Not to disparage Anchor Hocking, who have been around manufacturing quality glass products for a long time, but unless you use a scientific beaker and pay strict attention to parallax view angle, your measurements are subject to error. I’ve had small measuring containers in the kitchen which differ wildly from one to the next when I poured one measured amount into another container. That said, also consider that measuring smaller amounts is more subject to variation than larger amounts due to the ratios involved. With larger amounts, say 5 gallons, the error difference will be less due to the same error spread out over a larger volume. I suspect Stihl has taken into account how the typical amateur user actual mixes most of the time plus the dangers to small engines using leaner mixes and have intentionally included a safety factor amount in their containers. It would be interesting to see if that extra amount is consistent over different batches of oil over time. This may also explain why some equipment seems to be running rich based on observations of exhaust debris on the equipment despite measuring carefully.
If you look at it level the parallax is a non issue. Looking at the meniscus is the scientific method regardless of fluid. The accuracy of the container does matter for measurement from bulk, but for this comparison I don’t think it matters. This is how much of the packaged volume do you get, and if I were to design a machine to bottle this oil in series I would fill by weight. If multiple bottles were filled side by side I would probably do it by volume but verify by weight at a following step.
This is the exact reason why I measure my own mix from a 1 gallon jug of 2 stroke oil. 1. Cheaper to buy a gallon at a time, 2. I put in exact measurement I want. Great video, thanks for taking the time making this video. :)
@@stovepipe9er Yeah you can do that with a bottle too, but he didn't say that. He's just transferring the problem from a bottle to a cup thinking he eliminated the problem.
Why not just take the first one after you poured it and took a reading then turn the rest of the bottle upside down and let it drain the rest, then do the same with the second bottle to test bottle to bottle volume as well? Thanks for taking the time to do this. While being close is important I don't believe having to be the exact amount will make that big of a difference, If running an engine that close on the mix ratio means it makes it or not then that's not the oil for me, temp/weather conditions will make a bigger difference on how the engine is performing I believe and I always carry an adjusting screwdriver with me for dealing with this, newer engines with the Autotune will help most folks that don't want to deal with adjusting the carb. Running fuel that is non ethanol, making sure to stir the jug before pouring it into the tank of whatever you are running and making sure to wipe around the fuel cap to clean debris first. Just my two cents which wont get anyone anything.
I’m sure anyone who has mixed 2cycle fuel enough has asked themselves this question. Sure there’s small variables, but I’m in the woods not the lab and I feel much more confident now that you did this video. Thanks, from northern Idaho!
Don’t assume that the average consumer thinks about it. They open the bottle , pour into a gas can and away they go for gas. At the pump, they fill until they see 4.5 to 5 litres on the pump readout and stop. Shake the can and fill the unit. Done. The gas isn’t consistent and neither is the oil mix. I have been running Sthil products for 40+ years and have never had an issue. I pay a lot more attention to the chain condition and lube function. I also have always run each and every unit on premium pump gas (not a premix of any brand) complete with Stabil for storage.
I've wondered this very thing. I leave the bottle on the top of the gas can to every drop of oil to be sure I have enough. Thanks for the video. I will still get every drop not to be wasteful :)
Forty six years ago when I had a discussion with the local Homelite dealer about how critical the fuel mix ratio was he said " I shouldn't tell you this but Homelites tests show that one tablespoon of oil per gallon is adequate." That's a 256:1 ratio and Homelite specified a 16:1 mix for that saw, a Super 2. Nowdays because of the improved 2 cycle lubricants a 32:1 ratio is recommended for the vintage saws and that's more than enough . I'm still using that saw for up to about 8" stuff although it'll cut whatever you put in front of it.
I have several XL-12's still being used. 32:1 mix. My regular straight gas gets pretreated with a squirt of Lucas's upper cylinder lube/injector cleaner, AND their fuel conditioner/preservative. I try to always use highest octane least alcohol gas. So my pretreated "straight gas" makes all my 4 strokes run better, and when I use this gas to make mix for my 2 strokes, I know I have a little extra.
@@markluxton3402 That's exactly the recipe and method I use for my small engines except I use MMO/Stabil and ethanol free 91 then add 2 cycle oil for the chain saws. They run so much better on ethanol free, no bogging.
@@5hawks My only local gas station sells only regular gas. There was no local supply here for a few years. I made the mistake of buying the regular so I didn't have to travel 45 minutes. I hoped the Lucas products were enough to compensate, but I have had to clean carbs from mysterious tan "dirt" this spring, that killed several engines. Maybe coincidence, maybe not. Cleaned, and a diaphragm replaced in one and running like new lol Next time I go further to get proper gas. I may no longer be able to get totally alcohol free though.
Very interesting. When I'm mixing mine I add some from my can and shake the bottle and pour back into my can before filling it the other halfway up to complete the mix I want.
Years ago, advised to rinse pod / bottle & add back to mix, especially when small volume being mixed. Even more important now with ethanol added fuel not storing as long. Buy / mix smaller quantities & use up to help limit potential problems.
My question is what is the ratio of oil to fuel. I have seen it expressed as 1:50, 1 to 50 and 1 in 50. If you think about the language, 1 in 50 means 1 part of oil in 50 parts of 2 stroke fuel, which translates to 49 parts of petrol (Gas for the Americans) and 1 part of oil or 4.9 litres of petrol and 100 ml (0.1 litre) of oil.
You should always add a little gas to the container to rinse out the remaining oil. It's also better for the environment when you recycle the oil container.
Another thing to consider is how accurate your fuel measure is. You can't really trust the gas pump because there could be residual fuel in the hose. Your fuel can will also hold more than its rated volume. You could be a little off either way but l am relieved that there is a little extra oil in the bottle to adjust for errors.
THATS AN ANCHOR HOCKING GLASS MEASURE. they made measuring equipment about 100 years. I think your right though because theyre all varying in accuracy. 😁 some cakes are perfect, some cakes taste like mix oil ahhah
you do realize that (at least in the USA) fuel dispensers are calibrated and inspected to be exact. It's a matter of consumer protection and it's regulated by state agencies.
It depends on the type of oil used: Lightly refined, moderately refined, highly refined, synthetic, ester synthetic, or castor oil. Each is for different temperatures, RPMs, and type of machine (Old model vs. auto-tune, where the fuel level can't be adjusted to compensate for the type of oil one would select). Some accuracy is required, but moreso for some than others. thanks for the video.
Very good test Dave! The same applies when doing vehicle oil changes. If you just dump it in you will get the same results. After letting the bottles drain upside down for 24 hours on a 6 quart oil change you will get a couple of ounces of oil that didnt go into your vehicle. 🇨🇦🇺🇸👍Roger
From 20 years of rebuilding demo saws I have seen many failures due insufficient lubrication running 50:1 I run 25:1 in my own saws with no issues except on a small husky brush cutter which dripped oil from the muffler, 40:1 fixed that problem. better to err on the safe side.
Like you said - depends on the actual amount of oil added. So, how accurate is the divisions on the measuring jug? Laboratory beaker or grocery store beaker?
Absolutely something that I'd bet 99% of anyone that's even touched a chainsaw has never thought to do . Good video man , way to acknowledge the simply overlooked.
Great video! If I was using these small oil bottles, I’d rinse them with gas to get all my oil LOL! I use the same anchor hocking measuring cup to measure out of a quart, but I wonder how accurate it is. I’m tempted to order a graduated cylinder or use a syringe.
hi there i am a bit late at jumping in here , been sawing for over 50 years . i found many years ago that the bottom of the bottles always have a thicker or heaver oil that seams to like to stay there , i have always believe this to be the addaves and add gas to the bottle till it is all in the mix . may now be zinc because the took it out of the gas . also stir my mix up before refueling . . also try not to run the saw out of gas . with all that i still use my 041 Stihl i got in 1982 snd saw 15 to 20 cords a year . good show john
I have noticed it too and pre-measure before mixing for 50:1 everytime. Too much oil bogs the chainsaw down, decreases horsepower, fouls the plug, combustion chamber, piston top and muffler. Thank you for the confirmation and great video.❤
If you read the front of the container it said it contains 100 ml. My bottles of Stihl HP says 77 ml on the bottle and bottles of Stihl Ultra contain LT 75 ml. I have an anchor Hocking glass, just like yours and measure all oil and additives. I usually put about 77 ml of two-cycle oil in one gallon of gas. That equates to 2.6 ounces of oil.
The way I've been measuring fuel mix for going on 30 years now, I measure in a 60ml syringe 20ml at a time to a 1 liter wide mouth bottle. This is just a tad rich on the oil, but my chainsaws don't seem to mind it. I never mix more than one gallon at a time, and most of the time just 1 liter at a time. For one gallon I mix 80ml of Husky oil. It smells much better!
I mix my hp ultra and add 1/4 oz stabil 360 and 1 oz Lucas fuel additive then fill with 89 octane. My stihl 015L , 038 mag2 , and new ms251c all run perfect . I even run my poulon pro / husqvarna 5020 on it . Easy starts next I let them run for a minute before putting under load . Last can I filled had 1.002 gallons as indicated at pump with previous added first for good mix . Anything produced has a tolerance amount but I have yet to find out from Stihl what an allowable tolerance is .
I would think the 104-110 ml would be a helpful failsafe for Stihl. Most gas pumps are not going to stop at exactly 5 liters or even 1.0 gallon. I personally stop pumping at .9 gallon and my mix is plenty rich and I have never lost any 2 cycle or 4 mix piece of equipment. Thanks for the video.
At 8:00 --not worried about bits of plastic or the foil getting into the fuel mix? If Stihl is giving a few extra ml of oil,probably trying to lower potential warranty expenses for engine seizure. Especially knowing that some people waste some of the oil.
Yes, every drop counts. I measure everything, clinically. I use 77 ml of Stihl Ultra, one ounce of stabilizer and exactly one gallon of premium, non ethanol gas (128 ounces). If I smoke down a saw it won’t be because I did not do my job, correctly. You have to watch those one gallon mix bottles - some do not contain 2.56 ounces of oil. I have seen them( Stihl Ultra) as low as 2.47 ounces, 71 ml. I buy the five gallon bottles and measure everything. I have a graduated glass that measures ml, ounces, etc. I fill it up to what I think is 77 ml and pour it into my gas tank. I always leave a little premix gas in the tank, which I pour into my graduated glass to rinse out all of the oil I can and pour it into my tank. I will then put exactly one gallon of gas in the tank. I also put the one ounce of stabilizer in the tank before I put in the gas. I do not trust the measurements of the one gallon oil bottles. I trust my graduated glass. The only one gallon oil bottle that has what it says it has is the Stihl HP bottle. It says 77ml and that is what is in it, it I do not use it. I use Ultra and it varies from 71-73ml.
You know I love it when you do science! It would honestly be interesting to see the factory that fills these bottles with oil, just how accurate are they? Do the filler machines work based on weight as the cutoff, or do they measure ML? I think nothing of a factory tour, would be able to answer this. It is also indeed possible, that there is a manufacturing consistency, if this wasn't intended at all, and you may have possibly brought the issue out to light as well IDK.
I agree. There can be variations in the filling machines within the same plant and across the contract manufacturers that bottle the oil. Slightly overfilled bottles greatly reduce the chance of legal trouble for cheating customers.
Personally I use only red armor oil, but have been using those 100 ml containers for several years - when I started using them I did that same test as you so I could determine exactly what was in those and found they were usually a bit over 100. I always add approx 5.2 litres to the gascan to make up for this. Recently the prices of those little bottles have skyrocketed and the red armor oil becoming impossible to find so I purchased a stainless steel measuring cup that holds exactly 100 ml, and also a 1 gallon container of red armor, so I will do it this way from now on. I absolutely hate that foil seal they put on those little bottles and have always peeled every bit of it off
How long can I store the mixture after I mix manually the 50:1 (1 gallon gas:2.6 Oz oil)? I may be left with 1/2 gallon leftover after using it on 2 stroke leaf blower. Can I pour this into my Honda crv or should I just throw away since it’s going to snow anyways here in a month?
That is interesting to see. I think that if it is 50 to 1 or better it's probably ok for some. Then others say they run richer mix for their saws not as prescribed. Thanks for the info.
Great test Dave. For a perfect example, I always mark my 100ml Stihl bottle with a pen. Refill the bottle for the next re-fuel. This past weekend my echo backpack blower locked on me and I'm wondering if it was caused by a lack of oil mix. Suggestions. Thanks for the educational video for us small garage guys. Cheers
Wonder if the bottles contents vary between bottles more than the method you use to pour making a difference in how much you get out???? I would also agree with you that they probably very slightly overfill because they know some people will sit there and shake the bottle to get every little bit out and some dump it quickly and go. So they want the minimum you get to be the indicated ratio of 50:1. And if you get slightly more oil because you take your time it will be fine.
For a while I got into trials motorcycling. Most of the bikes were European, the majority powered by Honda 2-strokes, water-cooled and 250ccs. I found it very curious that although the manufacturer recommended a 50:1 ratio, most competitors ran 100:1 mixed into CAM2 racing fuel. Allegedly it was done for a quick throttle response, but they ran that ratio for years with no ill effects. So it makes you wonder how much the difference between 45 an 50 would be.
you have to realize that in racing they will be overhauling those engines way more often than street machines. IOW, what works for a few hundred miles is not what you want on a daily driver.
Very interesting, I always poor some gas in the oil container reinstall the cap and shake the gas around in the two stroke oil containers then poor every last drop in my gas can ,before I shake /mix oil and gas
I've always done the same thing. So does that mean we are getting closer to a 40:1 mix? And as many others have commented, is Stihls process tightly controlled? Or will every bottle yield a variety of fuel mix ratios: some 50:1 or more - all the way down to that 40:1?
Thx for the post. Appreciate it. Just an option to consider. Use weight, not volume, when mixing. One ounce oil with 50 ounces of non-ethanol fuel in an open top dedicated mixing bowl is ideal. Small kitchen scale is used. Mix the oil with 25 ounces and follow up with the additional 25 ounces. (Sta-bil can also be added of course.) Granted, in the field and when time is short this option is less than ideal.
I use one of those Briggs & Stratton 2 cycle oil bottles with the squeeze dispenser/measure. Most of my saws are older so I run everything 40:1, even my new trimmer and whatnot. Never had a single issue with the slightly richer mixture. These bottles having a hair more oil in them is probably better for the engines as I feel that 50:1 is a tad lean, and done mostly to appease the EPA. *shrugs*
From my experience the difference between 50:1 and 40:1 is going to very minimal , if at all noticable. You won't satrt to notice a major difference until you get to the 32:1 or 25:1. I usually measure my oil manually and I don't use the small bottles, I tend to go with larger bulk bottles. Or I use the mix pouches of Stens Mix or Opti 2 where the one mix is good for all ratios, where the actual ratio is more like 70:1 I get great results with that.
G'day mate. Loving the vids Dave from Melbourne Australia. Keep up the good work. Really like the 45:1 for the older saws as yourself and donyboy73 have said. My old Stihl 08s (no chain brake) loves it!!
Always believed that with the small bottles you must make sure that the final volume of the mix is not over the prescribed amount(don't add the oil to one gallon of fuel,rather the total volume of the mix must not be over one gallon) also necessary for some fuel to be added to wash the remaining oil from the little bottle and made part of the mix-maybe a couple rinses of fuel from the bottle that go into the not yet full fuel can don't like to short the oil even the least bit,especially with spooky low oil mix like 50:1
Hey Dave I’m a Stihl tech for a small rental company in Branford Ontario as you were going through the measuring ratios I was thinking to myself not every customer or person who mixes fuel understands that there is a 5 L mark on their 5 L can and usually fill in above that mark and just pour the oil in so maybe it is a fail safe for the company just a thought
I assume that these bottles are filled with the same technique as everything else these days and that is by way of assembly line/conveyor system kinda like the way beer and soda drinks are bottled and the measuring accuracy would be checked after about ever 100 bottles to make sure they remain within a certain tolerance. In other words each and every single bottle would not have the absolute same exact measured amount as the next bottle which in my opinion just reinforces the idea that it really doesn't matter if you have your measurements exact or if you are off by a tad little bit it isn't going to effect the engine any. 50:1 or 48:1 or 47:1 or even 52:1 I seriously doubt it would do anything except possible change how much your machine smokes during use.
Measurements are more accurate by using the same tool/cup to make your measurements. So as long as you use the same cup you can make better judgements and assumptions on what you measure vs using 2 different measurement devices. There would be more inconsistencies and variables using different cups. More so would be the volume of gas that is in the can. Different pumps could be dialed wrong(.995 gallons vs a true 1 gallon)or different gas cans could be off a bit as far as the full level lines. I think that would be more where the changes would be found.
Manufacturer during the pore may be off a few mls in each bottle, just a thought, but I would imagine the engine tolerance can handle a few mls up or down.
I buy my 2 cycle oil a gallon at a time and we mix it 5 gallons at a time we go through 10 to 15 gallons a week of mix fuel in my landscaping company I'M sure our mixes very a little with each 5 gallons we mix but I have never noticed any adverse effects on my 2 stroke engines.
maybe you can do a part 2 and check the 2.5 gallon pre mix bottles to see if the ratios work out basically the same. good to know they give ya enough if your in a hurry and dont get every last drop out.
I agree 100%, but there are motorcycle gear heads out there that believe more oil in the gas means better lubrication. I also learned 40 odd years ago, as a Federal Manager, the hardest thing to do was to put a new thought in the head of a bureaucrat that had not had one in 30 years. Most people just dump a small bottle of two cycle oil in a gas container and fill it up all the way to the top of the container. This puts 70 odd ml of oil in a gallon and a quarter of gas, for a 60:1+ mix ratio. Then they blame the oil when they burn up their saw. I measure everything. I put 84 ml of Stihl ultra in a 1 gallon container and then add exactly one gallon of gas to the container. This gives me a nominal 45:1 mix ratio. I have a measuring glass just like yours. If I want a 50:1 mix I put in 77 ml of Stihl Ultra in one gallon of gas. I have never smoked a cylinder and I constantly cut in hot weather.
Interesting! This is why I measure oil quantity myself each time from 1 gallon jugs (synthetic api-tc 2T) for consistency, not gonna rely on the calibration of a machine in some unknown factory. I'm guilty of running fresh pump gas, as well. ;)
Hey Dave. Great video 👍 I think it‘s not that critical, if your ratio ist 50:1 or 45:1… The type of oil must be the right. The lubrication of mineral oil in a mixture of 1:25 is almost the same as you get with fullsynthetic oil in 1:50… I hope you can understand what I want to explain🙈🤣 Greetings from germany, Stefan
Either way, it’s just the tuning of the saws, or other devices, that would matter. Mtronic or Autotune will more than take care of that little inconsistency. KNOW HOW TO TUNE is what it boils down to. I run roughly 30-1 mix in my 372xt and I have been tuning around temp and mix inconsistencies for some time, and when I do that I have no problems or undue wear or “tar like substances”‘ showing up. But I am just a little worried that unknowing people will try this and burn up their pieces of equipment.
Just put new bottle on scale i check the weight, empty bottle should be consistent, oil is fluid so it could change amount during manufacturing. In my opinion if you use 10% more oil will not damage engine, i make 1:30 mixture on chinese 2 stroke trimer over 8 years and it work great ( it have pretty hard time with me)
I made a discovery with my one gallon cans.....if you read the fine print....they actually hold more....one holds 1 gallon 4oz, the other holds 1 gallon 6 oz. So I split the difference between 40:1 and 50:1.....
It would have been much easier and much more precise to do both tests with the same bottle of oil. Dump it quickly like you did, take the reading, then let the bottle finish emptying to see how much more you get out of it. Your test relied on both being filled to the same amount by the manufacturer/packaging plant. My guess is that they aim for a little over 100ml. so that the variations from their dispensers will never result in bottles with less than 100ml. so they can avoid damage claims.
I dump the oil into the fuel can quickly, then pour some fuel in the oil bottle, put the cap on, shake vigorously and pour it into the fuel container. Watched my dad do it this way countless times as a kid and I still do it now at 73.
Interesting. I suspect all the manufacturers have 2 priorities. 1) - don't get sued for misrepresenting the volume of the contents of the bottle - that's class action written all over it- and 2) They probably build a fair amount of tolerance into the engines operational capability. So it probably runs fine on 45:1 up to 55:1 because they know a lot of us are mixing fuel out in the woods or on the back of a truck that isn't level and we'll probably measure either the fuel or oil incorrectly.
Just buy that premix at the hardware stores. It has no ethanol in it. If you're using a lot of gas then try and buy gas somewhere that has no ethanol in it. Get like 5 gallons and then have a 1 gallon for mix in the oil. You can also put an additive in the 5 gallon for long term storage. If you can't find fuel with no ethanol in it then there's additives that treat gasoline with ethanol in it and those additives I think also prolong the shelf life of stored gasoline. But if you're mixing a little bottle of oil into 1 gallon of gasoline for a 50:1 ratio. You could try and find a way without making a mess to add a little gasoline to the little bottle and shake it up to get the rest of the oil that hasn't dripped out. You might not have a problem with that in warmer temperatures if you let the little bottle drip into the 1 gallon for about 5 minutes. But in colder temperatures that oil is probably going to be a little thicker. Don't forget to shake it up and mix the oil with the gas. 2 strokes are not like 4 strokes. They get oil lubrication through the premixed fuel and I wouldn't be going any higher than 50:1 or whatever the mixing ratio should be. That's not going to be good on your 2 stroke engine power equipment. 2 stroke engines are good engines and easy to learn about and operate and they're easier to maintain than the 4 strokes. I remember as an elementary kid I learned how 2 stroke engines work playing around with hobby nitro rc cars. They're simple in design and they're really good for small engine applications. Even the big outboard 2 strokes are great engines and they're direct injection (self mixing) which makes them burn cleaner than the 4 strokes. (No oil changes with 2 stroke engines). They're coming out with direction injection 2 stroke dirt bikes now. As long as they're carb compliant you can use 2 strokes on the highways. These are the real facts.
Due to capillary action of liquids, the edge of the top goes up. A proper measurement when measuring fluids is to read the bottom of the meniscus not the top of the meniscus. So the first one was probably on 100 ml and the second around 104 ml. But we also don’t know how accurate the small measuring cup is. You would be better off using a graduated cylinder for this test than a measuring cup.
You can check manufacturer inconsistency by draining three bottles the same way, using the same measuring glass. I doubt the consistency of the screen printing on any two measuring glasses is the same. Thanks for the video.
If I only have a container of oil to use I rinse out every drop I can from the container. I pour the oil into my gas container, as much as I can, and then fill the oil container with gas and pour that into my gas container. I do this several times until I get as much oil out of the oil container that I can. I thentank another oil container and open it up. I add two capfuls of oil to my gas container to bring it approximately up to my standard 84 ml of oil. I then add exactly one gallon of gas to the gas container. I may add a little bit more oil to the gas container if I think it is a little thin. However,this is not normally how I do things. Normally, I mix one gallon, exactly into my No Spill gas container and take it with me when I am cutting wood. If I have a saw failure, I do not want it to be my fault because I was sloppy mixing my gas.
I have a glass just like yours. I measure 77 ml of Stihl Ultra into the glass and pour it into my No Spill gas can. I always leave about a quart of gas inthe can before I make a new batch. After I get the oilin the tank, I pour a little gas into my glass jar and rinse out any remaining oil, which I the pour back into the tank. I then add one ounce of stabilizer to the tank. I then take the tank to my local gas station and add exactly one gallon of premium non ethanol gas to the tank. 77 ml of Stihl Ultra is exactly a 50:1 ratio.
I have a small measuring glass. I put about 75 ml of oil, as measured in the measuring glass. I try to eyeball it between the 70 and 80 ml lines and shade it to slightly more than half way between the two marks. Most Stihl Ultra bottles I have measured were slightly more than 70 ml, let’s say 72 ml to be fair to Stihl. That’s, about 2.6 ounces. 50:1 is 2.56 ounces. (128/50), so you see my mix is greater than 50:1. I now use the Echo squeeze bottle and squeeze the container until it is at the 50:1 line. If you want to get a 50:1 mix with a 5L tank, just fill to the 40:1 line.
I always tip the little bottle into the 1 gallon can and leave it for a few hours while I’m doing other things. Then come back to it to go fill up with gas
not to drive you crazy but it could also be the measuring cup they are mass produced as well and numbers can be off idk just thowing it out there great video very interesting as usual
Many states/provinces have requirements for meeting “filling” standards. If you advertise that you are selling 100 ml of oil then you need to deliver that. Because of fill variation, producers tend to slightly overfill to meet requirements. Your bonus of extra oil/container results in at least a 50:1 ratio and possibly richer 46:1 ratio.
Dave - I don’t have detailed info on that. Having worked in the chemical industry I do know that meeting filling standards was critical. Sophisticated delivery systems and software are used to ‘statistically’ meet requirements.
Every drop counts, which is why I measure everything in an Anchor measuring glass from Walmart. Consistency is the key to everything. I want my gas to approximate Stihl Moto Mix. At 50:1 my gas produces the same idle and WTO rpm as Stihl Ultra. That’s about as good as I can do. I see the Canadian bottles of Stihl oil are based upon 5 liters for a 50:1 mix ratio. Our containers are computed for a one gallon mix. With my system it does not matter because I always put 77 ml of oil in one gallon of gas. To hedge my bets I use 84 ml of Stihl Ultra per gallon of gas for a 45:1 mix ratio. My Stihl HP containers are clearly marked 77 ml and that is what they contain. I have measured them. Husqvarna XP oil also contains 77 ml of oil. Echo Red Armor also contains 77 ml, as does their Power Blend Gold oil.
Would I sound like a boffin id I suggested if you rely want to be accurate you would weigh the oil? It seems you should get 100 ml of oil as long as you are sensible. How carefully do you measure the gas part of the mix? Will a tiny bit extra oil in the fuel only slightly detune the motor? At least it will keep they lawyers happy.
I have measured multiple Stihl brand 1 gal bottles, and they all came up short. should have been 2.6oz, but only had 2.3oz. They were the silver bottles though
the container varies is +/- 5%, they add 10% more oil for the intention that people aren't gonna sit there at the gas pump doing that, a car key puncture hole, stick in it the gas tank and then fill er up. I calibrated my measuring beaker and it was off 3%, I buy premix buy the quart and measure out in my pre calibrated beaker. way more cost effective and accurate then the pre measured bottles...
And I always peel the foil all the way off and then when empty of oil, I add fuel and swirl it around to get it all out. a little smoke does not bother me a bit.
Not to disparage Anchor Hocking, who have been around manufacturing quality glass products for a long time, but unless you use a scientific beaker and pay strict attention to parallax view angle, your measurements are subject to error. I’ve had small measuring containers in the kitchen which differ wildly from one to the next when I poured one measured amount into another container. That said, also consider that measuring smaller amounts is more subject to variation than larger amounts due to the ratios involved. With larger amounts, say 5 gallons, the error difference will be less due to the same error spread out over a larger volume. I suspect Stihl has taken into account how the typical amateur user actual mixes most of the time plus the dangers to small engines using leaner mixes and have intentionally included a safety factor amount in their containers. It would be interesting to see if that extra amount is consistent over different batches of oil over time. This may also explain why some equipment seems to be running rich based on observations of exhaust debris on the equipment despite measuring carefully.
Good point about parallax, the other issue I had is it looked like he was measuring the meniscus incorrectly? ua-cam.com/video/VywQc5-K3sM/v-deo.html
He used the same beaker for both, so the comparison of volumes is still valid.
If you look at it level the parallax is a non issue. Looking at the meniscus is the scientific method regardless of fluid.
The accuracy of the container does matter for measurement from bulk, but for this comparison I don’t think it matters. This is how much of the packaged volume do you get, and if I were to design a machine to bottle this oil in series I would fill by weight. If multiple bottles were filled side by side I would probably do it by volume but verify by weight at a following step.
This is the exact reason why I measure my own mix from a 1 gallon jug of 2 stroke oil. 1. Cheaper to buy a gallon at a time, 2. I put in exact measurement I want. Great video, thanks for taking the time making this video. :)
But you still gotta get what's left out of your measuring cup, so it's the same question.
@@bobbygetsbanned6049 You don't get it.
@@happyyardservice2914 Then explain how you measure oil without measuring it.
@@bobbygetsbanned6049 you rinse the measuring cup with some of the gas from your mix
@@stovepipe9er Yeah you can do that with a bottle too, but he didn't say that. He's just transferring the problem from a bottle to a cup thinking he eliminated the problem.
I don't think that it really matters. Chain saws are not rocket science and I believe that they can handle such minor discrepancies.
Why not just take the first one after you poured it and took a reading then turn the rest of the bottle upside down and let it drain the rest, then do the same with the second bottle to test bottle to bottle volume as well? Thanks for taking the time to do this.
While being close is important I don't believe having to be the exact amount will make that big of a difference, If running an engine that close on the mix ratio means it makes it or not then that's not the oil for me, temp/weather conditions will make a bigger difference on how the engine is performing I believe and I always carry an adjusting screwdriver with me for dealing with this, newer engines with the Autotune will help most folks that don't want to deal with adjusting the carb.
Running fuel that is non ethanol, making sure to stir the jug before pouring it into the tank of whatever you are running and making sure to wipe around the fuel cap to clean debris first. Just my two cents which wont get anyone anything.
Even old engines were designed with a plus/minus being within the operating range
I’m sure anyone who has mixed 2cycle fuel enough has asked themselves this question. Sure there’s small variables, but I’m in the woods not the lab and I feel much more confident now that you did this video. Thanks, from northern Idaho!
Don’t assume that the average consumer thinks about it. They open the bottle , pour into a gas can and away they go for gas. At the pump, they fill until they see 4.5 to 5 litres on the pump readout and stop. Shake the can and fill the unit. Done. The gas isn’t consistent and neither is the oil mix. I have been running Sthil products for 40+ years and have never had an issue. I pay a lot more attention to the chain condition and lube function. I also have always run each and every unit on premium pump gas (not a premix of any brand) complete with Stabil for storage.
I've wondered this very thing. I leave the bottle on the top of the gas can to every drop of oil to be sure I have enough. Thanks for the video. I will still get every drop not to be wasteful :)
Forty six years ago when I had a discussion with the local Homelite dealer about how critical the fuel mix ratio was he said " I shouldn't tell you this but Homelites tests show that one tablespoon of oil per gallon is adequate." That's a 256:1 ratio and Homelite specified a 16:1 mix for that saw, a Super 2. Nowdays because of the improved 2 cycle lubricants a 32:1 ratio is recommended for the vintage saws and that's more than enough . I'm still using that saw for up to about 8" stuff although it'll cut whatever you put in front of it.
I have several XL-12's still being used. 32:1 mix. My regular straight gas gets pretreated with a squirt of Lucas's upper cylinder lube/injector cleaner, AND their fuel conditioner/preservative. I try to always use highest octane least alcohol gas.
So my pretreated "straight gas" makes all my 4 strokes run better, and when I use this gas to make mix for my 2 strokes, I know I have a little extra.
@@markluxton3402 That's exactly the recipe and method I use for my small engines except I use MMO/Stabil and ethanol free 91 then add 2 cycle oil for the chain saws. They run so much better on ethanol free, no bogging.
@@5hawks My only local gas station sells only regular gas. There was no local supply here for a few years. I made the mistake of buying the regular so I didn't have to travel 45 minutes. I hoped the Lucas products were enough to compensate, but I have had to clean carbs from mysterious tan "dirt" this spring, that killed several engines. Maybe coincidence, maybe not. Cleaned, and a diaphragm replaced in one and running like new lol
Next time I go further to get proper gas. I may no longer be able to get totally alcohol free though.
@@markluxton3402 I'm of the same thinking; currently using the 95 octane
Very interesting. When I'm mixing mine I add some from my can and shake the bottle and pour back into my can before filling it the other halfway up to complete the mix I want.
Same here. A little gas in the oil bottle gets it all in the can.
@@AZHighlandHomestead I only use either very GOOD high test Non Ethanol pump fuel or VP Echo Red Armor premix.
Years ago, advised to rinse pod / bottle & add back to mix, especially when small volume being mixed. Even more important now with ethanol added fuel not storing as long. Buy / mix smaller quantities & use up to help limit potential problems.
I never use ethanol fuel in any small engine (2-stroke especially) and if I can't get alcohol free gasoline, I de-ethanolate it before using.
My question is what is the ratio of oil to fuel. I have seen it expressed as 1:50, 1 to 50 and 1 in 50. If you think about the language, 1 in 50 means 1 part of oil in 50 parts of 2 stroke fuel, which translates to 49 parts of petrol (Gas for the Americans) and 1 part of oil or 4.9 litres of petrol and 100 ml (0.1 litre) of oil.
You should always add a little gas to the container to rinse out the remaining oil. It's also better for the environment when you recycle the oil container.
I worked at a landfill. Trust me… that tiny bit of oil should be the least of your concerns about what’s being disposed of these days. 😂
Another thing to consider is how accurate your fuel measure is. You can't really trust the gas pump because there could be residual fuel in the hose. Your fuel can will also hold more than its rated volume. You could be a little off either way but l am relieved that there is a little extra oil in the bottle to adjust for errors.
THATS AN ANCHOR HOCKING GLASS MEASURE. they made measuring equipment about 100 years. I think your right though because theyre all varying in accuracy. 😁 some cakes are perfect, some cakes taste like mix oil ahhah
you do realize that (at least in the USA) fuel dispensers are calibrated and inspected to be exact. It's a matter of consumer protection and it's regulated by state agencies.
It depends on the type of oil used: Lightly refined, moderately refined, highly refined, synthetic, ester synthetic, or castor oil. Each is for different temperatures, RPMs, and type of machine (Old model vs. auto-tune, where the fuel level can't be adjusted to compensate for the type of oil one would select). Some accuracy is required, but moreso for some than others. thanks for the video.
Very good test Dave! The same applies when doing vehicle oil changes. If you just dump it in you will get the same results. After letting the bottles drain upside down for 24 hours on a 6 quart oil change you will get a couple of ounces of oil that didnt go into your vehicle. 🇨🇦🇺🇸👍Roger
From 20 years of rebuilding demo saws I have seen many failures due insufficient lubrication running 50:1 I run 25:1 in my own saws with no issues except on a small husky brush cutter which dripped oil from the muffler, 40:1 fixed that problem. better to err on the safe side.
I run 42.5:1. 50:1 is an EPA ratio.
Like you said - depends on the actual amount of oil added. So, how accurate is the divisions on the measuring jug? Laboratory beaker or grocery store beaker?
Absolutely something that I'd bet 99% of anyone that's even touched a chainsaw has never thought to do . Good video man , way to acknowledge the simply overlooked.
Thank you!
Enjoy your tests & a load of fun. Had to smile, the pouring of the 2nd 100ml reminds me of the guy who had a joint before pouring his oil. Best wishes
Great video! If I was using these small oil bottles, I’d rinse them with gas to get all my oil LOL! I use the same anchor hocking measuring cup to measure out of a quart, but I wonder how accurate it is. I’m tempted to order a graduated cylinder or use a syringe.
hi there i am a bit late at jumping in here , been sawing for over 50 years . i found many years ago that the bottom of the bottles always have a thicker or heaver oil that seams to like to stay there , i have always believe this to be the addaves and add gas to the bottle till it is all in the mix . may now be zinc because the took it out of the gas . also stir my mix up before refueling . . also try not to run the saw out of gas . with all that i still use my 041 Stihl i got in 1982 snd saw 15 to 20 cords a year . good show john
I have noticed it too and pre-measure before mixing for 50:1 everytime. Too much oil bogs the chainsaw down, decreases horsepower, fouls the plug, combustion chamber, piston top and muffler. Thank you for the confirmation and great video.❤
If you read the front of the container it said it contains 100 ml. My bottles of Stihl HP says 77 ml on the bottle and bottles of Stihl Ultra contain LT 75 ml. I have an anchor Hocking glass, just like yours and measure all oil and additives. I usually put about 77 ml of two-cycle oil in one gallon of gas. That equates to 2.6 ounces of oil.
The way I've been measuring fuel mix for going on 30 years now, I measure in a 60ml syringe 20ml at a time to a 1 liter wide mouth bottle. This is just a tad rich on the oil, but my chainsaws don't seem to mind it. I never mix more than one gallon at a time, and most of the time just 1 liter at a time. For one gallon I mix 80ml of Husky oil. It smells much better!
I mix my hp ultra and add 1/4 oz stabil 360 and 1 oz Lucas fuel additive then fill with 89 octane. My stihl 015L , 038 mag2 , and new ms251c all run perfect . I even run my poulon pro / husqvarna 5020 on it . Easy starts next I let them run for a minute before putting under load . Last can I filled had 1.002 gallons as indicated at pump with previous added first for good mix . Anything produced has a tolerance amount but I have yet to find out from Stihl what an allowable tolerance is .
I would think the 104-110 ml would be a helpful failsafe for Stihl. Most gas pumps are not going to stop at exactly 5 liters or even 1.0 gallon. I personally stop pumping at .9 gallon and my mix is plenty rich and I have never lost any 2 cycle or 4 mix piece of equipment. Thanks for the video.
Dave, been really enjoying these experiments you are doing along with your other content.
Hey Storm! Comments like this keep me motivated. Much appreciated.
@@DavesSmallEngines In your measuring you're not taking into account the 'meniscus' which is the curved upper surface of a liquid in a tube.
At 8:00 --not worried about bits of plastic or the foil getting into the fuel mix?
If Stihl is giving a few extra ml of oil,probably trying to lower potential warranty expenses for engine seizure. Especially knowing that some people waste some of the oil.
How accurate is your beaker? Thank you for the info. Great video.
Awesome post! Great video!
I run 50/50 AVgas with 45:1 AMSOIL mixture in all from my saws to my work sleds, no problems pretty solid combo.
Yes, every drop counts. I measure everything, clinically. I use 77 ml of Stihl Ultra, one ounce of stabilizer and exactly one gallon of premium, non ethanol gas (128 ounces). If I smoke down a saw it won’t be because I did not do my job, correctly. You have to watch those one gallon mix bottles - some do not contain 2.56 ounces of oil. I have seen them( Stihl Ultra) as low as 2.47 ounces, 71 ml. I buy the five gallon bottles and measure everything. I have a graduated glass that measures ml, ounces, etc. I fill it up to what I think is 77 ml and pour it into my gas tank. I always leave a little premix gas in the tank, which I pour into my graduated glass to rinse out all of the oil I can and pour it into my tank. I will then put exactly one gallon of gas in the tank. I also put the one ounce of stabilizer in the tank before I put in the gas. I do not trust the measurements of the one gallon oil bottles. I trust my graduated glass. The only one gallon oil bottle that has what it says it has is the Stihl HP bottle. It says 77ml and that is what is in it, it I do not use it. I use Ultra and it varies from 71-73ml.
How clean does Stihl premium oil burn vs other oils? that would be a test I would love to see, with tear downs etc.
You know I love it when you do science! It would honestly be interesting to see the factory that fills these bottles with oil, just how accurate are they? Do the filler machines work based on weight as the cutoff, or do they measure ML? I think nothing of a factory tour, would be able to answer this. It is also indeed possible, that there is a manufacturing consistency, if this wasn't intended at all, and you may have possibly brought the issue out to light as well IDK.
I agree. There can be variations in the filling machines within the same plant and across the contract manufacturers that bottle the oil. Slightly overfilled bottles greatly reduce the chance of legal trouble for cheating customers.
Personally I use only red armor oil, but have been using those 100 ml containers for several years - when I started using them I did that same test as you so I could determine exactly what was in those and found they were usually a bit over 100. I always add approx 5.2 litres to the gascan to make up for this. Recently the prices of those little bottles have skyrocketed and the red armor oil becoming impossible to find so I purchased a stainless steel measuring cup that holds exactly 100 ml, and also a 1 gallon container of red armor, so I will do it this way from now on.
I absolutely hate that foil seal they put on those little bottles and have always peeled every bit of it off
How long can I store the mixture after I mix manually the 50:1 (1 gallon gas:2.6 Oz oil)? I may be left with 1/2 gallon leftover after using it on 2 stroke leaf blower. Can I pour this into my Honda crv or should I just throw away since it’s going to snow anyways here in a month?
That is interesting to see. I think that if it is 50 to 1 or better it's probably ok for some. Then others say they run richer mix for their saws not as prescribed. Thanks for the info.
Great test Dave. For a perfect example, I always mark my 100ml Stihl bottle with a pen. Refill the bottle for the next re-fuel. This past weekend my echo backpack blower locked on me and I'm wondering if it was caused by a lack of oil mix. Suggestions. Thanks for the educational video for us small garage guys. Cheers
Wonder if the bottles contents vary between bottles more than the method you use to pour making a difference in how much you get out????
I would also agree with you that they probably very slightly overfill because they know some people will sit there and shake the bottle to get every little bit out and some dump it quickly and go. So they want the minimum you get to be the indicated ratio of 50:1. And if you get slightly more oil because you take your time it will be fine.
So I got some old saws from in the 50s that say 20 t one how much oil in a mix is that ??
Good info. Myself, I always add a bit of gasoline to the oil bottle to flush it out. So my mixtures may be stronger on oil the thought.
Great point!
For a while I got into trials motorcycling. Most of the bikes were European, the majority powered by Honda 2-strokes, water-cooled and 250ccs. I found it very curious that although the manufacturer recommended a 50:1 ratio, most competitors ran 100:1 mixed into CAM2 racing fuel. Allegedly it was done for a quick throttle response, but they ran that ratio for years with no ill effects.
So it makes you wonder how much the difference between 45 an 50 would be.
you have to realize that in racing they will be overhauling those engines way more often than street machines. IOW, what works for a few hundred miles is not what you want on a daily driver.
Very interesting, I always poor some gas in the oil container reinstall the cap and shake the gas around in the two stroke oil containers then poor every last drop in my gas can ,before I shake /mix oil and gas
I've always done the same thing. So does that mean we are getting closer to a 40:1 mix? And as many others have commented, is Stihls process tightly controlled? Or will every bottle yield a variety of fuel mix ratios: some 50:1 or more - all the way down to that 40:1?
Does it hurt a 2-stroke engine to shut off the fuel and run it til it stop?
Another great video. How do you measure the fuel at the fuel pumps or graduations on the fuel can? Best regards
I add the 100 ml container of oil to my gascan then head to the station and add 5.2 litres of fuel to it
Thx for the post. Appreciate it. Just an option to consider. Use weight, not volume, when mixing. One ounce oil with 50 ounces of non-ethanol fuel in an open top dedicated mixing bowl is ideal. Small kitchen scale is used. Mix the oil with 25 ounces and follow up with the additional 25 ounces. (Sta-bil can also be added of course.) Granted, in the field and when time is short this option is less than ideal.
I use one of those Briggs & Stratton 2 cycle oil bottles with the squeeze dispenser/measure. Most of my saws are older so I run everything 40:1, even my new trimmer and whatnot. Never had a single issue with the slightly richer mixture. These bottles having a hair more oil in them is probably better for the engines as I feel that 50:1 is a tad lean, and done mostly to appease the EPA. *shrugs*
40:1 all they way mate! 50:1 is definitely emissions I was told so by sthil dealer years ago.
@@backwoodslogging8443 32:1 has more power. if my oil was cheaper i'd run 18:1
From my experience the difference between 50:1 and 40:1 is going to very minimal , if at all noticable. You won't satrt to notice a major difference until you get to the 32:1 or 25:1. I usually measure my oil manually and I don't use the small bottles, I tend to go with larger bulk bottles. Or I use the mix pouches of Stens Mix or Opti 2 where the one mix is good for all ratios, where the actual ratio is more like 70:1 I get great results with that.
G'day mate. Loving the vids Dave from Melbourne Australia. Keep up the good work. Really like the 45:1 for the older saws as yourself and donyboy73 have said. My old Stihl 08s (no chain brake) loves it!!
When you get a gallon at the pump relay a exact gallon of gas that your mixing the oil in? Doubt it.
I've followed Dony's recommendation to mix at 45:1. So depending on bottle, might end up closer to 40ish to 1?
Always believed that with the small bottles you must make sure that the final volume of the mix is not over the prescribed amount(don't add the oil to one gallon of fuel,rather the total volume of the mix must not be over one gallon)
also necessary for some fuel to be added to wash the remaining oil from the little bottle and made part of the mix-maybe a couple rinses of fuel from the bottle that go into the not yet full fuel can
don't like to short the oil even the least bit,especially with spooky low oil mix like 50:1
I noticed the bottle states fuel stabilizer is added...perhaps thats the additional 10ml?
nice video were did you get that glass measuring cup😇😇
Dollar store!
@@DavesSmallEngines thanks
Great test thanks. I wonder if there is a way to determine an ideal mix for a particular be situation ie.the age of an engine.
Fantastic question. I’d need a lot of engines to test!
Hey Dave I’m a Stihl tech for a small rental company in Branford Ontario as you were going through the measuring ratios I was thinking to myself not every customer or person who mixes fuel understands that there is a 5 L mark on their 5 L can and usually fill in above that mark and just pour the oil in so maybe it is a fail safe for the company just a thought
Yeah that’s a great point! What shop are you at! That’s not too far from me. Cheers
I assume that these bottles are filled with the same technique as everything else these days and that is by way of assembly line/conveyor system kinda like the way beer and soda drinks are bottled and the measuring accuracy would be checked after about ever 100 bottles to make sure they remain within a certain tolerance. In other words each and every single bottle would not have the absolute same exact measured amount as the next bottle which in my opinion just reinforces the idea that it really doesn't matter if you have your measurements exact or if you are off by a tad little bit it isn't going to effect the engine any. 50:1 or 48:1 or 47:1 or even 52:1 I seriously doubt it would do anything except possible change how much your machine smokes during use.
Excellent
Interesting but what's to say the cup is accurate? Would like to see some different brand measuring cups.
Measurements are more accurate by using the same tool/cup to make your measurements. So as long as you use the same cup you can make better judgements and assumptions on what you measure vs using 2 different measurement devices. There would be more inconsistencies and variables using different cups. More so would be the volume of gas that is in the can. Different pumps could be dialed wrong(.995 gallons vs a true 1 gallon)or different gas cans could be off a bit as far as the full level lines. I think that would be more where the changes would be found.
I agree! I’m going to get a scientific kit and try it again!
Richard Flagg has a video where he used a graduated cylinder to measure, then check the same kind of Anchor Hocking measuring glass. It was accurate.
Great video. Drives home the point about how key measurement is.
Manufacturer during the pore may be off a few mls in each bottle, just a thought, but I would imagine the engine tolerance can handle a few mls up or down.
I buy my 2 cycle oil a gallon at a time and we mix it 5 gallons at a time we go through 10 to 15 gallons a week of mix fuel in my landscaping company I'M sure our mixes very a little with each 5 gallons we mix but I have never noticed any adverse effects on my 2 stroke engines.
maybe you can do a part 2 and check the 2.5 gallon pre mix bottles to see if the ratios work out basically the same. good to know they give ya enough if your in a hurry and dont get every last drop out.
I agree 100%, but there are motorcycle gear heads out there that believe more oil in the gas means better lubrication. I also learned 40 odd years ago, as a Federal Manager, the hardest thing to do was to put a new thought in the head of a bureaucrat that had not had one in 30 years. Most people just dump a small bottle of two cycle oil in a gas container and fill it up all the way to the top of the container. This puts 70 odd ml of oil in a gallon and a quarter of gas, for a 60:1+ mix ratio. Then they blame the oil when they burn up their saw. I measure everything. I put 84 ml of Stihl ultra in a 1 gallon container and then add exactly one gallon of gas to the container. This gives me a nominal 45:1 mix ratio. I have a measuring glass just like yours. If I want a 50:1 mix I put in 77 ml of Stihl Ultra in one gallon of gas. I have never smoked a cylinder and I constantly cut in hot weather.
Interesting!
This is why I measure oil quantity myself each time from 1 gallon jugs (synthetic api-tc 2T) for consistency, not gonna rely on the calibration of a machine in some unknown factory.
I'm guilty of running fresh pump gas, as well. ;)
How does either scenario affect the engine?
It matters on my $2500. 80cc Paramotor engine. I am careful when mixing. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Dave.
Great video 👍
I think it‘s not that critical, if your ratio ist 50:1 or 45:1… The type of oil must be the right. The lubrication of mineral oil in a mixture of 1:25 is almost the same as you get with fullsynthetic oil in 1:50… I hope you can understand what I want to explain🙈🤣
Greetings from germany,
Stefan
Stihl premium oil 50:1 is a Mineral oil-based engine oil.
varify the mix beaker,cup ?
Either way, it’s just the tuning of the saws, or other devices, that would matter. Mtronic or Autotune will more than take care of that little inconsistency. KNOW HOW TO TUNE is what it boils down to. I run roughly 30-1 mix in my 372xt and I have been tuning around temp and mix inconsistencies for some time, and when I do that I have no problems or undue wear or “tar like substances”‘ showing up. But I am just a little worried that unknowing people will try this and burn up their pieces of equipment.
Just put new bottle on scale i check the weight, empty bottle should be consistent, oil is fluid so it could change amount during manufacturing.
In my opinion if you use 10% more oil will not damage engine, i make 1:30 mixture on chinese 2 stroke trimer over 8 years and it work great ( it have pretty hard time with me)
I made a discovery with my one gallon cans.....if you read the fine print....they actually hold more....one holds 1 gallon 4oz, the other holds 1 gallon 6 oz. So I split the difference between 40:1 and 50:1.....
It would have been much easier and much more precise to do both tests with the same bottle of oil. Dump it quickly like you did, take the reading, then let the bottle finish emptying to see how much more you get out of it. Your test relied on both being filled to the same amount by the manufacturer/packaging plant. My guess is that they aim for a little over 100ml. so that the variations from their dispensers will never result in bottles with less than 100ml. so they can avoid damage claims.
The quick pour on the second seemed higher than the other already.
I dump the oil into the fuel can quickly, then pour some fuel in the oil bottle, put the cap on, shake vigorously and pour it into the fuel container. Watched my dad do it this way countless times as a kid and I still do it now at 73.
Is that a calibrated beaker?
Nope, but the line stays the same every test!
I always shoot a little fuel into the bottle yo get all the oil out oil is good right
Great video. I must be the only one that is OCD about getting the foil seal completely removed off of the top. Lol
Imo nothing wrong with 45:1 . I say casterol is smart to make there stihl oil like that. Better for the engine. Good video. Cheers.
Thanks Rod!
I’m glad to see it’s on the rich side and not the lean side.
Interesting. I suspect all the manufacturers have 2 priorities. 1) - don't get sued for misrepresenting the volume of the contents of the bottle - that's class action written all over it- and 2) They probably build a fair amount of tolerance into the engines operational capability. So it probably runs fine on 45:1 up to 55:1 because they know a lot of us are mixing fuel out in the woods or on the back of a truck that isn't level and we'll probably measure either the fuel or oil incorrectly.
Just buy that premix at the hardware stores. It has no ethanol in it. If you're using a lot of gas then try and buy gas somewhere that has no ethanol in it. Get like 5 gallons and then have a 1 gallon for mix in the oil. You can also put an additive in the 5 gallon for long term storage. If you can't find fuel with no ethanol in it then there's additives that treat gasoline with ethanol in it and those additives I think also prolong the shelf life of stored gasoline. But if you're mixing a little bottle of oil into 1 gallon of gasoline for a 50:1 ratio. You could try and find a way without making a mess to add a little gasoline to the little bottle and shake it up to get the rest of the oil that hasn't dripped out. You might not have a problem with that in warmer temperatures if you let the little bottle drip into the 1 gallon for about 5 minutes. But in colder temperatures that oil is probably going to be a little thicker. Don't forget to shake it up and mix the oil with the gas. 2 strokes are not like 4 strokes. They get oil lubrication through the premixed fuel and I wouldn't be going any higher than 50:1 or whatever the mixing ratio should be. That's not going to be good on your 2 stroke engine power equipment. 2 stroke engines are good engines and easy to learn about and operate and they're easier to maintain than the 4 strokes. I remember as an elementary kid I learned how 2 stroke engines work playing around with hobby nitro rc cars. They're simple in design and they're really good for small engine applications. Even the big outboard 2 strokes are great engines and they're direct injection (self mixing) which makes them burn cleaner than the 4 strokes. (No oil changes with 2 stroke engines). They're coming out with direction injection 2 stroke dirt bikes now. As long as they're carb compliant you can use 2 strokes on the highways. These are the real facts.
Due to capillary action of liquids, the edge of the top goes up. A proper measurement when measuring fluids is to read the bottom of the meniscus not the top of the meniscus. So the first one was probably on 100 ml and the second around 104 ml. But we also don’t know how accurate the small measuring cup is. You would be better off using a graduated cylinder for this test than a measuring cup.
You can check manufacturer inconsistency by draining three bottles the same way, using the same measuring glass. I doubt the consistency of the screen printing on any two measuring glasses is the same. Thanks for the video.
That's what I thought. That piece of glassware is not lab quality.
Weigh each container with a digital scale to verify consistency.
If I only have a container of oil to use I rinse out every drop I can from the container. I pour the oil into my gas container, as much as I can, and then fill the oil container with gas and pour that into my gas container. I do this several times until I get as much oil out of the oil container that I can. I thentank another oil container and open it up. I add two capfuls of oil to my gas container to bring it approximately up to my standard 84 ml of oil. I then add exactly one gallon of gas to the gas container. I may add a little bit more oil to the gas container if I think it is a little thin. However,this is not normally how I do things. Normally, I mix one gallon, exactly into my No Spill gas container and take it with me when I am cutting wood. If I have a saw failure, I do not want it to be my fault because I was sloppy mixing my gas.
I agree. This is good practice!
I have a glass just like yours. I measure 77 ml of Stihl Ultra into the glass and pour it into my No Spill gas can. I always leave about a quart of gas inthe can before I make a new batch. After I get the oilin the tank, I pour a little gas into my glass jar and rinse out any remaining oil, which I the pour back into the tank. I then add one ounce of stabilizer to the tank. I then take the tank to my local gas station and add exactly one gallon of premium non ethanol gas to the tank. 77 ml of Stihl Ultra is exactly a 50:1 ratio.
I have a small measuring glass. I put about 75 ml of oil, as measured in the measuring glass. I try to eyeball it between the 70 and 80 ml lines and shade it to slightly more than half way between the two marks. Most Stihl Ultra bottles I have measured were slightly more than 70 ml, let’s say 72 ml to be fair to Stihl. That’s, about 2.6 ounces. 50:1 is 2.56 ounces. (128/50), so you see my mix is greater than 50:1. I now use the Echo squeeze bottle and squeeze the container until it is at the 50:1 line. If you want to get a 50:1 mix with a 5L tank, just fill to the 40:1 line.
It is engineered to be accurate ratios even with the residual oil left if the container poured from..
32:1 rules if engine life means anything
Great video Dave!
Wow.. thats great to know Dave.. Thanks for the info buddy. I think your right, they probably add a bit extra to allow for a quick pour, lol
I always tip the little bottle into the 1 gallon can and leave it for a few hours while I’m doing other things. Then come back to it to go fill up with gas
not to drive you crazy but it could also be the measuring cup they are mass produced as well and numbers can be off idk just thowing it out there great video very interesting as usual
Interesting test. Personally I don’t think an extra 10ml of oil in 5100 ml of fuel mix will make one bit of difference.
Many states/provinces have requirements for meeting “filling” standards. If you advertise that you are selling 100 ml of oil then you need to deliver that. Because of fill variation, producers tend to slightly overfill to meet requirements. Your bonus of extra oil/container results in at least a 50:1 ratio and possibly richer 46:1 ratio.
Hey Richard - is there a list of that minimum anywhere?
Dave - I don’t have detailed info on that. Having worked in the chemical industry I do know that meeting filling standards was critical. Sophisticated delivery systems and software are used to ‘statistically’ meet requirements.
Every drop counts, which is why I measure everything in an Anchor measuring glass from Walmart. Consistency is the key to everything. I want my gas to approximate Stihl Moto Mix. At 50:1 my gas produces the same idle and WTO rpm as Stihl Ultra. That’s about as good as I can do. I see the Canadian bottles of Stihl oil are based upon 5 liters for a 50:1 mix ratio. Our containers are computed for a one gallon mix. With my system it does not matter because I always put 77 ml of oil in one gallon of gas. To hedge my bets I use 84 ml of Stihl Ultra per gallon of gas for a 45:1 mix ratio. My Stihl HP containers are clearly marked 77 ml and that is what they contain. I have measured them. Husqvarna XP oil also contains 77 ml of oil. Echo Red Armor also contains 77 ml, as does their Power Blend Gold oil.
Would I sound like a boffin id I suggested if you rely want to be accurate you would weigh the oil?
It seems you should get 100 ml of oil as long as you are sensible.
How carefully do you measure the gas part of the mix?
Will a tiny bit extra oil in the fuel only slightly detune the motor?
At least it will keep they lawyers happy.
Excellent very interesting
Thank you!
I have measured multiple Stihl brand 1 gal bottles, and they all came up short. should have been 2.6oz, but only had 2.3oz. They were the silver bottles though
the container varies is +/- 5%, they add 10% more oil for the intention that people aren't gonna sit there at the gas pump doing that, a car key puncture hole, stick in it the gas tank and then fill er up. I calibrated my measuring beaker and it was off 3%, I buy premix buy the quart and measure out in my pre calibrated beaker. way more cost effective and accurate then the pre measured bottles...
I use the same one i use 40:1 lucas semi synthetic in all my saws classic pro mac 700 to 545 mark 2
good stuff dave! subed
Thanks kindly!
And I always peel the foil all the way off and then when empty of oil, I add fuel and swirl it around to get it all out. a little smoke does not bother me a bit.
Quality video very helpful and informational✅
Thanks Ben!
It doesn’t need to be perfect; it’s not the space shuttle. But if it makes you happy to measure perfectly, then you do you.