Ethanol again

The things you hear about ethanol may be truth; facts; fiction; folklore; fear mongering; but the simple fact still remains.........

Why would a station go threw the expense of adding a special tank and piping if ethanol was all its cracked up to be?

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PS: this picture is a few weeks old so the prices are out of date.
 
Market demand.

Obviously, some people (myself included) want to be able to buy ethanol free gasoline.

Dean
 
Bingo
We have a winner.

This is in a boating community. Many outsiders pass this station to go to boat/fishing launches.

Many stations in the area sell only ethanol free gas for boats and this station (racetrack) was losing business.

I will use ethanol gas in my truck no problems; but I would never put ethanol gas in my boat.
Dealer I bought my boat from also recommends no ethanol fuel as they have had a lot of problems with water getting in ethanol fuel that sits in a tank for weeks on end.
 
The government is known for its lies. This new fuel is supposed to be reducing the smog level. I would invite those that believe that fiction story to come to Colorado and see for themselves. Back in 2000 when I came here, the smog from Denver, only came to the center of Ft. Collins. Now it covers the whole town and is moving on towards Cheyenne. Some days you can hardly see the mountains.
 
I stopped urguing about 87 regular over 87 ethanol
when the price of 87 ethanol is 20 to 30 cents lower
the 87 regular.

Then I use the Hy-Vee gas discount card for another
60 to 95 cents discount (20 gals only) which can be
used at Casey's pumps. I wait until the pickup is
below a quarter and fill it up for around $2/ gal for
20 gallons.
 
I wonder what will happen to the cost of ethanol gas when the price to grow corn, refine the mash, and add it to the gas makes the price more than if the gas had no ethanol? Could cheap gas without ethanol happen this summer if oil falls to $50 per barrel as some are predicting?
 
But the EPA and several Congressmen and Senators who would do anything to ensure they are re-elected said ethanol will turn the skies blue again, save the polar bears and whales and punish all those greedy people who drill for oil. Us unsophisticated peons are not supposed to question what our betters who dedicate their lives to ''public service'' tell us, we are meant to blindly accept any edict from D.C. as gospel. Anyone who does not yet understand or believe this must not have noticed the past week as the media has done their best to validate what that creepy little sissy from MIT said.
 
Yep,I remember that.And I left in '87 before it got really bad.Now Montrose(less than 20,000) is getting the smog,too.
 
Complex issue. Read more on how the gas and ethanol markets work or do not work.
Over on AgTalk marketing section, research the archives. When you figure it out report back.
 
IMHO, if people were given a CHOICE, the ethanol content of the gas would be reduced to the point of just replacing MTBE as an oxygenator. Just like when they tried to sell it back in the '70s. Given a choice, most folks would pass on the E10.
 
Why would a station go threw the expense of adding a special tank and piping if ethanol was all its cracked up to be?

Looks to me like 50+ cents per gallon of PURE PROFIT is the reason.
 
For the higher margin profit they can turn per gallon.

It appears to be the worst cost per mile in a typical passenger car for the consumer. Not all consumers are the brightest tho, and not all gas goes into a passenger car. So we have some choices.

Paul
 
(quoted from post at 12:29:15 11/19/14)
Why would a station go threw the expense of adding a special tank and piping if ethanol was all its cracked up to be?

Looks to me like 50+ cents per gallon of PURE PROFIT is the reason.
ustomer gets 11% more gasoline.
 
The Renewable Fuel Standard is in an open comment period from the general public to EPA. They are considering dropping the number of gallons of gas that has to be sold with ethanol in it. You can write them and give them your opinion. As it is now a certain amount of gas has to have ethanol in it to meet the 2007 standard regardless of the price of oil or ethanol. Contrary to what has been said most people will buy the cheapest gas available at the pump that their car will run on whether it is e-10 or ethanol free. Most newer cars/trucks (less than 10 yrs old) run just as well on e-10 as regular gas because of the computer program in the ECM. We can get e-10 gas for 2.71/gallon so thats what we buy as would most of the general population because of their limited budget.
 
"Most newer cars/trucks (less than 10 yrs old) run just as well on e-10 as regular gas because of the computer program in the ECM."

There is less energy in a gallon of E10 than a gallon without the ethanol. They may "run just as well" if you don't consider miles per gallon.
 
They are playing on, and making a killing on, hype. As long as people will pay that margin for a "supposedly" better product, somebody will be there to sell it to them at a hefty profit. Ethanol free fuel is not unlike organic food.
 
Premium unleaded has ethanol in it now?

It looks like the price difference is high enough to pay for an extra tank in a short time.

Tuesday night regular unleaded gas was down to $2.699 in central MN, plus another nickel off with a station discount card. Here, December is typically a month with lower gasoline prices.
 
Isn't it true that ethanol blend has a shelf life of about 3 months? Boaters may not use all the gas in tank, just topping off the tank so they don't run out of gas in the middle of the lake. I know that's a problem in Florida's boating community.
 
The local Sam's Club and Costco (just a couple blocks from each other) are having a price war on gasoline. When Sam's lowers their price to match Costco, Costco drops their price lower. Filled up at Costco for $2.51 this morning.
 
I realize this is at the ethanol plants but ethanol is coming out of the plants at 1.65 or so per gallon right now.

The plants are paying 3.50 for corn and getting almost 3 gallons out of a bushel for 4.80 return.

That is why ethanol blended fuel is so much cheaper than straight unleaded.

Gary
 
Thanks Gary, it looks like we will continue to have ethanol in our gas then. I personally spend the extra for ethanol free (non-oxygenated) for my old tractors and old crawler.
 
(quoted from post at 11:20:41 11/19/14) Bingo
We have a winner.

This is in a boating community. Many outsiders pass this station to go to boat/fishing launches.

Many stations in the area sell only ethanol free gas for boats and this station (racetrack) was losing business.

I will use ethanol gas in my truck no problems; but I would never put ethanol gas in my boat.
Dealer I bought my boat from also recommends no ethanol fuel as they have had a lot of problems with water getting in ethanol fuel that sits in a tank for weeks on end.

Put Startron additive in the gas and no problems with ethanol gas. I have used 1 yr old E10 gas with startron in my generator, started right up and ran great.
 
90% of the cars in Iowa burn ethanol and almost all stations offer non ethanol.

And most have since the 70's.

Gary
 
IaGary: I have a heck of a time finding true ethanol free gas for my small engines. Many say they are but if you test them there is still ethanol in it.

I buy ethanol gas for the car and it runs fine just gets crappy mileage on the stuff.

On my small engines I have issue with the ethanol gas.
 
My weedeater and chain saws get the gas dumped out if they are gonna set, otherwise ethanol works okay for me.

I get a mileage drop with e85 but don't seem to on e10.
 
I had water problems in my 150 gal tank, with unleaded gas and water. Caused all my engines to balk and I had to throw a lot of gas away. I hear that E-10 will absorb some water where unleaded won't. I've had no problems, at all, using E-10 in all my engines. That includes, to date, my 8N. E-10 is cheaper, and my engines run better with it.
 
Again, I love my corn farmer friends but non ethanol gas at 10% better mileage as in this case is cheaper per mile than the ethanol gas. In Minnesota we still have an ethanol mandate and I pay up to $1.00 a gallon more for non-ethanol in my tractors, Corvette, and small engines where it is legal. Get rid of the mandate and let the people who want it buy it.
 
I heard that a few years ago that the oil companies were dropping the octane in regular unleaded down to 84 octane so you had to add ethanol to it to get it up to 87 octane. They did this to force you to buy fuel with ethanol in it, so the government would stop fining them for not selling enough ethanol. You might say the government forced big oil so big oil forced you. Now a friend I know that hauls fuel says that premium is the only gasoline without ethanol. So if a station is selling regular gasoline with out ethanol they have to be adding a little 91 octane premium to get it to 87 octane.
 
Been under $2.50 for several days at lots of places here in Middle Tennessee . Filled up tonight Kroger in Clarksville Tn. $2.45 with3 cents off Kroger card made it $2.42.9
 
Guess this is like politics,don't confuse me with the facts. No one is going to change anyone's mind! I hauled gas and diesel for 27 yrs. went through the Leaded gas is better thing. Nolead gas will burn your valves thing. Diesel needs Sulfur to lubricate your pump. Well engines last longer than they ever have. Ain't that amazing. Somehow most everybodys weed eaters and chainsaws continue to operate. That other thing, alcohol actually costs more to produce than the price reflects. Yes in my state there is a tax break. But 70 cents! Local Alcohol plant is paying 30 cents over river terminal. There is about a 2 hr wait, and won't take corn over 18% moisture. Here I am trying to change your mind. I'm sorry won't happen again. :) Vic
 
Well the ethanol debate is coming down about like the GMO debate those that make $$$ off the stuff are all for it and 90% of everyone else doesn't want it.Like I said in another thread here the local farmers coop has both types of gas and there are 6 ethanol
pumps and 12 non-ethanol pumps so I'd assume they
sell about 2X of the non-ethanol gas.They also had bio-diesel for awhile but took it out for lack of sales.The price difference is 20-30 cents/gallon.I always get the good non-ethanol stuff when I'm in the area.
 
90%.....less than 5%.....Same difference, huh? Same as with GMO, making up your "facts" to support a weak argument only makes your entire case look as pathetic as it really is.
 
As with GMO debate, so far 4 states have put the debate to the ballot box. After roughly 125 million dollars WASTED by anti-gmo factions, NOT ONE of the 4 voted down GMO's. One locality, in Hawaii, passed legislation to limit gmo use, and that was just struck down by a federal court due to lack of ANY scientific evidence to support bogus claims.
 
I own a commercial mowing business. At last count, I have something like 2 dozen Stihl weedeaters, several leaf blowers, a number of over-seeders, fertilizer spreaders, pumps, etc, along with a couple dozen ride-on or walk behind mowers with what you would describe as small gas engines. (Not including several dozen small diesels)

My fuel supplier sells me 10% ethanol gas. As of this time, I've not had the first fuel related issue with ANY of these engines, nor have there been any fuel related issues with the (currently 10) gas powered vehicles.

NONE....NO PROBLEMS....As is usually the case with any "anti-everything" debate, the vast majority of complaints are anecdotal and not based in fact. ie....just rumors and innuendo.

I'll stick with my numbers and what I've come to know as PROVEN FACT for the time being.
 

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