Aviation fuel for chainsaws?????

[Jason Roehl]

http://www.swiftenterprises.com/index.html (No affiliation, other than the owners of Swift Enterprises were clients of mine a few years ago).

Check the link from that page to Swift Fuels--they're working on a replacement for 100LL. I don't know what the current status of it is, but I know when I worked for the owners in '08, they were running it in a aviation turboprop engine (I think) on the ground with excellent results. Don't know if it's seen air time yet, though, or what the economic feasibility of its production is.

[Dennis Nagle]

This is a very interesting conversation. To add to the mix (pun intended) I call three old timber cutters out in Oregon that I use to work with and are still in the business. I also called one in Montana about this topic. They are all running the big new Stihls with 36" or longer bars. To a person, they all just go to the gas station and fill up the cans with regular. This has been going on since I got out of the business and before. They all follow the standard of three years on a saw, then sell it to a chord wood cutter. None of them had any issues with their saws that might even remotely be related to gas.

Then I called Sonny Meiric who owns Dick's logging supplies in Estacada OR. He is the guy in that area that everyone buys their saws from and takes their saw to for repair. He said that they might get a burned piston once a year, but it is always a matter of to lean an oil mixture. Anyway, just a little impromptu field research.

I am so glad I called all these guys. I considered them good friends while I work out there and from these conversations, I am going back to visit this summer.

[Curt Harms]

Something for those interested in the state of 'NextGen' AvGas. Written partially in the finest gov't bureaucratese:

http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_brief...ayJune2013.pdf

start on page 13 of the .pdf

[Hilel Salomon]

Those folks who say they have no problem with regular ethanol laced gas, usually run their equipment frequently. I use high octane ethanol free gas and have more power on my chainsaws and weedeaters. If you can't get ethanol gas, keep your equipment full!!! (It used to be the opposite) and run them for ten minutes at least once a month, and change the gas/oil mix every 6-8 weeks. Sea foam and the gas oil with additives are also helpful. Every repair shop I have dealt with is loaded with equipment in need of new carburetors because of ethanol. It is a farce which only helps the giant corn growing conglomerates and carburetor manufacturers. Telling us that ethanol is an energy saving policy is a total myth.

[Dennis Nagle]

That is true Hilel, they run them day in and day out.