It might be better to buy in small quantities and leftover used in the car.
"Doomed in a few months", isn't that a bit alarmist?. There are people who read the forums and might actually think that some well founded caution.
The accumulation of water in a tank over three months in average weather (sun and rain over time) is very small if any at all. If there is some samll accumulation in the tank there will have to be conditions to make it have any effect. Just what is that? The water which would seperate over months in a still tank would amount (in my estimate from checking) to only a few to several drops. That water in a still tank would form at the bottom and could possibly make it to the outlet into the bowl and sit. It could then be drawn up into the carb throat and cause the plug to get wet during starting. No great disaster there for that possibility. What if the water sat in the carb bowl for a very long period. Rust could form in the bowl, break off and plug a nut hole. For that to happen would require a bunch of unlikely events. When you use OPE you get it out fumble with it which causes shaking and sloshing of the tank. The little water in there will go back into the gas. When it in that state it will just be burnt off. So for average events the accumulation of water in gas is not a factor.
You can get an idea of what water will form in gas by leaving a quart of gas in a large container outside for weeks to a month. A small amount of water will sometimes form at the bottom. With a little shaking it will go into the gas making it slightly cloudy and burn fine. Most water that does get into gas is suspended in the gas and burns. If it does make it over to the bowl it's sucked up with gas and burns.
What does Stable actually do? Does it evaporate the water? Neutralize it?
From what I've seen by putting water into a large open container and adding stable is the same as water in a container without Stable. If you shake the container water goes into the gas and couds it with or without stable. After sitting for a long time the water forms in a blob at the bottom of the container with and without Stable. Over a long time I don't find Stable has reduced any water. With water gas and Stable blobs still form at the bottom just like with no Stable. Stable did not reduce any water that I ever saw. It blobs just like the water does. If it's blobed up at the bottom of a tank it's not acting on the gas.
Just what is the value of Stable and how does it do it?
Yea I have to admint that 3 months does seem a little short term but then again, I didn't write it I only forwarded it.
First hand I can tell you about one a young gentlemen who recieved a nice whopping $1,500.00 bill because he left the fuel (without additives) in his boat for 6 months.
The injector damage was primarilly due to the fact that he has a 30 micron filter in the engine that was not able to trap the contaminants but the real culprit here was the fuel.
I have very much the same setup in my boat only I have 10 micron filters in mine and I also used a fuel additive as directed by the engine manufacturer.
His injectors are clogged and needed to be commercially cleaned and tested. As for me, I went fishing.
I figure it is generally good practice on my yard equipment to use the same maintinance ideology as if it were an automobile (or boat)
Small engines generally don't even have a fuel filter which makes them even more vulnerable to contaminination. (now there's an industry cheepo for yah right up front)
You can take it for what it's worth but that is just one example of many and I am definately sold on fuel additives.
Not so much the stuff you can buy off the PeP Boy clearance shelf but I have found a few good ones like StaBil and I have been using them now for quite a few years.
It' seems a small price to pay for the problems that seem to be very common with E-10 fuels in boats, cars, and small engines.
Starwarrior
