It is no new fact that every engine needs a specific type of fuel. Homeowners mostly have a lawn mower at their homes and sometimes you may also see a gas can next to it. If you assume that the same fuel that goes into the car goes into the lawn mower, then you may be wrong! It is also not so wise to assume that you know what kind of fuel to use? Honestly, you may be under a wrong perception.
If you end up using the wrong fuel for your lawn mower, you may end up damaging the equipment. Some lawn mower brands may also revoke your warranty if you use a fuel that is not mentioned in the owner’s guide.
The type of gas you use in a lawn mower depends on the type of engine. The type of fuel to be used for your lawn mower is usually specified in the owner’s manual. Hence, it is imperative to go through the owner’s manual thoroughly to prevent any fuel-related disasters. Here are some quick tips on what type of gas you can use for lawn mowers.
The type of gas for lawn mower
Before you choose the type of gas for your lawn mower, you should know your lawn mower by the engine type. Your owner manual is the best place to know about the engine in your lawn mower. The lawn mowers usually come with a two-stroke or a four-stroke engine.
If you have a two-stroke engine then the best gas you can use for your lawn mower is two-cycle engine oil. For a four-stroke engine, you can use unleaded gasoline with a combination of octane.
The octane rating in the fuel should be 87 or higher. You can also use ethanol as a fuel. However, ethanol of more than 10% is not recommended.
The variation from brand to brand
While you chose the right type of gas for your lawn mower also understand it varies from one brand to another. You may use your owner’s manual to fix the issue of fuel-related issues. However, it is also better to analyze which brand works the best for your lawn mower. The performance varies from brand to brand. The Briggs and Stratton lawn mower requires gas and oil in a 50:1 ratio. This may not be true for all brands.
Give the right boost
Imagine you don’t plan to mow your lawn for quite some time. You may also keep the lawn mower away. In these cases, you may use a fuel stabilizer to keep the fuel intact. A fuel stabilizer added to a full tank of gas can work wonders. This will also prevent the gas from evaporating.
How much is too much?
If you don’t know how much gas to add to your lawn mower, then your answer is finding out the right model of your lawn mower. Yes, this is the first step to decide how much is the fuel capacity of the engine.
A walk-behind mower normally requires only a liter of fuel. However, the tank capacity may be higher than that. If you have a medium-sized mower, then it can typically hold two gallons of it. Three to four gallons is the capacity of riding mowers and tractors.
Experts have a word of caution when it comes to ethanol usage. They recommend keeping the usage to below 10% as any amount higher than this may damage the engine.
Steps to fill the gas in a lawn mower
- The first step to fill the gas is to locate the tank. Most of the lawn mowers have a gas tank at the back. For some mowers, it is located at the sides.
- The next step is to remove the cap. You have to twist the cap open, just like that of a car. Some tanks may have locks.
- As a next step, before you are all set to fill the gas, determine the gas, that is best suited for your mower. Fill the gas. Fresh gasoline is something you can get at the nearby fuel station.
- Once you are done with the filling, you have to take caution to tighten the cap.
- As a word of advice, always look for the model number and the type of lawn mower before you determine the gas for your lawn mower.
Wrapping It Up
I hope this article helps you decide what type of gas for a lawn mower is best. Let me know how it goes in the comments.
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