[kbsnow]

I store my snowblower and generator with fuel treated with Seafoam; I do once a month all year round start them both up and let them run for 15 minutes. Both have fuel shutoffs, so I shut the valves, let them run out of gas, and then let them sit for 15 minutes. I then put choke on full and start them up and they will run for a few more minutes. Never had a problem.

 

[Blue Hill]

Good tip kbsnow. I had not heard of your trick with the choke before.

 

[Shryp]

I have heard of choking, but never letting them rest for 15 minutes. Usually when mine start to sputter and die I put the choke on right then and they run for another minute or so.

 

[brickcity]

the more you weigh the pros and cons about draining your tank or treating it the more confusing it gets. briggs and stratton says to treat it, turn the fuel shutoff on and run it out with as close to a full tank as possible.
honda's website recomends to drain it dry. two reputable companies with two different solutions.

 

[Smolenski7]

I pour some Seafoam in the tank, run it dry, turn the fuel shut-off, then pull the cord a few times. After that I drain the carb simply by loosening the nut underneath. I have only had my Ariens for 3 seasons, but it seems to work. I do this only because the machine is going to be stored from March through December most seasons. That seems like a long time to leave fuel in a tank.

My Simplicity Regent Lawn Tractor is another story, however. I treat the fuel with Seafoam or Sta-bil, run the engine for 10 minutes or so, then call it a season. I do this only because it's going to be stored from December 1st through April. The gas should last for that short of a period. Also, I can't ever seem to get enough gas out of the system like I can with the snow blower. As a result, I like to make sure there is no chance of anything gumming up the works.

 

[JerryD]

I fill my tank, add a little Seafoam, run the engine for 5 minutes then shut off the fuel at the tank and let it run the carb dry. Now it's ready for summer. The older gentlman I just bought my 1971 Toro 830 from has used this method since day one and has only had to service the carb once in the 40 years he had it. I'm not going to argue with success.

 

[MinnTim]

Towards the end of the season I try not to keep it topped off and if we get one last snow or two I run it full throttle all the time to burn as much as possible off. Before it goes to its Summer home I put a very liberal dose of my favorite fuel stabilizer in the tank, slosh it around and run it for about 5 minutes at full tilt. Never had an issue so far in October when she comes out to do her calling.

 

[JerryD]

Towards the end of the season I try not to keep it topped off and if we get one last snow or two I run it full throttle all the time to burn as much as possible off. Before it goes to its Summer home I put a very liberal dose of my favorite fuel stabilizer in the tank, slosh it around and run it for about 5 minutes at full tilt. Never had an issue so far in October when she comes out to do her calling.

The reason behind topping off the tank is to minimize the area for condensation....it keeps the tank from forming rust inside the fuel tank. rust is not much of an issue anymore with plastic tanks.

 

[MinnTim]

The reason behind topping off the tank is to minimize the area for condensation....it keeps the tank from forming rust inside the fuel tank. rust is not much of an issue anymore with plastic tanks.

Yup, correct. Probably need to get back to that habit since my new tank is metal.

 

[Koenig041]

I swear this only became an issue when they started to put other crap into gas. When I was a kid in the 70's we had a craftsman push lawnmower last over 20 years. Never changed oil just added when needed. Put gas in when needed and stored for the winter, in the garage, however its condition, the last time we used it. Now as a middle aged adult who has to pay for this stuff to get fixed. I change the oil regularly with synthetic 5w-30. I run the engines dry to rid them of the gas with ethanol additives. I store with ethanol and additive free gas (comes in a 32 oz. can). I also add marine grade stabil, not the regular stabil. I have done this with generators and go karts. Just my current Ninja style. I must add that I used a less disciplined ninja style with a 2005 Troybilt storm 1030 (tecumseh) and it has always turned over. I have also utilized this style with a 2007 Husqvarna 2454 (B&S) yard tractor and it has always turned over.

 

[Mr Fixit]

Esso (Exon) rep. told me in HO that gas now had a 30 day life after year 2000. Tanks at the pumps have to short fill if they don't turn out their supply in remote locations. I notice gas starts to change odor and color in warm months after 30 days. Maybe others buy better gas then I source.
It says right on the container not to use gas additives in small engines if you read the fine print.
I've got my same trick I use on all my 10 small engines and it never fails. Run dry, full choke. W-40 for 30+ seconds in the tank after stall. Jets are always perfectly adjusted the next season. That is a good indication things are good.

 

[Surge]

I use a turkey baster and suck out all the remaining gas in the blower and put it with any leftover gas in the storage can and then use it up in my car.
Next I run the blower until it stops. And just like some others mentioned doing, I let it sit for a bit and then I start it up again at full choke to get out even more of the remaining gas. Unfortunately the carb on my blower does not have a drain on the carburetor bowl like my mower, or I would drain it from there as well. Seeing that I store it in a garage that does not get too hot or cold, I don't worry about the gaskets or o rings drying up. If I stored it outside in 100+F dry heat during the summer, then I might take a different approach. No problems from doing it this way for three years, and I use the same approach with my eight year old mower that starts with half a pull, and a recently acquired fifteen year old mower (five years of usage) that also starts just as easily.

During the season I never let the gas get older than 30 days before draining it. The only time I use stabilizers is when I buy premixed ethanol free gas that already has stabilizer added for use in my two cycle chain saw which may sit for a long time between uses. Supposedly that gas is good for two years. That chain saw hates old ethanol gas.

 

[JerryD]

Esso (Exon) rep. told me in HO that gas now had a 30 day life after year 2000. Tanks at the pumps have to short fill if they don't turn out their supply in remote locations. I notice gas starts to change odor and color in warm months after 30 days. Maybe others buy better gas then I source.
It says right on the container not to use gas additives in small engines if you read the fine print.
I've got my same trick I use on all my 10 small engines and it never fails. Run dry, full choke. W-40 for 30+ seconds in the tank after stall. Jets are always perfectly adjusted the next season. That is a good indication things are good.

Gasoline in the cold weather states have special additives, added at the refinery to help the cars start easier in the cold. In the summer the areas around the big cities have additives added that supposedly reduce smog ( not to confused with a small hog) hence the supposed reason for a summer increase in fuel prices. I worked for Mobil for many years .

 

[WestminsterFJR]

I always run them completely dry. If the engine has a metal tank i will fog the inside with a little wd40 to prevent any rust from forming on the inside of the tank. I also will pull the spark plug and put a couple of squirts of oil in there and pull it over a few times to coat the cylinder walls. Always stop you engine at TDC on compression stroke to insure the valves are closed to help keep moisture out of the engine.

Good info! My '61 is my first and only OPE with a metal tank and I was just pondering the other day on how to best preserve it during storage. How much WD-40? A few 'fan-spray' squirts?

 

[TooTall9957]

I have a ready supply of ethanol free gas, which is the only gas I buy. I have no problems storing equipment with some gas in the tanks at all.

 

[JerryD]

You can always stop at the local boat shop and pick up a can of fogging oil, use it in the fuel tank and the engine cylinder. Fogging oil will stick to the metal all winter and then some. One can should last you many years.