I've had my 460 rancher almost 3 years now and have never ran anything but Husquvarna 2 cycle oil and 90 octane non ethanol gas. I was cleaning my garage and found 2 large unopened bottles of 2 stroke oil. One Poulan brand and the other Walmart brand (SuperTech). My wife and I are both out of work and not wanting to spend any more money than we have to. So my question is, does anyone see any issue using these oils? I have a tons of trees to cut and figure this is a good opportunity to use up this oil I found without having to buy the OEM stuff. What is your opinion or experience using cheaper s cycle oil?
Husquvarna 2 cycle oil vs store brand 2 cycle oil.
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I like to use the husqvarna oil in my saws too. But I'd use if I found it anyway why not? I think husqvarna owns poulan anyway probably packaged right In building
lsucet
Minister of Fire
Maybe the oil is okay but the gas you will be getting for the mix will not be okay. That's the only downside I see.
Sawset
Minister of Fire
There are things that will ruin a saw enough to require a rebuild. Improper oils, overheating, and running the fuel mixture lean are a few. Keep the chain sharp, run it slightly rich, use a good grade synthetic oil, high octane gas, non ethonol.
What you suggest may work. Or it may not. Cheap oils can have high carbon content and low flash point. Some say most damage to two strokes occurs at the top 100deg of engine temps. Run it a little too hot for a short time and you would have wished for a higher grade synthetic oil. Pull the muffler and get a look. Try it - its easy to get a peek. Compare with photos of what a clean and sound engine should look like. Now run some low cost oil through it and run it hard. Get a look. Makes a guy want to spend a little up front.
It may run alright - for a while.
Carbon scored piston:
![[Hearth.com] Husquvarna 2 cycle oil vs store brand 2 cycle oil.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/0216201551-webp.259100/ "[Hearth.com] Husquvarna 2 cycle oil vs store brand 2 cycle oil.")
![[Hearth.com] Husquvarna 2 cycle oil vs store brand 2 cycle oil.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/0218201848-webp.259101/ "[Hearth.com] Husquvarna 2 cycle oil vs store brand 2 cycle oil.")
View with the muffler cover removed:
![[Hearth.com] Husquvarna 2 cycle oil vs store brand 2 cycle oil.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/0201201711-webp.259102/ "[Hearth.com] Husquvarna 2 cycle oil vs store brand 2 cycle oil.")
What you suggest may work. Or it may not. Cheap oils can have high carbon content and low flash point. Some say most damage to two strokes occurs at the top 100deg of engine temps. Run it a little too hot for a short time and you would have wished for a higher grade synthetic oil. Pull the muffler and get a look. Try it - its easy to get a peek. Compare with photos of what a clean and sound engine should look like. Now run some low cost oil through it and run it hard. Get a look. Makes a guy want to spend a little up front.
Cheap low grade oils can lead to carbon buildup and scoring.
It may run alright - for a while.
Carbon scored piston:
View with the muffler cover removed:
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I think I'll just spring for a bottle of Husquvarna oil.
Its a good half hour to where i get my non ethenol gas so keep a lot on had. 30 gallons at least. I don't think I want to risk my good saw with the cheap stuff. I'll save the other stuff for the weed whacker and leaf blower and spring for a bottle of husky oil.
I'm not a chainsaw mechanic, but I've run quaker state 2 stroke oil for 7 years now in my stihl farm boss. I've always used regular unleaded too. Are there any more rules to break? Saw starts easy and runs great. (I got it used, maybe 10 years old now?) I do run some sea foam in it now and then. If you want to get rid of the oil, I'll take it!
you do know that the weed wacker and leaf blower have the same 2 cycle engine design.
If you feel its no good for the saw then you shouldn't use it in other 2 cycles,the same damage is possible in the other 2 cycles.
Personally i would use it and never worry about it.
If you feel its no good for the saw then you shouldn't use it in other 2 cycles,the same damage is possible in the other 2 cycles.
Personally i would use it and never worry about it.
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
I took a peak a long time ago at my 346XP piston through the exhaust port running Husqvarna XP oil @50:1 and then again after running Bel-Ray H1R @32:1 for awhile. The difference was night and day. You could see the nice shiny film on everything, and the exhaust port was clean as could be. All I run now is H1R at 32:1. I use it in all my 2 stroke equipment.
Don't need high octane, but that's what I run as that's all they offer around here which is non-ethanol. I'd be running 87 octane non-ethanol in a heartbeat if I could find it.
Don't need high octane, but that's what I run as that's all they offer around here which is non-ethanol. I'd be running 87 octane non-ethanol in a heartbeat if I could find it.
You have me curious I'll have to take a peak at my saws I have a 372 and a 346 that I bought brand new and only used husqvarna oil and either mo gas or 100 LL in mine
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
Mine back then, in comparison, looked much drier. There was not much of a visible oil film compared to what I saw with the H1R.
My Husky dealer told me when I bought mine about 7 years ago to only run synthetic oil in it or it would void the warranty. I buy whatever brand, but always synthetic. Way past warranty, but still runs well...
Medic21
Minister of Fire
Nothing wrong with ethanol gas if you drain it after every use. The ethanol does its damage sitting in the tank and carb.
I've always heard this advice for small engines....but I've never experienced the "damage" personally. I simply try to use fresh gas often and usually use my saw every couple months in the off season. Other's experiences may differ however.
Medic21
Minister of Fire
It just eats away the gaskets and seals in the carb. If you let it set for over a year there will be a lot of deposits and corrosion but, no actual damage to the engine.
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
Ethanol is also hygroscopic, IOW, it absorbs water. I have tested for ethanol in the past by doing a simple test which relies on it's hygroscopic properties to prove its existence.
Sean McGillicuddy
Minister of Fire
Any engine I own that does not get used for over a year will be put on Craigslist! The fewer engines I need to maintain the better.
Medic21
Minister of Fire
Never used the stuff. Way too expensive to even think about when I go through 10gal of mixed just through the chainsaws each year.
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
How much wood do you cut a year?! I cut 10+ cord this winter and I don't think I even ran 2.5 gallons worth through my ported saws.
Medic21
Minister of Fire
I burn 15+ A year. I also do a lot of cutting with others. I mix 5 gal in the fall and 5 gal in the spring average each year. Now that I’m running the 462 almost exclusively I’ve noticed an increase in fuel consumption too.
I do know that they are the same thing but they are old and junky and I havea small pile of weed whackers and a few leaf blowers that people just give me when they stop working. I only run the weedwhacker about 15 hours a season and the leaf blower about 2 hours to blow out the rain gutters, down spouts and pipes twice a year. They both take 40:1 and the saw calls for 50:1 so i mix up a gallon of 40:1 for them each spring, I don't suppose that 40:1 would hurtmy saw any. But the manual states 50:1 so thats what I run. They guy down the road gave 2 saws that were laying in his barn. a poulan pro 40cc 18" that only needed a fuel line and the plug cleaned, and a McCulloch 380 that I haven't messed with yet. And the Poulan takes 40:1 so Imight end up mixing up a gallon with the good oil since the saw is in really good shape. What do you guys think about running 40:1 in my Husquvarna 460 rancher?
I had an old (1951) Johnson Sea Horse outboard that called for 32:1 boy did that thing smoke. It always ran strong just seemed to get through spark plugs kind of fast. Have you had any problems with soot clogging up the spark arrestor/muffler?
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
not if you run a good oil. Like I said above. I run 32:1 H1R in everything and the exhaust ports on my saws are clean. Never fouled a plug.
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