Fuel Considerations for Gasoline Garden Tools

What’s Ethanol gasoline? Why it will shorten the lifespan of small garden tools?

In gasoline we use everyday ,there is an additive ”ethanol”, gasoline sold at almost every gas station are included mixture of ethanol .

The E value is the percentage indicator of the ethanol mixture, for example E10 gasoline, that means it’s blend of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol.

Ethanol fuel won’t hurt car engine but when we use garden tools (brush cutter, pole saw, hedge trimmer, tea plucking shears), there is high chance of demand to hurt the engine body.

What’s the effect of ethanol fuel?

E10 fuel have been certificated to use in small engine equipment but she didn’t recommend using it on hand-held products. When fuel is stored in oil drums, gasoline and fuel will separate, Two-stroke oil will still be combined with gasoline, but ethanol won’t build with it, mixture of ethanol and water inability to lubricate the engine, it’ll effect engine’s performance and maintenance issues.

Ethanol absorbs moisture over time, this creates problems with engine operation, E10 fuel will absorb 50 times moisture than pure gasoline, so we recommend change gasoline in oil drum every 2-3weeks, avoid engine anomalies caused by oil-water separation.

Ethanol is also a good solvent. It will dissolve plastic, rubber, fiberglass and others. To small engine, it’s a dangerous presence.

How solve to problem of ethanol?

1. Avoid using fuel with ethanol
2. Keep fuel fresh at all time, avoid using gasoline that has been left for too long and preferably no more than 30 days.
3. Before adding fuel shack the storage bucket first to mix the fuel inside evenly.
4. Use fully sealed fuel storage drums, because even if there is only a little time in contact with the air, the fuel has the potential to absorb moisture.
5. In non-use season, be sure to drain the fuel in the fuel barrel.