Oil mix questions

[user 188535]

@Mr.Metsä I started that thread referred to in the post just after your OP. Here's what I gather - more experienced hands will hopefully chime in.
Use the manufacturer's instructions if you're not doing anything crazy. If you are, then you should be running 33:1 or 40:1 especially if you're doing anything heavy duty. There are better and worse 2-stroke oils on the market. Amsoil Saber, VP, and Red Armor are good, and there are other good options too. Stihl oil, especially Ultra, is not as good as one might be led to believe. I believe the best thing to do is monitor your temps using an IR thermometer (cylinder should be between 220 and 320 F) and make sure to tune your carb appropriately. The Husky manuals say to use 33:1 for heavy duty applications but they don't say this in the US manuals. Why knows why? Extra oil will lube your bits, and the extra fuel (due to rich carb settings) will keep your chainsaw (no idea about other equipment) cooler. Hope this helps!

Ok just seen so much on AMSOIL's website about how their oil is so superior. I'm not much of a carburetor adjuster which is why I bought my ms261 with Mtronic because about twice a year I go pretty high up to till a couple of gardens and cut down some trees for firewood at some of my customers rural properties. Sometimes my equipment acts up there and I don't want to adjust it because I fear I'll screw up the engine. I'm going to hopefully spend some time my local Ace Hardware with an old man who's been working on Stihl equipment since he was in his twenties to teach me the ropes of engine maintenance. I already know how to keep my saw clean, well lubricated and all well as perform an Mtronic reset.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

Ok just seen so much on AMSOIL's website about how their oil is so superior. I'm not much of a carburetor adjuster which is why I bought my ms261 with Mtronic because about twice a year I go pretty high up to till a couple of gardens and cut down some trees for firewood at some of my customers rural properties. Sometimes my equipment acts up there and I don't want to adjust it because I fear I'll screw up the engine. I'm going to hopefully spend some time my local Ace Hardware with an old man who's been working on Stihl equipment since he was in his twenties to teach me the ropes of engine maintenance. I already know how to keep my saw clean, well lubricated and all well as perform an Mtronic reset.

everyone's earl is better than the next guys. if you want to learn how to tune a carb, buy a Holzfforma chainsaw (from a dealer) that way if it blows up on ya you ain't out that much money. I have one for my CSM and it is going on 2 yrs, now they recommend you "break it in" at 25:1 or 32:1 I don't remember. How often do you do the Mtronic reset? Do you change the tab from summer mode to winter mode? or don't you cut in the winter months? Letting the saw idle long periods of time is when you get the carbon build up.

 

[sean donato]

it called laziness, doesn't matter what it is, men are inherently lazy, people don't want to figure things out if they don't know. I have been guilty of it myself, easier to ask.

We're all guilty of it to a degree, for sure

 

[Breckinridge Elkins]

...about twice a year I go pretty high up to till a couple of gardens and cut down some trees for firewood at some of my customers rural properties...

Not to derail but I'm curious to know what this means in your area. Are we talking a few hundred feet in elevation, or a few thousand? Around here, a statement like that could mean a change of ~4000ft.

 

[NSEric]

it called laziness, doesn't matter what it is, men are inherently lazy, people don't want to figure things out if they don't know. I have been guilty of it myself, easier to ask.

If everyone searched for answers to their questions and didnt post them, the forum would die very quickly due to no one ever posting as most everything has been brought up already.
Dont give the new guy too much crap.

 

[Hermio]

another oil thread. You’ll know every type , mixture, octane rating, etc. and then some.

If you’re running an engine 10k rpm’s @ 50:1, the epa don’t care how many engines you burn up. 32:1 is the ticket. Non ethanol fuel and ANY air cooled 2cycle synthetic oil.

Here we go…

Depends on the oil. I have been running 50:1 for a couple of decades. No apparent wear on the engine parts. My first saw ran 16:1, and about fumigated me to death. So, the health of the operator should be considered also.

 

[user 188535]

Not to derail but I'm curious to know what this means in your area. Are we talking a few hundred feet in elevation, or a few thousand? Around here, a statement like that could mean a change of ~4000ft.

Usually 2000

 

[user 188535]

everyone's earl is better than the next guys. if you want to learn how to tune a carb, buy a Holzfforma chainsaw (from a dealer) that way if it blows up on ya you ain't out that much money. I have one for my CSM and it is going on 2 yrs, now they recommend you "break it in" at 25:1 or 32:1 I don't remember. How often do you do the Mtronic reset? Do you change the tab from summer mode to winter mode? or don't you cut in the winter months? Letting the saw idle long periods of time is when you get the carbon build up.

I Mtronic reset every so often and I change the shudder on my BR 800 C-E and 261 C-M when the temperature goes below 50 degrees farenhiet.

 

[holeycow]

There's a million videos on how to tune anything, even a chainsaw. Some of them are correct.

It's not rocket science, by any stretch.

Old saws are dead simple to tune. Newer, epa ones are still simple, but more finicky

The old guy will teach you how to tune a saw.

 

[capetrees]

Or maybe just run the oil from the manufacturer of your saw because that's what they designed the saw around, their oil. Stihl saw? Stihl 50:1 oil. Husky saw? Husky oil. I use all the same lubricants in all of my machines that the manufacturer uses, regardless of what it costs. My dealer uses Paragon grease, so do I. (not cheap) My old Mack ran a whole lot better when I used Mack oil and fuel filters. Run what the manufacturer uses and you'll be fine.

 

[Ed Penney]

@Mr.Metsä I started that thread referred to in the post just after your OP. Here's what I gather - more experienced hands will hopefully chime in.
Use the manufacturer's instructions if you're not doing anything crazy. If you are, then you should be running 33:1 or 40:1 especially if you're doing anything heavy duty. There are better and worse 2-stroke oils on the market. Amsoil Saber, VP, and Red Armor are good, and there are other good options too. Stihl oil, especially Ultra, is not as good as one might be led to believe. I believe the best thing to do is monitor your temps using an IR thermometer (cylinder should be between 220 and 320 F) and make sure to tune your carb appropriately. The Husky manuals say to use 33:1 for heavy duty applications but they don't say this in the US manuals. Why knows why? Extra oil will lube your bits, and the extra fuel (due to rich carb settings) will keep your chainsaw (no idea about other equipment) cooler. Hope this helps!

I started using Red Armor a couple weeks ago in my modified 028 and 038 mag. Been using 40:1 mix with Stihl HP for years. I did notice right off the bat when I went off choke there wasn't as much smoke. I guess when I pull them apart this winter I'll find out how it does. Really curious about carbon and if it really runs cleaner

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I currently run 50:1 and see a lot of different stuff about 40:1 or 32:1 and a lot of different brands of oil. I run a lot of 2-stroke equipment including, blowers, brush cutters, trimmers, chainsaws, etc. on stihl oil. I have seen a lot of stuff about AMSOIL and have thought of switching to it but I am also confused about mix ratios. Any guidance would help as I am very confused about this topic.

Don’t get stuck in the rabbit hole, a bunch of us are trying to get out as we speak.

 

[user 188535]

Don’t get stuck in the rabbit hole, a bunch of us are trying to get out as we speak.

Ok. Well. I posted about my new electric chainsaw to get out.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Ok. Well. I posted about my new electric chainsaw to get out.

My advise is pick a 2 stroke oil that smells best to you, because they all do a decent job. So long as it’s designed for air cooled ope, I recommend you don’t get too hung up. As for ratio, 32:1 & 40:1 are both good choices. Some oils are designed to run at thinner ratios like Saber, which I run at 50:1.

 

[user 188535]

My advise is pick a 2 stroke oil that smells best to you, because they all do a decent job. So long as it’s designed for air cooled ope, I recommend you don’t get too hung up. As for ratio, 32:1 & 40:1 are both good choices. Some oils are designed to run at thinner ratios like Saber, which I run at 50:1.

Well. I have thought of pranking my dad by buying some reefer gas additive to make my saw smell like weed.

 

[Chevboy0167]

https://www.summitracing.com/search...additives/fuel-system-additive-type/fragrance

 

[The Stig]

Ok. Well. I posted about my new electric chainsaw to get out.

that’s 115v:1 -120v:1

 

[OM617YOTA]

https://www.summitracing.com/search...additives/fuel-system-additive-type/fragrance

I tried some of that in my Yota diesel swap. Couldn't smell a thing out the exhaust, but the fuel filler smelled like pumpkin spice for YEARS.

 

[bwalker]

I started using Red Armor a couple weeks ago in my modified 028 and 038 mag. Been using 40:1 mix with Stihl HP for years. I did notice right off the bat when I went off choke there wasn't as much smoke. I guess when I pull them apart this winter I'll find out how it does. Really curious about carbon and if it really runs cleaner

In my expiereance with it with brand new equipment it does indeed burn very clean. Probably one of the best oils out there as it pertains to cleanliness and residual oil at 50:1 ratios.
However, it's not magic and will not clean a saw gunned up with years of use on it.
It paints me to say this...but I also don't think you need to run anymore oil than 50:1 with RA. I've ran it at 40 and 32:1 and it tends to leave the exhaust wet.

 

[huskihl]

In my expiereance with it with brand new equipment it does indeed burn very clean. Probably one of the best oils out there as it pertains to cleanliness and residual oil at 50:1 ratios.
However, it's not magic and will not clean a saw gunned up with years of use on it.
It paints me to say this...but I also don't think you need to run anymore oil than 50:1 with RA. I've ran it at 40 and 32:1 and it tends to leave the exhaust wet.

I ask every new customer which oil they use just for my own records and to satisfy my curiosity. I know idle time before shutdown makes a difference in residual oil, but there’s a bit of a pattern still after seeing several of each.

Red Armor residual at 50:1 is similar to Dominator, Original Klotz, Motul 710, and Yamalube 2r at 32:1.

Motul 800, BelRay H1R, and Honda HP2 are similar in residual oil and cleanliness to Red Armor