in my 2 strokes. Ethanol free. I keep 5 gallons on hand for about a year knowing it's good fuel when I used to work on other folks stuff. My little 2 strokes love that stuff, I run my stuff hard like they are supposed to and I don't get lead build up on the spark or top of piston. Some municipal airports might allow you (my father has his Cessna at one) and the fuel guys will pump some into a Jerry can for him. Some might allow you to drive in however many airports restrict fuel pumping. Call around you night find one. If plain ethanol free isn't a option low lead av fuel is the next best thing!
@@jmabs5096, like I said, fogging oil for long term storage. I may use my Stihl MS 180 once every few years. My generators are the same way. I just put a Honda 21" HRN away for very long term storage. Who knows when the next time it will get used? 5, 10, or 20 years? Who knows?
@@RMartin631 I got a HRN216VLA (eletric start option) pretty nice machine besides the cheap plastic wheels, and the worst thing is the damn rear discharge option.... Dumbest thing ever I might cut a hole into the side and retrofit an old toro recyler side discharge flap. The grass will get all over you, into your shoes/boots, leg hair eveeywhere. I stocked up on spare parts as honda advised they will only continue parts support for another 5-10 years.
30 year old lawnmower. Chevron Super (premium) summer blend gas. Never winterized. Never any additives. Still starts on first pull (even first start in the spring). SUMMER BLEND PREMIUM GAS!!! Is the number 1 must.
Absorbing water and stabilizing gasoline for storage are two different things! I would never expect one product to do both optimally. I have been using Stabil for 30+ years and it is great for lengthening the life of gasoline. I never used it to absorb water and never would.
You're right about the Stab-bil claims, but it's the ethanol in the blended fuel that combines with any water to pass it through the engine. It's what we call a liquid-liquid extraction. Water and gasoline don't mix, but alcohols mix with gasoline and water and they act as a soap or surfactant to 'dissolve' the water into the gasoline.
@@96royalstar21 Nope, again, that's anything that's a petroleum distillate. This includes, but isn't limited to kerosene, gasoline, WD40, carb cleaner, brake cleaner, you name it. Ethanol is much safer around plastics and rubbers.
@@WJCTechyman I haven't found any clear statements regarding how a fuel stabilizer does what it does. I suspect that they contain a smidge of pH buffer to prevent corrosion from aqueous content, but if they bind the fuel to make it less evaporative in any meaningful way to prevent the lighter components from evaporating, I'd have to suspect that it would negatively impact the fuels use as a fuel, particularly in a carburated system. Chickanic's Ethanol Shield must have some sort of surfactant to dissolve water into oil, and it could very well be a little ethanol!
I started digging. The Ethanol Shield contains a corrosion inhibitor and several solvents that might be described as a varnish solvent, except one that works in fuel systems to stabilize fuel. It appears to use phenolic compounds to address the ethanol issue, e.g. anti-oxidation. This is my impression anyway. It contains a molecule with an 'ethanol' component, so it has the surfactant properties I mentioned earlier.
I've always used Stabil Marine and have never had an issue after storing my boat. I had a 50' houseboat that stayed in the water year round. Both 120 gallon tanks were steel.
I switched from Sta-bil to Heat to Ethenol Sheild. In my small Texas town we had no access to Ethenol free fuel. So I started running 100LL aviation fuel from our local airport. Just have to pull plugs and burn carbon off couple times a year, and remove spark arrestor sceens.
For my off road fuel, I use 1oz Startron and 3oz of Lucas upper cylinder lubricant for every 5 gallons of fuel. Been doing this for 35 years and never had any issues with clogged or varnished components - ever! Never used ethanol shield but I’m encouraged by this little demonstration. Stuff seems like it works.
I just ordered a bottle of that new fuel treatment that Taryl fixes all was raving about . He was always saying fuel treatment was snakeoil so for for him to endorse one I figured I would try it.
I watched that video too it’s called pri G but it sure seemed like it barely worked he had to double the dose and keep messing with it for quite a while before it would finally run so I’m not so sure it actually works either. Plus he was mixing it with gas that had oil in it and other contaminants but yet doesn’t mention anything about having water in it or removing water. His opinion is it kinda works maybe that’s not a glowing endorsement to me lol
Hey Y'all! Thanks for watching! Just a side note.. I know many other TH-camrs have recommended what they use and don't. There are other great brands out there. I just want you to know what I have found to work for me. When I say short term storage, we're talking over winter, like 6-8 months. I do not trust any fuel stabilizer to last what they actually say, 2-3 years. Whatever they are doing to our ethanol fuel these days, BIG GOV doesn't want it to last...
Stabil usually says in its instructions that the maximum time it can stabilize fuel is half a year at best. Not years like you're asking. Remember as well that the United States is finally trying to catch up to cutting emissions as it is the biggest polluter on the planet currently. Looking at a per-person average pollution, my country of Canada isn't much better.
Thank you for providing this educational content, and yesterday, my WONDERFUL wife and I were at Sam's Club in Saginaw, Michigan and heard your theme song at the beginning of your videos and I was looking all around television 📺 area but didn't see your videos playing and then I realized that it was coming from the store pa background system 😅
My area has only about 4 months off grass growing season.
I've used mechanic in a bottle for a while on all my equipment. It will clean gunk left by ethanol in a carb, if you pull the plug and pull the rope a few times to get it into bowl, then let it set a few days. Put plug in and try it.
What a gem you are! Thanks
I'm a retired/disabled mechanic that works on a lot of neighbors small engines every spring. My recommendation for equipment storage? drain the fuel tank and run the equipment until the carb runs dry. It's the only way to be sure.
That's what I've been doing for years
But then they say the gaskets dry out and go bad after a while
Correct- But ADD A SMAL AMOUNT OF 2 Cycle Oil Into A 4 STROKE Fuel Tank Of Gas Before Running It DRY TO STOP HUMIDITY CORROSION IN A DRY CARBURATOR : )
@@thomashowlett8295 lol. All I could do was read your last sentence in the voice of the Lt. in the movie Aliens. He was parroting back Ripley’s statement, ‘take off and nuke the site from orbit…it’s the only way to be sure’.
I do that with no alcohol gas. I can get it at the gas station
I've used stab-bil in all my small engines from atv's to tillers. I've been extremely happy with the product. I haven't had any issues at all with the fuel gumming up my machines. When spring comes after a long winter storage my machines always start right up every time. That is all I ask out of a fuel stabilizer. Don't care about water I just care about results. Just my honest opinion. Love your channel, it's always the first place I turn to when I'm stuck on a problem.
I have used nothing but Stabil for 47 years and have never had s fuel related issue after storage, i have never expected it to remove water
Same. Used it in all my small engines and boats over 30 years and I have never had a fuel issue. I use ethanol free gas in all of them as well.
Use Ethanol Free Gas too.
@@MarineScoutSniper Yes, that is the other key part is using ethanol free gas with Stabil
I regularly use it to store gas up to two years at my bush camp. You can tell there is degradation but nowhere near an untreated batch. I think a key component is the vessel you store it in.
@@MarineScoutSniper I have found that I don't need it for ethanol free gas
I was a manufacturer's representative for several years calling on the largest group of independently owned auto parts stores. Ethanol Shield is a great product.
Should I use ethanol shield with no ethanol gas?
I have used Sta-Bil for over 50 years and have NEVER had a problem with my equipment starting up in the spring. I run it year round.
If you're going to leave gas in the tank during storage, reduce the volume inside the tank that can have air in it by filling the gas tank to the max.
Yup. Thats what we do on aircraft. after flight top off the tanks to reduce the air, reduces the amount of water that can get in the tanks.
@@nicknick2350 What do you think gasoline has in it? There are quite a few additives in it. Also, speaking of antifreeze, just buy a six-pack of gas line antifreeze, same price as one small bottle of ethanol shield and just as effective.
Less air in the tank also reduces the potential for fire from fumes/vapor. The more gasoline vapor escapes into the air the greater potential for ignition.
I drain my completely. That ok?
A little extra 2 cycle oil will help stabilize the fuel and keep the system from drying out and crusting up.
I have used Stabil Marine 360 for close to 20 years now and never have had carburetor problem. From chainsaws, to outboards, inboards, lawnmowers, ate's, etc. never a problem. I keep 50 gallons of gasoline on hand at all times and never a problem with the stored fuel. This is in New England.
This!! My boats sit for 6 months and never had an issue. Fire right back up in spring.
I have
I’ve ran a 15 gallon test with E10 gasoline that was stored with Marine Stabil. It was stored in the red 5 gallon plastic gas cans, under a lean to that was 100% exposed to the elements and the gas cans were in the sun about 2 hours each day. These gas cans were stored for 1 year.
The test equipment was a 2018 KIA Niro hybrid. I monitored ignition timing via a Scan Gauge II. Any loss of octane would be seen as timing being pulled by the factory computer.
I ran all 15 gallons through the car and saw zero problems, driveability was 100% like normal, and the ignition timing was just like normal.
That was my test. So I now rotate my fuel every year just to be on the safe side, and all stored fuel is treated with Marine Stabil.
I have a 250 Gal. bulk storage gasoline tank that I use for 2 vehicles and all small engines. It will last about 2 months before needing to be refilled. I always get Non-Ethanol. When the gas company comes out to fill it , I always recirculate 1 Qt. of Sta-Bil 360 Marine (treats 320 Gals. , so the label says).
Totally unnecessary to do so I presume but kinda gives me a little psychological assurance.
The last bottle I bought of S-B 360 Marine was black. It's supposed to be blue. I figured out how to decifer the date code on the bottle , and concluded that it was from 2018. This was in 2024. I added it in the tank anyway. Haven't had any problems with it. The psychological assurance of adding a Qt. of Sta-Bil evolved into a psychological fear of adding a Qt. of Sta-Bil. Anyone else seen it turn black ?
Does it have a shelf life ?
totally agree,,stabil marine works , plus marvel mystery oil
Stabil has worked great for me for over 30 years never had a carb issue.
I used to work for a major refining company and we have discovered that ethanol is a water scavenger and actually attracts water which makes it impossible to prevent its formation without a costly additional additive. Refiners are not in the business to store gasoline, but rather ship it as fast as it's blended because of its perishable nature. We as consumers do store gasoline on a limited basis and a stabilizer does help a little to keep the fuel components from separation, but that whooshing sound when a gasoline can is opened are the light hydrocarbons escaping. As for the water, your additive collects the water and by volume holds it in suspension as you described, but it's still there. Great video!
Interesting video. I have many engines to maintain. I called and talked to stabil a while back and they said the regular red stabil is good for 2 years, and the blue marine 360 is good for 1 year but has a reaction that outgasses and fills the fuel tank with fumes that protect a metal tank from rusting. They are good for different things. They both seem to work great for me for 20 years and dozens of cars, motorcycles and small engines
Thank you so much Bree for being straight forward, objective, and honest. You are my go to, everytime!
I have used Sta-Bil for close to 20 years and have never had an engine problem with all types of yard equipment. Not one problem.
Nice....but have you stored more than a year?
Same
I also have used Sta-Bil for as long as I can remember. I use it in my portable Honda hurricane generator, and after every season I just burn the gas in my lawnmower. That generator never fails to start. Now does it remove water, that's a good question.
Same here. And I’ve used it on jet skis that sat for 2 -3 years. They fired right up coming out of storage. Zero issues or complaints.
I use stable exclusively never had a problem. Took the carb bowl off a nine year old carb, was almost as clean as new
I have been using stahbil along with ethanol free gas for years and haven't had any issues. Now i dont use it for removing water but to keep the fuel from going bad over the winter. The longest i had not used any equipment was alittle over a year and it started up fine with no issues. Nice to know about this product tho. Thanks for the informative video.
The biggest thing from my perspective and experience is that you use real gas😂. The trouble that ethanol has caused is tremendous (from my experience/ perspective/ thoughts). It is a horrible sham that has cost millions to the good people who don’t understand, and/ or afford gas. I use just regular during the mowing season, but finish with the good stuff at the end. My chainsaws and RC engines always get premium with great oil. No issues since being firmly committed to this plan. Former caterpillar, helicopter , airplane, boat engine mechanic.
What I do every year is ,always mix in some carb cleaner or injector cleaner in the gas.Run the small engines till empty and a full fresh load of gas every spring.Some small engines ,I bought shut off valves for and run the engine till empty after each use.Worked for 45 years,never a problem.
Star Tron all the way. I’ve been using it for more than thirty years. Motorcycles, yard equipment, farm machinery. Great for bulk storage.
I've used it. Dont think it does anything amazing.
I don't use anything anymore, just keep tanks topped off and out of direct sun and have been fine.
StarTron is good. Kawasaki has some stuff out now that is good. StaBil Marine is fine too, in my experience.
I’ve used it at the recommendation of a guy that sells small engine equipment and farm equipment. I’ve noted first hand that it does what it says. Have a small generator that was stumbling a bit. Used Star-tron and ran it. Let it sit overnight and ran it again. It cleaned it up. Been using it since and it has made me a believer. My small engines all seem to start with no issue even if I happen to leave the fuel in them for a couple months or (sometimes) longer.
Pretty sure star tron didn't live up to its claims in the testing taryl fixes all did on a bunch of these products. It beat some, but still fell short if I remember correctly.
And startrons marketing it as having enzymes seems like a lie.
100% !
I've been using the original red Stabil since 1985 in all my small engines. I have never had a problem no matter the age of the gas or whether it was stored in the tank for the machine or in any old gas can. I have never done anything to "winterize" the equipment. I have no idea how or if it handles water. All I know is the engines always start on the first or second try. The gas can for my push mower was at least 4 years old before I finally used it up. No issues.
Same here - 20+ years and not one single problem in lawn mower, weed whacker, pressure washer, snow blower, backpack blower, motorcycles, boats, and wave runner. If you're worried about water, just dump a small jug of gasline antifreeze (Isopropyl alcohol) into your tank before running it again - I haven't had to do this in any engine yet, though.
Same here I had 2 year old gas treated with stabil and wasn’t sure if I should use it but did try some in the lawnmower and never had a problem even with the whole 4 gallon supply that was used til it finished 👍
@@lotsatrainsSame for me. Stabil is all I use.
@@tonyz6421 yes 👍 so many good comments about it too so why change to anything else now it’s a proven product
I have worked in the marine business for 50 years and used the marine sta bil and never had any trouble! The dealer I work for normally winterizes about 1500 boats each fall. My last boat I had for 20 years used marine sta bil and never had any fuel problems. STA BIL works!!!!!!!
A full tank helps.
I use as recommended by a ATV and Boat Mechanic Stabill Marine and have had ZERO issues!
Ive personally used that stabilizer that's red and it is EXCELLENT ive stored gas for over 4 years and it works perfect the vehicle didn't even lug down like regular gas and as a plus I put it in my gas tank on my truck when I get gas because my mileage drastically increases and makes the engine really peppy it must clean the injectors of varnish and trash. It has really impressed me.
I used the red stuff over one winter in my motorcycle, and the next spring I top off the tanks, went for a ride where I was stranded when the bike stopped running. Injectors were gummed up. The way the mechanic explained it to me was that the fuel stabilizer (red) had ethanol in it too, and that ethanol attracts water. When the water and ethanol mix, it becomes a gummy varnish. He recommended I should use the green, marine type as it was ethanol free. Not sure how true it is, but it sounded reasonable. Glad you’ve had better results than I did. I guess that’s a case of YMMV. Take care.
Here in Minnesota, I've been using non oxygenated (no ethanol) gas, putting Seafoam in and running the engine to make sure the Seafoam makes it to the carbs or injectors, last year my snowblower gave me troubles when I took it out, so this spring I ran it dry before putting it away, it will be interesting if it starts easily, but I also have to store a motorcycle and a lawn tractor and will use Seafoam with both
I am the Repairman for a large Lawn & Landscape company. Got 46 years of small engine repair shop behind me. Four cycle equipment at our place = 30 days = nothing, leave the fuel in it.
Anything longer than that = drain fuel out the bowl with the unit tilted to get as much out of the tank as possible. Then completely refilled with Stihl 50-1 2-cycle mixed gas. Started, run for 10-15 minutes, then drained again same way. It's perfect. Stuff could and has sat idle 5 years, been refilled with straight 87 oct. ethanol = goes on the first pull.
After explaining to Boss how unlikely 2-cycle fuel is to hurt a snowblower (beyond not vaporizing as well in cold weather as well as straight gas) We agreed to run our 4-cycle snow blowers on 2-cycle gas. Just drain them when done with winter = perfect.
This is one of the best bets as the oil will keep all the non-metal parts from drying out and shrinking and causing issues. I did this years ago when they started this crazy ethanol stuff with all the 4-cycle gas equipment at the house and never had any issues other than some smoke on start up.....which was always quick and easy.
I love this lady; she is always helping us.
Agreed 😊
Aw! Thanks!
@@claudenormandeau9211 Moi aussi je l'aime bien. En plus, c'est une bien belle femme très compétente.
She's just sharing a opinion...not necessarily the right one
@@LarryD-z2m
Seems right in this case?
I started working in the middle 1960s on all kinds of engines and vehicles. I try to still learn and enjoy your channel.
We started sitting up some fuel injected vehicles and used the Sta-Bil treatment. They sat for 9-12 months because we were out of state. This was back in 2009 and again in 2011. They did start up quickly and haven't needed any fuel work. Maybe I was lucky, but it seems it worked well enough. I have bought this new fuel treatment for my 3 generators when Hurricane season ends in November here in Houston.
Fuel injection. Is never a problem. Because of high pressure.
I live in Canada, lawn mower goes in the shed in November,(after mulching). Take the battery out, slow charge it and store it in the basement. April, I put the lawn mower away and put the mower in the garage. Change oil, filters, sharpen and balance blade, clean the deck and remove grass clumps, spray it with light oil, put the blade back on, store in the shed, til spring. It’s 10 years old already. New blade due next season.
I have been using Sta-bil for 30+ years and have never had an issue. However, I live in a dry climate in Idaho. But it works great.
Same.. I'm in AZ, not worried about water.
So I did just as you said about putting oil in my fuel tank last year. And guess what it worked. Yea!!! I'm a career firefighter and I we have issues a lot of times with our chain saws and K-12 saws not wanting to run. I will recommend ethanol shield over the Stabil. Thanks for all your great information you pass along on TH-cam. Have a great weekend.
I have used Sta-bil for 15 years. The only years I had any problems were the years I forgot to use it. I put the required amount in my gas can before I put gas in, so I don't need to shake 5 gals of gas. Try cleaning out a carb in a garage in -2 degree temp on a snowblower first thing in the morning, so I could get my SUV back in the driveway because it slid out into the street overnight.
you earned a new subscriber, great to see knowledgeable professionals out there
Back during the change-over from leaded to unleaded, Standard oil advertised 'iceguard' in their fuel. It was just ethanol before it was mandated. Ethanol is alcohol and the alcohol molecule is smaller than a water molecule so the alcohol can fit inside the water molecule. This 'joining' keeps the water from freezing at 32 deg and helps the water "burn" in the cylinder.
Been using stabil for over 40 years...never had a problem with any of my lawn equipment
I’m a better home gardener, personal yard person, home landscaper because of you. Thank you.
Thanks Chickanic. Star Tron Enzyme fuel treatment is some pretty Great stuff too. Used it for years, engines always fire right up after several months of storage. It's all I use now.
I'm glad to see this comment because that's exactly what I use in my bike,riding lawnmower and car, never any issue
Nice video Chickanic, the stuff I’ve always used to remove gasoline is isopropyl alcohol. Not the 70% you get at the grocery store, but the 99% stuff. That is a little harder to find. I have used the 90% in a pinch, but you are literally pouring some water into your tank.
Now for a bit of chemistry. The reason water will not mix with oil (or gas) is because water is a polar molecule and oils are nonpolar. The polar parts are water are very attracted to each other and that will push them away from everything that isn’t polar. That is why water beads up on a waxed car. It will defy gravity to stay together.
The beauty of alcohols is that they are mostly nonpolar, with a slightly polar ‘tail.’ Most of the body of the alcohol will happily exist in the nonpolar oil (or gas) and the little polar tail will attract the polar water molecules.
Isopropyl alcohol is perfect for this. In fact, it is so soluble in water, you can have any kind of mixture. From 1% water with 99% isopropyl to 99% isopropyl with 1% water. The 70% rubbing alcohol you can buy in the store is the same stuff as 99% isopropyl, with some water added.
Every once in a while, I’ll pour a pint of 99% isopropyl in a full tank of gas in my car and run it to mostly empty. The alcohol will mix with whatever water is in the tank, and it is collected and burned in the engine.
Not sure how this will exactly help someone with a small motor they are getting ready to store, but maybe you can derive something from that bit of information. I’ll bet if you take a sniff of the Ethanol Shield, it will smell like rubbing alcohol.
Stabil has worked great for me for years, so I'm sticking with it!!!
Your "fill it with oil" trick sounds 100% believable. I saw a mechanic on here that was working on a boat that had been recently sunk and recovered and was trying to preserve its value/triage.
Step 1) drain the engines of all the salt water and oil that's left in them. pull the filters, injectors, bar it over, etc make sure it's empty.
step 2) fill the entire thing all the way to the top with diesel.
with no plans on being able to run them any time soon, diesel is oil... any water remaining on parts, in the rings, clinging on cams, etc etc is displaced, and the metal is coated and protected... blew my mind.
Hey thanks fer the acknowledgment in yur video. Much appreciated. Now there’s my Dinner. Woooooooooo!!!!
I've run Marine 360 for years and all my motorcycles, snow blower, lawn mower run great every year. Even when sitting in an unheated garage...My lawn mower is over 20 years old and still runs as strong as day 1.
same results here but with seafoam....
You have too many motorcycles. Give me 1.
I bought a pressure washer a few years ago that said warranty was void if I don't use ethanol shield. I assumed it was some sort of kickback deal. I added it to my gas can, happened to use the same gas in my lawnmower. The next spring when I cranked up the ol lawnmower, it fired right up. ( I usually have hard time starting after winter) use it religiously ever since then. Thanks for the video
I’ve used sta-bil for years and my lawn mower and snow blower always start on the first pull every time
I love your vernacular explanations by calling a "spade" a "spade".
Been using stabil for 30 years same bike for last 20 and never had a problem.
Same here
That's because bicycles don't have engines 😂
Stabil is dog sh*t. The best you can get is Startron.
Excellent!!! Great presentation and always on point. Thanks so much!
Great info like your channel. Keep up the good “small engine” work lol
I have used stabil for decades
Lawnmower, snowblower, power washer, generator 4 cycle
Weed whacker, leaf blower, chain saw 2 cycle
All machines start no issue after seasonal service
I drain them out put a little 2 stroke oil in the tank push it through the primer job done
I have no problems leaving 2 stroke oil mixed with gas in my 2 stroke Stihl KM 94R when not in use for extended time.
I've been using stabil for 30 years with not a single issue and will continue to do so!
Perfect timing! I was just starting to think on putting some things in long term for the winter. I have a LOT of gas equipment on the homestead. Never knew this product existed, thanks so much!
I’ve used Stabil for decades in my 2-cycle equipment and for the last 6+ years simply run dry the engines with no problems come spring! This includes both the older Stabil as well as the most recent. ALWAYS, religiously run your equipment dry before storing it!
did exact same test with Seafoam, got exact same results, basically in front of my eyes it was in the gas out of carb bowl. a few drops and mixed gone .. Nice to see it in action Thanks
I enjoy your videos. I'm in Montana and get firewood every year. I use a Stihl for over 30 years now with few problems, Except when I loaned my saw out (once). Usually i just fill up the fuel and oil for storage and have had no problems with Stihl equipment. You have to forgive my heathenness for the following reasons: I'm a man, I figure if a girl can do this then it can't be hard and I a 74 year old disabled Marine. This is proof that I'm a little stubborn! I'm hoping The you take this with the humor intended!! The 07 in my name is the year Corvette I owned in the past. Have a great day!
Everybody should have a Chickanic
Dear Chickanic, thank you! For all of the wonderful advice and videos you provide for us newbie's to much of this. The detail you provide is much appreciated and has been incredibly helpful! Your husband is a lucky man as you are incredibly smart at things that most men would be proud/excited to know, direct, easy on the eyes and real. Blessings to you and yours! Fred
I use stabil on my daughter's generator I got for her 4 years ago, she never ran it until Helene hit and it started on the second pull. I have used it in all my lawn equipment and my motorcycles for the last 30 years and never had an issue.
Used up the last of my 2022 gas in my riding mower this fall... 87 octane with stabil, didn't even drain the carb before I parked it. Never failed me.
I do use stabil but I do try to run the equipment every 3-4 months for about 15-20 minutes. So far so good. Learned the hard way of not draining or using a product. A lot of cuss words and Amazon packages were needed.
Same lesson learned here never again
I don't base my evaluation of how effective a FUEL STABILIZER is on how much water it absorbs. Water in a fuel system is the easiest contaminate to remove. I want the fuel itself to stay viable over the winter. For this, I have relied on Sta-Bil for decades. If water is a problem, then HEET takes it out.
I have found that two-stroke pre-mix seems to have far fewer problems from long-term storage than does straight gas such as is used in my four-stroke equipment.
My son was a Honda certified mechanic for years, they sent out a technical bulletin to advise the mechanics to use startron for every carb and fuel injected motorcycle or water craft, I myself have been using it for years, just got the toto stump grinder out after sitting for over 2 years, tilted it back and used a baster to draw fuel out of the bottom of the tank, Absolutely No water, turned the gas on and let it run out of the bowl drain , no water. Buttoned it up and 2 pulls it started up and runs like new. So I myself recommend startron for everything that runs on gas. But that's my opinion.
excellent product. I have used it for years as well as an additive to my non -ethanol gas.
@@gordonhudson644 I only use BP or Amoco gas, don't see paying for non ethanol gas.
I’ll back you up on this one!
Long time lawn garden small engine mechanic here. Thanks for a great video and great product info. God bless you dear, you're awesome!
Stabil is great been using it for 40 years no problems
Nuts !!! I've used them on every Motorcycle, Snowmobile, Lawn engine for "50"+ years and Never an issue, Sta-bil works great !! 👍
Exactly same here!! And will continue to use it!!
@@markbeck3115 👍
I have a chainsaw, weed wacker and not expensive ones, I've gad both for 25 years and both start fine and run good. They have hundreds of hours on them and I've always used stabil from day one. Never had an issue and I leave fuel in them all winter.
The only word I take is my own experience with products, I sure an hell won't listen to someone half my age.
@@johnbednarz1424 You are like the many Millions over the decades, Stabil works great 👍
In 1990 I moved from Abiline Texas to Wagoner Oklahoma. Big change in humidity. Lesson 1. Water in the fuel is a constant battle. I learned the value of a product called Heat fuel treatment which is just an emulsafier which absoebes the water back into the fuel. Don't forget to add some to the gas can you store fuel in for your lawn eauipment or you will have real problems. Your product works well too it'sjust more expensive.
I was stationed in Abilene in 82 to 84. Folks in town were nice.
@@Vfh........y That was the friendliest town I ever lived in. Nice place to raise our kids then too, I did my last 5 years there and retired from there in 87.
absoebes ????
I always use Avgas in my equipment. Doesn’t deteriorate and engines start first time every time. Even after months in storage.
What octane av-gas ???
Yeah, but you’re probably building up lead on the rings. It’s for sure a quality product, but really not great for you, the engine, or the environment. Can’t wait for unleaded AvGas. Cleaning that stuff up is a pain.
@@georgepruitt637100
@@georgepruitt637should be about 100
@@georgepruitt637100 octane
I used Sta-Bil to store some gasoline in March of 2020 (covid) and just used it within the past month. The gasoline was straight from the pump Chevron, and ran fine in both my lawn mower and my Subaru. Alcohol is required in gasoline in my area due to the EPA. Your mileage may vary.
All I can say, " You are Gold ! " All your information is much highly appreciated ! So much knowledge !
I've used Lucas stabiliser for years and I've been very happy.
I use seafoam for winterizing my equipment. I used too use stable but it was clogging up the carbs an old farmer friend suggested seafoam and haven't had a problem since. Thanks for the info
STABIL wasn’t clogging your carbs.
Had good luck with seafoam as it also is a cleaner. Lot's of farmers still use it.
seafoam for the win!!
Always great info, thank you. I have spread the Gospel of Chickanic to so many friends and neighbors. Your program is especially receptive to the independent ladies who appreciate your approach of no swearing, macho and other non-relevant nonsense. Keep it going!
I did an experiment 10? Years ago. I had gas in glass jars, vented and in a cool garage. I did not have any issues with all the stabilizers i tried except one. It was stabil maintainer . Red stabil, and 5 other products were all fine.
Thank you. No more Stabil for me. I will go for Ethanol Shield from now on. I always use rec gas in my small engines, including pre-1990 4 stroke motorcycles.
Tried several brands in the past...but none worked. Until I tried Ethanol Shield! What a difference in seasonal startup. Follow Bre's order of storage and you will become a believer of Ethanol Shield. Thanks so much Bre for your honesty and being our TH-cam friend!
Startron definitely works
I gave up on stabilizers a long time ago. They are expensive and they don't work. Our local Circle K chain carries non ethanol fuel so that is what I use and I have had zero problems since I switched.
Same here. NONE of those "stabilizers" have ever worked for me, so ALL my 2-stroke and 4-stroke yard machines and tractors run on non-ethanol, and I've had NO carburetor problems since.
@@powrguy1696 I use E10 regular in all of my equipment and it works just fine. I've also used regular in a snow blower engine from 1969 and it ran about as well as a Briggs typically does: Just good enough. The same was for other flathead engines, and if anything, the Tecumseh flat heads ran better than any and every Briggs I had. The CBC show Market Place did a show years back saying if burning premium fuel in your engine makes a difference and they shot down all of the myths plus adding that most modern engines made in the last 30-40 years run the same (no significant change in power) on both regular and premium but there are more polluting emissions with premium. Both have detergents mixed in so that's a non issue as well.
@@WJCTechyman Great............ So?
@mattthescrapwhisperer you will have problems with that too. Half the time the fuel trucks put regular in those tanks and regular is fine but mixing them isn't. Not to mention when it sits in the tanks for 6 months before a refuel it's going to have moisture in it. Same with premium and mid grade, they just sit too long.
@@sevencorter Maybe where YOU are, but in farm country, that don't happen. My comment is based on ACTUAL experience, not "maybe" hypotheticals.
I've used sta-bil for many years. Call me a bad-boy, but I've got 2-year-old treated premium gas that runs great in my outdoor power equipment. I don't seem to have a water problem, but I do decant stored gas just in case there is water in the bottom of the can. I'll try some Ethanol Shield tho. Cheers to my favorite small-engine mechanic!
I use Stabil in the U.K., it does significantly improve fuel storage here, but we don’t have the humidity you see in the USA.
@@oceanheadtedare you kidding? With all of your rain?
@@gungadingo or if I can figure is not as warm and humid. But different parts of the country here different mid Midwest oh my gosh six months of the year no fun especially June July August September As well as part of May
@@gungadingo Little humidity, little rain, but LOTS OF SNOW ;-)
I use it all the time now after I put stored gas in the car that clogged all the injectors.
I put it in a generator & it started after 5yrs. I put it in all my small engines & stored gas but recently I switch to non ethanol & will still treat it.
I don’t care what anyone says because if it works for me I’ll still use it. I had all kinds of carburetor problems at first when not using it.
I live in the Rocky Mountains
Good information, thank you! Preparing to store walk behind, self propelled Toro lawnmowers for the Winter, ran the older Toro out of gas, then removed spark plug & squirted 30W oil into cylinder.
After viewing your video, plan to top off the fuel tank with treated ethanol free gasoline on other (newer) Toro.
After snowblower with treated fuel LAST Year, was unable to get it to run. Ended up disassembling carburetor & cleaning “Gummed-Up” needle valve, VERY Disappointed with Sta-Bil!
Will give Ethanol Shield a try.
We recommend draining all tanks and running it until the carb runs dry. If a customer cannot do that, put in Seafoam and Stabil, fill tanks as full as possible with ETHANOL FREE fuel. Run about 5 min. If the tank is full, it doesn't have moisture rich air to condense into water. Normally the carbs don't gum up and it fires right back up in spring. My leaf vac started after 3 pulls this fall after not being run for a year.
A tidbit of history I learned from an article in Popular Mechanics years and years ago. During WWII the Germans did not have access to a lot of oil. They ran their military machines on ethanol. Ethanol attracts water like a magnet which is very bad for engines especially in the cold of winter. They found that mixing a ratio of 5% isopropanol to 95% ethanol solved their problem with water freezing in their fuel lines plus it kept their soldiers from drinking their fuel.
Yes, and not only that. Isopropyl alcohol is anhydrous and will combine with water, which will then be consumed by 😃combustion...
You mentioned Taryl....I see him every 50 years at the Dentist office...we're both on the same bi-century plan ...I love both of your channels !
So you saw Taryl do the 19-month gas stabilizer experiment
Stay bill turns into red goo in the bottom of your carburetor bowl and gums it up.
20 years ago I switched to startron.
No problems ever since.
I put 2 oz of startron in
a gallon steel Military can, I then add 5 gallons ethanol free gas.
I rotate my gas cans and I am now using gasoline.That I put down in 2016 in my
lawnmower and snow blower.
Now that's what I call long term storage.
Startron is by far the best additive out there , i get same results as long as a yr or more storage and the fuel is and performs like new and no damage in my 2 cycle tools from ethanol
I miss the days of ethanol free gas. There is even a racetrack in Milwaukee where I live, but there is not a gas station that sells race gas, unfortunately.
I had good experience with Startron with ethanol fuel in my snow blower when I lived up North.
No more yearly carb blow outs since I started using Startron!
Yip swear by Startron ! Just works PERIOD !
I only use ethanol free! At the hunting property a few years ago, we pulled a generator out that hadn't been started in 8 years. I insisted at the time we were first using it (8 years prior) to use ethanol free gas in it. We put some fresh ethanol free gas in it (the tank was about 1/3 full of the old ethanol free gas). It started on the third pull!
Here in south Louisiana, our winter is short lived. I have a concoction I've used for years. Per 5 gallons of non-ethanol gas is 15 oz Seafoam, 1 oz Stabil Marine and 1/2 oz Yamaha RingFree. During the 3-4 month off season, I'll crank up the lawn equipment, let 'em run for 10 or so minutes twice monthly. I don't drain the tanks or run the carbs till dry. Without fail, the Honda powered TroyBilt, Yamaha generator and Scag Liberty 48" w/Kawa FR651V start effortlessly and run well at any rpm.
I've used Stabil for over 25 years and every spring my small engines fire up. If you store your kit correctly you don't have your problems
Ive used pri-g for about 10 years one of my favorites the military used it first and taryl just did a video on it not long ago
I agree! 100%
Amen boy the possibility
Go back in your videos, your the one that recommend mechanic in a bottle!! 😊
I use a product called PRI - G, I’ve been using it for 15 years now. I normally rotated it every two years, but I forgot and had some gasoline that had been treated four years ago. I put it in my truck and it ran fine, you could smell a little bit of bad gas smell coming out of the tailpipe, but it ran just fine.
Tarrel just did a video on this product. It is not snake oil.
I've also used PRI-G for years. Good stuff.
That's what I've been using for years but now it is super expensive...
Pri G is awesome.. been using for 5 yrs to store gas for generator. Pricey but it works well.
@@williamscott3444 you've got your math wrong, its not expensive per gallon treated. its cheaper than most products on that measure. yes the bottle is more but it treats far more gallons. I've been using this for a very long time and never an issue. PRI-D also
Great Video!
I have been adding SeaFoam to All My Gasoline Powered Stuff for Years, it Works for me.
and Ethanol Free Gas in All Small Engines, Weedwhackers, chainsaw,lawnmowers, Quads etc....
Since using Stabil in California I have had no problems with tool storage. I try to run tools dry for winter but I use the gas next year. I keep a gallon of each and whatever is left , keeps until spring. I always use it.
I've always had great luck with star Tron.
I've used StarTron for over 30 years with great results and it also really helps remove varnish in carbs I buy it by the quart to take to deer camp for all the guys ATV's that they haven't taken care of. The marine version only takes a ounce to 15 gallons
I have also used StarTron for several years after I was introduced to it by a small engine, mechanic friend of mine.
I would certainly recommend this product as the number one stabilizer hands-down .
I’ve been mixing my gas for all my yard equipment and snow blower with StarTron, Ethanol Shield and Sea Foam. Might sound excessive but everything starts on the first pull and runs throughout the year. I make it a point to start up everything every month or so to keep the gas flowing.
I used StarTron as well. An older guy my friend knows from another store they both worked at suggested it to me when I told him my chainsaw was acting all boggy. Now I treat all of my ethanol-free fuel with it just in case and I put 5oz Marvels Mystery Oil in my 5gallon can to give the fuel some extra lubricity. I should see if any of the stores carry Ethanol Shield.
Startron👍
🎉 StarTron for my mowers. ❤
I’ve used PRI-G for years and it’s great! It will actually allow you to use old gas! Try it, and it’ll make you a believer too! Even better with non ethanol!
Its an amazing product. Been using it for many years.
Are used to work with a guy whose dad was an engineer at Briggs & Stratton. Briggs was selling engines to lawnmower manufactures that were guaranteed to start within two or three pulls. They had instructions for storage over the winter of filling the tank and putting Stabil in with it. That next year they were confronted with millions of dollars worth of warranty work because engines weren’t starting and they found out that Stabil didn’t work. They invented their own fuel stabilizer, but they don’t make it anymore. When I found out they were going to quit making it. I bought a lifetime supply off of eBay now I put all of my non-ethanol gas towards the end of the year. I can have a chainsaw from the previous summer and go out the next spring and fire it right up. Stuff is great.
I use 100% gas with no additive and can do the same thing...
@@randybeard6040glad that works for you. I prefer to buy a little insurance.
They've stopped making Fuelfit? 😮That's bad because I have always used that and l seldom have any issues starting equipment after long term storage.
Walmart has it in stock,
@@stevendunn6255it’s not the same. The old stuff was called Fuel Stabilizer PLUS. The new stuff might be the same or better than my old stuff. I stocked up on the old stuff because I KNOW it works.
For long term storage I use Stabil Fogging Oil. It is designed to protect any engine for multi-year storage.
2 stroke mix does the same thing, run like 20:1 the last few mintues, pull the plug dump some engine oil, turn it over a few times slowly, spark plug back in and your done with storage. Top it up with stabilized gas to reduce air in tank and your good for atleast 6 months. If your going super long term like year plus, drain tank run till dies, fuel line off, bowl dropped and emptied. I would then probably Reccomdend a fogging oil into the carb side to keep from anything rusting (another reason I use heavy 2 stroke mix, a good coat of oil is on every internal metal part)
@@jmabs5096 Yea I've found that two stroke fuel lasts a lot longer than regular gas alone. I've been using the same gas in my equipment sometimes a couple years old and it starts right up.
@@drozcompany4132 I run low lead 100 aviation fuel in my 2 strokes. Ethanol free. I keep 5 gallons on hand for about a year knowing it's good fuel when I used to work on other folks stuff. My little 2 strokes love that stuff, I run my stuff hard like they are supposed to and I don't get lead build up on the spark or top of piston. Some municipal airports might allow you (my father has his Cessna at one) and the fuel guys will pump some into a Jerry can for him. Some might allow you to drive in however many airports restrict fuel pumping. Call around you night find one. If plain ethanol free isn't a option low lead av fuel is the next best thing!
@@jmabs5096, like I said, fogging oil for long term storage. I may use my Stihl MS 180 once every few years. My generators are the same way. I just put a Honda 21" HRN away for very long term storage. Who knows when the next time it will get used? 5, 10, or 20 years? Who knows?
@@RMartin631 I got a HRN216VLA (eletric start option) pretty nice machine besides the cheap plastic wheels, and the worst thing is the damn rear discharge option.... Dumbest thing ever I might cut a hole into the side and retrofit an old toro recyler side discharge flap. The grass will get all over you, into your shoes/boots, leg hair eveeywhere. I stocked up on spare parts as honda advised they will only continue parts support for another 5-10 years.
Have you tested the 2 stroke oil made by Ethanol Shield? Sure would like to see a video testing this.🤠
30 year old lawnmower.
Chevron Super (premium) summer blend gas.
Never winterized. Never any additives.
Still starts on first pull (even first start in the spring).
SUMMER BLEND PREMIUM GAS!!! Is the number 1 must.
Absorbing water and stabilizing gasoline for storage are two different things! I would never expect one product to do both optimally. I have been using Stabil for 30+ years and it is great for lengthening the life of gasoline. I never used it to absorb water and never would.
You're right about the Stab-bil claims, but it's the ethanol in the blended fuel that combines with any water to pass it through the engine. It's what we call a liquid-liquid extraction. Water and gasoline don't mix, but alcohols mix with gasoline and water and they act as a soap or surfactant to 'dissolve' the water into the gasoline.
And alcohol is what breaks down the elastomers in the fuel system, right?
@@96royalstar21 Nope, again, that's anything that's a petroleum distillate. This includes, but isn't limited to kerosene, gasoline, WD40, carb cleaner, brake cleaner, you name it. Ethanol is much safer around plastics and rubbers.
@@WJCTechyman I haven't found any clear statements regarding how a fuel stabilizer does what it does. I suspect that they contain a smidge of pH buffer to prevent corrosion from aqueous content, but if they bind the fuel to make it less evaporative in any meaningful way to prevent the lighter components from evaporating, I'd have to suspect that it would negatively impact the fuels use as a fuel, particularly in a carburated system. Chickanic's Ethanol Shield must have some sort of surfactant to dissolve water into oil, and it could very well be a little ethanol!
I started digging. The Ethanol Shield contains a corrosion inhibitor and several solvents that might be described as a varnish solvent, except one that works in fuel systems to stabilize fuel. It appears to use phenolic compounds to address the ethanol issue, e.g. anti-oxidation. This is my impression anyway. It contains a molecule with an 'ethanol' component, so it has the surfactant properties I mentioned earlier.
Love your honesty.
I've always used Stabil Marine and have never had an issue after storing my boat. I had a 50' houseboat that stayed in the water year round. Both 120 gallon tanks were steel.
I switched from Sta-bil to Heat to Ethenol Sheild. In my small Texas town we had no access to Ethenol free fuel. So I started running 100LL aviation fuel from our local airport. Just have to pull plugs and burn carbon off couple times a year, and remove spark arrestor sceens.
For my off road fuel, I use 1oz Startron and 3oz of Lucas upper cylinder lubricant for every 5 gallons of fuel. Been doing this for 35 years and never had any issues with clogged or varnished components - ever! Never used ethanol shield but I’m encouraged by this little demonstration. Stuff seems like it works.
I just ordered a bottle of that new fuel treatment that Taryl fixes all was raving about . He was always saying fuel treatment was snakeoil so for for him to endorse one I figured I would try it.
Amen and Amen how much was it .
I watched that video too it’s called pri G but it sure seemed like it barely worked he had to double the dose and keep messing with it for quite a while before it would finally run so I’m not so sure it actually works either. Plus he was mixing it with gas that had oil in it and other contaminants but yet doesn’t mention anything about having water in it or removing water. His opinion is it kinda works maybe that’s not a glowing endorsement to me lol
@@mr.hamilton5393 clearance at Walmart online
Ok would you let us know how it does ???