I bought some rec gas about 8 months ago for another thing I didn’t use it for, and I’m pretty sure I stupidly did not add any stabilizer to it.
Now I want to cut the grass and I’m low on regular 89 octane. Would the rec gas still be good? I believe it lasts longer than gas with ethanol added, right? I believe the rec gas is also higher than 89 octane- is that fine for a zero-turn mower 4 stroke engine?
I’ve used regular ol’ gas that’s 7 months old in a mower. Didn’t have any problems. I’m thinking that, as long as it’s been sealed and moisture hasn’t gotten it, you’ll be fine.
Cool. I still have about a 1/4 tank or a bit less of fresher gas in the mower, so I figure if I add about the same amount of old rec gas I’ll be good, and half a tank should get me though one mow.
Thanks!
What is “rec gas”?
Ordinary automobile gasoline doesn’t get bad nearly as fast as folks persist in believing. What does happen is gas sitting in primitive carburetors gums up the carb which prevent running or at least make for bad running. Fresh gas in a gummed-up carb may or may not run and may or may not eventually dissolve enough gum to improve running.
IMO gasoline having a ~2 month shelf life is a 1970s old wives’tale at this point.
I believe “rec gas” is “recreational gas” and associated with racing and marine use, and is typically higher octane than regular. (I had to look it up.)
As for gas going bad, I used to routinely keep gas for the lawn mower over the winter and use it again next summer – sometimes until the end of summer, so some of that gas would occasionally be well over a year old. Never added anything to it, never had a problem.
Yes. It also has no added ethanol.
Just finished mowing and the mower engine ran just fine on the 8 month old rec gas.
I had also asked a friend about it and he said if it still smells like gasoline and not turpentine or paint thinner it’s probably still good.
I usually try to add old gas to some fresher gas. But I think your friend is right, if it smells like gas it will be good enough for a lawn mower. It should also be fine adding a gallon or two to a mostly filled car’s gas tank.
Yep, take a whiff. Spoiled gasoline smells particularly nasty. Paint or varnish-like odors mean it is completely oxidized. Do not try to dilute with fresh gasoline when this happens.
During the height of the pandemic I went 22 months between fill-ups on my motorcycle, and didn’t have a single problem. It always started instantly and ran fine.
Several caveats. I live in a very dry climate, so no water condensing into the tank; it’s fuel injected, so no bowls to dry out and leave varnish behind; and it was garaged on a tender when not being used.
Solid.
Well, no. If the gasoline has congealed into a solid it’s definitely not good. 