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I just invested in a very nice 2-cycle string trimmer and I want it to last. I have always used stabilizer in my fuel for my 4-cycle lawn mower. I know that ethanol attracts moisture and the stabilizer does not let the water separate and sink, thus rusting out components. I also know that ethanol used to break down seals and fittings, but that manufacturers use better material now that are okay in the presence of ethanol.

Is using a fuel stabilizer and mixing the oil myself just as good as using an ethanol-free fuel? I have read some reviews of the pre-mixed fuels where a lack of lubrication (caused by quality control at the manufacturer plant) have caused pistons to seize up in the cylinders.

I don't care about the cost of the pre-mixed fuel as I wouldn't use much in an entire season; the question is more about the benefits and risks.

Evil Elf
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Nothing is guaranteed but I think the odds of you messing up the fuel/oil mixture yourself are greater than getting a bad batch from the factory. So I would say yes, the pre-mixed fuel is a safer bet. Also if you buy pre-mixed fuel there is less risk of water/dirt getting into your gas cans.

However I personally think it's not worth it. Buying pre-mixed fuel removes one possible source of problems but it does not guarantee trouble-free use year after year. You will still want to perform basic small-engine maintenance like emptying the fuel tank at the end of the season, checking the air filter periodically, etc.

You could do some back-of-the-envelope math to see how much it would cost you to use the pre-mixed stuff and then compare that to the cost of a new trimmer if this one does bite the dust. At a cost of $20-30/gallon it could really add up if you use the trimmer regularly.

Hank
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Not all gasoline is the same... summer blends, winter blends, exxon brand, BP brand, etc. All gasoline is the same (fungible) in the pipeline; some gas stations have direct lines, while others rely on trucks which deliver gasoline from a local terminal. In either case, treatments are added to the fuel just prior to being sold to the user.

That being said, ethanol-free fuel tends to burn better (especially in 2 stroke engines) than E-10 (despite the additives used to compensate for ethanol). Ethanol is thin and does interfere with lubrication- so some of the additives are oils, to help with that issue. Unfortunately, quality is variable. If you search online, you can probably locate a gas station that sells ethanol-free fuel somewhere. That's going to be the safest bet.

Also, engine quality makes a difference. Please excuse the product recommendations, but Stihl makes the best weed-trimmer and Kubota makes the best lawn mower. This is not really an opinion; it is an observation of what withstood the most use and abuse from a commercial landscaping business.

Ben Welborn
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My chainsaw starts every time ever since I switched to the pre-mix 2-stroke gas without ethanol, even after leaving it in the shed unused all winter.

Jimmy Fix-it
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