All this chain saw talk reminded me of a question. I was introduced to a new-to-me product called Opti-II by a dealer while I was buying parts for my Shindaiwa eed-weater. It's a one-size-fits-all sort of thing - one tube per one gallon is good for any 2 cycle mixture. All known manufacturers of 2 cycle engines have agreed to honor warranties when this stuff is used. As a plus, it also contains a fuel stabilizer.

My regular small engine guy said he had never heard of it, and that I must be mistaken, because I would still have to mix the designated ratio for whatever I was using. While he was in the back room, I found a bottle of it on his shelf, and it said right on the label ..."good for any mixture..." Not only does he not keep up with things in his field, he doesn't even keep up with things in his own shop. He's not my regular guy anymore.

I use this stuff in my Shindaiwa, in a Lawnboy mower, and in my Jonsered and it's great. One big advantage is I now only need to keep one can of fuel around for my two-cycles instead of three.

 

I was a chain saw, lawn mower, and weed trimmer mechanic for many years. Contrary to what many people, even mechanics, will say, you don't need a different gas for each machine.

The different ratios that are recommended for each tool are a direct result of the quality of the oil that each company sells with their equipment. Years ago most equipment had a 16 to 1 ratio. The reason for this is that back then most mix oil was really 30W motor oil, and it took that much to keep the motor from locking up.

As engine tolerances got tighter oil had to get better. Better blends, and then synthetics became the norm. I remember when 50 to 1 came about. Most people were afarid to put such a small amount of oil in an engine, but it worked without any problem.

Stihl and Husky would be 50 to 1, while Homelite was 32 to 1. What was the difference? The quality of Homelite oil. A saw engine is made out of moving metal parts, no matter the brand. The higher quality equipment has much closer tolerances, so whatever you do, DON'T use a cheap oil in them, or any piece of equipment you care about. You will have a scored cylinder in a heartbeat.

I have spoken face to face with the president of one of the leading saw oil mfg. in the country. He told me that there is a big difference in the oils, and that they make them according to each companies specs. He also said the Stihl and Husky oils were the very best made.

I play it safe. I get Husky oil and mix it 40 to 1. I then run it in any air cooled two cycle engine, what ever the brand, and have for over twenty years with zero problems.

REPEAT: Do Not use cheap oil. Do Not use outboard motor oil in your air cooled engine. Do Not put chainsaw oil in an outboard motor. Out boards run cooler, and their oil is formulated for them.

You would be suprised at how many people will spend $300.00 for a saw, and then go to Wally's and buy the cheap stuff in order to save $3.00 on a six pack of oil.

 

yardbird, my old Poulan says to use a 16:1 mix. Should I just stay with this?

 

The old Poulan engine oil was no more than 30 weight motor oil. You had to mix it that heavy. Get a good oil, Stihl or Husky. Mix it 40 to 1, or, one large bottle to two gallons, and you will lose the smoke, and the saw will get better lubrication.

 

OK, thanks. By the way, the problem I had with mine was the fuel line getting a small hole from touching the flywheel. I rebuilt the carb and then found fuel leaking.

 

Hey, that's the same stuff my ex-small engine guy was saying, and the same stuff I've been hearing for 30 years or so. Yeah, it's true, but it's old news.

The Opti-2 I was talking about is "one mix for all 2 cycle engines". It comes in small plastic envelopes, one package per one gallon, at about a buck a throw. (It also comes in bottles with built-in measures, for higher volume users, which brings the price down to around 70 cents a gallon mix.) I keep a handful in my saw box and mix up a gallon at a time - no muss, no fuss, nothing to measure. With the added stabilizer, I can let my saw or trimmer or whatever sit around for a month or two and the gas doesn't go bad.

 

I followed a similar thread on a saw forum a while back where they were saying that there's some synthetics that allow you to mix 100:1 and use in any application. This scares me a bit.

Yardbird, is Echo's synthetic comparable to Stihl or Husqvarnas?

 

If it is a 50 to 1 mix, then I would say it will work without any problems at all. Any good synthetic will at least be a 50 to 1. They all tell you to go by mfg. recommendations to cover themselves. I always mix a 50 to 1 at 40 to 1 just to have the added protection.

 

At 1.8 oz to a gallon, the ratio works out to approximately 71 to 1. I read a nice write-up about it, and all of the world's 2 cycle manufacturers support its use.

 

Is the newer spec oil that is mixed 40:1 called "TCW"? If so, then any TCW approved oil could be mixed 40:1 just as any 5-30 oil that meet SF specs could be used in any car that called for 5w-30 oil?

 

Please understand, I mean no disrespect to Yardbird or to any who ask him advice on oil/gas mixtures. He has years of experience and a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

However, he does not address this new oil (Opti-2), and, from the sound of things, has not heard of it.

This stuff comes in little plastic envelopes. You just tear one open and dump it into a gallon of gas. You can use that gas in chainsaws, lawnmowers, outboards - anything that's 2-cycle. It works in all of them, any size, any age, and it also stabilizes the fuel. What could be simpler?

 

quote by pcristman: However, he does not address this new oil (Opti-2), and, from the sound of things, has not heard of it.


You are right. I have not worked in small engine repair for over 10 years, and as i said in one of my post, things change a lot in that amount of time. I was addressing the mfg. recommended oils, and how I mix and use them.

I will look into the new oils and see what they have to say. I am always interested in new technology. I will more than likely stay with the Husky and Stihl oil just because it is a top notch mfg. recommended oil, and I have had good service with it.

I am going to check into what you have talked about. It sounds like it is a very high quality oil that has lots of potential. I am sure most of the better saw mfg. will be using some form of this oil in the near future, that is as soon as they can change the formula just enough to get their own patent on it for money reasons.

I take no offense, and am always glad when someone can point out something that is better that what I now know and do, especially when pointed out in a respectful and informed way as you have. Thanks.

 

I think that Opti-2 is just conventional 2-stroke and the "innovations" are in the packaging and the marketing. It would be interesting to measure how much is in a package. About 3½ ounces gives you 50:1, 1¼ oz per gallon is 100:1

I've found that with good oil you can run any two-stroke at 50:1
I've run older outboards, snowmobiles, chainsaws, and lawnmowers at 50:1 and never had a problem.

I remember running old Ski-doos that took 24:1 mix back in the '70s. We had to be careful not to let them idle too long, or they would foul spark plugs. They were so bad, we used to carry a pocket full of spares.

With modern oils, running too much oil will cause more troubles than it solves.
You can get smoke, overheating fouled plugs and poor slow speed performance.
They usually run better, cleaner, idle and troll better, and foul fewer plugs

I had a 40hp yamaha outboard that ran premix at 100:1.

 

Look in post #9 - 1.8 oz per gal, or 71:1 ratio. That's a 70:1 in the real world.