GardenKit

You are totally wrong TCD, that particular Stiga is a very good mower.

But not a very good one!

The current fuel duty on Aspen is exactly the same as petrol at £0.58 per litre. That accounts for £2.90 of every 5litre can. whoops, sorry. Eddie beat me to it!!

I do not know the answer to that, but Aspen is just one trade name for Alkylate fuel. There may be other brands available in the states.

Its not the best dealer finder, I think they should have one where you just pop in your postcode. But to be fair, if you enlarge the map the markers become further apart and more distinct. Remember we can despatch Aspen by carrier, but you will have to have a minimum of 3 cans and pay carriage.

That is an excellent choice. Let us know how you get on with it!

I always go to great lengths to inform my customers of this issue. Education of the user results in them being happier with their machinery long term, and of course, promoted the sale of Aspen! I am the business owner, technician and salesman and have an in depth knowledge of things mechanical, so its second nature for me to pass on the information. There are many dealer 'showroom salesmen' though, who are still ignorant of the fact themselves, as they have little, or no, workshop experience. All they do is sell the product, not the package.

I am sure that will happen, but let us hope we all remain loyal to Aspen:big grin: It is because of Anglo American Oil companies hard work in establishing Aspen that we have all become aware of the product and the benefits.

Glad the blower arrived OK Craig Its a pleasure to contribute, both to the raffle and the forum in general.

i do not recall there being options. Just did a quick search, found a few used ones for sale, all with 3 stage. Also this data sheet TractorData.com Zetor 9540 tractor transmission information

The government recently introduced the E10 limit to the Uk, which means that up to 10% ethanol can be added to UK fuel, but no more. Power equipment such as saws will run on E10 but only just, and will need retuning as ethanol contains more oxygen than petrol, so engines will run weak, and hot and self destruct unless richened up. But the government are also aware that many cars produced over 10 years ago are not E10 compatable, so they have not insisted that fuel contains 10%, in fact they would rather it did not, as the effect on the motor trade will be too great at present. E10 will however be compulsory by 2017 when the numbers of older cars still on the road has been reduced. One effect of ethanol is that it absorbs moisture, which makes it heavy, so it sits in the bottom of the fuel tank with the petrol on top. The 2T oil does not mix properly with the water laden ethanol, so when the saw starts up it is running on water laden, low oil, ethanol which is not good news for the engine, so always give it a bit of a shake before use. As an Aspen dealer, I am fully aware of the problems caused by ethanol. In three years time nobody will want to use petrol. Aspen will become the norm.

true..

I have been out of the ag game for a dozen years, but remember the 9540 as having a 3 stage multiplier, but maybe my memory is playing tricks. Do you have a handbook? i would not worry too much about a whine in a Zetor at speed.

Using any more than 95 octane is just a waste of money. High Octane fuels do not contain more energy or burn hotter, so they do not produce more power. The octane rating is the fuels resistance to knocking. Knocking is the ratty noise you may have heard in your older car (you won't hear it in a saw) when low octane fuel burns too quickly. High octane fuels burn slower and cooler, which is exactly what is needed to fully generate power in high compression engines, but in standard engines the burn is too slow and power is not developed, The only time they will help performance is in a modified saw with higher compression (like some of Spuds) If high octane is used in standard engines, not only will less power be developed, but the cooler burn can result in more oil fouling and carbon build up.

True of the old Massey Multi Power, but not of the Zetor. The Zetor 9540 employs a 3 stage, clutchless torque multiplier with full engine braking. Coupled with the 3f/1rev gearbox and high/low range, the multiplier allows 18f/6rev gears.

It is a fact that a very large percentage of seizures are due to the quality of the fuel/oil mix, either from the quality of the petrol or the quality/quantity of the oil. So it is normal for dealer staff to blame that, as it is often true. But there are exceptions, the trouble is that it very difficult to diagnose the actual cause after the thing has seized. There are kits that test for the prescence of oil, but I know of nothing that tests for stale fuel (although a lab could). A good technician will instantly recognise stale fuel by smell though. In this case it appears that the dealer has made the judgement himself, which is what we all do in the first instance. It appears that Husqvarna themselves are unaware of this saw (I may be wrong) In a sensitive case such as this I would have sent the saw to Huskie for their appraisal. I have found them very fair, and at least I can then let my customer know their findings, which may, or may not be the same as mine. I had a little 236 a few years ago which seized and looked like a lube related seize, but the saw had only ever been run on Aspen. Husqvarna passed the repair under warranty purely because it had been run on Aspen so there was no doubt about the fuel quality.

There is no reason at all why you cannot put ASPEN in your combi can. Just make sure its kept clean.

Being gentle will of course make the clutch pack last longer, but they are quite resiliant

Its a torque multiplier and is clutchless, just flick the lever whilst under power to change down or up. I used to sell them.

Sorry, obviously got a bit carried away there. Thats a periodic service, not the sort of thing you do each time you have used your saw, as per the thread title. My bad.

TBH, I am not a fan of running them dry. The carb diaphragms will tend to dry out and harden, and they do not always rehydrate well. Petrol residues and gum will harden and block jets etc. I would rather store them wet, but ensure the fuel is kept fresh. If thats not possible then Aspen is the ideal fuel to use.

TBH, quite a lot. This is what I do. Run it up before service and observe all functions, problems etc. Give it a good clean outside, particularly around the carb and tank Empty the tank and blow out. Check,clean or change the fuel filter. Check the fuel hoses and grommets and breather, . Attend to as needed. Check carb mounting bolts. Check inlet manifold and impulse line for cracks and perishing If it was running fine then no need to dissmantle carb, but if any problems then dissmantle, clean and re-kit carb Check throttle cable / linkage Clean or replace air filter as required. Change spark plug and check HT lead. Check exhaust firmness, check for carbon in outlet, clean spark arrestor. Check starter mechanism and replace cord if required. Clean all sawdust from behind starter, around coil, and between air fins Check AV rubbers for softness or separation, Av springs for distortion and tightness Check handles for firmness and or damage Check condition of bar and chain, check bar groove depth and splay, dress rails. Remove chain brake cover and clean out accumulated crap, check band and spring. check action of inertia brake. Remove clutch and drum. clean out inside drum, check bearing and grease, check fit of bearing in clutch drum, check sprocket/rim for wear. Check tensioner. Check chain catcher Run up, check max revs, min revs, pick up etc. check oiler.

It could of course just be that a little more attention could have avoided it being broken!

Pump petrol contains around 100 different chemicals and is, by its nature "chemically unstable". Basically, it has chemical reactions take place within itself from the time it leaves the refinery. These chemical reactions cause the chemical structure to change, creating some new chemicals and destroying some of those originally present. around 35% of pump petrol is made up of solvents, which are highly volatile and gas off, leaving behind the concentrated gums and resins which were formed in the chemical reactions and which are responsible for 'gumming' carburettors. In addition, the chemically changed petrol becomes acidic and starts to attack plastics, rubber and even alloys. The 5% ethanol rapidly absorbs moisture and deposits water in the tank and carburettor The changed petrol has lost its energy level, so in effect there is less petrol content in the air/fuel ratio which causes the mixture to become weak, resulting in hot running and eventually a lean sieze. The stale petrol also rejects the 2 stroke oil and pushes it out of suspension. It does not fully recombine even with a shake, so engine lubrication is compromised. Briggs and Stratton Fuel Fit will to some extend slow down the chemical deterioration by reducing oxidation which is the main chemical reaction. Aspen has only 10 chemicals and is "stable", i.e no chemical change. It has no solvents so is less volatile, but equally combustable. The oil will stay in suspension indefinately. Plus, there are other benefits too, such as being less harmful to the operator. As regards "stale fuel used" being used as an excuse for failure. It is wrong to blame stale fuel for every failure. There are other causes that need to be investigated. But stale fuel is nevertheless a very major factor which is overlooked by many. In short, keep your fuel fresh, treat it with Fuel Fit, or better still, use Aspen.

I can't see how too much oil will cause a sieze. Running problems, lack of power, blocked exhaust, yes, but siezure? No.