Generators ! What octane gas ?

[Goomph]

Hi folks !

I have a dinky Yard Works 950 watt generator. Just for emergencies.

Yesterday as I was loading the truck for my camping trip to Indiana, as usual I fired up the generator to make sure she was still working. I then connected my small space heater to it at its low setting and the generator basically said overloaded and cut the power off. I tried several times with the same results.

Then itoccured to me that I had 87 octane gas in it. And my snow blower simply refuses to run with 87 octane gas. so I filled the generator with 91 octane gas and started it up. To my surprise it was able to keep the heater going at low setting with 91 octane gas.

Thus the question, what octane gas do you use in your generators ? Did you ever find that it made a difference in performance of the generator ?

[Len & Cheri]

I've always used 87 octane with no problems. Mine is Champion which I think is only a 3500 watt that I have used to run the A/C and items in the TT. Maybe the fuel in the generator was old?

[TURBS]

I use 89 .
Stay away from ethanol!

Turbs

[Goomph]

I make sure it uses the gas in it on a regular basis but I am sure it was a few months old gas I tested with yesterday. I read that these small engines really dislike ethanol, maybe it was the ethanol ? I hope using the gas with ethanol did not do any damage ?

[wyo700]

As stated above do not use gas with ethanol when it comes to these small engines ethanol eats them alive. I have a onboard Onan genset on my toy hauler and I fill the tank with non ethanol 91 octane and I have never had a problem starting or running with Ac on or anything else. The other reason I use 91 is I also use the same gas for my quads and that is all I have ever run in them and the generator runs off the same tank.

[Bennington Camper]

If you have to use gas that has a blend of ethanol, then there are fuel stabilizers that you can buy to add that will help.
I run this mix all the time in my Honda gennies, year round.

[TURBS]

Startron or seafoam comes to mind.

[fast murray]

87 in my honda 2000, I never run ethanol in anything.

[Kordog]

For my small engines I usually use Premium, small engines don't use a lot of fuel and the better gas will keep em cleaner longer.

[viperjpm2]

where do you guys find gas without ethanol?

[elind]

I was told by a BP gas station owner that the 87 octane ethanol fuels break down quickly. He said to use something like Seafoam to stabilize the fuel or use the ethanol free fuel (91 octane). Reason to buy fuel as needed.

[RamblerGuy]

Try this web site to locate ethanol free gasoline.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

You can check prices on the web site:

GasBuddy.com - Find Low Gas Prices in the USA and Canada