When it comes to your lawn mower, there’s always a confusion about what type of gas is best for your mower. Sometimes, people come to my mechanic shop because they have challenges with their mowers.
Some users use the wrong gasoline and end up with a bad mower. Will high octane gas hurt a lawn mower? We have different types of gas, such as:
- Regular gas
- Premium gas
Regular gas is highly recommended for your lawn mower and is inexpensive and available. Using the premium gas on a small engine is not necessary as the premium gas is mainly used for engines with a higher compression ratio like in high-powered cars.
Although the premium gas will still work fine on your lawn mower, it is quite expensive. It is important to note that using the premium gas for your lawn mower will not provide any additional benefits.
To know what fuel type is best for your mower, follow the owner’s manual.
Will high octane gas hurt a lawn mower?
Generally, you can use any available gas octane number for your mower except those at the diesel section. Using higher octane numbers will not improve the performance of your mower, but they can still be used, especially in rare cases where lower octane numbers are unavailable.
One important thing to look out for is the amount of ethanol in the gas. This number is usually displayed on the front of the gas pumps.
The octane number
Octane number is defined as the measurement of the knock resistance of a fuel. Fuels that have higher octane numbers will permit the use of equally higher compression ratios.
In summary, for high performance engines that compress the mixture better than normal engines, higher octane numbers are appropriate.
Use a fuel stabilizer
If you would like to preserve the status of your engine, one of the best ways to achieve this is by adding a fuel stabilizer to your fuel. The STA-BIL is an example of a good fuel stabilizer that works in all gasoline and ethanol-blended fuels.
Premium gas for lawn mowers
“Premium” simply refers to something of better or higher quality. Unlike regular fuel, there is a common assumption among people that since it is regarded as premium fuel, it will have extra benefits for your lawn mower such as:
- Increased lifetime for your engine
- Decreased emissions and
- Improved performance
Using a premium fuel will not give your mower more power or improve its performance but will flatten your wallet.
Generally, there are factors that affect the nature of fuels and how well they work. First, you need to consider the type of engine that the fuel is inside.
Using a fuel with a low octane number for a high-performance engine will cause the engine to perform poorly. You will be amazed at how well your engine performs with that same fuel octane number on an engine that is not high-performance.
If your lawn mower requires regular fuel, best believe that your mower will still behave the same way even if you use premium fuel.
In the United States, a great number of car engines make use of regular gas. However, to avoid your high performance engines from knocking, many peopl buy fuels with higher octane rating.
Premium starting fluid
The premium starting fluid allows engines to start with little or excess amount of fuel. Why does premium gas cost more than regular gas?
While premium gas and regular gas have similar functions and can be used for your lawn mower, the premium gas is difficult to produce unlike the regular fuel.
It’s not just about the octane number
Aside from being concerned with the octane number of the fuel, it is also very important to consider the ethanol concentration. Ethanol easily absorbs moisture, which can lead to many problems with your carburetor.
As such, it is advised that you include no more than 10% of ethanol into your fuel mix. Otherwise, you can encounter difficulties while trying to start your mower.
If you use the fuel frequently, you may not have any issues relating to the ethanol concentration.
The Ethanol-free fuel for 4-cycle engine is pre-blended and can be used for several outdoor equipment.
How to know what fuel to use in your lawn mower
The best way to know the fuel that is good for your lawn mower is by going through the owner’s manual. Usually, the manufacturers recommend a certain type of fuel for your mower.
However, if that has been omitted, you should Google the serial number of the mower so that you can have enough information on the specific requirements for the mower’s engine
With the wrong type of fuel, you can damage the internal components of your mower and inquire a lot of costs trying to get them fixed.
The premium gas is used for high powered cars and helps them to run efficiently and smoothly. It is more expensive than other types of gas.
Using the premium gas on a small lawnmower engine is unnecessary as it does not provide any extra benefits to your mower.
FAQs
What octane gas should you use in a lawn mower?
For your lawn mower, there are basic requirements for the fuel to use. These include:
- The fuel must have a minimum octane number of 87
- Gasoline, which have up to 10% ethanol (gasohol) or up to 15% MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), is suitable.
- The fuel must be clean, fresh, and unleaded
Can I use 91 Octane in my lawn mower?
Since smaller engines have lower compression rates, using a gas with a higher octane rating will not have any special effects on the engine. In most cases, using premium fuels on your small engines can make it difficult for your mower to start.
To be on the safe side, it is better to use regular gas.
Can I use 98 octane in my lawn mower?
You can use any available gas octane rating for your mower. Using higher octane numbers will not improve the efficiency or performance of your mower.
However, they can still be used especially in rare cases where lower octane numbers are unavailable.