No, but if there are no pumps in your area that are ethanol free (such as my area), high octane will run better in 2 stroke engines. EVERY Stihl dealer and every equipment rental dealer in our area tell every customer to use high octane gas ONLY. If you do not want to buy the expensive pre-mix, then high octane is the answer.
If you live in an area where you can buy gas without ethanol, then you could probably use regular gas. I don't know as I doubt I will ever have that choice. The ethanol lobby is still strong in Ontario.
Like he said, Octane is an ENTIRELY separate issue. The only relation they have is that ethanol is an octane booster and if you have access to a E-free gas it's most often premium (high octane) but that isn't really a connection between the two, just a nature of the fuel markets & fuel stations and how they work. Most OPE/saw manufacturers recommend 89 minimum octane (some higher yet).
Ethanol also make our engines run at an elevated temp as compared to straight petrol- another hitch in the get-a-long.
If your engines are running hotter it's likely because you didn't adjust for the lower BTU content of ethanol blended fuels and you are actually running LEANER, which causes the engine to run hotter. Properly adjust your AFR and the problem will disappear. Using that as a comparison, or "bashing point" of ethanol blends is a bit disingenuous.
Like a carbonated drink that has been open and re-closed it goes flat in a short amount of time + leaving deposits in its wake that plug things up.
Ethanol goes flat? Please, show me some credible evidence of such a radical claim... this could get interesting...
I'll disregard the rest of your comments; some of them are irrelevant to this discussion, some of them are liable to incite a riot, and believe it or not, I believe some of them are true...
My results -- no issues in all of the years that ethanol has been here. If I had some older engines I might be more concerned as I have read stories of the ethanol eating up old rubber gaskets, hoses, etc. and cleaning out the varnish in gas tanks and gumming things up . . . but again . . . this is older equipment.
I've had the same results: no problems. I believe the ethanol hatred all stems from a few very simple problems, all of which can be corrected or avoid (some more cheaply than others)
#1 Ethanol is a solvent: regular gas (e-free) DOES leave varnish deposits on fuel systems. Years of those deposits built up, and then ethanol fuels came along, broke those deposits down and flushed them into places where they could wreak havoc on the fuel delivery system. That isn't a "fault" of ethanol, it is a side-effect of switching to a fuel that cleans the fuel system AS it works.
#2 Ethanol can break down some rubbers and plastics: On older vehicles these non compatible rubbers etc would break down and lead to a costly repair bill. Don't run ethanol blends if you think your fuel system may have this problem. That being said, just about ALL cars on the road today have compatible fuel systems, they've been making them that way since he 80's...
#3 Ethanol has a lower BTU content per gallon: If the carb/fuel system isn't adjusted for this it will run lean which means it will run hot and possibly cause damage. Take a moment to comprehend the issue, make adjustments, and you shouldn't have any problems.
#4 Ethanol is a solvent: it can, in some limited circumstances, cause lubrication issues because it can remove lubricants. That is a NON issue today because 2-stroke oils are compatible and there is a continuous supply of oil mixed in the gas so the solvent nature of ethanol actually acts as a good delivery system for the lubricant vice removing it.
IMHO: the issues of ethanol based corrosion, ethanol drawing moisture (to the point of phase-separation), and ethanol evaporating away faster are all OVERBLOWN; the reason this is even an issue is because of poor fuel storage. Blame the true cause, you (being anybody that doesn't properly store fuel) are too lazy to properly store your fuel or you've been misled by lore/rumor and are not storing your fuel properly which causes issues; grow up and store your fuel like a big boy and you won't have those issues.
#1 rule to storing any fuel is to store in in an air-tight container. ANY fuel, whether it contains ethanol or not, will lose it's more volatile fractions if left in an open air container. I suspect this would be the above "going flat" comment. That happens with gas too. The "problem" occurs when the ethanol is that volatile fraction because it is also the primary octane boosting component in the fuel and therefore when it's gone you end up with VERY low octane fuel. Store in an air-tight container and you won't lose that. Guess what
! When you store in an airtight container it can't draw moisture either.... it's a win-win.
FWIW, I've stored ethanol blend fuels for well over 2 years in an airtight container in my shed and NEVER had any issues.
. Now they are messing with my diesel fuel. Pullin the sulfur out ( dang boy, its a lubricant) next thing ya no they will be pullin it out of my free machining steel as well 
