BruceinFla

I saw a great clip recently where 3 thugs jumped out of their van to car jack this lady who was getting gas. She said I don't effin think so and set her nozzle to Full Auto. She wetted all three of them down and was shooting a stream of gas inside the van as they were pulling out. I was thinking to myself where is a Zippo when you need one. Bruce in Fl

np20412

So after 1200 miles and multiple fill ups my range always reads around 330 miles after filling up. My "after refuel" mpg sits between 17-18mpg. This is doing probably 80/20 suburban/Hwy driving. On Hwy trips I get easily close to 30mpg if I keep it under 90 lol

Veight

I use the pure gas app in illinois. There are no non-ethanol stations anywhere near me so I have to drive over the Wisconsin border to get non-ethanol gas. I bring 5 gallon containers to fill up.

This has nothing to do with top tier gas which is typically Shell, Amoco, etc name brand gas with additives. I use non-ethanol in my lawn mowers which have rubber parts and fittings in the gas line that can deteriorate with the presence of ethanol. I also put the pure gas in my LC.

Why the Chicago area has no non-ethanol gas stations is a mystery.

Veight

Nope. Top tier is gas from premium stations such as Shell, Amoco, BP etc who claim they put additives in their gas. Pure gas is an app that shows gas stations that sell non-ethanol gas. In the Chicago area all stations put ethanol in the gas. Typically 10% ethanol. The ethanol destroys certain rubber components in gas lines typically found in lawn maintenance equipment. It’s also not great in our cars. So many of us seek out pure gas or non ethanol gas stations to purchase gas.

NickL

I’ve used regular gas(with ethanol) for over 10 years in my John Deere mower tractor, Arien snowblower, Stihl leaf blower, and Honda engine pressure washer, with no issue at all.
How long do you want to use the same lawn mower? My JD X324 is over 10 years old and I’ve been itching to get a new one for 5 years now. I just don’t know how to get rid of it other than giving it away for real cheap.

NickL

Im also down in MPG lately. More suburban driving and since my first(1000miles) oil change, I don’t give a **** anymore.

Veight

I have a John Deere X 534 that I purchased used with 200 hours from machinefinder.com.

Best riding mower I’ve ever had.

NickL

That’s the one I’m looking for but updated 534 model. X584.
The deck is deeper making the cut a little smoother. I have the power flow and bagger for my X324 too. Mine is just about 240hrs on the odo. Great machines. Never any issue with it.

microsup

can I see a prove about ethanol harms rubber components. I know that ethanol can absorb more water and leads to gas separation which could cause rusting some components and this is why it is not recommended especially for lawn equipment which you can store for a long time over winter season. Also there is an article saying that gasoline with ethanol burns hotter and can bring some issues for small engines.
so I would really like to see any proves about damaging rubber components.

thus for those guys who keep car over winter it is not recommended to store it with ethanol containing gas, because it could be some rust issues in a gas tank.

Veight

Yes. The X584 has the deep access deck but the mower itself is exactly the same. I found my X534 with 200 hours in Ohio so I drove 6 hours to pick it up. The X584s sell used for $4-5 grand more than a comparable X534 with the only difference being the deck. Makes no sense.

If you go on machinefinder under residential mowers, then John Deere look at the prices of the X534 vs X584. However, early spring is the best time to buy when everyone are trading their perfectly good used mowers for new stuff. (sound familiar).

The X534, X584 have four wheel steering similar to my LC with the performance package. The steering is way more obvious on the mowers though.

cwest13

It's basic chemistry. Because ethanol contains an oxygen atom, it causes oxidation. Oxidation breaks down rubber, lubricants, and metals. You can engineer more robust rubbers and lubricants to accommodate the ethanol, but you can't engineer away oxidation. Modern materials may be more stout to counter oxidation, but you simply can't get around the problem.

https://news.engin.umich.edu/2020/05...ethanol-wrong/

Skip down to the engine section.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars...r-a7855829511/

NickL

Lol. There’s real world usage for 4 wheel steer on a mower. That’s why I bought the X324 instead of the X300. You actually mow around trees so turning radius actually matter. And the rear wheel steer is obvious.
LC500 with rws, not so much.

Veight

A prove? I think you are looking for proof?

See number 2 below.


Assistant
Bot
Jul 12Ethanol can ruin a lawn mower's fuel system for a few key reasons:

1. Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts and absorbs water from the air. This water can then mix with the fuel, leading to phase separation where the ethanol-water mixture separates from the gasoline. This can clog fuel lines, carburetors, and fuel filters.
2. Ethanol is a solvent that can degrade and dissolve certain materials used in older fuel systems, such as rubber seals, gaskets, and plastic components. This can cause leaks and damage to the fuel system over time.
3. Ethanol has a lower energy density than pure gasoline. This means a lawn mower's engine will need to consume more fuel to produce the same amount of power, leading to decreased fuel efficiency and performance.
4. The increased water content and corrosive nature of ethanol-blended fuels can also promote the formation of gums and varnishes that can further clog and damage the fuel system components.

In summary, the hygroscopic nature of ethanol, its solvent properties, and its lower energy density make it problematic for the materials and operation of older lawn mower fuel systems that were not designed to handle ethanol-blended fuels. Proper fuel system maintenance and using an ethanol-free fuel can help mitigate these issues.

Veight

Yes the four wheel steering on the X534 is pretty amazing. Not as good as a zero turn mower, but I didn’t want one of those.

Barncobob

is this what they call thread drift?