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Why are There Different Two-Stroke Oil Mix Ratios for Chainsaw Oil

Why are There Different Two-Stroke Oil Mix Ratios for Chainsaw Oil

Swamp mix.

That’s what you call a concoction of two-stroke oil and gas that’s been slopped together with no measuring tools and no regard for engine protection. Your chainsaw or string trimmer could be running on a 50:1 mix. Could be 72:1. Could be 147:1. There’s no telling.

I often made swamp mix back in the day. Like other adherents to the dark art of mixing foul-smelling liquids in a dimly lit shed, I did it for a couple reasons: 1) I didn’t have clearly marked measuring containers at the ready, and 2) even if I had, I wouldn’t have felt like playing chemist with my chainsaw when I’d rather be cutting brush.

I never blew up a saw doing this. But, then again, I’m not a professional logger, so I didn’t cut often.

Some people don’t like mixing two-stroke fuel/oil because it’s a mess. Some hate it because math makes their brain hurt.

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What is a two-stroke mix ratio?

The math isn’t that tough to understand. Say your chainsaw manufacturer recommends a 50:1 fuel/oil mix. This simply means you need 50 parts of gas to one part two-stroke oil. Two-stroke engines derive lubrication from the oil mixed directly into the gasoline, unlike your car engine, which lubricates itself with oil housed in an oil sump and circulated by an oil pump.

Complicating things, some equipment manufacturers recommend different mix ratios. While most modern trimmers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and the like call for 50:1, some older equipment recommends 32:1. If you have multiple pieces of equipment with different mix ratios, you have to mix and store multiple cans of fuel. That’s not only a hassle, it’s a situation begging for problems when you accidentally dump 50:1 in your saw that takes 32:1.

This scenario likely isn’t a problem for landscapers, loggers and other professionals who replace their equipment often due to heavy use. But plenty of homeowners still use older equipment that calls for a richer fuel mixture.

Life would be much easier if every manufacturer recommended the same mix ratio, right?

They don’t. But we do.

AMSOIL SABER Professional Synthetic 2-Stroke Oil is tested and proven at any mix ratio up to 100:1. That means you can mix one can of fuel and use it in all your two-stroke equipment. Done. Problem solved. If you want to use 50:1, use that. Or 80:1. For best value, use 100:1. You could mix at 71:1 if you want. It’s up to you.

And, to eliminate the hassles of mixing fuel, we offer bottle sizes matched to certain sizes of gas cans. For example, to mix AMSOIL SABER Professional at 50:1 in a 2.5-gallon gas can, just use an entire 6.4-oz. bottle. Use half the bottle for a 100:1 mix ratio.

That’s the ratio I now use in my chainsaw. As the piston images show, SABER Professional mixed at 100:1 outperforms other two-stroke oils at 50:1, fighting power-robbing deposits and maintaining operability.

AMSOIL SABER Professional mixed at 100:1 delivers better protection against power-robbing deposits than other oils mixed at 50:1.

With SABER Professional you spend less on oil, get better protection and eliminate hassle when mixing fuel. And you never have to make swamp mix again.

AMSOIL Expands Signature Series Line with 5W-50 Synthetic Motor Oil for Ford Mustangs

AMSOIL Expands Signature Series Line with 5W-50 Synthetic Motor Oil for Ford Mustangs

A BIG seller in Sioux Falls. Notice performance improvements over competing and so called racing brands.

What is it about the Ford Mustang that so excites the imagination? Well, for starters, consider the name. Mustang. When I think of mustangs, I think of wild horses. And when older men think of Mustangs, they think of the wild horsepower packed under the hood of that particular breed of Sixties muscle car.

Introduced in 1964 at the New York World Fair, the Mustang became an instant hit. Muscle car madness overtook the American car scene with its lust for power. The ‘Stang was Ford’s definition, competing with Camaros, GTOs, Chargers, Hemi-powered Road Runners and ‘Cudas.

A half century has passed, and Mustang-love continues undimmed by the years. For a quick overview of the various stages of Mustang history check out this Pinterest collection.

This year at the 2014 SEMA Show the Mustang took center stage as it celebrated its 50th birthday. In conjunction with this AMSOIL has added a new viscosity to its Signature Series line specifically formulated for high-horsepower Ford Mustang engines requiring the Ford WSS-M2C931-C performance specification.

AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-50 Synthetic Motor Oil is fortified with a robust additive package, including top-quality detergents and dispersants to help prevent sludge deposits and keep engines clean. It withstands the stress of high horsepower and heat, resisting viscosity loss due to mechanical shear and maintaining protection in metal-to-metal contact regions for maximum engine life.

Like its Sig Series siblings, AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-50 excels in extreme temperatures. It resists thermal breakdown to maintain protection in high heat and it contains no wax, allowing it to remain fluid in the low temperatures for improved oil flow and protection at startup. Signature Series 5W-50 is designed for maximum efficiency. It exhibits an extremely low volatility rate to control oil consumption and emissions.

For more information on our new oil visit this insightful page on our website.