It’s fairly well-known that fuel containing ethanol can damage small engines. Fuel with up to 10% ethanol is still safe, though, if you can use it up within 30 days or if you add a fuel stabilizer. More and more gas stations, however, are starting to offer E15 fuel, which contains 15% ethanol. This level of ethanol is not safe to use in outdoor power equipment and we need to keep an eye out for it when purchasing fuel.
Locations Affected
E15 fuel is now sold in 23 states in the U.S. This includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and most other states east of the Rocky mountains. There are some good reasons for this. The goal is to become less dependent on foreign oil, and E15 fuel is safe for most cars made after 2001. It’s just not so good for those of us who need fuel to power small engines.
If you live in one of the states where E15 fuel is now showing up at the gas pumps, it’s vitally important to check what kind of gasoline you’re buying before you pump. Do not use fuel containing more than 10% of ethanol in your power equipment. E10 fuel is okay, but the E15, E30 and E85 fuels are not.
Effects of Ethanol
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) warns that fuels containing more than 10% ethanol can severely damage small engines. Affected equipment includes lawn mowers, chainsaws, blowers, trimmers, power washers, generators, and water pumps. Unless the owner’s manual specifically states otherwise, assume that fuels containing more than 10% ethanol can damage all your outdoor power equipment.
High ethanol content can lead to corrosion of metals and rubber, thereby making engines break down more quickly. These problems have to do with the fact that ethanol absorbs moisture from the surrounding air and adds oxygen to the fuel, which speeds how quickly the gasoline goes stale. Even E10 fuel begins to turn stale within 30 days. Combined, the stale gasoline and water-logged ethanol can cause the engine parts to gum up, corrode, and/or rust.
What to Use Instead
Many gas stations are starting to offer the option of buying pure gasoline in response to market demand for fuel that’s safe to use in power equipment, boats, and small planes. You can check www.pure-gas.org to find a map of gas stations in your local area where you can buy pure gas. At the time of this writing, there aren’t any stations listed in the immediate Fort-Worth/Dallas area, but keep checking for updates. This website does list several stations that sell pure gas east of Dallas, near Greenville, Emory, and Canton, and a few to the south near Cleburne and Athens.
Several power equipment brands also offer their own fuel specifically designed for small engines. These include Stihl MotoMix and Echo Power Fuel. Both contain no ethanol and are pre-mixed with oil for use in 2-cycle engines. As a Stihl and Echo dealer, we can order these fuels for you if we don’t have them in stock. If you have any more questions, just ask us! We’re happy to help with anything related to fueling and maintaining the equipment we sell.
