How will the new E10 petrol affect your garden machinery & power tools?

We know that there are many debates taking place right now about E10 petrol and how it will affect petrol tools. According to www.gov.uk, E10 petrol will become the standard grade in the UK from Summer 2021.

E10 petrol will contain up to 10% renewable ethanol and 90% petroleum based petrol and is intended to reduce CO2 emmisions.

What is E10 petrol?

Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel produced from the fermentation of a range of plants, including sugar-cane and grains, along with their bi-products.

Unlike regular unleaded petrol, ethanol fuel is said to be partially atmospherically carbon neutral. This is because as the plants that will become biofuel grow, they reportedly asborb more carbon dioxide than will be released into the air during fuel production and combustion.

E10 petrol for your garden machinery & power tools

For your machinery, petrol with up to a 10% ethanol (E10) is acceptable. However keep in mind that ethanol fuel blends will absorb water from the atmosphere and can cause corrosion of the fuel system components. Since most carburetors and petrol tanks are vented to the atmosphere in some manner, there is nothing to prevent petrol absorbing moisture overtime and causing corrosion.

Do not use petrol with more than a 10% ethanol content in your garden machinery and power tools as these engines are not designed for petrol with more than 10% ethanol (such as E15 and E85); using higher ethanol fueld blends may lead to engine damage and performance issues.

Storage of E10 petrol

Using fresh petrol (less than 30 days old) will help to prevent water absorbtion from becoming a problem.

Also, temperature variance can also cause condensation to collect inside your storage tank if it is not properly sealed so store in a dry area, with low humidity. Ethanol will absorb any condensation that forms inside your storage containers.

As with any petrol, we would still not recommend storing your machine (over Winter for example) with E10 petrol in the fuel tank to avoid any blockages in the fuel delivery parts such as the carburetor and fuel lines.

A simple way to do this is to 'run the machine dry' - so essentially running your machine until it cuts itself out due to lack of fuel within the fuel tank / engine then your machine is all set for prolonged periods of storage.

The next time you come to use your machine, simply fill it back up with fresh E10 fuel or 2-stroke mix and you'll be good to go....

Alternatives to E10 petrol

Of course, if you're concerned about the use of ethanol in your machines then you can always consider Stihl's premium, patented fuel formula - MotoMix.

Stihl MotoMix is completely free from ethanol and has virtually no olefins or aromatic compounds. Emission-wise this makes it a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly choice than regular fuels, plus it lasts longer so you can store it for up to 5 years!

As we are Stihl main dealers, MotoMix is available to collect in store or order online for 'click & collect' at either our Burnley or Wakefield branches - shop here!