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OT - My Honda Lawnmower and a valuable tip (Ethanol Sucks)

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danv23
danv23 Posts: 953
in EggHead Forum
Very long story short, my $750 Honda lawnmower didn't/couldn't idle worth a dam.  I love the mower because nothing minces grass like it does and nothing has the suction power (zero thatch) like it does.  After 6 new carburetors in 5 years and fights with Honda, I found a repair shop that leveled with me and told me that if I didn't run pure gas (zero ethanol) I could expect to buy a new carb every year.  I found a station nearby (I live by lake Lanier in GA) that sells it (likely for boats) and I'll be dammed.  That mower purrs like a kitten.  It is truly amazing and sickening at the same time.  I say that because ethanol is killing our gas powered machines, which got me thinking that what is happening was known to the folks that want everything to run on inadequate and under powered battery machines.  Anyhow, wanted the folks here to know that pure gas is the answer to your small engine nightmares. 

The Dude: This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.

Walter Sobchak: Nihilists! *uck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos. 

Cumming, GA

Eggs - XL, L, Small

Gasser - Weber Summit 6 Burner

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  • Jaime_Doug
    Jaime_Doug Posts: 57
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    I think I had heard this but I'm glad you reminded me as my oldest is about to buy a new Honda mower. We're in Tucker, so I hope I can find a non-eth seller closer than Lanier
    Doug/Jaime in Tucker, GA   Could almost walk to BGE Mothership  LBGE
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  • danv23
    danv23 Posts: 953
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    Here's how I found it.  Good for all 50 states:



    The Dude: This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.

    Walter Sobchak: Nihilists! *uck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos. 

    Cumming, GA

    Eggs - XL, L, Small

    Gasser - Weber Summit 6 Burner

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  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    edited April 2014
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    I just got one a couple weeks ago. We've only got 10% ethanol and it hasn't been an issue on my old mowers. I'll be bummed if the honda doesn't last. At least the warranty is long.
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
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  • rcone
    rcone Posts: 219
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    Just think; we are burning corn, that is grown on acreage that could grow animal feed, pushing up the price of meat. So you are buy new carburetors, and spending more on meat; neither are a good thing.  
    "Feed me, or feed me to something; I just want to be part of the food chain" Al Bundy

    LBGE, SBGE, Carson Rotisserie, Blackstone Griddle  

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin 
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,889
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    Add me to the list of converts - I learned the hard way as well - been using pure gas in all my equipment for over a year now and reverted to it for my '95 Corvette too.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    http://www.goldeagle.com/products/10_oz_ethanol.aspx I've been using this for all my outdoor products. Mowers, edger, trimmer etc
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    I've been told this by several small engine shops. We have one filling station nearby that sells it.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
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    Own a 10 year old Toro mower, Husky string trimmer, Craftsman chainsaw, and Toro Snowblower.  No off season Stabilizer, and run 93 octane.  Not one problem. 

     Lawn mower fired up on the second pull yesterday. 
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    @Focker your right about the high octane stuff. The stabil I use in not the offseason stuff although I do use the off season stuff for winter storage
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,889
    edited April 2014
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    Focker said:
    Own a 10 year old Toro mower, Husky string trimmer, Craftsman chainsaw, and Toro Snowblower.  No off season Stabilizer, and run 93 octane.  Not one problem. 

    Lucky dog you! I can't get anything higher than 91 octane around here! This winter my snowblower started on every first pull - never EVER did that before!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,471
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    The agriculture bill just recently signed into law gets rid of most of the subsidies for ethanol; this may be a problem going away soon.  
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
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    My truck now gets 13 mpg thanks to ethanol in my fuel. I used to get between 16 and 18 in my Silverado. We can't get anything but 10% ethanol fuel around here. I use 89 octane in all of my lawn equipment and also use startron additive which works to remove the ethanol enzymes that harm engines.
    Mark Annville, PA
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  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
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    I have had my Honda mower for about 20 years now and have never had issues with running the lowest grade octane unleaded gas.  This must be a problem with the newer Hondas.

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

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  • Durangler
    Durangler Posts: 1,122
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    Not sure if ya'll have heard, but bio-diesel creates more particulates/pollution than regular diesel.
    Go figure, The braineacks are scratching their empty heads now.
    I'll search for a link.
    XL BGE, 22" Weber Red Head, Fiesta Gasser .... Peoria,AZ
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  • SkinnyV
    SkinnyV Posts: 3,404
    edited April 2014
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    My in law gave me her Honda lawn mower they Bought new in 1981 and was in storage for 10 + years untouched. I got it in 2007 and to this day all I have replaced is a spark plug and fuel line hose.
    The thing starts up like a dream and its 2014.

    I hope I did not just jinx it. Heck I've never gotten the blade sharpened for crying out loud. I too run lowest grade gas.

    I blame the 10% ethanol for why my highlander hybrid gets 23 rather than the sticker 25/26 mpg...
    Seattle, WA
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    I found this out the hard way when we lived in Iowa. I too had a Honda mower, and filled it with mid-grade gas, which had ethanol in it, and was the cheapest gas sine Iowa is corn country. Damn thing wouldn't start the second season I tried to fire it up. Lowe's actually took it back, and i got a refund. 

    Now its the lawn guy's problem whether the mower starts up or not :D

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
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    You can use gas with ethanol but I would add Seafoam and never store it for more than a month. I use regular gas untreated as long as it's going to be used within 30 days. Whenever I store the machine for the season, I use ethanol free 93 octane. Problems gone.
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
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  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
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    I can see turning agricultural waste into ethanol and using it for fuel where it makes sense (and evidently it does't for this particular Honda lawnmower). I fear the pendulum will swing too far in that direction and the ethanol industry will do more than transform waste and actually cultivate in order to feed it's ethanol supply chain. To do that they would therefore consume evermore topsoil. Besides water topsoil is the most precious resource needed to support the food chain and life. Turning it into fuel to run machines is not a good trade off. Once topsoil is gone it's very hard to renew and there's no substitute.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
    edited April 2014
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    i probably lost 50 plus gallons of that ethynol crap into a public drinking supply through the course of a summer a few years back with the boat. the stuff literally ate thru the gas lines. my cost to replace the tank and lines was over 4k. as for the mower, i dont know if it runs or doesnt
    :D now what do you do with 25 gallons bad gas sitting in the garage. my brothers boat is going in for carb issues, didnt run right most of last year and we found the lines all punked up from that gas as well. with the truck its very agrivating, when they change to the ethynol winter blend my mileage drops from 17 down to 11 mpg
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    @fishlessman‌ sta-bil also has a product specifically for marine motors. It's the blue stuff I think
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    grege345 said:
    @fishlessman‌ sta-bil also has a product specifically for marine motors. It's the blue stuff I think
    i do use the stable now when i have too but it still seems to eat the gas lines. what i do now is run two tanks and use a minimum amount of fuel so that im filling up and using fresh gas all summer, and then for storage its just a few months so i make sure to use all the gas in the tanks and disconnect the lines while the motor is running to drain the carbs. i also installed water separators on all the boats.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
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    We have stations in my area that carry non-ethanol gas.  I run this in all my small engines and sometimes my cars. 

    My first run in with ethanol is when I bought a new Honda inverter generator (i2000 or something like that) it wouldn't start after about 3 months.  It was under warranty and the small engine mechanic told me the carb was filled with crud from the gas.  He recommended to not run ethanol gas, ever in small engines.  I have done that since and not one issue out of that generator again or other small engines. 
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
    Facebook
    My Photography Site
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  • Coastalcooker
    Coastalcooker Posts: 185
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    Well documented fact:
    (1) ethanol destroys the resin in old fiberglass marine gas tanks making them leak.
    (2) ethanol does destroy older fuel lines.
    (3) ethanol destroys certain types of o rings.
    For the old boats with fiberglass tanks, there is no cheap solution.
    New ethanol proof fuel hose is available at any auto parts store.
    When the old stuff comes apart from the inside, small particles of rubber get into the carb causing either flooding because the float needle no longer seats or clogging of gas jets. Either requires a cleaning.
    Carb kits sold today should use the proper type of o ring to prevent them from turning into a mushy mess.
    A TV show produced by the corn industry claims it takes a gallon of petroleum product to produce one and a quarter gallon of ethanol. I would say their claims are certainly optimistic. If ethanol is good for fuel, why do the corn producers not use it to produce corn, why do the ethanol producers not use it to produce and transport ethanol?
    This is a political ploy by legislators from the corn belt to enhance profits for their constituents at tremendous costs to the rest of us.
    Yes we need to end dependence on imported oil, but diesel is enough more efficient than even gasoline to make a big difference, but no major manufacturer puts diesels in family oriented cars.
    Electric cars are coal powered in most of the country, moving the environmental impact to the power plant instead of the highway. Even if they become practical, the existing distribution system will not support them.
    Off the soap box
    Bob
    Cookin' on the coast
    Shellman Bluff, GA
    Medium BGE

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    Coastalcooker said:
    Well documented fact:
    (1) ethanol destroys the resin in old fiberglass marine gas tanks making them leak.
    (2) ethanol does destroy older fuel lines.
    (3) ethanol destroys certain types of o rings.
    For the old boats with fiberglass tanks, there is no cheap solution.
    New ethanol proof fuel hose is available at any auto parts store.
    When the old stuff comes apart from the inside, small particles of rubber get into the carb causing either flooding because the float needle no longer seats or clogging of gas jets. Either requires a cleaning.
    Carb kits sold today should use the proper type of o ring to prevent them from turning into a mushy mess.
    A TV show produced by the corn industry claims it takes a gallon of petroleum product to produce one and a quarter gallon of ethanol. I would say their claims are certainly optimistic. If ethanol is good for fuel, why do the corn producers not use it to produce corn, why do the ethanol producers not use it to produce and transport ethanol?
    This is a political ploy by legislators from the corn belt to enhance profits for their constituents at tremendous costs to the rest of us.
    Yes we need to end dependence on imported oil, but diesel is enough more efficient than even gasoline to make a big difference, but no major manufacturer puts diesels in family oriented cars.
    Electric cars are coal powered in most of the country, moving the environmental impact to the power plant instead of the highway. Even if they become practical, the existing distribution system will not support them.
    Off the soap box
    Bob
    it was easy
    :D all i had to do was cut the old floor off, change out the stringers, relocate the gas fill and vent, drop in a new tank and lines, put the new flooring in, reinstall the outboard, redo the lines in the outboard that have no ethynol resistant replacements and willl eventually fail and pollute the ecosystem. pay more for the gas and lose range offshore
    :)) but i do like the new floor

    image
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • danv23
    danv23 Posts: 953
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    QDude said:
    I have had my Honda mower for about 20 years now and have never had issues with running the lowest grade octane unleaded gas.  This must be a problem with the newer Hondas.
    This is true.  It is just the new models because of the stricter emission standards (CA) and trying to make it more efficient.  Thus, smaller ports which the ethanol evaporates quicker in leaving behind a varnish.  Plus, the detergent properties are less because of ethanol.  All in all, ethanol is just plain crap.

    The Dude: This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.

    Walter Sobchak: Nihilists! *uck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos. 

    Cumming, GA

    Eggs - XL, L, Small

    Gasser - Weber Summit 6 Burner

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  • danv23
    danv23 Posts: 953
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    fishlessman said:
    i probably lost 50 plus gallons of that ethynol crap into a public drinking supply through the course of a summer a few years back with the boat. the stuff literally ate thru the gas lines. my cost to replace the tank and lines was over 4k. as for the mower, i dont know if it runs or doesnt
    :D now what do you do with 25 gallons bad gas sitting in the garage. my brothers boat is going in for carb issues, didnt run right most of last year and we found the lines all punked up from that gas as well. with the truck its very agrivating, when they change to the ethynol winter blend my mileage drops from 17 down to 11 mpg
    Lower gas mileage with ethanol is a fact (google it).  I have a Flex Fuel vehicle, and although flex fuel is cheaper, I get about 75 - 80% of the miles I get with regular crap 10% ethanol.

    The Dude: This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.

    Walter Sobchak: Nihilists! *uck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos. 

    Cumming, GA

    Eggs - XL, L, Small

    Gasser - Weber Summit 6 Burner

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  • jllbms
    jllbms Posts: 381
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    Ditto for my 1973 VW Thing. Eschew the ethanol!
    Kemah, TX
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