Well, my 80 GMC owners manual says to use 90 octane minimum. Any truck or car that has an on board computer, can compensate ignition timing for 87 octane, but even some of them recommend higher octane. My old "junk" (as some would call it) can't compensate for low octane. It runs best on 92. I get 92, because no one sells 90, and 89 and 87 are too low. The engine will ping like mad going up hills with 87 or 89 even. Around here, there's nothing but hills and mountains.Of course the truck will run on 87, but not run it's best. Repeated use of low octane can cause detonation, and lead to a hole in a piston. (In extreme cases)
As far as you using 87 octane, check your owners manual. The same goes for your equipment. Mowers, blowers, snow blowers, even 2 stroke equipment. See what octane rating they recommend for each machine. You might be surprised. Too low of an octane fuel is just as bad as too high. You won't find me running the 114 octane in my truck or machines that my brother runs in his jet ski (major engine mods done). And you won't find him running 92 in his jet ski.
Oh and the prices I gave above are from Nutley, and Lynhurst, NJ.
~Chuck
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