Winterizing / storing 2 stroke engines

[MapleLeafFarmer]

last count I probably have about 20 - 2 stroke engines that get used seasonally and then probably shut down for 5 +/- months till next season.

Think chainsaws, stihl blowers, string trimmers, trash pumps, etc....

I have for decades added a little fuel stabilizer in the last tank, dumped whatever left in fuel tank after short use, and then RUN THE ENGINE/carb dry. Many also have carb drain screws and / or drop the fuel bowl to make sure relatively fuel free.

So today over morning coffee & pie the "old crony farmers club" at the diner argues whether running dry when using mixed fuel designed to provides lubrication is good or bad. One guy pulls out his phone and google

"Unlubricated 2-stroke engines: Using starting fluid in a 2-stroke engine robs it of essential oil lubrication"

so could this be true and then could running carbs dry also damage a motor more than its value created by being stored dry?


any thoughts, recommendations, book learning if running a 2 stroke dry before storage is good or bad?

 

[Caden]

My feelings on the matter mean that I don't make it a habit to run them out of fuel routinely but don't see much harm in once a year.

That said, I use Echo 2 stroke oil which supposedly has some stabilizer in it. I store all with a full tank to prevent condensation and don't run them dry before storage. Never had an issue that way, and that's ethanol fuel too.

But most of my 2 stroke gets run either year round or about April to November, so the storage season is not very long. My chainsaws and blowers I never "store" but my weed eaters/ hedge trimmer I might start up and let them run for a few minutes sometime in January.

Personally I see nothing wrong with your method.

 

[JimDeL]

...I use Echo 2 stroke oil which supposedly has some stabilizer in it. I store all with a full tank to prevent condensation and don't run them dry before storage. Never had an issue that way, and that's ethanol fuel too.

But most of my 2 stroke gets run either year round or about April to November, so the storage season is not very long. My chainsaws and blowers I never "store" but my weed eaters/ hedge trimmer I might start up and let them run for a few minutes sometime in January.

Personally I see nothing wrong with your method.

I agree.
All my 2 Stroke stuff is Stihl, and I only use their oil (also 'with stabilizer'). I treat - and use - most of my equipment pretty much all year, and have never had a problem with any of it.

I will add that I only used Ethanol-free gasoline in all my small engines.

 

[edritchey]

I start them then warm them up then shut them off and drain out the fuel then restart them and let them sit till they run out of fuel. Been doing it this way for many years without any problems.

 

[imarobot]

I also drain fuel, then run dry on all my 2-stroke including my dirt bikes.
I had to tear open one of my dirt bikes one time to do some transmission work. Even after running it dry there was still plenty of oil coating the lower end.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Anecdotal experience.

I have never run my smsll engines dry and never had problems. I had two years were I was physically unable to do anything with them. They were all stored with whatever regular fuel (pump gas and synthetic oil) they had in them and they all started and ran fine. I had to replace one primer bulb that was cracked but thats not unusual. My feeling is it really does not matter one way or other.

PS> About half and half Echo and Husquvarna

Dan

 

[DaveFromMi]

I have mostly Stihl equipment. I run HP Ultra and 91 octane E10 with 2 oz/gal Seafoam. I have 4 saws, only the 011 AVT is drained since it is an heirloom lol. I got out a MS250 that hadn't been run in about a year and a half. I dumped the fuel out and refuelled. It ran fine. I have 3 Stihl Trimmers that I don't drain. I use a hand blower and a backpack blower year round. No fuel problems with any of my engines.

 

[JasonW]

We have always left fuel in them. Theory is if you run it empty the seals will dry out, then when you use it next it leaks gas.

Of all the equipment the only one we ever had trouble out of was an older Honda ATV where it would gum the carb up.

I’ve let my string trimmer sit full of fuel every winter for going on 10 years now. And sometimes not even using it every year.

I recently pulled out my Stihl MS261C that has been sitting for 2 or 3 years since I bought it new. Started on the 3rd or 4th pull, gave it a good warm up and proceeded to cut up four large trees after a hurricane.

All my mix gas is regular unleaded with amsoil saber 50:1 mixed.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I too drain them or shut the fuel off to the carb, and run them till they are dry.
I've not had any negative effects from any of those engines, in fact it's been quite the opposite as they fire right back up when i need them to.

Now any diesel equipment I just add a biocide and cetane treatment to the fuel and make sure there is no water in the filters or separators before it starts to freeze.

 

[mikester]

I’d argue that since the fuel is lube, and if you don’t have fuel you can’t run the engine, then running the engine until it’s dry isn’t going to be a problem.

Fuel quality can be an issue. I can’t buy alcohol free gas at stations any more.

My neighbour started me on using the premix-in-a-can. He swears by the stuff. I gave it a go and I seem to have less issues starting and running my saws in the past couple of years. Unlike gas station based fuel premix I haven’t had any startup issues in springtime even when I’ve forgotten to drain the fuel from the equipment In fall.

 

[Caden]

My neighbour started me on using the premix-in-a-can. He swears by the stuff. I gave it a go and I seem to have less issues starting and running my saws in the past couple of years.

The non ethanol part of it seems good.

But my experience with the pre mix is kinda the opposite, I tried it once, someone gave me a can, and everything seemed to have less power and was harder to start. Plus it is a bout $28 a gallon near me.

 

[imarobot]

With the price of the pre mix stuff, it's cheaper to use gas and throw it away if you're not going to use it in the next year or so!

 

[SDT]

last count I probably have about 20 - 2 stroke engines that get used seasonally and then probably shut down for 5 +/- months till next season.

Think chainsaws, stihl blowers, string trimmers, trash pumps, etc....

I have for decades added a little fuel stabilizer in the last tank, dumped whatever left in fuel tank after short use, and then RUN THE ENGINE/carb dry. Many also have carb drain screws and / or drop the fuel bowl to make sure relatively fuel free.

So today over morning coffee & pie the "old crony farmers club" at the diner argues whether running dry when using mixed fuel designed to provides lubrication is good or bad. One guy pulls out his phone and google

"Unlubricated 2-stroke engines: Using starting fluid in a 2-stroke engine robs it of essential oil lubrication"

so could this be true and then could running carbs dry also damage a motor more than its value created by being stored dry?


any thoughts, recommendations, book learning if running a 2 stroke dry before storage is good or bad?

last count I probably have about 20 - 2 stroke engines that get used seasonally and then probably shut down for 5 +/- months till next season.

Think chainsaws, stihl blowers, string trimmers, trash pumps, etc....

I have for decades added a little fuel stabilizer in the last tank, dumped whatever left in fuel tank after short use, and then RUN THE ENGINE/carb dry. Many also have carb drain screws and / or drop the fuel bowl to make sure relatively fuel free.

So today over morning coffee & pie the "old crony farmers club" at the diner argues whether running dry when using mixed fuel designed to provides lubrication is good or bad. One guy pulls out his phone and google

"Unlubricated 2-stroke engines: Using starting fluid in a 2-stroke engine robs it of essential oil lubrication"

so could this be true and then could running carbs dry also damage a motor more than its value created by being stored dry?


any thoughts, recommendations, book learning if running a 2 stroke dry before storage is good or bad?

There is no need to do much of anything to prepare two stroke engines for off season storage for a few months, even with modern gasoline.

Quality (all?) two stroke oil contains fuel stabilizer which will preserve FRESH gasoline for well over one year.

FWIW, I never did anything to any of my two stroke engines in preparation for the off season and sometimes did not use such engines again for two years or more without issues related to fuel.

Your mileage may vary if you use gasoline with ethanol as this is an entirely different issue.

Starting fluid is yet another issue unrelated to off season storage.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Starting fluid is yet another issue unrelated to off season storage.

agree... the starter fluid component is brought into the discussion as we know it is grease / oil stripping so using it in theory (vs 50:1 mix that has oil) is probably not a positive.

so kinda same as running low volume of fuel will also not have as much oil but for such a short period I think wouldn't hurt but the internet gives warning.

one of the many topics not worthy of a lot of lost sleep but heck still better than politics AND an oil based topic too boot.

Cheers

 

[trikepilot]

I just run mine. Frequently. Seems like the simple option. In the dead of winter when usage drops off, once every month or so, I go out and start the chain saw, pole saw, blower, and weedeater and let them run a min or two and put them up. Non EtOH fuel with Husky premium oil in it. never had an issue

 

[Mowbizz]

Never bothered to drain my 2-stroke machines fuel…never had a problem. Caveat…a few years back I started using TruFuel 50:1 and my only 2-strokes now are one Stihl weed whacker with a brush blade and one old RedMax backpack blower. All my other stuff is Atlas ( Harbor Freight) battery machines (and they are awesome!)

 

[snoeproe]

I only have 1 small 2 stroke engines that I use much anymore. My Husky 61 chainsaw. it runs periodically, year round. My old sthil FS85 trimmer hasn’t been used for years now since it was replaced with a 4cycle push type cub cadet with big wheels. My back likes the push trimmer much better also. Anything with a diaphram type carb (small 2stroke engines that run in all positions) is generally not hard to get going in my experience.
I do have a few 2stroke snowmobiles, they use float type mikuni carbs.

 

[hagrid]

No one ever talks about summerizing their equipment.

 

[Mowbizz]

No one ever talks about summerizing their equipment.

Fresh fuel, crank it up!

 

[imarobot]

No one ever talks about summerizing their equipment.

I do that with my snowmobile and snowblower