Fuels for Landscaping Equipment

 

2-stroke engine vs. 4-stroke engine

I am going to talk about two types of engines first before delving into the main topic in this post, “fuels”.

We can categorize the engine types into 2-stroke (2-cycle) engine and 4-stroke (4-cycle) engine. To operate an equipment, there are a lot of things happening inside the engine in just a second. The piston moves up and down inside the cylinder, enabling the air and gas to be filled into the cylinder, compressed, ignited, and expelled through the exhaust valve. This whole process is called combustion cycle. And a stroke means the movement of a piston from top to bottom, or vice versa. So, by definition, a 2-stroke engine completes the combustion cycle in 2 strokes of the piston while a 4-stroke engine completes it in 4 strokes.

 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

 

A 2-stroke engine is usually used in smaller and lighter equipment such as a blower or a trimmer. In contrast, heavier equipment such as large lawn mowers have a 4-stroke engine. Gasoline and oil mix is required in a 2-stroke engine as the oil lubricates the internal moving parts of the engine. On the other hand, a 4-stroke engine doesn’t require fuel and oil mix as the equipment has a separate oil system from the fuel.

 

 

Fuel types

There are four types of fuel used in landscaping equipment: unleaded gasoline, oil-mixed fuel, clear diesel, and dyed diesel. Unleaded gasoline is the most common fuel in landscaping. This fuel is used in a 4-stroke engine as I mentioned above, and it is also called straight gasoline to distinguish it from oil-mixed gasoline. Usually, there are several grades of unleaded gasoline ranging from 87 to 94 octane. These octane ratings are the measures of fuel stability. The higher the rating is, the more stability it implies. Most manufacturers require a minimum of 89 octane to run in the equipment to maintain the warranty. The next type of fuel is fuel mixed with oil which is often called mixed gas. This fuel is used in a 2-stroke engine. The oil mixed in the fuel lubricates the engine; the engine will quickly overheat and be badly damaged without the oil. The last fuel type is diesel which is used in equipment that requires more power. And it’s more fuel efficient. I am not going to delve into diesel in this post. But I must mention that there are two types of diesel: clear diesel and dyed diesel. Clear diesel is a normal diesel fuel used in trucks while dyed diesel is usually for non-road equipment such as tractors and loaders.

 

2-stroke engine oil. Source: Wikimedia Commons

 

 

How to mix 2-stroke fuel

When mixing fuel and oil, it’s best to add the oil to the fuel container for a thorough mixing. Then gently shake the fuel container. Using the correct oil such as 2-stroke engine oil is important, not the motor oil which is usually used in 4-stroke engine. Depending on the equipment, the required ratio of gasoline to oil varies. We must strictly follow the ratio. Now, let’s do some exercises while showcasing our mathematic skills. There is a power blower which requires a 50:1 gas/oil mix. How many milliliters (ml) of 2-stroke engine oil should be added to 5 liters (L) of gasoline? The gas/oil ratio is 50:1=5,000(ml):x(ml). The x is the amount of 2-stroke engine oil to be added, and it is 5,000/50=100ml. To simplify, we can say that the amount of 2-stroke engine oil needed is equal to the amount of gasoline/the ratio of gasoline to oil.

 

Of course, the most important thing is staying safe while handling fuel. And this topic deserves to be covered in a separate post.

 

 

 

<Reference>

Landscape Ontario, GROW Training Program: “Fuels and Mixes Theory”

Greenius, “Engines and Fuel Basics”

Berryman, What’s the difference between 2-stroke & 4-stroke engines?

(https://www.berrymanproducts.com/two-stroke-vs-four-stroke-engines/#:~:text=Two%2Dstroke%20engines%20are%20a,the%204%2Dstrokes%20do%20not.)

Prime Source, The difference between a 2-stroke and 4-stroke engine

(https://primesourceco.com/latest-news/the-difference-between-a-2-stroke-and-4-stroke-engine/)

Driving 4 answers, The Only Video You'll Ever Need to Watch to Know how 4 Stroke and 2 Stroke Engines Work and Differ

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKUEZY3R3cI)