2 cycle oil

[kippert]

I recently bought a stihl 85 split boom...my first stihl...I have several shindiawas and they both reccomend 50:1 2 cycle oil...

But the sales person said he did not reccomend any 2 cycle oil but stihl and that if i used any other 2 cylcle oil that i should use a 40:1 ratio...

Is there any truth to that or do I actually need to have two different mixes............thank you

[exmarkhp]

You don't need two different mixes he's just trying to make a sale. Most of these companys oil like stihl, echo, husqavrna, etc all buy there oil from the same company.

There is a difference with some oils, but not a great difference. Especialy nothing worth mixing two different batchs. If you are really worried about it I would run both on either 40:1 or 45:1 and you should never have a problem.

[locutus]

This business about different mix ratios for this and that machine is a bunch of crap. I use Amsoil synthetic premix at 85:1 in every piece of 2-cycle equipment that I own. Do a search in this forum keyword "Amsoil" and see what I mean.

[LynyrdSkynyrd]

I will agree that it sounds as if the dealer just wants to make a sale.

I use only use Stihl 2 cycle oil by choice and not due to some dealers pressure.

A word about Amsoil. Best check with your equipments dealer before using it. The dealers here that do not sale it will not do warranty work on equipment that Amsoil is ran in. They will charge you for repairs and leave it up to you to recope the cost from Amsoil. "Amsoil says that it is ok to use an oil mix at 100:1 ratios, The manufactor does not."

The only thing that you do not want to do. Is use oil formulated for out board or water cooled engines. Such as Pennzoil TCW3. That work fine the cooler running water cooled engines. But are not good for air cooled machines.

[imograss]

I agree I use Opti2 in every 2 stroker I got , from trimmers to Lawnboys.

[65hoss]

Originally posted by imograss
I agree I use Opti2 in every 2 stroker I got , from trimmers to Lawnboys.

Yep, me too. Never had a failure. A Stihl FS 85 with around 3000 hours on it and still running strong.

[dishboy]

Originally posted by LynyrdSkynyrd
I will agree that it sounds as if the dealer just wants to make a sale.

I use only use Stihl 2 cycle oil by choice and not due to some dealers pressure.

A word about Amsoil. Best check with your equipments dealer before using it. The dealers here that do not sale it will not do warranty work on equipment that Amsoil is ran in. They will charge you for repairs and leave it up to you to recope the cost from Amsoil. "Amsoil says that it is ok to use an oil mix at 100:1 ratios, The manufactor does not."

The only thing that you do not want to do. Is use oil formulated for out board or water cooled engines. Such as Pennzoil TCW3. That work fine the cooler running water cooled engines. But are not good for air cooled machines.


I mix Amsoil at 50 to 1 per manufacture spec and do not have to decoke exhaust ports [very good benifit].

[rrp0968]

When I bought my Shindaiwa......the salesperson told me to run it at 40:1 rather than the 50:1 the book says to do. He told me that the engine would run a bit cooler. What do you guys think?

[fixer67]

rrp0968> That is odd, I was told it was the other way around. At the Stihl Up Date School the instructor told us that the fuel cooled the engine and if you put more more in the mix the engine would run hotter. They did a test with a temp probe in a chain saw. They ran a 50:1 and them 40:1 mix. The temp probe did show a cooler saw at the 50:1 mix. Who knows for sure? Get a load of this now. My neighbor up on the hill has an old Homelite that he has being running 30w motor oil instead of 2 cycle mix at 16:1 for over 30 years and that old blue saw still runs. I thank it may be an EPA thing to some degree. I have heard of 100:1 engines and even higher. They will keep up until they find a way to run a 2 cycle engine on straight gas and do away with mix altogether. Which is OK by me it will mean just one least thing I have to buy.

[martinw]

ONLY use a good quality oil (not the warren cr@p or the like. I personally use a synthic no smoke multi ratio mix (similiar to Amsoil) one pouch to a gallon and you can use it in ALL the equipment (no mater if it is 25 t0 one or 100 to one).

[dishboy]

Originally posted by rrp0968
When I bought my Shindaiwa......the salesperson told me to run it at 40:1 rather than the 50:1 the book says to do. He told me that the engine would run a bit cooler. What do you guys think?

I think oil displaces fuel leaning out your air/fuel mixture causing your engine to run hotter.

[gadfreak]

Some older outboards by the old OMC evinrude were 100-1 mix. But when you talked to the dealer they said run 50-1. If you looked in the manual and read a little more into you would see that 50-1 was the mix to use for commercial application. I tsuck with the 50-1 and was fine. I used the full synthetic outboard oil with good results but I don't tink you can run that in outdoor power equipment

[grass_cuttin_fool]

I think you are correct gadfreak, there are different additives or the formulation is different between air cooled and water cooled 2 stroke oils, Watercooled 2 strokes dont get the heat that air cooled 2 strokes do. I used outboard oil for a few years and I never got over about 2 years out of a trimmer and I found out that is why

[LeoS818]

Does anyone use the stihl oil in the black bottles?

[grass_cuttin_fool]

Around here all my dealers have are the orange bottles

[fixer67]

Originally posted by dishboy
I think oil displaces fuel leaning out your air/fuel mixture causing your engine to run hotter.

That is what the instructor at the Stihl Update School I went to last summer said. He even did a test with a temp probe in a chain saw to prove his point.

[dcondon]

we use Arctic Cat 2 cycle oil. buy a case of gallons and get a good deal.

[Redneck'n]

the only issues i have come across with non-stihl oil is when running the 4-mix machines.. stihl said to only ues stihl oil. i would make the assumption that any oil recommended for 4-mix engines would work for the stihl.. i do know first hand that "no smoke 2 stroke" oil WILL DAMAGE a 4 mix stihl...

[65hoss]

Originally posted by Redneck'n
the only issues i have come across with non-stihl oil is when running the 4-mix machines.. stihl said to only ues stihl oil. i would make the assumption that any oil recommended for 4-mix engines would work for the stihl.. i do know first hand that "no smoke 2 stroke" oil WILL DAMAGE a 4 mix stihl...

huh?

The 4 mix is designed to run on 2 stroke fuel. Stihl always says to use their oil. Every mfg says that.

[Stephen M.]

I ran Stihl oil in my Echo equipment for years. Most, but not all dealers will try to sell that baloney to you. All newer 2 cycle are designed to run on 50:1 mix and every one will run on any good quality fuel mix. When it comes down to the reasons, its the same reasons why some people swear that Chevron is better than Shell gas because Techron is better than whatever is in Shell. 6 one way, half a dozen the other way.

[Redneck'n]

my point was that the stihl 4mix machines cant use some types of the 2 stroke oils on the market.. there was some additive that a few particular mfg's put in the oil that will gum up in the block of the 4 mixes...the brand "no smoke 2 stroke" is one of those oils that should not be used in 4 mix machines...
that was all...