I have a beef with ethanol.  Most gas stations only carry gasoline that contains ethanol (10%).  The reason for this goes back to 2005 when the Energy Policy Act was passed--mandating that renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biofuel, be added to transportation fuels in escalating amounts over the next decade. It was thought that growing our fuel would give America energy independence and reduce carbon emissions.

Although I'm all for reducing our carbon footprint, this additive has become quite a frustration for me as a homeowner with a lawnmower and gas weed trimmer. It seems that my small engines don't like this fuel so much.  I've gone through two expensive lawnmower repairs thanks to this issue (according to the repairmen).

I did try to research this issue and had a hard time finding anything conclusive on the effects of ethanol gas on engine except that "ethanol blend would shorten engine life more and make equipment prone to fuel leaks and fire hazards". So the question is, is ethanol blended gasoline truly to blame for engine breakdowns?  I can't confirm that but I do know that I never used to have my lawnmowers breaking down so easily and quickly.  Maybe cheap engine parts are to blame, parts that can't handle the hotter temperatures that ethanol blended fuel creates?  Whatever the cause, I'm ready to try ethanol free gas for my lawnmower and weed trimmer to see if it makes a difference in engine performance.

As it turns out, there are some gas stations that sell ethanol-free gasoline but they are few and far between. My attitude at this point is, "Have gas can, will travel."

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