Sta-Bil GOOD STUFF!

When I was working in a small engine and tractor shop late 1960s - early 1970s - we had many customers' machines come in with bad gas. Real bad - turned to varnish. Most often in electric generators and/or snow blowers that hadn't been started or maintained in a few years at least. So - #1 that was years ago with leaded gas and #2 it was also in New Jersey where's it's a lot warmer than here in New York.

Now - to present - 2000 and later - I have many pieces of equipemnt that sit sometimes for a few years or more with no Stabil and the gas barely turns. Starts to darken a little and smell bad - but the tractors still start right up. I've got over a 100 gas tractors and don't drain them all - or use Stabil in any except for a few I worry more about. Every year, I pick a few to get running to take to shows - and every year I pick different ones. I usually pick tractors that have sat at least two years with untreated gas (mainly because I worry they've sat too long). All have started fine with the old gas. I have more problems with no spark since points tend to get a coating on them when a tractor has sat a long time. So - at least from what I'm seeing here in New York - with New York weather and New York formulated gasoline - I don't need Stabil unless I know something is going to sit for many years. But - gas can be different all over the country - and also by winter or summer blend - as to the ingredients used in it. I suspect some gas blends go bad faster than others.

My main point is this. I wouldn't give any credit to Stabil doing anything unless . . . you've got two gas jugs bought at the same time, and stored the same amount of time in the same place - and the Stabil treated gas is fine, and the non-treated one is bad.

With stuff I have at home, I have many tractors that sit all winter and start right up in the spring with no Stabil added. Seems gas can last a pretty long time when stored in an air-tight container.

My only point here is - maybe Stabil is good for long term storage. But, I wouldn't give all the credit to it just because some gas lasted a winter. And yes - I know what bad gas is like. I've had to fix many machines with gas turned to varnish - mostly in small power equipment that had sat for many years.

Do not store gas in a air tight container.....!

Don

Also - in regard to 5 gallon plastic gas cans - although I wasn't referring to them - are just about all air-tight. That's why you're not supposed to fill them all the way - room needs to be left for expansion. If you're trying to say they're dangerous in some way - I don't believe it. I've been using them over 40 years and had no problems yet.