I am continually asked why ethanol gasoline is bad for marine engines and lawn and garden tools. It seems to work OK in cars and light trucks, except for the 6-8+% loss in mileage. So, today, I'll post an article which I developed earlier this year. I interviewed the owner of a lawn and garden tool repair shop in LaPlace. Mr. Ladner has been in this business for over 20+ years. I wrote this article based on my interview with him, and let him review the final article draft for accuracy. Today I'll post the problems lawn and garden tools have with ethanol gas, and tomorrow, I'll post the one for marine engines:
WHY IS ETHANOL GASOLINE BAD FOR GAS POWERED LAWN AND GARDEN TOOLS?
By “Pete” Landry (March 31, 2011)
Some homeowners are learning the hard and expensive way about the problems that ethanol
gasoline is causing their gas powered lawn and garden tools. But, many have still not yet
discovered this, or just don’t believe the cause for these problems.
I interviewed Mr. James Ladner, owner of Ladner’s Lawnmower Repair (799 W 5th Street, LaPlace, LA 70068, Phone-985.359.2533) today to get a better insight of what types of problems he is discovering when he repairs customer’s lawnmowers, weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws, etc. Mr. Ladner has been in the business of repairing gas powered lawn and garden tools for over 23 years.
He cites the most common problems he sees were rarely experienced with non ethanol gas. He
indicates that ethanol gas is causing plastic fuel lines to become brittle and crack. The primer squeeze bulbs are also being attacked, in come cases causing them to leak gasoline when
squeezed. Carburetor diaphragms are also being attacked by the ethanol. Even though most
lawn and garden tool manufacturers claim newer engines can safely use ethanol gasoline, he
indicates he is seeing these failures in new equipment, not only older equipment. In older
equipment that has been in use for many years, the ethanol is dissolving the gum and varnish film that has deposited in the fuel tank, fuel lines and carburetor from years of use (because these tools sit up for months after the summer grass cutting season) and sending this into the engine’s carburetor, causing it to plug. As I explained in several articles on this “Ethanol Articles” page, ethanol is possibly the best solvent known to man. It easily dissolves the gum and varnish film on the fuel tank, fuel lines and carburetor that has deposited over years of use.
Cars and trucks are mostly void of this problem because the fuel is replaced so often that it does not have time to become “stale” and deposit gum and varnish like infrequently used lawn and garden tools. Whenever Mr. Ladner sees damage he has learned from experience appears to be from the use of ethanol gasoline, when the customer returns to his shop to pick up the repaired tool, he asks them if they have been using ethanol gasoline in their equipment’s engine. In nearly all cases, the customer confirms that he has in fact been using ethanol gasoline in the engine. Mr. Ladner then explains the cause of the engine damage caused by ethanol gas and urges them not to use ethanol gasoline in lawn and garden gas powered equipment and gives them a list of stations in the LaPlace area that sell ethanol free gas. Some apparently don’t believe him, continue to use ethanol gas and return a few months later with the same problems.
While the cost of repairing these gas powered tools is expensive enough, several brands of newer gas powered small engine weed eaters and blowers in particular have sealed carburetors which cannot be opened to clean. The entire carburetor has to be replaced. Mr. Ladner indicates the cost for a new carburetor for most of these small engines costs approximately $90-$100. Add to that the labor cost of about $40/hour and the new weed eater or blower the customer just purchased for around $150 has to pay near the purchase price to have it repaired, all because he used ethanol gasoline!
Another recommendation Mr. Ladner gives his customers, before starting to use gas powered tools in the spring, discard gas in your gas can left over from the prior year and put fresh gas in the tools fuel tank. It starts faster and runs better. I also recommend to people to buy a little insurance and put a fuel stabilizer in the fuel can. I like the “Sta-Bil” (red formula) fuel stabilizer…..it significantly extends the shelf life of gasoline. It can be purchased at auto parts shops and some retail stores.
In summary, while many manufacturers indicate their lawn and garden engines will “tolerate”
ethanol gas, many, many problems are being experienced by its use. Mr Ladner has for years
maintained a staff of 3 repair technicians to help him keep a reasonable turn around time on
repairs. However, he has had to add 2 more technicians to his staff since the introduction of
ethanol gasoline because of the increased work load.
One last caution – you may have seen from other articles on this page that the Federal
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the approval of 15% ethanol gasoline, a
50% increase over the current 10% ethanol fuel. To my knowledge, it has not yet showed up at
retail gas stations in Louisiana, and it may be some time before it does. Approximately eight
different organizations have filed suit against the EPA because they claim the EPA does not have
statutory authority to issue a “partial approval” for this fuel. In the EPA’s announcement, they
specifically warn that 15% ethanol gasoline MUST NOT be used in cars and light trucks older
than 2001 models and also MUST NOT be used in marine engines, motorcycles, four
wheelers, jet skis, chain saws, gas powered home generators and all gas powered lawn and garden tools. In another article on this page I indicate that I have researched lawn and garden gas powered engine manufacturers Briggs and Stratton, John Deere, Tecumseh and Kohler. Each of these engine manufacturers clearly warn customers that “under no circumstance should gasoline with greater than 10% ethanol be used in their engines as it will cause engine failure and their warranty will be voided.
PS: An update on 15% ethanol gas. The EPA just recently approved the "E-15" gasoline label to be affixed to gas pumps when this new gas shows up in stations, so it is likely that this new gas may start showing up in stations this fall and into 2012. I'll post an article on the hazards of E-15 in another blog.
"Pete".........comments welcome: way2gopete@yahoo.com
