# Which Fuel Should I Buy for My Snowblower?



## Jack28

I have a Toro Power Clear 418 snowblower, and I live in Chicago.


In previous winters, I used ethanol-free fuel from a gas station near my home, along with the following Star Tron fuel stabilizer:

Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment Gas Additive Small Engine


Now, it seems that every gas station in the Chicago area has a sign that says, "Fuel contains up to 10% ethanol."

I read somewhere that premium fuel at these stations is ethanol-free, but I read elsewhere, that the idea that premium fuel at these stations is ethanol-free, is only a rumor.


So, as far as I know, here are my options:

1) Buy E-10 fuel at a gas station, and use the above-mentioned Star Tron fuel stabilizer or the following Sta-bil fuel stabilizer:

Sta-Bil 8 oz. Fuel Stabilizer-22208 - The Home Depot


2) Try to find a gas station that sells ethanol-free premium fuel, and use either the Star Tron or the Sta-bil fuel stabilizer.


3) Use something like Tru-Fuel:

TruFuel 4-Cycle Ethanol-free Fuel-6527238 - The Home Depot

Tru-Fuel is ethanol-free fuel pre-mixed with a fuel stabilizer.

Tru-Fuel seems to be very expensive ($6.00 for a quarter of a gallon).


So, what do I do? 

Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## EdwardC

Living in Chicago as well, I know its toiugh to find ethanol free. I've checked out pure-gas.org and the nearest ethanol free gas is easily an hour trip. 

My vote is option #1 and to avoid keeping any gas around any longer than necessary. I stabilize all the gas I keep in cans, but still get rid of it every 3 or so months. Pour it into the car at the end of the season, then refill and stabilize when you need it again (for the mowers, generator, or just the snow blower next winter).

I would only consider trufuel if by chance you don't have any other gasoline powered equipment or vehicle to offload aging fuel.


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## CO Snow

For you Chi Town guys, don't overlook trips to S WI or IN. TONS of stations selling E0 fuel in WI. 
Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada


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## snowflitesly

premium for my machines for sure, most Petro Canada and some Sunoco hold 94 octane gas in the great white north, but like previously mentioned, pretty much all major gas station blend around 10% ethanol in it. Petro was the last to convert to this. On the other hand Shell supposedly still hold their premium ethanol free V-power 91 octane, my 1rst choice.


was using 114 octane in my race car, used it once in my weed whacker, I would not recommend it, it sure did whack the weeds alright, for the time it worked without knocking on the con rod, rofl, that little two stroke didn't like it that much.


Just for laughs, I'd like to try the 114 on a 4 stroke with slotted holes on the coil and push the timing forward and see the difference. 1/4 to 1/2 hp more on a 5hp? hahaha


k, back on track, Shell, ethanol free premium gas ... and good idea to have a rotation of gas once in while if the 5 gallon is not empty in a season. Stabilizer, never use it, so nothing to say there.


*EDIT*: just saw the link above, yuuuup for shell


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## Tony P.

I take excellent care of all my small engines and recognize the potential harm from using fuel containing ethanol. However, I just don't believe it's a significant risk on newer equipment. Most equipment built in the past 20 years is designed to run on FRESH 10% ethanol. I've used gasoline containing 10% ethanol with no problems so far but include an additive - mostly Sta-bil but switched to Seafoam recently - and don't keep gas over 30 days.

If I had old equipment, I'd use ethanol-free.


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## uberT

Jack, Option 1 during the season. Option 3 as you put the equipment away at the end of season. (I would purchase E0 gasoline if I didn't have to drive hundreds of miles for it.)


(Top tip: Walmart has the best deal I've seen on Startron. In my area they sell a bottle for $9 but it treats 2X the amount compared to what others are selling. I find it in the camping/boating section.)


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## DuffyJr

Depending on the amount of fuel you use I would make the hour drive and get enough E0 for year. E0 with red stabil/star tron/sea foam will easily last a year. I use right at 5 gallons a year so to me it would be worth the drive and not dealing with plugged up carbs and the constant rotating of gas from can to car.

If I couldn't get E0 I wouldn't keep the E10 for more than 60 days and I would buy tru fuel and run it the last 2 or 3 times of the season and store it with the tru fuel. For no more snow than we get here I might even consider using tru fuel in my blower all the time.

On a side note a Shell station here decided he was losing to much business to the stations that sell E0 so just last week he stated selling E0. This is good news because I always like using gas from a top tier station.


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## Jack28

DuffyJr said:


> If I couldn't get E0 I wouldn't keep the E10 for more than 60 days and I would buy tru fuel and run it the last 2 or 3 times of the season and store it with the tru fuel. For no more snow than we get here I might even consider using tru fuel in my blower all the time.
> 
> On a side note a Shell station here decided he was losing to much business to the stations that sell E0 so just last week he stated selling E0. This is good news because I always like using gas from a top tier station.



I can ask the Shell stations near my home, whether their V-Power, 91-octane fuel is ethanol-free.

As for Tru-fuel, are you saying that I'm supposed to leave Tru-fuel inside my snowblower during a hot summer? My snowblower's instructions say that I should drain the fuel from the snowblower for the summer.


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## tpenfield

I'm not much of a fuel connoisseur . . . 

I usually just run the blowers and other yard equipment on the left over fuel that I pump out of the boat at the end of the season.

:smiley-confused013:


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## Faron79

:icon-woo:FINALLLLLYYYY!! :icon_smile_tongue::wink:

Someone brought up TOP-TIER Class fuels!!

Yesirreee....Shell V-power Premium, & Holiday-Stations have TT Fuel. Just last Fall (up here anyway...) Holidays switched from E10 TT, to E0 TT!!

>>> I will ONLY use TT Premium fuel in my car (2008 Impala LTZ. Yes, it's a Flex-Fuel vehicle technically, but there's no way in **** I'm putting E85 in it!!!). 
>>> The Wife's 2014 AWD Turbo Buick-Regal ($41,000 car new...). In fact, in the GM Owners-Manual for the 2.0L Turbo, it specifies TT-Fuel. Many of GM's better engines now recommend or REQUIRE TT Gas.
>>> If we're traveling, I go out of my way to find Shell stations. Holidays are my only other "self-allowed" station/brand.
>>> Other car companies have been spec-ing TT recently too, in their better engines.
>>> Even with TT, I do add Seafoam!!! The cars get some once a month (for yeeeaaars now...), and my small engines get a steady diet too, along with TT-Fuel!

You can get really geeked-out on TT-Fuels here: Home | Top Tier Gas
Very detailed stuff, if you're into it...

Faron


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## orangputeh

Out here the Shell gelled up and the pumps couldn't even pump it out during our last cold spell.

However the Chevron station had no problems pumping their gas. The manager who is a good friend of mine told me they use winter additives in their fule.

It was the only game in town. All the other stations, Beacon, 76 , and Shell , were all froze up.


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## Faron79

Orangputeh- What's a cold spell like there?!
Oh my....how can a gas-pump not work?
Here in Fargo, ND...I don't think that's ever happened! We've hit -20F a couple times this winter.

Faron


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## DuffyJr

Jack28 said:


> I can ask the Shell stations near my home, whether their V-Power, 91-octane fuel is ethanol-free.
> 
> As for Tru-fuel, are you saying that I'm supposed to leave Tru-fuel inside my snowblower during a hot summer? My snowblower's instructions say that I should drain the fuel from the snowblower for the summer.


Here in Nebraska I'm fairly sure the pumps have to be marked whether there E0 or E10.

There is great debate on storage so you will have to figure out what works for you depending on the fuel you use. I would never tell anyone how to do this but offer up what I was told and has worked for me for the last 27 years.

In 1991 I bought a Snapper mover from a dealer. He also directed me to buy my blower at Menards since he knew I didn't have the money to buy a blower from him in 1995. I had this mower for 16 years and still have the blower.
2007 I bought a mower from local Toro dealer. I have actually bought three of them from him since then, couldn't decide what I wanted but ended up with the Super Recycler which I plan on keeping for a long time.
2016 I bought a SS blower from a different Toro dealer.

All these guys have been in business for many years and they all told me the same thing for storing. Use E0 with red sta bil year round and park it when done. I have never had an issue with starting these machines at the beginning of the season. Some might say I'm lucky but that's what I do because it has always worked for me.

With the blower I did get some rough running a few years back but some Star Tron took care of that, now it's stumbling again so I decided to purchase a new carb I will install this summer.

I wouldn't be afraid to leave the tru fuel in there over the summer but if it's under warranty I would ask your dealer what to do so not to void the warranty.


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## Kielbasa

Ever since I repowered and I have used 93 octane fuel with Startron and Seafoam in my sno thro. Am I fooling myself? I have no... idea and no clue. I was told that I should run high octane in the engine. I was also told that Startron will prevent any ethanol problems. And I was also told years back that Seafoam will clean and clear passages. And after seeing what the Seafoam did on the old Tecumseh H-70, that was enough proof for me. 

I do not know if by putting all three together is a good or bad combo, but it seems to work, so that is what I do.


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## vmaxed

89 Toptiergas with Seafoam :2cents:

Licensed Brands | Top Tier Gas


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## Bror Jace

I use any old 87 octane gas ... and around here it's all E10. Stewart's Shops (convenience stores) offer 91 octane with no ethanol:

Premium Non-Ethanol Gasoline Available at Most Shops - Stewart's ShopsStewart's Shops

But so far, I have not found it necessary. I use fuel stabilizer (currently Briggs & Stratton 5-in-1) in fuel that I do not expect to consume within 90 days ... as well as in fuel in EVERYTHING that will be stored for 4 months or more. Almost 3 decades of this practice and I have not had to replace or rebuild a carburetor yet. No OPE lost to gunk.  

I know some people use Seafoam (and the Seafoam clones from Gumout and others) as a stabilizer. That seems to work. Same thing for Startron. However, I prefer dedicated fuel stabilizers like the B&S product as well as the better grades of Sta-Bil (Marine and 360 formulas). I have used a lot of Sta-Bil red over the decades but no longer use or recommend it anymore. I think they let the formula get out of date years ago and people began reporting gunking of fuel despite its use. That may have changed now as the label now specifically mentions "Use with ethanol fuels" ... but I still prefer to use the better products. Better safe than sorry.

http://www.brandnewengines.com/images/products/detail/100117.3.jpg


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## Loco-diablo

I'm in New England.. I've always used regular unleaded e10, (because we can't get ethanol free) along with Stabil marine. I've never had a fuel related issue with any of my 4 stroke small engines. I use premium unleaded e-10 with Stabil marine for my 2 stroke equipment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bob Cat

My blowers are vintage so l use Shell V power since it is ethanol free. Good gas,shitty company.


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## Opfoto

Bror Jace said:


> I use any old 87 octane gas ... and around here it's all E10. Stewart's Shops (convenience stores) offer 91 octane with no ethanol:
> 
> Premium Non-Ethanol Gasoline Available at Most Shops - Stewart's ShopsStewart's Shops
> 
> But so far, I have not found it necessary. I use fuel stabilizer (currently Briggs & Stratton 5-in-1) in fuel that I do not expect to consume within 90 days ... as well as in fuel in EVERYTHING that will be stored for 4 months or more. Almost 3 decades of this practice and I have not had to replace or rebuild a carburetor yet. No OPE lost to gunk.
> 
> I know some people use Seafoam (and the Seafoam clones from Gumout and others) as a stabilizer. That seems to work. Same thing for Startron. However, I prefer dedicated fuel stabilizers like the B&S product as well as the better grades of Sta-Bil (Marine and 360 formulas). I have used a lot of Sta-Bil red over the decades but no longer use or recommend it anymore. I think they let the formula get out of date years ago and people began reporting gunking of fuel despite its use. That may have changed now as the label now specifically mentions "Use with ethanol fuels" ... but I still prefer to use the better products. Better safe than sorry.
> 
> http://www.brandnewengines.com/images/products/detail/100117.3.jpg


I am around the corner from you and had way different results... I recently switched over to the stewarts premium gas. Prior to that I have tried seafoam, marvel mystery oil, red stabil and depending on the machine I had to replace the carbs on occasion. So far the snow blower has been running great.....as it should without the snow to throw!


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## johnny2154

Jack28 said:


> I have a Toro Power Clear 418 snowblower, and I live in Chicago.
> 
> 
> In previous winters, I used ethanol-free fuel from a gas station near my home, along with the following Star Tron fuel stabilizer:
> 
> Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment Gas Additive Small Engine
> 
> 
> Now, it seems that every gas station in the Chicago area has a sign that says, "Fuel contains up to 10% ethanol."
> 
> I read somewhere that premium fuel at these stations is ethanol-free, but I read elsewhere, that the idea that premium fuel at these stations is ethanol-free, is only a rumor.
> 
> 
> So, as far as I know, here are my options:
> 
> 1) Buy E-10 fuel at a gas station, and use the above-mentioned Star Tron fuel stabilizer or the following Sta-bil fuel stabilizer:
> 
> Sta-Bil 8 oz. Fuel Stabilizer-22208 - The Home Depot
> 
> 
> 2) Try to find a gas station that sells ethanol-free premium fuel, and use either the Star Tron or the Sta-bil fuel stabilizer.
> 
> 
> 3) Use something like Tru-Fuel:
> 
> TruFuel 4-Cycle Ethanol-free Fuel-6527238 - The Home Depot
> 
> Tru-Fuel is ethanol-free fuel pre-mixed with a fuel stabilizer.
> 
> Tru-Fuel seems to be very expensive ($6.00 for a quarter of a gallon).
> 
> 
> So, what do I do?
> 
> Any help is greatly appreciated.


Go to your local airport and by it


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## tabora

johnny2154 said:


> Go to your local airport and by it


Not the best idea... That fuel is Avgas 100LL or Avgas 100 and may have lead in it which is illegal for non aviation uses. It also has too high an octane rating and will not run as well in low compression engines as 87 octane.


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