Tygon vs Rubber vs Silicon fuel tubing

[ijpom]

So I've replaced fuel tube a few times now. The old plastic fuel line is always discolored, brittle and lacks resilience. Tygon, or the cheap knockoff equivalent, is used to replace it, and there seems to be no other options for permanent, or at least long lasting, fuel delivery.

Here's what other industry markets use:
Lawn mower: reinforced rubber hose. Never have a problem after 10+ years of use with gasoline, ethanol and sunlight exposure. Auto industry does the same.
RC model engines: silicon tubing, which last forever, afaik. Has to endure nitro-methane plus additives (castor oil, etc)

Both of those uses seem much more long lasting than the Tygon tubing we have for small 2 strokes.
If I could get the right size, I'd be tempted to use silicon tube for the next fuel tubing job.
Anyone used it before? Are there reasons not to use? Ethanol?

 

[MacAttack]

I think most guys will recommend GENUINE Tygon fuel line. The cheap imitation stuff falls apart quicker.

 

[ijpom]

I think most guys will recommend GENUINE Tygon fuel line. The cheap imitation stuff falls apart quicker.

MacAttack, I have heard that real Tyson is best, but do you have a relative or absolute longevity.
My question comes up because over the weekend I needed to replace a fuel filter that had new tube installed with it 12 months ago. The tube has begun to lose color, is less flexible, and appears to have shrunk in length. Yes, it's no-name tube, and with no fuel in it over the dead of winter.
Will real Tygon last 5 years?

 

[Clyde85]

I like OEM Husqvarna line.

 

[MacAttack]

The over-simplified answer is that ethanol seems to turn everything to s--t if it ever sits without being run for any length of time. I've had fuel lines disintegrate in less that a year from ethanol.
I have saws and things with decades-old fuel lines because they never see ethanol. I have one saw that's 60 years old, original fuel lines, never seen ethanol. So avoiding ethanol, in my opinion, is the single greatest factor, if possible.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Echo OEM black line

 

[cookies]

I have good results using the oregon version of echo fuel line, stens tru blue fuel hose is excellent at resisting ethanol blended gas and lasts a very long time but is not flexible like tygon. The oregon and rotary tygon I have used has been excellent, lasting 3+ years but any tygon will harden even the og branded version.

 

[cookies]

fyi the newer rubber fuel hoses used on lawn mowers boats and sold for automobiles(carbureted) have a type of liner or coating not to mention being 1/4" thick. Fuel lines and hoses used since the late 70's and early 80's are a type of hard flexible plastic or are are sleeved if they are not steel to handle fuel injection pressures.

 

[BradSt]

I have some genuine yellow Tygon line that is over 10 years old. It is still soft and hasn't lost its color.

 

[ironman_gq]

You can also get Viton fuel line, not as flexible as Tygon but it'll hold up for a long time.

 

[Czed]

Echo OEM black line

View attachment 918175

I have saws here at least 10 years old using echo oem fuel line.
It and and rotary versions appear identical and have held up
Better than any tygon or tygon clone
I'm lucky to get 2-3 year's on that stuff.
Of course Stihl and Husqvarna has been good.

 

[Mad Professor]

I forget the source, but there are companies that sell teflon lined tygon/nalgene. It's a PITA to get the liner over barbs and nipples but about nothing degrades the teflon.

 

[sean donato]

Do not use silicon fuel line intended for nitro engines! Nitro fuel is an alchohol based fuel, regular gas breaks down the silicon used in it. It also does not last forever, it eventually goes one of two ways: gets hard from the heat and is junk, or gets soft and tears easily and is junk. Tygon is your best bet next to a rubber hose that is made for our application. No hose is going to last forever it's a maintenance item and nothing more.

 

[Den]

Good thing Sean mentioned about silicone fuel line not being compatible with regular gasoline. I was getting ready to try some of that silicone stuff. Never knew that.
I think good old fashioned black rubber fuel line, from a reputable manufacturer is still the best... at least from my experimentation !! Just don't use vacuum hose by mistake.

.

 

[huskihl]

Use the Echo line.

 

[sean donato]

I got a big roll of stihl line I've been using for most saws here recently, save needing the husqy curly line for some of the tight bends they make in the smaller saws. Been working pretty well so far and wasn't very expensive.

 

[qjetter]

I have some genuine yellow Tygon line that is over 10 years old. It is still soft and hasn't lost its color.

Me too on the Tygon. Accidentally bought some Chinese knock off line. Didn't realize it at the time other than it felt just ever so slightly stiffer. I keep 7 sizes of genuine Tygon fuel line for my own equipment. Pulled out that Chinese stuff about a year later and it had hardened up BIG TIME! All of my line is kept indoors in a temperature controlled environment and with ZERO exposure to sunlight. All the rest of my genuine Tygon is just as supple as when I bought it. Some of it is over 7 years old. To summarize, Don't buy the Chinese knock off line. It's Junk!

 

[sundance]

Me too on the Tygon. Accidentally bought some Chinese knock off line. Didn't realize it at the time other than it felt just ever so slightly stiffer. I keep 7 sizes of genuine Tygon fuel line for my own equipment. Pulled out that Chinese stuff about a year later and it had hardened up BIG TIME! All of my line is kept indoors in a temperature controlled environment and with ZERO exposure to sunlight. All the rest of my genuine Tygon is just as supple as when I bought it. Some of it is over 7 years old. To summarize, Don't buy the Chinese knock off line. It's Junk!

@qjetter where do you find the genuine tygon?Brand?
Thanks

 

[cookies]

@qjetter where do you find the genuine tygon?Brand?
Thanks

its sold by major brands such as oregon, stens, rotory, briggs and stratton by the 25-50-100 ft box. Read their product description and look for the word Tygon but be prepared those rolls are not cheap since your getting larger lengths.

 

[qjetter]

@qjetter where do you find the genuine tygon?Brand?
Thanks

Generally, i buy 50' rolls of it from Ebay. Break down your per foot cost and then see who's got the best deal. Tip though, make sure to buy a 50' roll and see the flat white box that says Tygon and Saint Gobain on it. You can also buy it through the STENS sales network as well. Stens part # example is 115-323 & 115-331. IF you see F4040A mentioned you have the correct TYPE of line. F4040A is the type/formulation you want, not a size or part#. Saint Gobain makes many different types of tubing for many other purposes, medical, aerospace, etc so it's handy if the seller mentions the F4040A type.