N/A Stihl 2-cycle oil question N/A

kc4wsd

kc4wsd

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Maybe this won't be as controversial as my previous post.

I was recently given a new 2-cycle Stihl weedeater, and someone made a comment to me that made me want to ask the panel of experts on PoA. I was told, very sternly, that I couldn't just purchase *any* 2-cycle oil mix, it HAD to be the Stihl brand.

Years ago I had a Craftsman brand, and I just used whatever brand of mix is sold at Lowes. Never had a problem. My most recent one was a Cub Cadet, and it was a 4-cycle, so no need to mix gas and oil.

What say y'all?

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You CAN use what ever you want. I would use caution as not all 2 cycle oils are created equally. I used to buy what ever was cheapest at walmart and always had problems with my 2 cycle equipment. When I bought a new Stihl string trimmer they gave you like 2 more years of warranty for free if you purchased and used their 2 cycle oil. Ever since I switched to that oil the rest of my 2 cycle equipment has run much better.

No more than you typically use I would go with the Stihl or at least some other premium brand.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
You would have to look at the details of the type certificate to determine if this is a legal modification or if you need an STC.
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I suspect Stihl is even more adamant than Briggs and Stratton about not using their engines in aircraft.
 
kc4wsd said:
I was recently given a new 2-cycle Stihl weedeater, and someone made a comment to me that made me want to ask the panel of experts on PoA. I was told, very sternly, that I couldn't just purchase *any* 2-cycle oil mix, it HAD to be the Stihl brand.
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If you buy their 2-cycle oil they give a longer warranty. That's all.

The engine will run just fine on Walmart marine 2-stroke oil bought by the gallon.
 
As to keeping 2-stroke equipment happy. It's not the oil, it's the fuel and the volatile fractions in it that determine whether your Stihl saw is easy or hard to start. In the fire department we have dozends of saws on the different vehicles. Some will only run for the monthly checkouts. Since the department has switched to buying crates of Stihl premix, the complaints about 'broken' saws that 'just wouldn't start' have gone to near zero.
If you have a lawn service and your crews go through 5 gallons of mix per day, the 'red fuel' or Stihl premix is unaffordable. In that case buy and Walpremium or marine gas and Walmart 2-stroke oil. If you are a private individual who uses the weedeater twice a season and the chainsaw once a year, just buy a can of red-fuel or Stihl and stop swearing at your Stihl equipment.
 
Thanks @weilke I *thought* that was the case, but the person who provided the warning doesn't even own a weedeater.

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The Stihl 2 cycle oil has stabil in it. Or at least the stuff I get (silver bottles) does. I used it for everything....which has now been reduced to just my chainsaw because I went 4 stroke everywhere else.
 
kc4wsd said:
Thanks @weilke I *thought* that was the case, but the person who provided the warning doesn't even own a weedeater.
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That reminds me of POA where Piper owners opine on V-tails and everyone rags on Cirrus spin behavior.


Buy a jug of Stihl premix and enjoy a year of trouble free weedeating.
 
I use the weedeater several times per month, and am in the market for a new backpack leaf blower. I have a gift certificate for a local shop that sells Stihl blowers, so will probably get one of those. I just use it for personal use, but have very little patience for stuff that doesn't work like (and when) it's supposed to. I know I need "fresh" fuel to start with, and as much as I'll be using both the blower and the weedeater, keeping good fuel won't be a problem.

I'd really gotten used to the 4-cycle weedeater, but a gift is a gift.

Again, I appreciate the input.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
kc4wsd said:
I use the weedeater several times per month, and am in the market for a new backpack leaf blower. I have a gift certificate for a local shop that sells Stihl blowers, so will probably get one of those. I just use it for personal use, but have very little patience for stuff that doesn't work like (and when) it's supposed to. I know I need "fresh" fuel to start with, and as much as I'll be using both the blower and the weedeater, keeping good fuel won't be a problem.

I'd really gotten used to the 4-cycle weedeater, but a gift is a gift.

Again, I appreciate the input.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
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The new 4mix equipment is really nice. Basically a 4 stroke that runs on premix. If you get a Stihl blower it would be pretty dumb to not get the Stihl oil for the added warranty.
 
The biggest thing I do to keep my small engines happy is to run them on 100LL instead of the ethanol tainted crap that passes for mogas nowadays.

For oil, you want an API-TC spec oil, which is made for air cooled engines. A lot of the cheap Wal-Mart oils are TC-W3, which is optimized for the cooler operating temperatures of marine engines. I always ran Pennzoil "Air-Cooled" (now called "Outdoor") oil in my paramotors.
 
kc4wsd said:
I use the weedeater several times per month, and am in the market for a new backpack leaf blower. I have a gift certificate for a local shop that sells Stihl blowers, so will probably get one of those. I just use it for personal use, but have very little patience for stuff that doesn't work like (and when) it's supposed to.
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Buy a BR600 from their professional series. Buy once, cry once. In a pinch you can use it to take paint off a car or clear the gravel off a gravel walkway.
 
I'd assume not all 2-cycle oils are created equal. That said, I've not had any issues.
 
This was probably the equilavent of asking which brand of convenience store fuel to purchase for my pick-up truck, but it provided valuable input from those who responded.

I think I'll pass on using 100 LL, but will probably purchase the Stihl brand mix.


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As long as you buy decent quality 0-ethanol gasoline and synthetic oil mix, you'll be fine. I run Echo products and use their 2-cycle synthetic oil and have had zero issues. Reasonably priced and found at Home Depot.

kc4wsd said:
I use the weedeater several times per month, and am in the market for a new backpack leaf blower. I have a gift certificate for a local shop that sells Stihl blowers, so will probably get one of those. I just use it for personal use, but have very little patience for stuff that doesn't work like (and when) it's supposed to. I know I need "fresh" fuel to start with, and as much as I'll be using both the blower and the weedeater, keeping good fuel won't be a problem.

I'd really gotten used to the 4-cycle weedeater, but a gift is a gift.

Again, I appreciate the input.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
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I've got an Echo PB-770, which runs around $5-600 new. I bought it almost brand new for $350 off of CL a few years back (which was a no-brainer at the time) and it has been flawless. Starts up within 2 pulls every time, and runs smooth as butter.
 
EdFred said:
The Stihl 2 cycle oil has stabil in it. Or at least the stuff I get (silver bottles) does. I used it for everything....which has now been reduced to just my chainsaw because I went 4 stroke everywhere else.
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Oddly enough my Sthil FS90r is a 4 stroke that uses 2 stroke mix. Ponder that, it took me a while to come to grips with that. Hahaha so I'm still stuck with the mix. Sigh...
 
kc4wsd said:
I use the weedeater several times per month, and am in the market for a new backpack leaf blower. I have a gift certificate for a local shop that sells Stihl blowers, so will probably get one of those.
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Like someone else said, you want the BR600. The smaller models just don't have the power. I'm not kidding when I say that the BR600 backpack blower is better than running 10 handheld blowers at the same time.

Congrats on the new Stihl trimmer. If it's the FS-90R it is a 4 stroke that runs with 2-cycle oil. Much quieter and still plenty of power.

As for the 2-cycle oil, Stihl extends the warranty if you buy their gray bottles. I run a lawncare business and go through a lot of 2-cycle oil and use only the orange Stihl oil bottles and have never had a problem. You'd be fine with most off-brand 2-cycle oil but there's very little price difference so why not buy the Stihl brand?

The 50:1 mix made for 2.5 gallons is $2.19 here. So far this year I've already gone through around 20 bottles. If it works, don't mess with it.
 
Wow... you guys are much more catering to the needs of your 2-stroke weedeaters. I literally just mixed 91-Octane with the old oil I had from my last oil change.. in the appropriate parts, and I never had an issue with it. Did it start on the first pull, no. But did it take more than a few tries either, absolutely not. I always thought the "specially formulated" expensive cans at Home Depot were just clever marketing. Eventually went to electric because the yard was small enough and the electric was ultimately more hassle free, quieter, and odor free
 
Gerhardt said:
As for the 2-cycle oil, Stihl extends the warranty if you buy their gray bottles. I run a lawncare business and go through a lot of 2-cycle oil and use only the orange Stihl oil bottles and have never had a problem.
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..and now I know! See I'm always learning cool things on PoA!
 
Gerhardt said:
Like someone else said, you want the BR600. The smaller models just don't have the power. I'm not kidding when I say that the BR600 backpack blower is better than running 10 handheld blowers at the same time.
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It's an EF5 tornado at the end of your arm.
 
kc4wsd said:
I think I'll pass on using 100 LL, but will probably purchase the Stihl brand mix.
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Why? How much is a gallon of Stihl fuel? I run 100ll in all my small engines.
 
So to pile on.....

I have the FS130 and bought the warranty. In good faith, I bought the Stihl bulk pack of oil. What I found unusual is that the FS130 is a 4 stroke motor, but still required 2 stroke oil in the gas. There is no motor oil, so I suppose that’s why. Just seems odd to me though....

It’s a 4 stroke that is built like a 2 stroke.
 
Unit74 said:
So to pile on.....

I have the FS130 and bought the warranty. In good faith, I bought the Stihl bulk pack of oil. What I found unusual is that the FS130 is a 4 stroke motor, but still required 2 stroke oil in the gas. There is no motor oil, so I suppose that’s why. Just seems odd to me though....

It’s a 4 stroke that is built like a 2 stroke.
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It's really quite brilliant. All the advantages of a 4 stroke without having to change and check oil!
 
Mist lubrication is not a 2-stroke only phenomenon it’s just more common on them. Sump lubrication is not dedicated to 4-strokes either. Detroit diesel 2-strokes use wet sump lubrication.

Personally though I don’t consider 4-strokes to be better for hand held lawn appliances. It’s better to have light weight and you get that from better power density that goes with a 2-stroke since you’ve got double the power strokes.
 
Yea, I’m not fond of the stick. But, I will say that in the brush busting at the deer lease, that sumbeech earns its keep. The two strokes bog down and the 4 stroke just keeps on motoring on. I use a 12” saw wheel on it. It will chew through 4” saplings in a couple bumps of the head.
 
Unit74 said:
Yea, I’m not fond of the stick. But, I will say that in the brush busting at the deer lease, that sumbeech earns its keep. The two strokes bog down and the 4 stroke just keeps on motoring on. I use a 12” saw wheel on it. It will chew through 4” saplings in a couple bumps of the head.
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No kidding! I hardly noticed the difference in the weight of my Stihl 4-mix vs. the Craftsman 2 stroke I had. What was noticeable is how much more power and how quite it was! I had used the same edger attachment for 4 years on my Craftsman without an issue. After using it 3 times with the Stihl it stripped the gears out.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Personally though I don’t consider 4-strokes to be better for hand held lawn appliances. It’s better to have light weight and you get that from better power density that goes with a 2-stroke since you’ve got double the power strokes.
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A Stihl dealer told me that they moved the FS-90R from 2-stroke to 4-stroke primarily to help them meet more stringent EPA regs. Back in the old days the first thing I had to do when I bought a new trimmer or blower was pull the wire mesh screen that capped the exhaust. The only reason it was there was because of EPA, and they had to be cleaned constantly (*cough* or removed).

I would like to see a lighter, maybe a 9 lb trimmer though. You wouldn't think an additional 4 lbs would make much of a difference but it really does.
 
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weilke said:
That reminds me of POA where Piper owners opine on V-tails and everyone rags on Cirrus spin behavior..
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So, is there anybody here that's put a Cirrus into a full multi-turn spin, not deployed the chute, and lived to tell about it?
.
.
.
See, they must dangerous as hell. :D


weilke said:
Buy a jug of Stihl premix and enjoy a year of trouble free weedeating.
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:yeahthat:

This thread proves again how cheap pilots can be. How much money could any of us spend on 2-cycle oil for weedeater in a year. Is there that much to be saved? :dunno:

I run my Stihl chainsaw and weedeater with Stihl oil and premium (no ethanol) mogas.
 
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Gerhardt said:
A Stihl dealer told me that they moved the FS-90R from 2-stroke to 4-stroke primarily to help them meet more stringent EPA regs. Back in the old days the first thing I had to do when I bought a new trimmer or blower was pull the wire mesh screen that capped the exhaust. The only reason it was there was because of EPA, and they had to be cleaned constantly (*cough* or removed).
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Different agency. The mesh screen is there to make it compliant with USDA forest service and BLM requirements for a 'spark arrestor' (36 CFR 261.52). As long as you dont go weed-eating or chain-sawing on federal lands, it is perfectly legal to remove it.

EPA is responsible for every little engine running waay too lean.
 
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GRG55 said:
This thread proves again how cheap pilots can be. How much money could any of us spend on 2-cycle oil for weedeater in a year. Is there that much to be saved? :dunno:

I run my Stihl chainsaw and weedeater with Stihl oil and premium (no ethanol) mogas.
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What I recommended is to buy the pre-mixed non-ethanol high volatile 2-stroke gasoline.

key_to_chainsaw_happiness.JPG

That stuff is indeed $23/gallon. If you have 3 lawn crews that go through gallons every day and your equipment doesnt sit around ever, there is no need to spend that kind of money. If your weedeater runs 1/2 an hour twice a month to edge a few feet of sidewalk, that can of TruFuel (or the Stihl equivalent) will last you a year.
 
$23 a gallon? *whistles*

I can make my own E0 for what....$5,6 ?
(I forget what the 2 stroke bottles cost)

There's being cheap, and then there's just burning money.
 
BR600is yesterdays news. You know the BR700 and BR800 are out now? The 700 is slower speed with more volume than the 600. About equal in the amount of work it can do, but it does it differently. The 800 is truly a beast.

At work we used stihl oil always, we probably would go through a couple hundred gallons a year. At home, I used the silver stuff with non-eth gas. I have no problems at all with it aging using 10 or so gallons a year.


Gerhardt said:
Like someone else said, you want the BR600. The smaller models just don't have the power. I'm not kidding when I say that the BR600 backpack blower is better than running 10 handheld blowers at the same time.

Congrats on the new Stihl trimmer. If it's the FS-90R it is a 4 stroke that runs with 2-cycle oil. Much quieter and still plenty of power.

As for the 2-cycle oil, Stihl extends the warranty if you buy their gray bottles. I run a lawncare business and go through a lot of 2-cycle oil and use only the orange Stihl oil bottles and have never had a problem. You'd be fine with most off-brand 2-cycle oil but there's very little price difference so why not buy the Stihl brand?

The 50:1 mix made for 2.5 gallons is $2.19 here. So far this year I've already gone through around 20 bottles. If it works, don't mess with it.
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I switched to using the premix in my personal 2 stroke fleet. Honestly, I only use $15-20 worth a year, don't have to futz around with mixing, and haven't had a single engine problem since.

I could see how that cost would add up for a business though.
 
EdFred said:
$23 a gallon? *whistles*

I can make my own E0 for what....$5,6 ?
(I forget what the 2 stroke bottles cost)

There's being cheap, and then there's just burning money.
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110 ounces is not even a gallon.
 
I use whatever 2-stroke oil I can get in my Stihl chain saw. It's only 30 years old, and has had no problems other than routine maintenance (including deep carb cleaning after I left a tank of fuel in it for a couple of years....).

I use ethanol-free gas (I know where a couple of stations are that sell it, just outside the air pollution regulation area...) and StaBil. Since I have some 4-stroke stuff that burns gas, I simply fill up a 5 gallon can a couple of times a year and mix the 2-stroke stuff a gallon at a time as I need it.
 
I, too, use pre-mix.....string trimmers, chain saw, and backpack blower....frequent running and starting issues when I mixed and it sat a few weeks/months...with premix no issues. I’ll not go back. A few more bucks but not likely to push any of our budgets.
 
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