I have some nice old metal cans I've used, I've never had problems before but I was down to the end of a can, went to pour it in my new mower. Immediately I realized the mistake when I saw the milky coagulation go right into the tank of my mower.
I cleaned my metal can but didn't want to have to do anything to the mower. I refilled the metal can and found a STP cleaner for "ethanol deposits", it dissolved the milky blobs into the fuel and I ran the mower dry, then refilled it with clean fuel. So with the STP additive I spend double on the amount of fuel.
I don't have stations near me without ethanol. I think I'm going to cut some gaskets for my old cans to help seal them up but if I could find a cheap and effective additive, I'd love to have the extra protection for the bottom of my metal cans and my equipment.
[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 10-27-2017).]
I never store much fuel for long periods of time for the same reason, but used to have a 200 gal bulk diesel tank. Had to have a filter and water separator on it too keep fungus out of the nozzle till I found a product called Biobor. For gasoline, look for Biobor EB. Costs around $20/qt but 1 oz will treat 15 gallons of gasoline. http://www.biobor.com/products/biobor-eb/
I get fuel for mower and mow, when finished the extra fuel goes into one of the vehicles.. I stopped keeping fuel in a can anymore.. I go get the fuel when I fill the vehicle, and mow that week and then dump in car..
I've been converting my equipment to work on propane, cuz I'm sick and tired of the extra maintenance required to have these things work the next time I go to use 'em.
Haven't gotten around to making the mower run on it yet, but it's on my radar.
I wouldn't mind a propane mower, I looked into doing it on a machine we ran indoors at work and couldn't convince the boss to do it right. He watched a YouTube video of someone DIYing it and told me to do it. It was job security since I was the only one that could make it run. If I found a cheap enough kit I'd do it on my mower.
I picked up some cork and made air tight seals on my cans. If I have water in my cans again, I'll probably use a gas tank sealing product so my cans can't rust away.
[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 10-28-2017).]
I've been doing a little investigating the propane option also. I want to move a gasoline powered generator to propane. Haven't found the right kit yet.
It's on Onan. It's off an old motorized RV. I already carry four 30 lb. RV propane bottles and 120 gallons of diesel. I see no reason to carry a third form of fuel (gas).
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 10-28-2017).]
I wouldn't mind a propane mower, I looked into doing it on a machine we ran indoors at work and couldn't convince the boss to do it right. He watched a YouTube video of someone DIYing it and told me to do it. It was job security since I was the only one that could make it ruin. If I found a cheap enough kit I'd do it on my mower.
I've been doing a little investigating the propane option also. I want to move a gasoline powered generator to propane. Haven't found the right kit yet.
It's on Onan. It's off an old motorized RV. I already carry four 30 lb. RV propane bottles and 120 gallons of diesel. I see no reason to carry a third form of fuel (gas).
Unseal tanks of any type = problems often soon to very soon. Can also be explosive stored near anything that spark or use pilot lights etc. 1. E gas gets water from moisture right from air. Nearly as bad as brake fluid open to air. (Leave MC tank or bottle open overnight and fluid boil point = ~ same as water. You can forget Wet Boil because fluid sucks way too much water.) 2. Ethanol can easy drop out of gas because E gas need Ethanol to be ~98% pure and higher to stay in solution w/ gas. 3. Even gas w/o ethanol starts going "stale" very fast stored in crap gas cans and equipment tanks because lighter chemicals evaporate fast.
Good cans etc can have problems but takes longer to happen. Is why you should have only gas you can use in 3-4 months max. Stabil et al can extend that but not for "fixing" crap lids and gas caps.
Try to keep tanks etc cool places because Heat cycling affect most fuel issues too. Hot tanks = expanding liquid and vapor and pressure can force fumes out or even cause failure of tank, lines, etc. Cars have EVAP systems because of this. Small engine and old cars still has Vented caps. But "Gas Can" often are "hard sealed" enough to trap a lot of pressure causing blown gaskets and worse.
When tanks cools then draws in air and Vented caps and most EVAP systems Do Not keep out moisture in air.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
For stuff like yard equipment, I use gas without ethanol added. If not, I use midgrade (im told it goes bad slower) and add Marine Sta-Bil. For vehicles I dont keep more than I can use in a few weeks in the tanks. I NEVER store for extended periods, and NEVER fill the tank.
Something like this could be adapted if it doesn't just bolt on.
You realize you will need to hang a biga$$ LPG tank on your mower to use that? I converted my emergency generator to use LPG but the tank just sits on the ground.
You realize you will need to hang a biga$$ LPG tank on your mower to use that? I converted my emergency generator to use LPG but the tank just sits on the ground.
A standard sized tank(I don't remember the weight off the top of my head) would definitely mow my yard a few times, I would be surprised if it was more economical than gas, it would really be for convenience more than anything. My mower is my only piece of equipment on gasoline, converting it to propane would mean less maintenance and no cans of gas collecting moisture. I've seen commercial mowers on LPG, I'm not sure what their reasoning is.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nIi55FRUNrMeQioA2 Here's a picture of the machine I converted to propane. It was a sweeper we bought to sweep turf. The building had plenty of ventilation for propane but not gas. I could probably.build a better sweeper these days for that application.
You realize you will need to hang a biga$$ LPG tank on your mower to use that? I converted my emergency generator to use LPG but the tank just sits on the ground.
I was thinking of getting a 10lb bottle for such use. Now that Costco is selling propane by the litre rather than by the fill, it doesn't matter what size...as long as it's refillable. I've also considered figuring out how to refill the 1lb portable BBQ bottles from a larger bottle, though screwing around to refill it would probably make me hate it in a hurry.
I converted my cheap chinese generator (and I do mean cheap)...because the power only goes out here every couple of years. It would be a frustrating, useless lump when the power next went out, if I left it on gas. I'd probably not get it running again before the power came back on...but I don't have to worry about that running it on propane. Since it ran well, and easy to start, I put one on one of my project engines, one of those 420cc GX knockoffs.
My pressure washer is my next victim. With it's square tube-frame, I figure it would be simple enough to put a plate over top of the engine/pump, and mount the bottle on top. It would keep the weigh centered, so I could still roll it around with the bottle attached and not make it try to overbalance or anything.
I don't know why, but there's something I really like about them running on propane. I generally dislike carburetors and small engines, but this has changed that. Now I'm looking for excuses to have engine-powered things, rather than my usual preference to have them electric.
I got a almost new Honda powered pressure washer for free because the carb needed cleaning and there was a blockage in the pump from sitting. If you ran one off propane, you could add a heater too!
If like many idiots on YT that ignore DOT 39 tank labels... 1. They are made very cheap because not made to refill. 2. Just have/transport refill DOT39 bottles: While rare... if you get caught, fines and jail time on label is often just a starting point. if you cause fire/explosion storing/carrying/using them and if you survive expect to get arrested charge w/ arson etc.
If you want to refill then buy refillable tanks and charge by weight. Small 1# bottles cost $20-$30 at many places. Cheap "adapters" above are crap. Need a flex set and scale to see weight of big or small tank. Used AC charging scales like Robinair digital scales are cheaper and easy to find and made to handle 20# tanks easy. You can setup and charge by weight many small tanks very easy w/o guessing and playing BS games tank is over or under filled. Over filled is a big issue... Is why 4 - 40# tanks are required to have overfill protection valves. Why? Overfill tanks have little to no expansion room when liquid get warm to hot.
I would drive far to get the non ethanol I think. Also where gas storage come in I use 91 octane, its the type available around here that is non ethanol. But I have also read that it takes longer to break down. Not sure if that is hype or not though.
There are a lot of ethanol combating treatments out there, but I don't know if they work. Very few probably fiz a problem, but will prevent one.
Most general gas storage treatmetns work by helping with the moisture problem. Stabil, Seafoam, Star Tron, etc
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 10-31-2017).]
I dont have an idea how anyone could tell if you refilled one of the 1 pnd cans. I agree be carefull not to overfill, bleed some off if you do. Ive been refilling them for 20 years. Ive got 2 of them in one of my motorhomes right now I use for a small Buddy heater and a small grill, I didnt want to mess with putting a hose and regulator in, drilling thru the floor, etc...and having a loose gas hose laying around on the floor/under a couch. In the winter if I fly my plane anywhere and park it for a day, I carry a small propane heater and some ducting along with a 1 pnd can or two, so I can stick the hose under the cowling to preheat it so it will start.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 10-31-2017).]
You can legally refill your propane bottles and the only way you could be criminally liable is if you intentionaly did something to cause an accident. That doesn't mean you couldn't be sued or denied a insurance claim. DOT only cares about transported bottles, if they are on your property and don't leave, there's no issue.
I used to refill Co2 and 3k psi+ compressed air. Tanks for both are hydro dated and can't be filled for transport so many years after that date unless the tank is retested and marked. Niether Co2 or propane can be dangerously overfilled without some kind of contamination. Both self regulate because they are a liquid under pressure. The pressure in the bottle fluctuates based on temperature but the pressure isn't varied by the level off liquid until all the liquid evaporates. One risk in overfilling is that the liquid could make it past a external regulator but the same could happen if you just tipped a tank on it's side.
[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 10-31-2017).]
This is one of my coolest propane relics and definitely the rarest paintball gun I own. It uses a piston to create pressure to push the ball down the barrel instead of the exhaust. A $3 propane tank gets you 60k+ shots compared to Co2 and compressed air where you can get 500-3500 shots off a tank and they cost $3-5 per fill if you are playing in an area where it's not on site.
[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 10-31-2017).]
Originally posted by maryjane: That is pretty dang expensive The Ogre. They are about $3.25 ea here, sold in a 2 pak for about $6.50.
No. Read The Label. Vast Majority of Cheap 14.1oz and 16.4oz/1-1.02lb sold at that price are DOT39 and not made to be refillable for safety and legal reasons.
I have many problems w/ DOT39 propane tanks leaking just w/ the factory fill. Outlet valve leaking is very common just by switching whatever tool/appliance. Worse when tank is stored for months to years. Rust etc can damage the valve and fail to seal after removing _____ just one time.
Labels marked "DOT-39 NRC 250/500 M1001" "DOT-39 NRC 232/290 M1003" etc. is explained here (Cornell Law School.) are never for refilling. In Short: DOT-39 = cylinders specs etc. NRC = Non-Reusable Cylinder/Non-Refillable Cylinder xxx/yyy is run/test pressure Mzzzz is a Manufacturer # registered w/ Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator. (Sim to Car Glass DOT labeling in FMVSS.) Also date/batch# is required but can be anywhere.
Side note... DOT 39 covers other things not just Propane like non-refillable Refrigerant tanks (bulk R12 R134a etc). Many have mod'ed or bought "kits" to reuse bulk R12 etc tanks as air tanks but not really a good plain. Real portable air tanks are heavy for a reason.
Ah so...I missed the re-fillable part. I'm not sure I've ever seen a small one that was intended to be refilled.
Niether have I, when I used the paintball gun posted above, I used the flimsy $3 tanks. Probably not the best thing to be running and diving with. If a tank had ruptured, it probably wouldn't have been a huge deal but had I known about a refillable tank that's tougher, I definitely would have bought one, especially if it came in a smaller size.
[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 10-31-2017).]
