Should you turn off gas between using Mower?

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: old1
I have found for my self that adding a double dose of any of the gasoline stabilizers, then filling the tank FULL and then running the engine a few minutes to get the stabilizer into the carb. seems to do the trick for me and my customers. Just my 2 cents.


Absolutely, 100% solid advice. I've been doing this for several years and have not a carb problem. I use to have a ton of problems before I learned this trick.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: old1
I have found for my self that adding a double dose of any of the gasoline stabilizers, then filling the tank FULL and then running the engine a few minutes to get the stabilizer into the carb. seems to do the trick for me and my customers. Just my 2 cents.


Absolutely, 100% solid advice. I've been doing this for several years and have not a carb problem. I use to have a ton of problems before I learned this trick.


That's the method recommended by Briggs in their newer manuals. It says that if you use stabilizer, store them wet and full.

 

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: itguy08


That's the method recommended by Briggs in their newer manuals. It says that if you use stabilizer, store them wet and full.

My new Honda HRR recommends anything over 3 weeks the carb should be run dry. Over 3 months run the whole tank dry.
Manual page 19

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: LotI
Originally Posted By: itguy08


That's the method recommended by Briggs in their newer manuals. It says that if you use stabilizer, store them wet and full.

My new Honda HRR recommends anything over 3 weeks the carb should be run dry. Over 3 months run the whole tank dry.
Manual page 19


Interesting. Guess there is no agreement among manufacturers. So I'd say do what the manual or their website says.

 

[TFB1]

I'll stick with the B&S method for my Honda...

 

[andyd]

It is pretty much universally agreed that 10% methanol/ gas causes trouble in OPE carbs. I run my shut off equipped OPE dry after every use. They are run on 10% ethanol 87 octane. I dose their fuel with MMO, Thats all. Since adopting this superstition,the annual spring carb tear down has ceased. I never have any trouble with the 2 strokes

 

[itguy08]

No issues here using StaBil and MMO and storing wet. Mower is going on its carb since 2009 (replaced because it leaked out and was done under warranty). 2006 vintage Homelite 2 stroke that ran some real old swill, etc.

The only thing that needed a new carb has been our snowblower but that was my fault - used to store it chained to the carport with a tarp on it if it was lucky during the winter. Now it's garage kept in the winter. I do drain and WD-40 the carb on that one now since it's use is very infrequent.

I think it may depend what storage is - for us I'll be mowing/leaf mulching maybe into December and then maybe back out the end of March or early April so maybe a 4 month storage pweriod?

 

[boraticus]

For in between usage, I don't run the carb dry on my equipment other than my old 1974 vintage Lawnboy which has an intermittent tendency to leak fuel from the carb if I don't shut the fuel valve off. I suspect the float is sticking in the open position when it does leak.

For long term storage, everything gets carb and tanks drained other than equipment with steel tanks. With them, I prefer to shut the fuel valve off, run the carb dry and keep the tank filled with stabilized fuel to prevent condensation accumulation and rusting. Equipment with plastic tanks are completely drained.

I find some pieces of equipment more susceptible to carb fouling if left for long periods without the fuel being run out of the carb. My most problematic machine is a little 1977 Evinrude 2 h.p. two cycle outboard. If I don't run the carb dry in the fall, I'll be taking it apart in the spring to get it running. I suspect the float needle get's glued in the closed position when left over winter with a full carb. The fuel evaporates, the float doesn't drop and the needle is left glued in the seat. I'd surmise that leaving the tank full and fuel valve open would likely provide a constant supply of fuel to the carb, thus preventing the float needle from getting glued to the float seat. However, that could lead to other problems if the carb has a tendency occasionally leak as with my old LB mower.

 

[ufbbc]

I shut my fuel off and let the engine run out of fuel at just above idle. I got the mower in 1995 or 1996. Not one carb issues yet. No engine issues at all for that matter. I might be on my 2nd spark plug.