hello all
last year l bought a robi cultivator to make it a little easier to do my lottie. the problem l have is the fuel l still have a lot left l have been told that you can not keep the fuel for too long. the question is how do l get rid of the fuel. do l need to take it some where and if so where do l take it.
Sim girl
If you leave fuel in machines over winter when they are not being used it can become stale and you may have problems starting and runnig the machine. Try giving it a start, if it runs ok its fine. I try to put as much in the tank as i need then keep topping up as required. If there is not much in the tank top up with fresh and it should be fine.
I stuck mine into my car and then topped up, thought if it was going to do any damage, be lesser in larger engine.
Quote from: Levi on March 07, 2009, 16:15:53
I stuck mine into my car and then topped up, thought if it was going to do any damage, be lesser in larger engine.
a good move, Levi!!
the 'volatiles' in the fuel (benzine etc) evaporate and reduce the octane rating of the fuel over time. best not to leave in machinery over a long period of non - use. ;)
I've worked on farms and had my own machinery for some years, I've never had any problem with "old" fuel. My old Merry Tiller Major stood outside, unused for about five years, pulled it over a few times and it started with no problem. I've put it in the shed now.
Trouble is not with old machines which were built to last and be serviced but with the new machines that have very fine tolerance between life and death. I would not even attempt to start the Rhyobi with year old fuel.
My old rotavator, as per avatar, can be wheeled out every year or so and be expected to start without trouble but my modern machines have to be carefully parked up if they are not going to be used for a while.
Quote from: sims girl on March 07, 2009, 15:18:22
hello all
last year l bought a robi cultivator to make it a little easier to do my lottie. the problem l have is the fuel l still have a lot left l have been told that you can not keep the fuel for too long. the question is how do l get rid of the fuel. or
do l need to take it some where and if so where do l take it.
thankyou to all of you for your replays. But l did not explain very well so l will try again
the fuel is mixed and is in a petrol can l had to mix it before l was able to use it last year.
Sim girl
If you are using two stroke mix ( petrol and oil) and have it in a sealed container, I would not have thought it would deteriorate. Just give it a good shake and use it. I'm using two stroke fuel I mixed last year and it works just fine in my brush cutter. Just don't leave fuel in the fuel tank of your machine over winter when it's out of use.
Quote from: terrier on March 07, 2009, 23:19:35
If you are using two stroke mix ( petrol and oil) and have it in a sealed container, I would not have thought it would deteriorate. Just give it a good shake and use it. I'm using two stroke fuel I mixed last year and it works just fine in my brush cutter. Just don't leave fuel in the fuel tank of your machine over winter when it's out of use.
:D thanks for that info now l can get on and do my lottie. so l can get my shed up and do my beds ready for the growing session
Two stroke fuel once mixed deteriorates after one month. Year old mixed fuel will almost certainly block the tiny carburettor. The cost of the waste petrol is far less than the minimum charge for a repair, assuming the guarantee has expired.
For small machines, check the mix ratio (probably 50:1) and make a small amount such as 1 litre. The base petrol can always be used in the car as mentioned earlier.
Within the next six weeks I will probably see 5-6 people waste several hours each trying to start their machines without joy
We seem to have a difference of opinion? I have never had any problem with two stroke mix stored in a can, but I agree it's best to err on the side of caution.
Are we talking about a couple of quids worth of petrol here ??? You lot waste more on cheap rubbish seeds without question.