2 cycle oil sealed in the bottle?

[Bowsaw Outlaw]

I was wondering if any of you guys know how long 2 cycle oil is good for if it is sealed in an unopened bottle? Does it expire? A friend gave me about five small bottles of Echo Power Blend 2 cycle oil he has had in his shop for almost 2 years. Is this stuff still good?

 

[Flapjack23]

Oil doesn't go "bad" by sitting on a shelf, might want to shake it good before you mix it.

 

[treemandan]

I would pass on the old oil most certainly.

 

[pdqdl]

Use it, it's fine.

 

[DUGs-sawshop]

I dont know the scientifically correct answer. But I have opened 2cyl. oil bottles recently that were 5yrs old and the oil was seperated apart . It was runny at first then half jelly. I'd shake well and check it out before I used it. doug

 

[2FatGuys]

Is it still good? Probably....

Are "five small bottles" worth worrying about? NO!

Considering the cost of "five small bottles" vs the cost of replacing one top-end on a saw, I wouldn't use it.

 

[Billy Jack]

I'm pretty sure that's the same oil I used for a few years. It's decent oil, but I recommend you do NOT use it for pre-mix. I switched to Stihl Ultra and could clearly see a performance/cleanliness improvement over it. I have a few bottles left (I use the small bottles to mix one gallon at a time) but I have relegated it to bench use for lubrication. I use it to lube up wrist pins, new pistons, etc., but for nothing else. I have not observed any visible "break-down" of the oil (the remaining is probably two years old or so), but after using the Ultra for a while, I'm convinced I'm done using it [Echo] for pre-mix. Not bad really, just there are better oils out there. It's inexpensive to buy good oil for pre-mix, so why take the chance of damaging a top end due to poor lubrication? Use it for assembly lube only is my suggestion.

 

[Billy Jack]

Is it still good? Probably....

Are "five small bottles" worth worrying about? NO!

Considering the cost of "five small bottles" vs the cost of replacing one top-end on a saw, I wouldn't use it.

x2

 

[Bowsaw Outlaw]

Thanks!

Thanks for the response guys, I think I'll just use it for burning srump piles..lol

 

[Terry L]

oil

2 year oil is fine. We use Echo, buy it by the case (6 one gallon containers) If your oil is the same I think it is the best oil on the market. We switched away from Stihl to Echo. Shake well before using it. I have a Stihl 046 that I believe has over 3000 hours on it and runs like new. It has had the crankshaft bearings replaced twice, but the piston, rings and cylinder are original.