Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Happy holidays every one! ... bought the toro 1028 OXE back in October, right after the very first early snow storm. Was not able to try it in snow... I added the startron stabilizer And filled up the tank with 93 octane. I tested the new baby, showed off without spinning augers... But now it's a long time unused. My question is: is it okay for the fuel to sit in the carb for such a long time? Thanks!

I use the 91 octane in all my small engines because the 87 and 89 here has 10% ethenal in it and the dealer told me that stuff goes bad faster than the regular gas without it. The 91 does not have ethenal in it as its for off road, collector cars, and stuff like that.

How does forced induction change an engine's compression ratio?  It doesn't impact the bore or stroke of the engine.

Forced induction basically compresses the air before it enters the cylinder.  Basically, you get more volume of air in the same space.

So back to snow blowers. What's the issue with 87 octane? What does it mean " major brand" gas ?

Just to make sure we differentiate.....  A car may or may not have computer adjusted timing, to maximize performance to the octane rating.  Now I seriously doubt my SB has a computer chip in it ... correct me if I'm wrong... so using the recommended octane is highly recommended.......

I agree 100%. But the Manuel states it needs gas from a GOOD gas station. What in world does it mean?

I use 87 in my 4 stroke ope and 91 in my 2 strokes because the Echo dealer told me to do it 10 years ago when I bought my blower and string trimmer. This was about the time the fuel additive package went from MTBE to alcohol. I haven't had a problem but I may not have experienced any with regular so who knows. The difference in $ for the amount of 2 stroke i use is negligible. I also own an FJ cruiser (2007) which suggested premium grade in the owners manual. I can report that when i tried 87 the fuel mileage dropped by about 2mpg. When I went back to 91 the mileage went back up. Marc

JoelKlein wrote:

I would guess they mean Shell, Mobil, Sunoco, etc... as corporate policy would most likely set standards to ensure a high quality product is maintained and delivered.

I use 87 octane in everything I own.  Two and four stroke.  Autos, OPE, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, you name it.  No problems with performance of any kind. 

By using 93 in a toro 1028, can I do any damage ? In other words; should I drain it and fill up with 87?