Best tip: Stabilize or drain your fuel over the winter, and over the summer if you’re not using it much. Gasoline degrades after a few months, and when it’s inside a small carburated engine it’ll wreak corrosive havoc if stored incorrectly.
I use ethanol free gas in my mower. I’ve heard it’s stable for a year.
You had me curious because I’d always hear from mechanics otherwise, so I did some digging. According to this study (https://ethanolrfa.org/file/1793/Water-Update-Weathering-of-Ethanol-Gasoline-Blends-in-Humid-Environments_NREL_2016-09.pdf) it seems like it’s probably a misconception that ethanol free degrades slower, but it probably allows for ignition when stored longer due to the higher hydrocarbon content. Kinda a dull read, but that’s what I got from it. (Also. As with everything * take it with a big grain of salt. Your local municipality might require the additive of detergents or stabilizers in the fuel already, or might just add it to ethanol free fuel as a “premium” incentive. So who knows, lol. If it’s working for you I dig it.)
How do you learn to do it.?
Honestly just watched some you tube videos. But after the first time it’s pretty easy. Just change the oil, air filter, spark plug and blade.
If you have a metal file and a vice, you can just sharpen the blade and it will last pretty much forever! Unless that’s what you meant.
I tried sharpening once. But between my kids and wife I always manage to hit a rock, or brick, or toy. And that really messes up the blade. New blades are like $20-30, I don’t have to spend time sharpening them, and the old one is 100% recyclable. So I’ll spend $20 to save time.
My town has a small shop that sells mowers and general landscaping equipment, and for a few bucks they’ll also sharpen blades. I just have them do it annually cause I also grew tired of doing it, amd new blades feels wasteful. Maybe you can find a place to sharpen for you cheaply.
I love having an electric mower. Significantly less maintenance.
