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Proper gas for small engines!

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LoneWolf:

Hopefully this will answer all questions ... it's directly from Tanaka's website :  ;D

Q. How can Tanaka Perfect Mix® accommodate my other brands of power equipment that require a different ratio than 50:1?
A. Oil is a blend of components. The bulk of it is a base stock, which is oil, but its primary purpose is not to lubricate, but rather to blend with, and carry, additives that provide specific functions. The most important additive is the one that provides the lubricity. Some people refer to this additive as "bright-stock".  The base oil also can blend with and carry other additives designed to accomplish different things. For example, quality oils have an additive that helps maintain the integrity of the gasoline should it be stored as mixed fuel for extended periods. Another additive may help reduce exhaust smoke. 

Oil took on a marketing theme many years ago. A company who made brand A product also sells oil. How do they protect their oil business and prevent customers from buying the competitors oil? Let's say for the sake of argument that an oil blend requires X amount of the lubricity additive to adequately run an engine. The manufacturer would then formulate an oil blend with the amount of additives to reach that level when mixed at the odd ratio they prescribe for their product. As you've seen, there are 16:1, 25:1, 32:1, 40:1 42:1, 50:1, etc. However, if you analyzed these oils, you'd find very similar amounts of the actual ingredients needed to provide the life allowing lubricity (even at these odd ratios). This has been a very effective way of convincing a customer who bought a unit requiring two cycle oil to buy their brand of oil. Who wants to take a chance on a $500 machine?? If it says 42:1, the customer assumes he needs to seek out a 42:1 oil.

Tanaka Perfect Mix® is what's referred to as a one-mix oil. The oil is formulated so that when mixed at 50:1, or 2.6 ounces per gallon of fuel, it contains enough of the life-giving additives to work in any of these engines. Additionally, it goes a long way in simplifying the mixing of the oil with the self measuring bottle. There are other one-mix types of oil that mix at a ratio of 100:1. Most people would look at that and think that there simply isn't enough oil to allow the engine to survive, but again, it's not the amount of base stock that is the important issue. It's what is contained within the blend. Their blend has higher percentage of the additive than does an oil that mixes at 25:1.

One consideration to all of this is that some engines are simply not well made. Typically products sold through mass-merchandisers such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. sell products designed for very low performance and limited engine life. They differ considerably in construction, using stamped connecting rods, non-plated cylinders, bushings where bearings belong, etc. These engines will not survive for extended periods with any oil - they're simply not designed to. In many cases, if a customer gets less than 50 hours of operation from such an engine, then the product has met the objective of the manufacturer. Oil cannot overcome quality / design issues to that extent.

This can be a very confusing situation, and the engine industry has to take the blame for complicating the issue. We would like to take a little credit for simplifying it.

Grizzly1:
Thank You LoneWolf for your undying commitment to our sport and the product insight/research you provide ;)

-Grizz

Walltrout:
Thanks for the info.  Being fairly new to using 2-cycle engines, this answered some of the questions I had.

Waltrout

Zee:
I am a huge fan of Opti-2 at 100:1. Less smoke, higher revs.

LoneWolf:



Thank you Grizz .. I just try to help when I can.  :)


--- Quote from: Zee on Dec 07, 2006, 10:23 AM ---I am a huge fan of Opti-2 at 100:1. Less smoke, higher revs.

--- End quote ---

I originally used the Opti-2 a few years back but switched to the Amsoil Saber. The Saber does the same .. less smoke, higher revs and less oil out of the muffler. I've used alot of the Amsoil products for years .. synthetic motor oil, gear oil, trans fluid, etc. and have found them to be a superior product so I decided to go with the Saber last season and I'm very happy with it.


 

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