# Which Sta-Bil product to use?



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I went to the Sta-Bil website to read about their products and I learned they have a lot of different but similar products. So which one to use? the stabilizer, fuel cleaner, their additive product when using ethanol gas, they have several products which emit a vapor to prevent the gas tank from rusting. The latter was mentioned on SBF recently.

I sent them this email below and received the reply below that.


Submitted on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - 13:11
Which product should I be using to stabilize my gas in my lawn mowers and snowblowers in the off season and in between snows. the gasoline in my area has 10% ethanol. I'm more interested in fuel stabilization than a fuel cleaner as I do use fuel carb cleaners. I don't know if the 10% ethanol is important to my situation for your recommendation. 


Their reply

Hello John,

Thank you for contacting Gold Eagle (Sta-Bil). For storing and protecting your equipment, and use during seasonal use we definitely recommend treating your fuel with STA-BIL 360® Performance™. It is specially efficient in ethanol blended fuels to protect against corrosion, rust and water issues. It will keep fuel fresh up to 12 months. Hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Conrad


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

It may keep your fuel fresh but don't count on the carburetor being safe. Dry off season storage has been much more predicable. I think the 360 line is new but their prior Ethanol products didn't serve me well through the off season. I'm in no hurry to revisit the November surprise.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

None. Startron and seafoam blend.


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

use startron, stabil is junk. if you have a medal tank add 2 capfulls of two stroke oil for rust prevention


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I have used the 360 the past 2 years since it was released to the market and not one problem with the snowblowers I have used it on. I do fire these engines up once every 2 months or so during the spring and summer.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Yeah, I've had good luck with the Stabil products over the years. I think the "360" product is what I have now. I've also had good luck with the others mentioned.


I'm running my machines dry and re-filling with 1/2 qt of the synthetic gasoline before putting things away for the season. That product is supposed to be good for 2 years and doesn't need any further additization.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

I'm not much of a fuel connoisseur, but use the red Sta-bil once in a while. I use some 2-cycle oil in the fuel to fog the engine for off-season layup and keep the tank from rusting. Then some carb cleaner in the fuel when the season starts up again.

Whatever additives you use or don't use, as long as you don't something like pee in the fuel tank, it should be fine. 

I find that a heavy dose of carb cleaner at the start of the season is the most beneficial.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Why 2 cycle oil? Why not an engine oil, multi viscosity, straight 30, or non detergent 30? Years ago prior to 2 cycle oil they use to use non detergent 30.

How do you fog your metal gas tank and with what?


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

any two stroke oil. i buy the big gallon of supertech


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

I use the Blue sta-Bil. I think it's called 360 marine. Either way, I added to everything year round.

Last year I stored my Honda with a full tank of fresh, treated, non ethanol gas and the bowl empty. 

This year I forgot ask my snowmobiling buddy to bring me back any non ethanol gas so... I'm storing totally dry this season. 

I also fog my machines with CRC engine stor.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Why 2 cycle oil? Why not an engine oil, multi viscosity, straight 30, or non detergent 30? Years ago prior to 2 cycle oil they use to use non detergent 30.
> 
> How do you fog your metal gas tank and with what?



for fogging an engine, you don't want the oil to burn (as much). therefore 2-cycle oil is better for fogging, since it is designed to be mixed with gasoline and does not burn as readily is regular motor oil.


having mixed the 2-cycle oil with the gas (in the tank) . . . a bit of sloshing around provides an oil barrier inside the tank to prevent rusting.


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## Landngroove (Oct 12, 2015)

For many years (30+) in all my equipment with small engines, at the end of the season I add red Stabil to the gas tank, then run the machine until it runs out. I have never had a problem restarting, even after 6 to 9 months of storage.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

drmerdp said:


> I use the Blue sta-Bil. I think it's called 360 marine. Either way, I added to everything year round.
> 
> Last year I stored my Honda with a full tank of fresh, treated, non ethanol gas and the bowl empty.


Basically same here. I use the blue Marine Sta-Bil, mine is older, before the 360 was released. 

I put stabilizer in my gas can year-round. It's cheap enough, given the amount of gas I use in my small engines, to have it always treated, it helps avoid forgetting to add it before putting something away. 

For off-season storage, if the machine has a fuel shutoff, I run the carb dry. I don't have anything with a metal gas tank, so I don't worry about doing anything to protect the tank. And I don't fog my engines with oil (to coat the cylinders), though that might be a good idea.


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## Saewoody (Nov 7, 2013)

Startron!!!!!


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## Bror Jace (Jan 13, 2015)

_"Why 2 cycle oil? Why not an engine oil, multi viscosity, straight 30, or non detergent 30? Years ago prior to 2 cycle oil they use to use non detergent 30."_

You want to use TCW3 2-cycle oil (water-cooled 2-stroke engines). You want the oil to lightly coat things ... but then burn off quickly when the engine is started for the following season. Non-TCW3 and motor oils will resist burning off and their metallic additives will leave deposits behind when they do burn off. 

I'm 50 and I don't remember a time when it was recommended to use straight 30 weight motor oil mixed with gas in 2-stroke engines ... and that includes my time working in groundskeeping as a teenager in the 1980s.

As for which Stabil to use, I still don't trust Stabil red. I and others thought it was marginally effective decades ago ... probably even less so with today's ethanol blended fuels (despite the label that suggests it works with ethanol).

The "360" in the 360 formulas refers to a vapor the product releases that is supposed to coat the inside of the fuel tank and deter corrosion while in storage. I like that feature for my sports car that I store every winter. But what about OPE featuring a plastic fuel tank? I see no benefit.

I use Briggs and Stratton 5-in-1 fuel stabilizer in my OPE. If I was to select a Stabil product, I would pick their blue marine formula ... presumably deals with high moisture environments and fights corrosion better.


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## thool (Jul 25, 2016)

I've always wondered how different my small engines would perform with and without the additives. It seems like the cocktail I use is insurance, but it is not based on hard science or personal experience. This cocktail that goes into my 5 gallon can usually involves a dose of red Stabil and a splash of Heet. This is on 93 octane ethanol free gas. Toward the end of the season, I'll run with a splash of Seafoam in the tank. And with this, my mower gets stored with a full tank, as does my pressure washer...always start easily.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

thool said:


> I've always wondered how different my small engines would perform with and without the additives. It seems like the cocktail I use is insurance, but it is not based on hard science or personal experience. This cocktail that goes into my 5 gallon can usually involves a dose of red Stabil and a splash of Heet. This is on 93 octane ethanol free gas. Toward the end of the season, I'll run with a splash of Seafoam in the tank. And with this, my mower gets stored with a full tank, as does my pressure washer...always start easily.


Well, you have 95% of fuel problems already solved with that ethanol free gasoline. Wish it wws sold in my area.


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

micah68kj said:


> Well, you have 95% of fuel problems already solved with that ethanol free gasoline. Wish it wws sold in my area.


Have you tried this website? They keep adding more stations.

Ethanol-free gas stations in PA


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

524SWE said:


> Have you tried this website? They keep adding more stations.
> 
> Ethanol-free gas stations in PA


I do check this website somewhat regularly. There were 2 stations within 10 miles but both of them stopped carryng it. One station closed completely and the other one changed hands. Next nearest station is 27 miles from me. Wouldn't be too bad but there is *nothing* else to go there for.


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## Loco-diablo (Feb 12, 2015)

Stabil blue. Period.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

I was excited to locate a place about a mile away last summer. When I got gas for the OPE a couple weeks ago I took a photo of the pump. Does the blue color signify anything? As you can see the price is $2.99, but it is 91 octane. Happy to have it.
Oh, just Seafoam for me. Even when I had E-10.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

dbert said:


> I was excited to locate a place about a mile away last summer. When I got gas for the OPE a couple weeks ago I took a photo of the pump. Does the blue color signify anything? As you can see the price is $2.99, but it is 91 octane. Happy to have it.
> Oh, just Seafoam for me. Even when I had E-10.


I did the exact same thing when we moved... so excited that I couldn't resist snapping a pic and sharing!


That's also my exact same recipe...fresh E0 fuel rather than putting faith in stabilizer. Seafoam is added to limit coke build-up in the combustion chamber...like a continuous decarb.


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## slybarman (Nov 28, 2016)

Lucky buggers. I can't find ethanol free within an hour or two.

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## Loco-diablo (Feb 12, 2015)

We haven't been able to get ethanol free around here for years. I don't miss it either . I never have fuel related problems. Ethanol is not as big a deal as perceived if dealt with properly IMO. 


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

Loco-diablo said:


> We haven't been able to get ethanol free around here for years. I don't miss it either . I never have fuel related problems. Ethanol is not as big a deal as perceived if dealt with properly IMO.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That may be true for a lot of people but the operative words are "Ethanol is not as big a deal as perceived if dealt with properly IMO." As I read the forum it seems the vast majority of people don't deal well with Ethanol in their gas.


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