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JAP42 t1_j1rwq75 wrote

Reply to comment by ozzie286 in How prepared are you for these long power outages? by VegUltraGirl

Canned fuel is much better then pump fuel due to ethanol. No stabilizer will stop phase separation. Fill the tank and carb with canned fuel and it will start easily for 2+ years. If you drain out pump fuel that already had water that moisture won't pour out, it will stay there and corrode. I manage a small engine shop, we do this work daily and we test pump fuel monthly. We've gotten 10% water in "fresh" 90+ fuel. Usually no more then 1 or 2% in 87. In a vented generator tank in the fall with humidity and temperature all over the place there can be 10% water in 2 weeks.

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ozzie286 t1_j1s41fu wrote

Many gas stations sell ethanol free fuel. Even if you have to drive a bit to find it, it'll still be cheaper than the true fuel.

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JAP42 t1_j1s84cc wrote

Ya, IDK about many. In northern Maine where the fuel comes from Canada premium can be Ethanol free. Southern and Central Maine are much farther and fewer. And from the few places I've gotten some from its been really poor quality. In reality what's $25 of fuel to store your equipment and know it's going to run vs $200+ carb repairs.

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ozzie286 t1_j1sgbv3 wrote

I can buy a carb for my snow blower for $25, and I know of at least 3 gas stations within a half an hour drive that sell ethanol free fuel.

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JAP42 t1_j1sgtjz wrote

Congratulations, not everyone can buy 4 Amazon carbs the day the generator does not start on the off chance one works every time the power goes out.

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AriusTech t1_j1t3h3j wrote

Not to mention that the Chinese carbs on Amazon are hot garbage. My $500 Mikuni on my ATV is not equivalent to the $60 "replacement" on Amazon... Speaking from experience unfortunately.

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ozzie286 t1_j1vrla2 wrote

I've bought 4 Tecumseh carbs on Amazon, and only had one bad one.

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JAP42 t1_j1u89xp wrote

Any time I'm forced to order one because an OEM is unavailable, I order 2 at least. They never last long, and until covid made things impossible to find I would never touch them.

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