[adal]

Can anyone tell me please why you can not use motorcycle 2 stroke oil in a Petrol stimmer I was given a full bottle of motorbike 2 stroke oil but when I took a look at the manual it says. Do not use any type of pre-mixed petrol/oil from service stations this includes the pre-mixed petrol/oil intended for the use in Mopeds motorcycle. ect.
Also Do not use 2 stroke outboard oil

[smud6ie]

this answers the marine oil part      http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090814075857AAzR7Wi
smud6ie

[Gwiz]

That's quite interesting. Could you tell us what machine you have, as it might have some bearing on what it says in the manual.
I'd always recommend using a good quality oil like stihl HP, HP Super or HP Ultra in two stroke machines. However, some Stihl machines are now fitted with a "Fourmix" engine that should only use HP Super or ULtra as the lower priced HP has a tendancy to clog them up.

I suppose that you should be careful of the two stroke from a garage as it could be meant for water cooled engines as well.........It's not a problem I've come accross before :blink: It would be interesting to look into it further.

[mike1987]

what about te oil sold as motercycle oil for mixing ive got a liter bottle of it in the shed

[hamstergbert]

What does your manual define as being the correct oil:petrol ratio to use - it may well be that this mix is significantly different from the premixes usually avaialable.   Using the wrong mix can be quite dodgy - in 2-stroke paramotor engines the oil to petrol ratio changes over time with one set of ratios early on in a new engine and a gradual stabilising on a different ration as the engine beds in an the results of using the wrong mixes can range from simply seriously oiled plug, marked power loss etc through to over-lean burn that can burn holes in pistons surprisingly quickly!

Another consideration is that 2-stroke mix is best done fresh - prolonged storage of premixed fuel - like over winter for instance - results in partial or complete breakdown of the mix and is best avoided.

[Gwiz]

what about te oil sold as motercycle oil for mixing ive got a liter bottle of it in the shed

To be safe,  I'd check the specs on the bottle of oil against what the engine maker says in the manual. I'd get rid of the oil if it's been hanging around for a while as well just to be on the safe side. As a repairer of engines, I couldn't stress too strongly that you follow the makers recommendations. Generally speaking, unless the machine is very new, if you seize it up and can't fix it yourself, it's not going to be worth doing cost-wise, so using the best oil you can afford makes a lot of sense.

[adal]

the petrol srimmer is homelite f-2020 with a ratio of 50 - 1 mix not the Rolls-Royce of strimmer's but it works all the time

[Swed]

Simpel answer:
- bikes/scooters/mopeds "low-rev" engines (not really true today...)
- trimmers, "very high revs".
E.g.
* JLO 370cc engine operates at 3000rpm = any engine oil will do as "2-stroke oil"
* Stihl/Husquarna etc 37cc trimmer engines operates at 10 000-14 000rpm = only special 2-stoke oil for high rpm engines will lubricate the bearings and especially the piston and barrell. Poor oil-film/-quallity will brake... and when it brakes, a new engine will be needed...


2-stroke oils were once simple... today, its a ... mess.

http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services/on_the_road/oils_lubricants/advance/product_range/two_stroke/

http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services/on_the_road/oils_lubricants/advance/product_range/two_stroke/#subtitle_1

2 STROKE ANIMATION - click on the 2-stoke tab, it opens in with the 4-stoke animation:
http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services/on_the_road/oils_lubricants/advance/getting_more/

I am sorry that I simply can not find the data-sheets/folders from Shell any more - really messy homesite!
Anyway - read up very carefully on the quallities of the oils you are considering!
Call the manufaturers - ask for advice and recommendations.

I do recommend that you use the best 2-stroke oil available; costs a bit more, but saves the engine!
On engines labled 1:50 I use 1:40 and on those lables 1:40 I used 1:30-35.  On older engines lable 1:20 I use 1:20 since the moderns 2-stroke oils for high-revolution engins are so much better than the oils used when those engines were manufactured; on low-revovution engines I may even use 1:30 instead of 1:20 (like on theJLO 370cc and the like from the 50:ties and 60:ties up to the mid 1980:ties).

Just be carefull.
It is better to use 1% more than recommended - gives a bit of blue-smoke but saves the engine.

[mike1987]

what about te oil sold as motercycle oil for mixing ive got a liter bottle of it in the shed

To be safe,  I'd check the specs on the bottle of oil against what the engine maker says in the manual. I'd get rid of the oil if it's been hanging around for a while as well just to be on the safe side. As a repairer of engines, I couldn't stress too strongly that you follow the makers recommendations. Generally speaking, unless the machine is very new, if you seize it up and can't fix it yourself, it's not going to be worth doing cost-wise, so using the best oil you can afford makes a lot of sense.

the letters and numbers on the bottle of shel moterbike oil are the same as the ones on the empty strimmer oil so im assumeing that its safe to use in the strimmer

[adal]

Has any of the member’s used Oregon 2 Stroke oil 50-1 mix and if so is this a good oil

[Gwiz]

It's as good as any of the lower priced ones.
I'd use it.

[Vit]

Oil? Lovely topic  let's do some theory first. Waht is oil for? It's a lubricant. But in 2-stroke engines it's little bit tricky - it should lubricate, but do not clogg the sparkplug and channels, which mean "burned almost without ash". Leave all adz for marketoids, in my experience 2 main types of 2-stroke oil exist 1)to mix 1:20(usually red or "colorless") and 2)1:50(usually green or blue). about a week ago i bought some 2-stroke oil for the 50cc scooter - surprize surprize - color is green. Sales people saying "DO NOT" but can not explain why. So... just keep proportion and don't forget - 2-stroke oil for fuel, not for clutch!!!

[hamstergbert]

2-stroke oil ......not for clutch!!!

?
wakarimasen!

[Vit]

1)some 2-stroke motorbikes have "oil bath" for clutch
2)about revs - 50cc motorbikes(not scooters) doing up to 14000rpm

let's say "red" oil is "mineral base" and "green" oil is synthetic base. They have different temperature of burning as well

[hamstergbert]

ah... wakarimas.
Arigato.