# Regular Gasoline ?



## Stroggle (Jan 10, 2018)

Hello everybody
I was wondering which gasoline did you use in your snowblower, regular or higher octane? the dealer told me to use high octane gasoline to avoid engine pinging. yet, I use in my lawn mower john deere regular gas to which I add stabilizer. I never had a problemwith any engines I own. I always empty tanks and carburettors at the end of the season and everything starts without problems with a minimum of maintenance. what do you think?


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

Seems like you answered your own question. You know how to take care of your equipment. I don't subscribe to super unleaded in OPE. We are not dealing with high compression turbo charged engines here. As you said regular 87 octane gasoline with a good stabilizer like Star Tron or Marine Stabil, you should be fine.


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## scrappy (Dec 7, 2014)

What does the owners manual say about fuel ?


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## scrappy (Dec 7, 2014)

This was last weeks topic.

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/129938-race-gas-old-tecumseh.html


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## dp2826 (Jan 31, 2016)

If it's not a high compression engine and the manual doesn't state to only use premium, then stick with regular. In my area however, I cannot get regular gasoline without ethanol anymore, so I do use premium.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Like Cardo111 said, these are not high-compression, high-performance engines. There is no reason for the engine to be pinging. Regular 87-octane is fine. 

Using stabilizer, and emptying the carbs at the end of the season, is an excellent idea, however, and is a simple investment in keeping your machines happy.

Edit- As drmerdp said below, I'm assuming we're talking about 4-stroke blower engines. I do use 91 octane in my 2-stroke chainsaw, per its manual (which calls for at least 89, maybe 91).


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Cardo111 said:


> Seems like you answered your own question. You know how to take care of your equipment. I don't subscribe to super unleaded in OPE. We are not dealing with high compression turbo charged engines here. As you said regular 87 octane gasoline with a good stabilizer like Star Tron or Marine Stabil, you should be fine.


Only exception are 2 cycle engines. I would use 91 or 93oct.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

drmerdp said:


> Only exception are 2 cycle engines. I would use 91 or 93oct.


That is so true. 

Most 2 cycles are high compression and require at least mid-grade.


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## Mike247365 (Jan 14, 2018)

I use 89 octane ethanol free gas. Ethanol is corrosive to carb parts. 
Download the Pure Gas app. You can find where to buy it. Usually near/at marinas.
I use it it all my yard equipment. I will use stabil towards the end of the season.


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## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

I agree with Mike above. Here in the Buffalo, N.Y. area, I have access only to 91 octane ethanol free gas - which I use, thanks to wise folks here at Snowblower forum. Absolutely no regrets!


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

A buddy of mine Just brought me 10 gallons of ethanol free 91 from his sledding trip. I won’t start using it until later in the season though. 

I store my HSS with a full tank, and a drained carb.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

when we had zero degree weather around here for 4-5 straight days , every gas station pump in town was froze up except one......

Chevron.

so we use Chevron with stabil and seafoam. 

nada problems.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

And the vast majority will never see issues with using fuel with ethanol in it. I use 85/87 Octane with ethanol and my personal equipment has never had any issues. Been using it for about 20-25 years since they started putting the stuff in the gas. Although for the past few years I have been using Stabil-360 as a stabilizer and it supposedly helps with ethanol that is in fuels.


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

using ethanol is not the issue, letting it sit idle in the carb for months is.
i bought 91 eth free as a precaution and cheap ins


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Some machines have sat for over a year and still never any problems with them starting up with the ethanol.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

I use 91 octane with seafoam and have no issues.

I love my snow pups, I wish I still had all four of them.


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

I run reg 87 but drain it out and run high octane none reg for storage


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

jsup said:


> That is so true.
> 
> Most 2 cycles are high compression and require at least mid-grade.


more like high test for a 2 stroker. they have more compression than most think, and fixed timing so they need the slower burning HT blends 91 or 93 

4 stroke ope engines run 9 to 1 or lower, have fixed timing making 87 good enough when one adds stabilizer


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## Frankrizzo (Dec 19, 2017)

The use of a stabilizer is all you need with regular gas.


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## Money_man (Feb 16, 2015)

I run whatever the highest octane I can buy at a regular pump is. Here we have 87/89/91 with 91 being ethanol free so I go with that.


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## NorthMaine (Feb 9, 2015)

Regular gas here in Maine (everything is E10...). Everything gets a good dose of Marine Sta-Bil or Startron as well as a shot of Seafoam every once in a while. No problems.


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

NorthMaine said:


> Regular gas here in Maine (everything is E10...). Everything gets a good dose of Marine Sta-Bil or Startron as well as a shot of Seafoam every once in a while. No problems.


40 gas stations in ME have E0. 
https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=ME


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## NorthMaine (Feb 9, 2015)

CO Snow said:


> 40 gas stations in ME have E0.
> https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=ME


I misspoke. I know there are, I should have said in my immediate area. I'm not going to make a special 20 mile trip to go get E0 gas. I'll continue to use the Marine treatment and Seafoam instead.


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## Tony P. (Jan 9, 2017)

I buy E10 gasoline in small quantities (1-2 gallons) that's consumed fairly quickly and add stabilizer to be on the safe side so I have no substantive concerns for any of my small engine equipment. Having said that, if E0 were available to me at a reasonable price and distance I'd use it. But the only retailer near me sells VP Racing at $30 a gallon and that's not worthwhile.


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## northframingham (Jan 6, 2018)

My manual says go with high octane. (not regular)

Wish I had gas w/o ethanol, available near me.

me: 2017 Ariens Hydro Pro 420cc


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