Ethanol

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

I was just doing a bit of research on gasoline containing 10% Ethanol. *We all need to be aware of certain precautions to properly manage our use of Ethanol gasoline. I will post a few items I found below. Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] ]Can I use it in my lawn mower? No, you'll have to stop mowing the lawn every week. Only kidding, I thought I saw a few people smile at that prospect. The answer is yes, you can use the 10% ethanol blended fuels anywhere you use regular unleaded fuel. It can be used in any lawn mower, snow plow, snowmobile, ATV and any other gas powered engine. There may be some carburetor adjustment needed, so always refer to your equipment's owners manual before using it. Leaner, richer? What carb. adjustments are required? Also, from this website: *http://www.ilcorn.org/Ethanol/Ethan_...l_engines.html * I found: Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] ]One area that may warrant further investigation is piston ring sticking. On test units with high hours of operation (i.e. 200 to 400 hrs.) there was a *greater incidence of piston ring sticking. Additionally, this website: *http://www.fuel-testers.com/ethanol_...ecautions.html *gives some recommendations on managing E10 fuel use. Most notably, the website states that E10 has greater water absorption properties than non-alcohol fuel. *Therefore, E10 can remove lubrication. *This has an effect of drying out hoses and rubber gaskets. We had a post on the boards before winter of the importance of running fuel out of your lawn care equipment before storing it for winter. *E10 fuel has a much shorter shelf life than the gasoline we are used to. *It is recommended to replace E10 fuel every 2 to 4 weeks with a maximum shelf life of 90 days. *The 2 to 4 week replacement window will certainly be a consideration before storing your equipment this coming winter. Are there any engine guys here with more information on the effects of using E10 in lawn mower and 2 cycle engines? *I want to hear your thoughts. Keith

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[Steve]

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Keith, How many stations in your area sell this product? I wonder if others just don't have access to that type of fuel.

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[musician/lawnman]

I have a few stations in my area that carry it, Seemed to me I got a little better mileage out of my truck while using it too.
I haven't had trouble with it in any of my equipment with the exception of a new echo blower that seems to keep needing to be leaned out. It may just be a lousy carb design that won't hold a tune though. It's driving me CRAZY!

[Steve]

I was wondering, would using ethanol be something that you could promote and stand out from your competitors?

Would people care if you said all your equipment is powered by ethanol?

Could that give you an edge?

Here in Illinois it is hard to find a pump that does not sell E10. You get a little less millage on the E10. I want to be a farmer someday and even I know that this ethanol thing is a joke.

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

Practically all the gas stations I visit sell E10 fuel.

It's getting a bad rap around here especially with the world wide food shortages in the news every night. Farmers are growing more corn to make ethanol. Because of this, grain farming has been drastically reduced resulting in shortages for nations whose population eat grains and rice.

So, I'm not sure Ethanol has public support to make it an advertising advantage.

Steve, which board member discussed propane powered lawn mowers? Alternate fuel machines may very well give a LCO something to advertise.

Keith

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]even I know that this ethanol thing is a joke

BigPete, I am hearing the same thing everyday from people I speak with. How long do you think it will last?

Keith

[Steve]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Steve, which board member discussed propane powered lawn mowers? Alternate fuel machines may very well give a LCO something to advertise.

It was Brian from lawnandgardenwv.com

Let me see if I can find the post.

Here is one.

http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum....;t=5824

and the other.

http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum....;t=7339

http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum....t=7408;

Does this help?

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (StartALawnCareBusiness @ May 01 2008,5:16)]

BigPete, I am hearing the same thing everyday from people I speak with. How long do you think it will last?

Keith

Thats a good question. I having felling that the E-10 will be around for quite some time. I am not sure about E-85 though. I have seen reports that say that it takes 1 gallon of fuel to make 1.3 gallons of ethanol. I think that ethanol will only last as long as people thing it is a good product or the government stops funding it. Other then that your guess is as good as mine.