Should I use regular or premium gas in my lawn mower? Since I cannot do without gas in my mower, I want to know the right gas to use.
Whether your lawn mower is old or brand new, gasoline is important to get your engine up and running. One important thing I have refused to overlook is the kind of gasoline I use for my engine.
For instance, my small engine has very specific needs on the kind of fuel that it requires. With many different pumps at a gas station, determining the right one to choose can be quite difficult.
As there are different fuel types, labeling, and price range, getting details about the fuel you buy can be a bit tricky. Below is an overview of some of the different fuel types and the type that is best for your lawn mower.
The Fuel To Use in Your Lawn Mower
The properties of a good fuel for your lawn mower include:
- Unleaded gasoline which have an octane rating of at least 87
- an ethanol content of 10% or less
Many regular, mid-range and premium unleaded gasoline fuels meet these requirements.
This applies to both 2 strike and 4 strike engines. 2 strike engines run using a mixture of unleaded gasoline and two cycle engine oil while the 4 strike engines only run on gasoline.
Most lawn mowers usually use regular gas. Regardless, it should be noted that not all regular gas have the exact same octane. Regular gas has 87 octane which can be used to effectively run all lawn mowers.
Here is a description of the characteristics of the different types of fuel that can be used for the engine of your lawn mower.
Regular Unleaded Gasoline
Regular unleaded gasoline as its name implies is the most commonly used type of fuel. It is rated at 87 octane and can be found in all gas stations.
The regular unleaded gasoline is the lower at octane gasoline which can be purchased and as such, it is the cheapest gas available.
In any lawn mower or small engine, this is the lowest octane gasoline that should be used.
Mid-Range Unleaded Gasoline
Mid-range unleaded gasoline are gasoline which have octane ratings between 88 and 90. They are mostly sold as “plus” fuels or “mid-range” fuels.
Unlike the regular unleaded gasoline, this gasoline has a higher octane level and it can handle more compression as well.
If you’re at a gas station and they have gas with an octane rating less than 87, then it is much better for you to get the mid range or premium fuel option even though these are more expensive options.
Premium Unleaded Gasoline
The premium unleaded gasoline (also known as High octane gasoline) has an octane level that is rated at 91. A lot of gas companies usually offer 92 or 93 octane fuel as the more expensive options, although this is quite rare.
Since it’s octane rating is high, many car manufacturers usually recommend the use of premium unleaded gas. But for lawn mowers, the use of premium unleaded gas is debatable. Personally, using premium unleaded gas for your lawn mower is not really necessary.
Regardless, based on your preferences, you can still use high octane unleaded gas for your small engines if you want to.
Non-Oxygenated Gasoline
Before explaining what non-oxygenated gasoline is, it is important to understand the oxygenated gas. Majority of the gasoline that people use is oxygenated.
This simply means that oxygenates have been combined with the fuel in order to improve the combustion reaction and the octane ratings. As a result, the exhaust emissions are drastically reduced.
Ethanol is the most popular type of fuel additive which contains oxygenates. A good number of all oxygenated gasoline possess ethanol.
On the other hand, non oxygenated gasoline is gasoline that does not have any ethanol combined in it.
Lawn mower fuels
Recommended Gasoline for Use
If you are still wondering which fuel is best for your lawn mower, then a personal recommendation would be the regular unleaded gasoline and the non-oxygenated gasoline.
Although these two fuels are different from each other, they are ideal under certain circumstances
When should you use regular unleaded gasoline? I will recommend that you use the regular unleaded gasoline for push mowers. Although it has a lower octane rating, it can act like a mid-range and premium fuel.
Also, you get to save more money since the regular unleaded is a much cheaper option. Another good reason is that there is really no need to make use of higher compression ratings of the more expensive fuels for lawn mower engines.
FAQs
When should you use non-oxygenated gasoline?
Before considering whether or not you should use the non-oxygenated gasoline, you may need to first find a place where you can get it. Non-oxygenated gasoline is not very common and are not easily found in gas stations. However, it is a great fuel option for mowers of all types.
Personally, non-oxygenated gasoline can be used in the riding lawn mower. With this, moisture will not be able to get into the fuel system especially since the riding lawn mower is quite expensive.
Should I use regular or premium gas in my lawn mower?
Since many mowers use regular gas, you can use it for your lawn mower. It should be noted that not all regular gas have the same octane ratings.
Generally, regular gas has an octane rating of 87, which is suitable for use in all lawn mowers.
Should you use premium gas in your lawn mower?
You can use premium gas for your lawn mower. It does not cause any damage to your lawn mower and works perfectly but a downside to using them premium gasoline is that you’ll be wasting money as it is quite expensive.
Due to the price, many people think that the premium gas improves the fuel efficiency or performance in motors but this is not true. The regular gas will give the same results as the premium gas for your lawn mower.
Is premium gas better for small engines?
No. Unlike bigger engines, small engines are not built with high compression ratios. This means that whether or not you use a regular gas, there is no risk of engine knock.
In addition, premium gas is quite expensive and still gives the same results as the regular gas.