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2-cycle oil

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woodbutcher

woodbutcher

Well-known Member
This question should probably be in the small engine forum, but I always get a better response in this one. I went to the only parts house in town and bought a small container of 2-cycle oil to mix with gasoline for my chain saw. The Stihl dealer is 20 miles in the other direction, so I thought as long as I bought a 50:1 oil that would do the job. I got back on the road and then checked the container. There was no specification for the ratio of the mixture anywhere. It just said to mix with 2 1/2 gallons of gasoline. Well, I was going 15 more miles to a bigger town with a Co-op, so I went in and told the young man what I needed. He handed me a small container and said it mixed 50:1 in 2 1/2 gallons of gas. So I bought that. When I got home I looked all over that container. Nowhere on it does it say what ratio it will make. These are two different brands of oil. Do they not specify what the ratio will be in their packaging any more?
Butch
 
most of the synthetic oils ive seen run either a 40-1 or 50-1 mix regardless of the engine. this kinda makes me nervous, being kinda old school. i picked up a ratio-rite from an atv-motorcyle shop, only a couple dollars, select gallons of gas and ratio, the add oil to the line and wha-laa, instant correct ratio. heres a link to show you what they look like. real dang handy. (i run everything at 32-1)
ratio rite
 
I don't understand question completely. If you want 50:1 and have 2 1/2 gallons on gas you need 6.4 oz oil. Easy way for me is what ever ratio you want is to multiply the oz. on bottle by that ratio to get amount of gas. Example 2.5 oz bottle X 50 for 50:1 =125oz. There is 128oz to gal. so that is close enough for 1 gal of mix
 
Ok glenster already said it ;You need a Ratio Rite cc cup.[get two they crack if you drop em in the cold] With the cc cup you will understand how to make any mix you could need.
 
Glennster,
I've got to get me one of those.

ldj,
I must have slept through a memo. All the two-cycle oil containers I've ever bought before specified what ratio mixture it was meant to be used for, though I have seen some that were universal according to the amount used. These two I bought today just said to mix the whole container with 2 1/2 gallons of gasoline. There was nothing on the label to tell you what ratio you ended up with (32:1, 40:1, or 50:1) I burned up my Stihl brushcutter using 50:1 fuel in it. The manual states that it requires 40:1.
Butch
 
The other side[of the plastic cup] has measuring increments also. You'll find yourself using it for all kinds of garage measuring.Handy little tool for sure.
 
i always had trouble to- if you go to this site it will help-www.csgnetwork.com/oilfuelcalc.htm you can figure out any amount of gas to oil
 
I think you will find those little containers of oil for pre-mix are a 50-1 ratio at 2 1/2 gal of gas.I always mix them in a 2 gal. can I have so the ratio is considerably less than 50-1.I would guess maybe 35-1 to 40-1 the way I mix it. All my 2 cycles run good on it,smoke a little some times but no bother.
 
WHILE AT STIHL AND ECHO SCHOOL I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING, SOME 2 STROKES RUN ABOUT 5-6K RPMS AND SOME RUN 10,000+RPMS .THE FAST ENGINES NEED STIHL.ECHO OR HUSQVAURNA OIL TO HOLD UP, THE SLOW ENGINES CAN RUN THE CHEEP STUFF.SEEMS CHEEP OIL SLINGS OFF AT 10K RPM.
 
I've heard exactly what Lucas Boy said. I've stuck to those three oils and never had any problems..... I had problems with the cheapo oils but that was in a Weedeater brand so that may have been my problem.
 
EPA want's remaining 2 cycles to run on a 50:1 ratio for emmissions reasons...regardless of what it does to some engines.....planned obselence by the man...burn up all the old 2- strokers on lean oil mixes and replace with new 4 strokers....
 
I'm going to toss out the idea of switching to Optimol and forget about ratios. You can buy packs that you pour into 2 1/2 gallons of gas and you can run the mixed fuel in any ratio 2 cycle engine. We've been using this product for around 15 years and currently have around 40 different pieces of 2 cycle equipment in service. We've never had a problem and it ends the worry of having the wrong mix.
 
Do not use TCW-rated oil for your chain saw. It is intended for water-cooled engines. Disregard what the label says about being OK for both air and water-cooled engines.

Assuming the oil you bought is NOT TCW-3 rated, then just mix it per the directions on the bottle.

My preferred two-stoke oil is Opti-2, mixed per instructions on the bottle.
 
I've used totally random bottles of two stroke oil in a variety of fuels, ethanol and no ethanol. What counts is that you follow the directions for the bottle to mix the gas, and each time I run 40:1 (more like 35:1 since I make it 2 gallons instead of 2.5 gallons of mix).

I've never had a problem with any oil in any gas in any piece of two stroke equipment, ever! And, I don't even remember what brands of oil i'm using! Just all depends on how well you mix your fluids.

AND another thing - ETHANOL causes the oils to separate from the gas and settle. So, shake your equipment before you start them!
 
I deal with this question every day at work, It"s 50 parts of gas to 1 part of oil.. 16 0z to 6 gal don"t use tcw oil in air cooled motors, I know that i"ll have people argue against me, but thats what i do for a living and i"am sticking to it,have a good day.
 
Thanks, Dan. So the oil that used to be labeled for a 32:1 mix is the same oil that was labeled for a 50:1 mix, but just a different amount?
Butch
 
Hello woodbucher,
Oil that is marked with a mix 32 to 1(4oz to 1 Gal.) can't be diluted any further say (40 to 1)
or 3.2 oz. to a gallon.
In other words, 50 to 1 oil can be mixed at
32 to 1, and 32 to 1 oil cannot be mixed a 50 to 1. Hope it is a bit clearer for you.
Guido.
 
butch, i know what you mean. i have a number of 2 cycle tools, weeds wackers, chain saws, lawn blower, couple older lawn boy 2 cycle lawn mowers too. seems like they all take a different ratio fuel. the richest is the lawn boy mowers at 32-1, and my newest stihl saw is either 40-1 or 50-1, cant remember, so i just mix all 32-1 and let em smoke!!!
 
I am sure am glad to pick up all this important information from the self appointed board experts.

Damn! How have I/we managed to get by for the last 40+ years without their wealth of knowledge to lead and guide me/us?

How have I managed to avoid never, ever having an engine failure....especially considering the fact that I have operated every machine I ever owned 'balls to the wall' and yet......I didn't have all this oil science to guide and protect all those delicate engine internals?

My father before me, used 30 weight non detergent oil in his 2 cycle mix..yeah, those 2 cycle engines back then ran high rpms too. The racers used pure castor oil...you know, the real stuff derived from castor beans...not rocket science in a bottle from Genius Labs, Inc. Many still claim it's the very best.

I love it when the self proclaimed experts pontificate on what one should and should not ever do....like this BS about NEVER using TCW2 oil in an air cooled engine and the minute somebody like moi disagrees, they wipe the slobbers from their chins and read the instructions off some empty oil bottle and say...."See THERE!"

Well, Zero, I've used every brand/type of 2 cycle oil commonly available for sale and have used it in everything from Evinrude outboards, lawnboy mowers, stihl saws, and several weedeaters of different makes and never ever have I had an engine failure....EVER.

Lambaste me as a cretin that throws caution to the wind and ignores the wisdom of good men..but in all honesty it's you experts who take yourselves way too seriously and spend too much time miming what you have read elsewhere, rather than basing your opinions on empirical evidence to support your claims.

Bottom line, chill out on all this oil hysteria. Buy any reputable brand, follow the ratio table on the bottle and get on with your work or fun. You're spending way too much time chewing your nails and fretting over what might happen to your weedwhacker motor if you don't subscribe to the 'exact' oil suggested.
 
Mark, it sounds like you are the self-appointed expert. You have a mind like a steel trap; once it closes nothing gets in. Why not just read and value others opinions, you might learn something. Now take a cool wash rag and place it on your forehead, and settle down a bit. Tom
 
You all do whatever you want. A search under "chainsaw" on e-bay will yield you any number of examples of what happens to a 2-stroke engine with improper fuel use. I have a $800 6hp saw and I think I'll pay the extra $3 for the Stihl oil AND mix it according to Stihl's instructions. Reminds me why I won't buy used equipment.
 
I normally use Stihl oil in my Stihl chain saw, but I ran out and I live 20 miles from the Stihl dealer.
 
Tom,

It's actually not like that with me at all. This board does not go 3 days, without another oil/lubricant question being breached. People are paranoid that something horrendous will surely happen....to their machinery...if the EXACT specified oil of the latest index number/letter is not used.

This bullschitt borders on Hysteria!

These machine owners are scared to death to try anything else, to experiment...because the end might be a catastrophic engine dismemberment! OR...it might shorten the life of the engine by 12 hours over the next 19 years.

I am no chemical engineer..don't need to be....common sense tells me that whatever branded oils are currently on the market, they are superior to anything available just 10 years ago....regardless of the rating on the bottle.

The world is full of Chicken-Little's who run around in circles crying the sky is falling, the sky is falling....my 2 cycle mix doesn't have the EXACT specified oil in solution! Most of these Beevises will even drain their 4 ounce fuel tank in hopes of averting certain disaster if the engine fires one time without the latest bestest mostest TCW #Infinitum SUPERoil is used.

P.T. Barnum had'em pegged a hundred years ago.
 
Mark,
I recently had mechanical problems with my Stihl FS81 2-cycle brushcutter. It locked up while I was using it. I've had it several years, but Stihl machines are well-engineered in my opinion. I have always used 50:1 mix in that machine. I checked the manual, and it specifies 40:1 mix. When I took the engine apart, I found that the retainer for the bearing on one side of the crankshaft had fragmented, sending small chunks of sheet metal all over the crankcase. Was this damage caused by underlubrication? I'll never know, but if I can't find a replacement engine, I'll be spending a few hundred to replace the brushcutter. You can bet I won't be pouring used engine oil in the fuel tank as you seem to suggest doing.
Butch
 
Joe,

TCW-rated oil meets the requirements of outboard engine manufacturers. The "W" stands for "watercooled". Since outboards are water-cooled and operate at cooler temperatures than air-cooled engines, they require a different additive mix. Use TCW-3 in your outboard, but for outdoor power equipment use Opti-2 or oil branded by a major outdoor equipment manufacturer like Stihl or Echo.
 
The only thing I'll throw in here is I probably put more oil in the gas than is required and I also use fuel that has Stabil in it. Never had a 2 stroke engine wear out. The trimmer or some other part always has worn out. The engines were still good.
 
Mark,

I don't know if I'm the "self-appointed" expert you're referring to, but I didn't come up with the statement about not using TCW oil on my own. It's directly out of the operator's manuals for every piece of Stihl equipment I own, which includes a brushcutter and two chain saws.
 
Whew! Sounds like you have a lot of your self worth wrapped up in whether other people agree with your views on 2 cycle oil. I couldn't care less what you use, and frankly given your tone I didn't bother to finish your post. Whatever advice you had simply wasn't worth the ill will one had to endure to hear it. Go ahead and use rendered whale blubber for all I care or none at all. It's people such as yourself that I am always alert to when considering buying used.
 
I restore vintage Japanese motorcycles as a hobby, and the occasional snowmobile. I have a couple of dozen 2-stroke engine of all brands, sizes, with up to three cylinders. Some are premix, some injected.

In any event, IMHO, the link below will take you to the product that is the easiest way to manage and handle two-stroke fuel mix. A little pricey, but worth it in my view. One side holds the fuel, the other the oil and it's real easy to use.

I'd post the image but for some reason, there's a funky restriction that won't allow me to post a link to the photo. Go figure...

Here's the link to their web site...
accu-products.com/accu-products/accu-mix-pre-mix-jug/prod_3016.html#
 
Order some Amsoil online. I get the Sabre... 100:1 premix. Run it in my Banshee ATV and All my Stihl saws and trimmers. I mix at 80:1 and beat the living heck outta that Banshee and still after 5 years have yet to score the cylinder. Runs with way more power too. Saws really like it although in the warm months they seem to use more fuel.
 
sorry my post came across like that.. this arguement reminds me of how i tell customers for decades to use stabil in that last tank of gas before winter. they bring it in with bad gas every spring so i just gave up telling them last year, unless they ask. i try,i really try. everyone knows more than the manufacturer..
 
Nothing to be sorry for LUCAS....my post was meant to be addressed to Mark's posted before yours. How it wound up after yours I have no idea. I don't think yours was even there when I posted mine.
 
be advised on the amsoil, it is good stuff, but at 100:1 there can be no error in mixing or youl score a cyl.i see it all the time and with so many useing it with success, the ones we get it scored must be running to lean on the mix..it just hit me that talking about what oil is the best is like talking about what religion or political party is the best..lucas
 
woodbutcher,

Never once did I say you shouldn't mix the oil/fuel to the reco'd ratio.

What I did expound on is the fact that people are paranoid concerning 2 cycle oils.

And as usual, if one opposes the Herd mentality....as I generally do, the Herd then turns to rend me to dust. That's quite alright, to hell with'em. The Age of Reason occurred long ago and but few are even aware of it.

and for the Professor? Is your title supposed to impress the plebes within the audience or a Badge of Distinction? Tell us Herr Doktor, what was the subject matter of you dissertation and if you will, share with us part of your defense.

My thesis offered on 2 cycle oils has been scoffed at by my peers in this audience, yet my observations are been based upon 40 years of empirical evidence garnered by personal use. Yet.......it is rejected on a wholesale basis.


Here is one of my favorite quotes.....it is fitting for use here:

"Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself; he must act in spite of it, and then it will gradually yield to him." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
 
Lucas,
You are certainly right about the personal preference in 2-cycle oils. Why not use the Amsoil in a 50:1 ratio instead of risking the damage?
Butch
 
I use sae 30 in my machines at the correct ratio and nobody are selling me new ones, matter of fact my 1954 BSA Bantam motor bike also got the same treatment . no fancy oils then. turns out it was only a motor mower 2-stroke engine.
 
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