Ethanol in small engines
I ran across this guys comments in a zero turn mower review and a guide to ethanol free stations "David S Boyd Duffys Outdoor Power Equipment August 25, 2014 Gary, I am a Hustler dealer as well...
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Buy your fuel in rural areas that don't have EPA pollution controls on the refiners that provide your gas. You'll have a lot less problems. Big city fuel is loaded with ethanol. The fuel I bought in Quartzsite sat in my generators for 7 months, no issues. Bought gas here in L.A. in June, my Eu1000i is now hunting and searching under idle and under load. Sprayed out the carb and jets with carb cleaner, the little pilot jet and the main. The Eu1000i now runs the way it's supposed to. Ethanol is no good for these 50cc motors and their tiny jets in the carbs.
YMMV, I've had this little honda 4 years now, and fuel I buy up in Yellowstone NP and in Quartzsite stores fine, the stuff I buy at home is problematic, if stored even 3 months without running. I now just pull the cover and drain the carb fuel bowl completely, choke the motor with the ignition off, and pull the starter cord 3 or 4 times to suck everything out of the jets, before storage. 8 or 9 pulls once the fuel is turned back on usually gets it started and running again.
YMMV, I've had this little honda 4 years now, and fuel I buy up in Yellowstone NP and in Quartzsite stores fine, the stuff I buy at home is problematic, if stored even 3 months without running. I now just pull the cover and drain the carb fuel bowl completely, choke the motor with the ignition off, and pull the starter cord 3 or 4 times to suck everything out of the jets, before storage. 8 or 9 pulls once the fuel is turned back on usually gets it started and running again.
