Ethanol in lawn mower

[CROSSBOLT]

Relatively new, low hours Cub Cadet rotary mower, self propelled sat for two seasons under the porch, unused. Would not start recently. Imagine that! Finally got to the main jet and emulsifier.. half the tiny holes were plugged with a brownish oily liquid. Successfully blew it out with 90 psi air. Put everything back and it started on the first pull! Like it did before! The main points, in my opinion are:
1. Ethanol gas is different. You are going to have to either run it out before it sits or you are gonna have to disassemble and clean.
2. If you have to pull the rope or push the button more than once or longer than normal and get no start or reluctant start, you have a problem and to keep pulling or pushing is just wasted energy. Fix it!
3. Be aware how your engine starts normally and you will know when something is not right.

[David E]

 I use gas treatments in my gas containers religiously throughout the year.  I also add gas stabilizer to the containers as well for extra preventive maintenance.   I haven’t let mine sit for two though.   The most they’ve sat is the winter season. 


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[Iahawk]

luckily here in Iowa it is very easy to find ethanol free gas...and that's the only kind I use in my power equipment, scooter, motorcycle, etc. In the car it's OK, but it doesn't go in anything else. Interestingly, I hear in other parts of the country it can be impossible to find ethanol free gas. Yeah, ethanol sitting for long periods in a carburetor is not good.

[airshot]

For two years, draining is the only solution whether ethenol or not, any fuel will turn bad over that period of time.   If stored for less than one year just add blue "stabil" to your fuel and run it thru.  I add it to he last tank of fuel for the season and have had no issues after many years of use. I use it in my boat regularly and it always starts right up. In my 2 stroke toys I use "seafoam" with excellent results.  The few dollars extra this costs is well worth not having the headaches later on.

[Stig / Major Tom]

25 yr old Sears mower never had oil change, only 1 new blade (when I mowed a brick), never had gas drained or additives added - or a new plug. Fired every spring after 11 pumps of the rubber primer thing.
Always added good oil and used primo gas.
Only replaced it after another wheel broke off.
3 wheeling is not hard - but a two wheeler is tricky.

Stig

[CROSSBOLT]

Yeah, but it sat for two seasons without even moving let alone being started! Well, it has a new home now as I donated it for a good cause. Just wanted to get it back to that one-pull start before I "re-homed" it. As far as mowing bricks, my wifey is the brick and rock mower! I had to fabricate a stealth stop on the blade height lever after she cut up a couple of pavers with the zero turn mower! She has knocked out minivan windows twice by using the lowest setting possible to get that grass real short. That was years ago and when I developed the stealth stop. I just was not quick enough with the fancy, new mower and she bent both blades on a spanky new machine!