Look  Before you Pump

When it comes time to fill up, reports show that 63% of consumers use whichever gas is the least expensive.  Furthermore, 48% of people use the same gas in their cars as they do their small engines.  Did you know that most gasoline that you get at the pump is a blend of at least 15% Ethanol?  Studies have shown that gasoline with a high blend of ethanol causes small engines to have a much shorter engine life.  Although it’s usually a bit cheaper, E15+ Gas can cause serious damage to your small engine, costing you much more in the long run.

The Effects of Ethanol

As gas sits in a generator, weed trimmer, or anything smaller than a lawn mower engine, over time, it can begin to turn into a thick, sticky substance, just sitting at the bottom of your gas tank.  If this enters your gas line, it can do some serious damage to your engine!  Using gas with a high ethanol content rapidly speeds this process up!

Ethanol also absorbs water from the gas, which causes a buildup of crusty deposits, which makes your lawn mower engine run much hotter!  Along with making your engine run hotter, ethanol also causes plastic and rubber parts to dry out and become brittle, which makes them much more prone to breaking.

Although E15 Gas probably won’t hurt your car, it can be extremely harmful to small engines.  The fact is – gas graded E0 is simply the best for your power equipment.  Ethanol Free Gasoline contains many benefits including:

• 10-20% better fuel economy
• Easier Startup
• Longer engine life

Although Ethanol Free Gas is usually hard to find, it’s much better for your small engine.  To see a list of all of the gas stations that offer E0 Gas, click here.

How to Protect your Power Equipment

Although it’s slightly cheaper, using Gas with an Ethanol content of 15% or more in your small engine will cause costly damage over time.  So, Look Before you Pump, and make sure you are using Gasoline with an ethanol blend of E10 or less.

• Empty your gas tank before storing it each winter
• Add Fuel Stabilizer
• Use Gasoline graded E10 or less