2 Stroke oil

[fargoboy]

here is what I know which isn't much but it was told to me by a Texas oil man that had whiter hair than me.

There is a difference in 2 cycle motor oils. They are not created equal and they do comply with any standards such ansi. The reason there are no standards is the market is so small. If you took all the two cycle engines in the world, all the oil needed to keep them running could be produced by Exxon Lubricating Oils in 20 minutes. Hence the big oil companies want nothing to do with it. Hey a market for the little guy, therefore you have all these speciality oil companies running around custom blending for the engine manufactures. And because these engine manufactures are not gaining or losing market share, there are no incentives to having a market standard.
The difference in the oils is in the additives that they put in the oils. Echo might specify a chrononuim additive to their mix while Red Max may specify a zinc additive. If you look at the MSDS(you all have copies of them for every oil you buy in case OSHA asks for them)you will see the differences in the additives.
Now you know there are differences, you want to know what is the best. There are no best. There is the best for ECHO which is their oil, and the best for Stihl is their oil. And I know you have all found out that sometimes the Echo oil doesn't run too good in the RedMax. They all have their quirks. Problem being that you as a contractor are looking for one oil that works good in all the machines that you use. And couple that with all these blends of ethanol. So the best is whatever works for you and which manufacturer stands behind their product.

[TurboPirate]

Originally Posted by fargoboy

here is what I know which isn't much but it was told to me by a Texas oil man that had whiter hair than me.

There is a difference in 2 cycle motor oils. They are not created equal and they do comply with any standards such ansi. The reason there are no standards is the market is so small. If you took all the two cycle engines in the world, all the oil needed to keep them running could be produced by Exxon Lubricating Oils in 20 minutes. Hence the big oil companies want nothing to do with it. Hey a market for the little guy, therefore you have all these speciality oil companies running around custom blending for the engine manufactures. And because these engine manufactures are not gaining or losing market share, there are no incentives to having a market standard.
The difference in the oils is in the additives that they put in the oils. Echo might specify a chrononuim additive to their mix while Red Max may specify a zinc additive. If you look at the MSDS(you all have copies of them for every oil you buy in case OSHA asks for them)you will see the differences in the additives.
Now you know there are differences, you want to know what is the best. There are no best. There is the best for ECHO which is their oil, and the best for Stihl is their oil. And I know you have all found out that sometimes the Echo oil doesn't run too good in the RedMax. They all have their quirks. Problem being that you as a contractor are looking for one oil that works good in all the machines that you use. And couple that with all these blends of ethanol. So the best is whatever works for you and which manufacturer stands behind their product.

Nice to know, thanks.

[Tim Vipond]

Originally Posted by fargoboy

here is what I know which isn't much but it was told to me by a Texas oil man that had whiter hair than me.

There is a difference in 2 cycle motor oils. They are not created equal and they do comply with any standards such ansi. The reason there are no standards is the market is so small. If you took all the two cycle engines in the world, all the oil needed to keep them running could be produced by Exxon Lubricating Oils in 20 minutes. Hence the big oil companies want nothing to do with it. Hey a market for the little guy, therefore you have all these speciality oil companies running around custom blending for the engine manufactures. And because these engine manufactures are not gaining or losing market share, there are no incentives to having a market standard.
The difference in the oils is in the additives that they put in the oils. Echo might specify a chrononuim additive to their mix while Red Max may specify a zinc additive. If you look at the MSDS(you all have copies of them for every oil you buy in case OSHA asks for them)you will see the differences in the additives.
Now you know there are differences, you want to know what is the best. There are no best. There is the best for ECHO which is their oil, and the best for Stihl is their oil. And I know you have all found out that sometimes the Echo oil doesn't run too good in the RedMax. They all have their quirks. Problem being that you as a contractor are looking for one oil that works good in all the machines that you use. And couple that with all these blends of ethanol. So the best is whatever works for you and which manufacturer stands behind their product.

I agree with much of what you and the white haired old man from Texas says and disagree on a few points.

In addition to the additive package differences, there are also differences in the base oils used. Some are refined petroleum base oils, some vegetable oils and some are pure chemically engineered fully synthetic base oils. Chemical synthetic base oils have the advantage that they are chemically designed to be the best lubricating molecule and the most stable. That is why they also list on the bottle that higher ratios such as 100:1 can be used.

Be sure to read the owners manual as they will list the 2-cycle oil requirements. Usually they will list specifications such as TC-W3, API TC, JASO FC, ISO-L-EGD, JASO FD, etc. Just follow the specs and make sure they are listed on the bottle of your choice (I recommend making it a fully chemical synthetic). Do a little research on those using similar equipment and oil. Pick a couple to try out and see what you like best. Some foul plugs, cylinder heads and your nose more than others.

I have found that the equipment manufacturers brand of 2-cycle oil is a safe choice, but not necessarily the best choice. Those brand of oils are often the result of sending specs off to oil manufacturers who can meet the minimum specs but will not exceed them to keep the contract bid price low. I prefer well known brand name chemical synthetic oils with a good reputation that meet the manufacturers listed specs. They may cost a little more on the initial purchase, but if you figure in the mix ratio, less downtime, and equipment life, they are often the cheaper way to go.

[Lawntimes.com]

Originally Posted by Tim Vipond

I have found that the equipment manufacturers brand of 2-cycle oil is a safe choice, but not necessarily the best choice. Those brand of oils are often the result of sending specs off to oil manufacturers who can meet the minimum specs but will not exceed them to keep the contract bid price low. I prefer well known brand name chemical synthetic oils with a good reputation that meet the manufacturers listed specs. They may cost a little more on the initial purchase, but if you figure in the mix ratio, less downtime, and equipment life, they are often the cheaper way to go.

The truth is that even when you spend a few bucks extra for a quantity of 2 cycle oil, the real cost of operation goes up very, very little due to the low amount of oil used in the mix.

Good quality 2 cycle oils are always worth the little extra in the long run.

Less buildup on the spark arrestor screens is reason enough, much less all of the lesser carbo buildup in other areas.

[TurboPirate]

Lots to learn................now I know why here the screen arrest is removed from the equipments....................also didn't know chemically design oils lubricate better then conventional oil when it comes to 2 stroke engines.....
Thanks for all this valuable info guys.

[Tim Vipond]

Originally Posted by TurboPirate

Lots to learn................now I know why here the screen arrest is removed from the equipments....................also didn't know chemically design oils lubricate better then conventional oil when it comes to 2 stroke engines.....
Thanks for all this valuable info guys.

I was looking for some more tech information on the AMSOIL website but didn't find much. All I could find that you may find interesting is at https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atp.aspx?zo=1181889 .

[TurboPirate]

Originally Posted by Tim Vipond

I was looking for some more tech information on the AMSOIL website but didn't find much. All I could find that you may find interesting is at https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atp.aspx?zo=1181889 .

Thanks, lol I was just reading that link you provided...............