What oil and mixture are you using and why?

[Gologit]

Av-gas isn't that much higher in octane than what premium gas is, if you are comparing pump gas RON rating to aviation fuel MON rating. It seems that what is used in AV-gas to give the higher octane, is the highly toxic ingredient, Tetraethyl lead, once an ingredient in auto gas as well, until it was considered important to mostly eliminate it many years ago. I wouldn't care to advise anyone not to use Av-gas if they are sold on the good effects that they find in their saws or other gear and accept the hazards, but toxicology studies of what TEL and other by products produced when burning it in engines inform, don't paint a very comfortable picture of the effects that can result when getting it into the system of a variety of living organisms. They don't test it on humans, but the history of lead poisoning is a long and ugly one. Quoting from an article on lead poisoning, it says that there is no amount of lead that is considered too small to cause harm.

You make some good points and there's a lot to think about in your post. I'm not an engineer or a scientist or a toxicologist, I'm just a guy that works in the woods and depends on his saws to make a living. The only thing I know for sure is that avgas has never let me down and the saws run clean. They last as long as anybody else's. I usually run Bailey's synthetic at about 40:1 depending on how much I spill when I'm mixing up a batch.

With that thought in mind I'll probably keep on the way I've been going. I don't have the time or inclination to experiment with things I'm not sure will work. Avgas works for me and it works for a lot of other guys I know.

LOL...I'll try to stay up-wind from the exhaust.

 

[Gologit]

I mix @ 32:1

On the AV gas. It will run fine.......but it won't make quite the power. It burns too slow.

What was said about the heavy molecules........spot on.

The power loss is hardly noticeable but I'll bet a good woods port would make up for it. Know anybody who's good at that?

 

[mastermind7864]

The power loss is hardly noticeable but I'll bet a good woods port would make up for it. Know anybody who's good at that?

There are several shops out west that port saws. I re-port a lot of them........the work normally looks like hammered shit, and leaves the piston marked up badly.

So, because of that, I'm hesitant to recommend anyone.

 

[Cut4fun]

Thought I seen white bottle stihl too, but maybe black bottled now. Thought it was like 50/50 semi . Who knows I dont. http://www.stihlusa.com/products/oils--lubricants-and-fuels/

All I know is the orange bottle stuff leaves deposits and clogs up spark screens of people running it here that I work on their stuff. Havent seen the problems since they changes to different oil.

 

[Al Smith]

I've asked you before, you never answered - what is a "certified free climber," Al?

I can climb steel using approved safety methods as approved by OSHA and the company .I'm not restricted to the use of aerial lifts for work at elevations .Those not approved cannot leave the confines of an aerial lift if so used ,I can .It's more the politics of safety and insurance regulations than anything else .

Now keep in mind we can't dance the steel like in the old days .You have to be tied off ,two places ,harness etc ,ground man all that stuff ,cones in the drop area .Climb permit etc .It takes more time to get everything lined up than it often takes to do the job .Just the way it is now of days .I've learned to live with it .

 

[Al Smith]

There are several shops out west that port saws. I re-port a lot of them........the work normally looks like hammered shit, and leaves the piston marked up badly.

I've seen a few also .Evidently some are unaware of what a chamfer is .

 

[Al Smith]

Al. I bet if enough people started asking for it, you'd be able to eventually get alkylate fuel, like we do over here.
That stuff is simply the cat's ass for chainsaws.

That's the problem Stig it simply is not made in this country .Like the non ethanol gas .The closest to me is Lake Erie 90 miles north .

Even if we could get it the stuff would be like race gas or AV fuel and be specialty item .You'd probabley have order a barrel full .For you doing so is what you do anyway .Most of us buy it 2 gallons at a time .Right now ,winter I have 4 gallons of mix gas on hand and 25 of non mixed .

7 20 pound cylinders of propane and 16 cords of processed stacked and covered firewood .Let it snow .

 

[mastermind7864]

I've seen a few also .Evidently some are unaware of what a chamfer is .

I think they just let whatever kid is on the chain grinder have at em.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Anybody know what type of oil is the Stihl deep purple colored oil? I purchased a case a few years back and didn't know what type of oil it is, and still don't. I stopped using it but a few bottles left. No explanation of the type of oil on the labels. It looks like what could easily be on the table at the International House of Pancakes.

 

[stig]

We usually buy 2 or more barrels at a time, Al.
To keep shipping costs down.

I thought I read somewhere that it is used for racing boats in the US?

 

[Al Smith]

It looks like what could easily be on the table at the International House of Pancakes.

Ooh that could be bad .A glop of that stuff over a stack of flap jacks would act like a laxatize I'd well imagine .


Since this thread popped up I might have screwed up .I bought a new 6 pack of little jugs ,a jug a gallon stuff .It is sitting on my tool box with 4 jugs left and I mixed up 4 gallon . Oops that's only half enough oil.That stuff is going in the Jeep and I'll mix up new .

 

[squisher]

Why not just add more oil?

 

[Al Smith]

I could but with my forgetfull mind now I'm not certain if I had already had another 2 cans of oil on hand before I bought that little 6 pack . Besides that the damned Jeep acts like a valve is hanging up so a little oil in the gas won't hurt it .

I'm just going to have to pay more attention to what I'm doing .The saving grace is I hadn't used any of that fuel yet so nothing got short oiled .

 

[Cobleskill]

I find myself doing things on auto-pilot. Sometimes it isn't a good thing.

 

[Al Smith]

In general conversation of gasoline or petrol as some refer to it you have to look at the politics of it .

The process of alylation is recognized as a very good method of boosting octane rating and touted as cleaner burning --in Europe .Now look at were we are on this side of the pond .Look where I live ,in the center of a vast corn growing region .I mean corn like Iowa as far as the eye can see in growing season .You could put all of England inside the boundries of just Ohio .

You have huge concerns such as Arthur Daniels Midland ,Central Soya,Cargill and 50 more who make huge amounts of money trading grains .Plus seed companies etc .It is in their best interest to keep us on ethanol blended fuels .Fact just today on the news they are making plans to raise the level of the damned stuff in our gasolines .Briggs and Stratton and others aren't too pleased with that idea .

 

[trx250r180]

I was recomended belray dirt bike oil H1r 32 to 1 from my saw builder ,i used to run orange bottle and silver ultra stihl mix ,at 50 to 1 ,and i got some carbon build up on crank bearings and the head ,i randomly pop my muffler cover off to check my piston ,with a flashlight i can see a clean head with the belray ,the exhaust passage is pretty clean too ,it may be the more oil loosening the carbon up ,or the oil ,i don't know for sure ,but my piston always has a nice coat of oil on it now ,and my plug is a nice gold brown color ,one engine i did tear down,spit the cases to change them after running the belray ,and the crank bearings still looked new ,no carbon build up like the stihl mix used to do

 

[Cobleskill]

The Stihl orange bottles is not good according to stuff I read. Belray used to smell bad years ago. You don't find it objectionable? I used to run it in dirt bikes. You ever smell Klotz? Smells great.
\

 

[trx250r180]

The Stihl orange bottles is not good according to stuff I read. Belray used to smell bad years ago. You don't find it objectionable? I used to run it in dirt bikes. You ever smell Klotz? Smells great.
\

I have heard some people complain about the h1r smell ,my saws the exhaust exits to the right away from me (stihls ) so i don't notice it too bad ,some husky owners where the exhaust comes out the top like a 372 i have heard complain about the smell ,i am curious to try some different types ,i have a big jug of 927 maxima ,maybe when i use the bel ray up i will try it out ,the 927 was recomended by my atv engine builders ,it worked good in those at 32 to 1 for me

 

[ch74]

That's what I run the 927 good chit . Remember with castor oils though if it's bellow freezing they may separate. I have never seen it. but that's the only draw back to the superior qualities of caster based oils.

 

[ch74]

The hotter caster molecules get the more they lube. Really high film streNGTH.

 

[oldachonoak]

It does make you wonder .My ex wife RIP had a mouth full of silver too and she was later diagnosed with being bipolar .

The stuff a lot of us old coots were exposed to it's a wonder we lived past 50 .I'm telling you a lot of people I went to school with look their age of 65 .I'm one of the lucky few I guess .Still spry as a cat,older type Tom though .Fact I'm the oldest certified free climber at the place I work at .They haven't clipped my wings yet .

That is great to here I am 53 and my body is falling apart. Did allot of lead paint removal for a while! I just keep hoping I'll wake up one day and everything will work as it should!
Ted

 

[forestkeepers]

We run 40:1 (perhaps a slightly richer 42 or 45:1) using Super Unleaded 93 octane, preferably with no ethanol. We usually buy a 1 gallon jug of 2 cycle oil at a time. For the last 6 months, we've been running Opti-2 oil, before that was Husqvarna Low Smoke. Now we got a good deal on 3 cases of the Stihl 8 oz bottles (but I don't really like the packaging waste), so we'll give that a go next. So far I think the quality of the gas itself (octane level, additives) is more important than the particular brand of 2 cycle oil. But then again, we aren't venturing too far afield out of the more premium class of oils to mix with it.

 

[SeanKroll]

I was looking at Amsoil the other day, recommended at 100:1 in everything. Huh??

 

[forestkeepers]

Likewise Opti 2 recommends 100:1 for all 2 cycle small engines. We take that with a big grain of salt as it's likely EPA-influenced to cut down on emission pollution. We like to run as rich as the saws need, just below where they would start smoking. So we're somewhere between 50:1 and 40:1 even when it recommends 100:1

 

[flushcut]

I like to follow what the saw makers recommend.