Best fuel treatment/stabilizer?

[Mr Mower Man]

Sorry if this has been discussed on here already. But I wondered which fuel stabilizer/treatment formula you all have had the best results with. For the past couple of years, I've been using the new Briggs & Stratton 5-in-1 fuel treatment. I'd been touting this stuff as the best on the market, since it has no alcohol in it and the manufacturer arguments in its favor seemed to me to be airtight. I didn't base my endorsement on personal experience, which turned out to be a mistake. I swallowed Briggs & Stratton's marketing materials, hook, line & sinker. Yep, I'm a sucker.

I stock new zero turn mowers, and a few of the models haven't moved out so quickly. I used normal 87 octane fuel in them and treated it, when it was fresh, with the Briggs fuel treatment. The bottle says it will keep fuel fresh for 2 or 3 years, depending on how concentrated the mixture is. After draining the fuel from the tanks of the mowers that have been here for a while, I no longer believe this is true. I drained one yesterday that had treated fuel in it for several months, but less than a year. It was orange and had that stale, sweet smell to it. I'm actually surprised that the engine (Kohler 7000 series) ran as well as it did! I replaced it with a gallon of 93 octane, treated with the same stuff. It runs much better now, fortunately. I've recently made the switch to premium pump fuel (93 octane) instead of regular (87 octane), in an attempt to be easier on the fuel systems of the new mower inventory that may be here for several months before it sells. I've even considered using aviation fuel for these units, if it will help me avoid trouble down the road.

What have you found to be the best practice for fueling new inventory without gumming up the fuel system? What fuel treatments/stabilizers work the best, in your experience? Sta-bil, Seafoam, Opti, Startron, Fuel Medic, B3C...you can find anyone who will swear by any one of these, but I don't necessarily trust what they say. What kind of tests have you done?

[bgsengine]

We only buy 89 octane (not 93) and treat with s dose of B3C - Have also used Sta-Bil 360 , and still have a stock of the Briggs 5 in 1 and have also used star tron Over the last 7 years I have personallyt seen best results with B3C's stuff - I had one lawnmower I "threw together from scrap pieces" for my own personal use (and abuse testing) it had an old Briggs 6 HP (from a snapper we re-powered) that had a valve guide problem (intermittent clouds of smoke) One summer I fueled it up full with B3C Ethanol Shield treated 89 octane gas , and shortly after, "fixed up" an antique wheel horse (with 32" cross shaft mower) and ran that for the next 2 years, never even touching the push mower - Which sat outdoors, uncovered, through that fall , and another full year (2 full winters) and then sold the wheel horse, next time I needed to mow the lawn, the old pushmower was out of gas and had a little bit of water in the bottom of the tank.. I just dumped in a half tank full of fresh treated 89 octane fully expecting it to not start - Started on the first pull and ran the rest of the summer with no problems!

I havent had experience with the Briggs treatment that I can speak to personally and as for 2-cycle, we use Echo's Powerblend and Red Armor mix oil in everything.. and have never had any stale fuel problems even on a demonstrator saw that sat on the shelf for over a year with that same gas it was first started up on. We've used Seafoam (in an old farmall cub) for carburetor and carbon problems, but when it comes to carb issues, the B3C mechanic in a bottle stuff works better than anything we''ve ever tried (where the only issue was gum and varnish) and when it comes to carbon/valve problems in older (antique) engines like the farmall, nothing works better than Essential Lube

[creia]

We have been using Sta-Bil Fuel Stabilizer in ALL of our small engines and motorcycles over the past 10 years with ZERO problems. It is important to note that we use "regular" 87 octane unleaded gas that has (up to) 10% ethanol as well. We have never seen the need to purchase higher octane or ethanol-free gas. I know others may have had different experiences, but this has been ours.
Michael

[bobodu]

Sta-Bil Marine in everything that may sit and I run av gas in the generator,which gets changed out every summer.

[jwales]

Strickly from personal experience with my own equipment. I have used Sea-Foam in my fuel for snowmobiles and ATV for 10 + years. I have used a mix of 87 w/10% ethanol and 93 no ethanol (what ever is available); Pulled the carbs at 5 years and they were no varnish. They have performed with no issue. fuel does not get drained in off season.

I have been burning 93 with all my mowers,blowers, saws,trimmers, etc. and Sea-Foam. No issues. I have recently (1.5 years) switched over to a product called "Nutra". Its produce by Schaeffer Lubricants. My buddy is a distributer, he convinced me to try it and I am happy to buy from a friend. I have had no problems thus far.

My 2 cents.

[Skywatcher]

Greetings All

Our fuel choices around here are the major brands (Shell, Esso & Petro-Canada), the economy brands (Fas-Gas and Payless), then there's the farm UFA fuel depot who's fuel often won't even burn in chain saws and string trimmers as it's already stale in the holding tanks and reeks of ethanol . The octane choices are 87, 89 or 91 with up to 10% ethanol in the 87. Shell guarantees their 91 octane premium or V-power has no ethanol and the 89 octane is a 50/50 mix of regular and premium.

As my reputation rides on how well the repaired equipment starts and runs, I only ever buy Shell, 2 cans of 87 and 2 cans of 91 and always add Interlube's Optimizer-Max fuel stabilizer (2 ml/litre) to the cans before filling them. Therefore, all my fuel is always stabilized so I don't have to try and remember which machines have stabilizer and which don't, everything does — all the time. All two cycle equipment and OHV four cycle engines get 91 octane. L-head or side valve engines get my home mixed 88 octane (⅓ premium - ⅔ regular). Since I started with this regime, I haven't had a fuel related problem in 16 years.

My farm customers who use the UFA died farm fuel on the other hand, run into fuel related problems several times a year, that fuel literally goes rotten within 60 days of when they bought it, and often won't even light with a match. It looks and smells like putrid kerosene or rancid diesel fuel and the 15% ethanol just makes the situation worse.

So, in a nut shell. It's good quality fuel and Interlube's Optimizer-Max fuel stabilizer.

Sky

[38racing]

i just picked up a used 2 cycle leaf blower. guy put some gas in it. started on first pull. put it in trunk and went to restaurant for supper. returned to car and what a stink. kept windows part down and ac on full for hour drive home. i then had thought that it was old gas and maybe straight gas. i poured it out and it was pink. i have had old bad stuff that was orange. so i filled with fresh oil mix and took some effort before i got it to fire up. after minor carb adjust it ran good.