Do you have to be a mechanic to own small engines?

I'm fairly new to owning a "single family" house, having lived in a townhouse/condo before. With the house comes maintenance and all the gear - and my luck hasn't been the best. It seems small engine devices nowadays (mowers, blower, snow throwers) die quickly and frequently. Maybe it's the gas nowadays, maybe I don't know WTF I'm doing. For example:

- I bought a quality ($200) Husqvarna leaf blower and used it one day in the fall. The next fall came and the thing wouldn't start. It turned out the gas lines had rotted due to leaving gas in it. I then spent a day replacing gas lines.

- I bought a quality ($600) Craftsman snow blower. The first winter, it sat with gas in it but no snow came. I drained the gas. The second winter, it sat again with gas it and I used it one day - and the whole time the engine was 'hunting', revving up and down. I drained the gas. Today, I did maintenance on it, changed the oil, changed the plug, lubed various parts, etc. And the damn engine is still hunting. I guess the carb has gone bad, or maybe just needs a clean, but it's buried deep in the engine so after a day of maintenance, there's not time to fix it today.

It makes me wonder, are small engines built like crap nowadays? Or is the gas so bad that it kills an engine anytime you leave some in it? I started looking for a local small engine maintenance course to help me understand what I need to do to care for these things. I'm scared to buy additional small engine gear (like a lawn mower) because it might break down constantly.

If the ethanol in gas is killing the carburetors and fuel lines (which I suspect to be the biggest problem), either manufactures need to warn consumers in BIG BOLD LETTERS of the steps they need to take to avoid the damage. Or gas stations need to sell ethanol free gas. Consumers learn the hard way - and still, I don't know what to do. Is it safe to leave gas for a few months in my gear or do I have to drain them after each use?! it seems a bit extreme.

And even if the ethanol in gas is the problem, I believe the manufacturers could somehow build a better engine to use it; car manufacturers have, after all. How about some gas lines that can withstand ethanol, for example? I know they exist.

Any advice? How do I learn enough to avoid these problems, without having to become a small engine mechanic? I have a lot of other responsibilities and interests in life and I'm getting tired of broken engines after using a tool for one day. I was schooled as an electrical engineer and work in a highly technical career, so I feel fairly intelligent - so I'm really baffled why these devices are so damn hard to maintain.

I know a lot of people that own small engines and are a long ways form doing mechanic work. These are the people that bring them to me to fix. I find these people have other skills other then mechanical skills.

So I guess I need to buy a pickup truck to haul this damn snowblower in for maintenance every year?

To answer some of your questions with the best of my capability, YES the gas is harmful to the engines, but there are gas stations that sell ethanol-free gas: Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

And you shouldn't have to drain the gas out of your mower after every use; my one mower has had gas in it all winter and it still runs great. But for long periods of time the gas can definitely harm your engine (as you can see), and there are different ways companies instruct you to prep your mower for storage.

Allot of the issues we have today is 1.. poor quality not made to last

2..Gas is a big factor I do small engine repair and 90% of the repairs that come threw the door is stale gas ...IE ethanol ...After 3 weeks of sitting in a gas can mostly plastic ones it starts to brake down ...Why because they condensate most people don't put them in a dark dry place the stick it in there steel shed its hot during the day cold at night etc ....I keep mine in my shop in a steel gas can and I use high test only in my small engines ...When I put them away ether I drain them or I put stable in them ..But I don't put allot of that in there because it can plug up your carb also if it turns to that sandy grit ...I use high test and don't have any trouble ...The fuel sys has to be clean for it to run proper ..Sounds like your carb needs a good cleaning nothing major ....

Try running some SeaFoam through the system and see if the engine will smooth out. I always say to take the pill before you operate. There are stations around that sell ethanol free gas. Also gas stabilizers are sold to add to your gas to keep it from going bad. If I were you I would drain the tank and run the engine out of gas till it stalls each year before you put it up.

I have nothing but bad things to say about Seafoam plus its pricy. I use Berryman B12 in the can and its $3.19 at Walmart. I also use Star Tron or Ethanol Shield for fuel stablizer. Ethanol Shield recently came out with stablizer just for 2 cycle equipment.

MarkF786 said:

So I guess I need to buy a pickup truck to haul this damn snowblower in for maintenance every year?

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I would say that is your call. I pick up most of my repairs and charge them for it. I find all the repairs shops around hare have this option. You would find this is a lot cheaper then buying a pick up. There are a lot of things I don't like paying for but have to. If you become sick do you become a doctor?

davbell22602 said:

I have nothing but bad things to say about Seafoam plus its pricy. I use Berryman B12 in the can and its $3.19 at Walmart. I also use Star Tron or Ethanol Shield for fuel stablizer. Ethanol Shield recently came out with stablizer just for 2 cycle equipment.

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I have used sea foam not that great but it dose work on some things ..I just got a ultrasonic cleaner to me it was a waste ..I do about 10 to 15 carbs a day ..Waste of money on the powder...Its cheaper for me to use gas and a sea foam mix and soak them clean them out with a needle and compressed air works like a charm ..With the amount of gas I get in that is flat it makes great parts cleaner

You don't need to be a mechanic,but you do need to read up on storage and read the owners manuals...it does help if you take the time to learn how things work,and to become familiar with repairs.as a mechanic of about 30 years I can tell you that my work is never done...there are times I wish I knew nothing because it seems like family and friends do stupid things and I get to fix them, they screw up with lack of maintenance prepping for storage and expect me to bail them out ,I spend much of my free time ensuring my equipment is ready,so when it's needed it starts. I'll tell you this never ever store anything for more than a month without stabilizing the fuel or draining the tank AND running it all the way out of fuel,by running it til it starts hunting and then full choking it so it pulls every last drop of fuel out of the carburetor..on stabilizers ,I'd skip the sea foam,it's better for removing carbon and gum than stabilizing fuel,use Stabil or better yet k100 fuel stabilizer...that is the best IMO...