Age old question, Winter Storage?

Rickcin said:
Agreed, however fuel without ethanol (corn) is more efficient and produces better results than what the government has mandated and as long as I can easily obtain it, it’s my preferred fuel.
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I agree with that thought, my only thoughts are I would not go out of my way, based on my experience, to get non ethanol fuel. My biggest complaint is since the corn is being fed to fuel plants instead of cattle, the cost of beef has gone up. Along with other reasons.
 
Rickcin said:
Not sure what the proper name is, however it works as a trickle charger, maintains the current in the battery while it is not in use.
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Battery tenders (the brand, but also others - I like Accumate) are smart battery chargers and DO NOT work like trickle chargers. A 'tender' or 'maintainer' senses the voltage, charges the battery in several stages, and shuts off. When the voltage drops it will turn on again and bring the battery up to full charge. Many of these also include a pulsing stage, aka anti-sulfation cycle to break down the lead sulfate on the plates before it crystalizes and hardens. This lengthens the life of the battery.

A trickle charger never shuts off... it simply charges the battery, then over charges it and will vaporize the electrolyte exposing the plates in the cells. Old time trickle chargers are great for slowly charging a battery, but not for extended use.

If you are not going to drain the carb(s) on your small engine, (my Honda engines have thumb screws on a drain on the carb bowl for this purpose) it is better to fill the tank all the way up.
 
Rickcin said:
Live in SW Virginia with a 4 month moderately cold winter and I keep my Cub Cadet 42 tractor in a shed with a push Honda mower. The tractor battery stays in tact but I do keep it connected to a battery tender.
Is it better to complete run the engines dry of fuel (with an empty tank) or, as I have read elsewhere, fill the tanks with conditioned fuel to minimize any possible condensation?
The Honda push mower has a fuel shut off valve ( as does my Honda generator) however the tractor does not, in case any of that matters? Thanks
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I am a big fan of Startron fuel stabilizer. Sold and used it for years. Always recommended it for winter storage with the heavier dosage and used standard dosage the rest of the year except on my big Z mower. Gas never stays in it very long. I have always stored with tanks full for the winter. 20 years plus as parts manager in the business.
 
MarineBob said:
I agree with that thought, my only thoughts are I would not go out of my way, based on my experience, to get non ethanol fuel. My biggest complaint is since the corn is being fed to fuel plants instead of cattle, the cost of beef has gone up. Along with other reasons.
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True, but it’s all politics, our politicians know better, how to spend more than they take it, give financial aid to our adversaries, push electric cars and green energy while buying fuel from other countries even though we have tremendous resources here… need I say more?
 
fj5gtx said:
Its the ethanol content in the fuel that tends to cause issues for winter storage. In PA we can purchase ethanol free fuel from select gas stations. I usually run the mower on the ethanol free for the last couple tanks before storing it. It is also wise to cut the fuel flow and let the engine die of starvation when you park it, that tends to leave the fuel bowl pretty much empty.
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I use Ethanol Free gas for all my small engines. I use STA-BIL for the gas only engines, and for my gas+oil I use Stihl 2-cycle oil for my mix. I do not have any problems with engines starting after a long inactive period. I run my snow thrower til dry, but all my other small engine equipment I fill them up with gas or gas+oil mix depending on the type of engine, that keeps the moisture out of the system, and they are ready to go. That is really nice when a tree falls and my chainsaw is ready to work with a couple of pulls.
As for a battery maintainer that is good, but it would be better to remove the battery and keep it in a warm, dry place (and on the maintainer) for the off season.
fj5gtx said:
Its the ethanol content in the fuel that tends to cause issues for winter storage. In PA we can purchase ethanol free fuel from select gas stations. I usually run the mower on the ethanol free for the last couple tanks before storing it. It is also wise to cut the fuel flow and let the engine die of starvation when you park it, that tends to leave the fuel bowl pretty much empty.
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According to a (4 year old) Briggs and Stratton troubleshooting video, Sta-Bil is their "official" fuel additive.



I think I'm going to start using what someone suggested earlier in this thread for this year's end of season (instead of doing the tried and true carb emptying).

I know folks lie and fabricate reviews all the time, but 647 ~5 star reviews is damn good plus the testimony from the knowledgeable folks here is good enough for me.

(Funny how a random thread redirects me from all of the sh!t I'm supposed to be doing to spending all morning on it :LOL:)
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Rickcin said:
Live in SW Virginia with a 4 month moderately cold winter and I keep my Cub Cadet 42 tractor in a shed with a push Honda mower. The tractor battery stays in tact but I do keep it connected to a battery tender.
Is it better to complete run the engines dry of fuel (with an empty tank) or, as I have read elsewhere, fill the tanks with conditioned fuel to minimize any possible condensation?
The Honda push mower has a fuel shut off valve ( as does my Honda generator) however the tractor does not, in case any of that matters? Thanks
Click to expand...
I live in Minnesota put a little additive in the gas and I’ve never had a problem don’t use it for seven months
 
Seems 'the how to do winter for your mower' topic has lots of ideas. I guess whatever workks for you and makes you feel comfortable is what each person ought to do. As many different answers as questions. The consistent theme is non ethanol gas is a good choice if its available. And folks appear to like SeaFoam
 
I put StarTron fuel treatment in my gas cans before filling them with ethanol-free gas. StarTron was the only fuel stabilizer we used at the lawn equipment shop I used to work at. Service manager and lead mechanic said it was better than Sta-bil, so I used it in all my equipment during storage, and never had problems with starting my equipment afterwards. Gas with ethanol added is a repair shop’s best friend, as most of the no-start issues were due to the customer using gas with ethanol. When you recommend what gas to use, some will listen, but most will not.
 
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