Posted on 01/23/2018 7:10:46 AM PST by Kaslin
My back is sore from shoveling snow - and it's the federal government's fault. Maybe I'd better explain.
We've been getting lots of snow in Pittsburgh of late. When it snows, I need to clear two driveways: mine, which is 50 yards long, and my father's, which is almost as big.
Since my father is having trouble with his knees, I gave him my magnificent new Toro snowblower; it's a convenience for me to have it in his garage, so I can clear his driveway in fewer than 15 minutes.
I purchased an equally powerful, used snowblower to tend to my own driveway. It helps me clear my monster driveway in fewer than 30 minutes or so. On a snowy winter day, I am able to clear both driveways in less than an hour - assuming I can get the snowblowers running.
But neither would start during the first heavy snow of the year. And that's thanks to the federal government.
Why? Because of ethanol, an alcohol, made mostly from corn, that can be mixed with gasoline to fuel automobiles and other engines.
Ethanol-blended gas became a government requirement in 2005, as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates that biofuels be added to transportation fuels in increasing amounts each year.
The concept appeared to be a winner at first.
Ethanol is something we can produce in abundance - reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
Ethanol burns cleaner than pure gasoline - that was supposed to be good for the environment.
But it didn't work out so well.
For starters, ethanol requires lots of fossil fuels to produce. Gas-burning tractors farm the fields that grow the corn. Lots of fuel is needed to fertilize, harvest and ship the corn.
What's worse, ethanol caused massive market shifts. Demand for corn increased significantly, driving up the cost of many items, such as popcorn, dairy products and beef (farm animals eat corn), and tequila (South American farmers ditched agave to grow corn, which caused an agave shortage).
Which brings us back to my snowblowers.
Marketplace reports that ethanol makes small engines run dangerously hot and can melt their many rubber components.
According to ATV Illustrated, "ethanol in fuel has a tendency to absorb water from the air and separate from the gasoline, sinking to the bottom of the gas tank, where it quickly degrades and creates gums, varnish and other insoluble debris that can plug fuel flow passages ... and begin corroding the tank and engine intake parts, as well."
Ethanol-blended gasoline degrades faster and more completely than pure gasoline. In the case of my snowblowers, severely degraded fuel from last season clogged the carburetors, injectors and filters so thoroughly, neither would start.
I know, now, that I should have shut off the gas valves and drained both snowblowers of gasoline when I was finished with them last season.
I know, now, that gasoline-stabilizer additives are essential for protecting my small engines from water absorption and separation.
I know I should have attempted to start both machines well before the first heavy snow covered both driveways.
But I also know that the federal government is the single biggest reason I have such a sore back from manually clearing two massive driveways.
To that end, it's time for Congress and the president to roll back the ethanol mandate - to correct its many unintended consequences. While they're at it, they'd better add one more item to the tax code: a deduction for the 200 bucks I had to spend to rebuild two lousy snowblower carburetors.
What do you mean “not firing where it should”? Yeah, it still has ethanol, but the engines rotate at the same RPMs and burn a little hotter and cleaner. I can’t testify that it’s actually “burning” more of the water content, but, like I said, it’s worked for me for over eight years and it was a racing mechanic who recommended it, so I’m sticking with it. My tractor-drive snow blower is 20 years old and runs better now than it ever has - and it never fails to start.
You do realize that these technological decisions are made by people with no technical ability who are paid off by vested interests.
Do marinas in the Peoples Republic of Maryland sell ethanol FRee gas?
They do In Virginia.
$6.00 vs $24.00/gal is worth driving a long way for!
He is totally correct re: FEDGOV and ethanol, but good luck with rolling the ethanol mandate back.
Archer Daniels Midland and the Corn Growers of America are in total control of that sector of the economy!
What is even worse, is, they do not have to suffer the consequences of their actions!
EVAH!
These dumbass “decision makers” have ways and means of causing other people (like us poor, suffering taxpayers) to suffer whilst they ride off in their limousines and Gulfstreams!
You can use your favorite search engine to locate one of the many alcohol-free gas stations in the country. Just do a search for “alcohol free gasoline”.
You should (as suggested up-thread) check out the marinas. There are a buncha them within, say 50 mi of Annapolis.
Also look at https://www.pure-gas.org/
Also I was able to get a 5gal can of racing fuel (lead free 100 octane - $60 though) at a local fuel distrubutor’s base operation.
What an ignorant fool. I can’t decide whether his ignorance about science, mechanics, or logic is the most appalling, but only a dumbass would write such drivel and actually put his name on it.
A clue for the clueless: small engines that are not properly maintained will degrade and fail, regardless of the fuel used in them, as they did in dad and grandpa’s era.
What drivel.””
They buy the oil industry line. Small engines, no all engines, failed far more frequently and faster back in the 60s amd 70s, when leaded gas was belching out lead by the tons. Ethanol is the cheapest octane booster on the planet, not to mention there is forage, and high protein feed as a byproduct.
I don’t buy the global warming scam, but corn grows very rapidly and is a hug carbon sink putting carbon back in the soil.
What is the octane booster in ethanol free?
Octane likely. That’s part of why it’s $12/gal.
The stuff also smelled good. It likely had no shortage of Benzene either. Smelled like the gas of my youth.
Fortunately I located a gas station ~20 mi from home
(and was on an occasionally traveled path for other reasons) that has an “RV” pump of ethanol free gas. It sells for ~$1/gal above the ethanol laced gas.
There was no way I was going to put ethanol in a new lawn mower.
If you run the tank dry and do not store gas in the tank, there will be no problem’’
Operator error
Corn also requires tons of petrol based fertilizer and farm equipment Diesel. Not to speak of energy spent processing and transporting the ethanol.
Benzene is a proven carcinogen. Breath deeply. Do you drink ethanol?
I’ve been running the same lawn mowers, a small push mower, and a zero turn, since 2003. My ATV, a Honda foreman is a 1998 with 13,500 hard miles using same ethanol containing gas. None, have ever had an engine repair. All used on the farm and serviced by me. I don’t drain the tanks but I do start them about once a month in winter.
I only use it in my blower and trimmer. Lawnmower seems OK.
Ethanol is apparently highly hygroscopic. It has to be mixed with pipeline nearly “finished” gasoline at the distribution point.
For that reason alone I deeply dislike it.
Though ethanol is not nearly the toxic solvent that methanol is, it is just not energy efficient as an ICE fuel.
I’m sure that small engine manufacturers have addressed their gaskets/seals/valve and ring materials in later years.
For ojnly a few gallons/year, I see no need to do anything but buy non-alcoholic gas for those machines. I don’t drain, but top off the tank for storage.
I find my snow shovel starts up fine every time, no matter the temperature. And I don’t have to start up a vehicle to go the gym.
Most of the Ethanol free zones are in corn country.
A sin.
Look at Texas.
What additives would you suggest to replace it. It is the cheapest octane booster on the planet and rapidly renewable plus a feed and fiber source.
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