How Long Does 2-Stroke Fuel Last

The world is going through a massive reset. Pandemic, global warming, woke initiatives, fuel crisis and conflict. Even the petrol in your lawn mower is at risk.

The fuel crisis at filling stations is over, apart from the coincidental price hike that prevails. But that’s par for the course these days. Businesses recovering from the pandemic are part struggling to recover and part run by management that see an opportunity to jack up profits.

Further to the recent idea to use sheep to graze graveyards how does all this affect your lawn mower, strimmer and other 2-stroke powered gadgets as they are tucked away for the winter. Well the new petrol has twice the ethanol added compared to it’s predecessor; E10 versus E5 has a relatively short shelf life. Normally sloshing around in your car’s fuel tank this won’t be a problem as you use in a relatively short time. You still need to check if your jalopy can cope with the stuff, but sitting as part of a 2- stroke mix in your garden kit for an extensive period could be a problem. It goes off.

Personal experience connected with a leaf blower that refused to come out to play resulted in a full tank clean, carburettor blow through and a general fettle about its innards by the fix-it engineer. £50 later with new fuel and we were operational and back blowing leaves into neat heaps and squirting smoke and other noxious substances into the atmosphere.

And the most significant advice from the engineer; don’t leave 2-stroke fuel in your tank for more 4 weeks. Ouch. Use fresh fuel, but just enough to last a few weeks at a time, and check the new E10 is compatible with your equipment. Alternatively check if you can use the premium unleaded fuel – which doesn’t contain ethanol and may not wreck your engine. And if it’s scheduled for winter storage – empty the tank.

The development of cordless kit has been impressive over the past few years. I will certainly review this option at the next purchase point. And you can use these within the new London ULEZ without fear of the Mayor extending the tax to mowers!