2 cycle oil mix question

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I currently own 3 pieces of OPE that are 2-cycle:
Toro S200 snowblower 32:1 mix
Ryobi string trimmer 40:1 mix
Poulan leaf blower 50:1 mix

Is there a safe ratio I can just use for all 3 instead of having to mix separate gas cans for each piece of equipment?
 
Current oils are much better than old 2 stroke oils, I would go 50:1. With synthetic oil.
I had a friend buy a 2001 Yamaha Zuma scooter with 5000 miles on it. it has a separate tank for oil injection.
The guy didn't use 2 stroke oil in it. He just used 10w30... Lol...
Scooter still runs great and smokes a lot less now.
 
I use the Stihl synthetic oil with non-ethanol super in all my 2 stroke OPE, it's 50:1 and everything runs just fine with it. I don't even know what all of the engines call for, but I know the leaf blower is supposed to be 40:1.
 
Opti-2 oil is what I use. If you think about it, running more oil than necessary effectively leans the engine. The "Extra" lube displaces the fuel and can make an already lean engine run hot.

I've been running Opti-2 for over 20 years and have occasionally left fuel in old chainsaws for 2 or 3 years and they still start right up! Yes I was and am surprised. Its a big part of why I spend a little more to use it. Also cuts down on spark plug and exhaust port maintenance.
 
Originally Posted By: fisher83
I currently own 3 pieces of OPE that are 2-cycle:
Toro S200 snowblower 32:1 mix
Ryobi string trimmer 40:1 mix
Poulan leaf blower 50:1 mix

Is there a safe ratio I can just use for all 3 instead of having to mix separate gas cans for each piece of equipment?
My vote is no, mix each to the right ratio. This is kind of like asking about 3 different car oil sumps. One has a 4 quart sump, one a 5, and one a 6. You wouldn't pour 5 in all of them and call it good, would you? Give them what they want.
 
Originally Posted By: Brybo86
I had a friend buy a 2001 Yamaha Zuma scooter with 5000 miles on it. it has a separate tank for oil injection.
The guy didn't use 2 stroke oil in it. He just used 10w30... Lol...
Scooter still runs great and smokes a lot less now.

My kind of guy. I haven't used 2 stroke oil in any of my equipment in decades. HD30, 15w-40, whatever I have on hand for my mowers is what I use. I have a weed eater from the early '90's that still has excellent compression..... (I don't recommend anyone else do this
grin.gif
)
 
Originally Posted By: quint
Originally Posted By: Brybo86
I had a friend buy a 2001 Yamaha Zuma scooter with 5000 miles on it. it has a separate tank for oil injection.
The guy didn't use 2 stroke oil in it. He just used 10w30... Lol...
Scooter still runs great and smokes a lot less now.

My kind of guy. I haven't used 2 stroke oil in any of my equipment in decades. HD30, 15w-40, whatever I have on hand for my mowers is what I use. I have a weed eater from the early '90's that still has excellent compression..... (I don't recommend anyone else do this
grin.gif
)

I run everything at 32:1 and 91 octane ethanol free, but my Dad tells me they ran their lawnboy for years as a kid with plain 30W oil, but at 20:1. I do wonder how well a modern engine oil work though?
 
I'm running Amsoil Saber 2-stroke somewhere north of 50:1 but WELL BELOW 100:1 in all my gear. That includes a Husqvarna saw, Poulan leaf blower and [censored] Snowthrower at the moment (though the blower and snowthrower need upgraded!). They all run GREAT with just the faintest bit of smoke and no pinging or knocking. Who knows if it lubes as well as Amsoils says, but that is why I am not going all the way up to their recommended "universal" 100:1.
 
40:1 with any decent conventional 2 cycle oil will be fine.

The comment about mixing too much oil will cause a lean condition is correct. However, in the OPs instance 40:1 will not be an issue in that regard. I've been doing it for decades with many two cycle engines.

Oil injected engines run at wildly varying ratios. Very little oil is used at low rmps and considerably more at very high revs. Pretty sure the engines and carburetors are sufficiently flexible enough to manage quite a wide range of variations, particularly in OPE.
 
I was in the same boat and had a can of 40:1, a can of 32:1, and a can of 16:1 (but I got rid of my gas edger and went to electric.)
When I replaced my snowblower and bought a straight shaft trimmer, both were 50:1. Got sick of maintaining 3 2 cycle gas cans.
Talked to the dealer where I bought the snowblower, and he recommended Echo oil 50:1 in everything. Have been running that in everything and have not had any issues. IMO, a couple of pieces of equipment even run better on the 50:1 mix.
 
Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Talked to the dealer where I bought the snowblower, and he recommended Echo oil 50:1 in everything


This. If you read up on Echo oil, they say that using their oil at 50:1 in all older equipment is 100% acceptable and recommended. Oil today is better than it was 10, 20, 30 years ago. I would 100% recommend 50:1 in everything, using a quality oil such as Echo or Stihl.

You might have to adjust the carbs on the other ratios to get them to run right, but they will run cleaner and more efficiently at 50:1.
 
I have not seen any recommendations over the last 20 yrs that says anything other than 50:1 or 100:1 (Yamaha and Amsoil). Had a Johnson outboard in the 70s that said 1:25, but even Husqvarnas from the 80s all saind 50:1. Bikes and carts excluded, I don't use any of those.

So, with good oil, it seems (to me) that 50:1 will be the allround safe mix for everything. I also run amsoil at circa 80:1 and call that allround too.

I have seen data that suggests that even 16:1 will improve hp but that maybe in some specialty applications.
 
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Just go with 32-1. If the equipment smokes too much lean it out a bit.


This is poor advice , you risk damage to the engine leaning it out . I worked for Stihl for several years , a good mix at 40:1 would be fine , you don't need any richer than that or you risk clogging muffler screens and the like with carbon .
 
Originally Posted By: nitehawk55


Originally Posted By: Clevy
Just go with 32-1. If the equipment smokes too much lean it out a bit.


This is poor advice , you risk damage to the engine leaning it out . I worked for Stihl for several years , a good mix at 40:1 would be fine , you don't need any richer than that or you risk clogging muffler screens and the like with carbon .


Leaning out the mix ratio,not a/f


I'm surprised I had to spell that out
 
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I run my ratios depending on the oil, not the manufactures specifications. A two stroke is a two stroke and they all derive their lubrication form the oil in the gas. There is no way each engine would require a different lubrication and they are really rating their oil to use. As a general rule of thumb I run 32:1 with conventional two stroke oil/ 40:1 with synthetic blends ( which I use the most) and 50:1 with full synthetic oils. I have yet to lose a engine and have had long life with all my two strokes and prefer them over four stroke engines.
 
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