{"id":6797,"date":"2015-07-10T15:25:53","date_gmt":"2015-07-10T14:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=6797"},"modified":"2015-07-10T16:10:12","modified_gmt":"2015-07-10T15:10:12","slug":"using-a-two-stroke-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/using-a-two-stroke-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"Using a Two-Stroke Machine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever wondered what the difference is between using a two-stroke machine and a\u00a0four-stroke machine? There are many misconceptions about what the differences actually are and what type is best for you.<\/p>\n

Two-stroke engines require the fuel and oil (for lubrication) to be mixed together. This means that there will be no oil inlet on the machine and only one type of fuel is needed. In general, 2-stroke engines tend to be lighter, louder and less expensive.<\/p>\n

Four-stroke engines don’t need to have their fuel and oil mixed together, therefore\u00a0you don’t need to be concerned with adding the correct fuel to oil ratio. Four-stroke engines are generally more expensive, more complex, and more powerful.<\/p>\n

Mixing your 2-stroke machine<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_8779\"<\/a> One of the many misconceptions of two-stroke machines is that it is different engines that require different ratios of oil and petrol. This is incorrect. The ratios depend on the quality of oil that you have chosen to use.<\/p>\n

It is recommended to use high quality petrol and oil to extend the running life of the engine.<\/p>\n

If you use unsuitable fuels or mix ratios which do not comply with the specifications suggested then this can cause serious damage to the engine.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8785\"Here at Just Lawnmowers we recommend using Stihl 2-stroke oil because it’s of excellent quality and comes at a ratio of 50:1 (20ml of oil per 1 litre of fuel). If you purchase a 2-stroke mixing bottle the ratios are clearly set up on the bottle to avoid any unfortunate mistakes of mixing the wrong ratios.<\/p>\n

We also recommend getting your petrol from a\u00a0reputable petrol station to ensure it’s of the highest quality. Petrol from supermarket stations often comes with added additives which weaken the quality.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8786\"If you are using a different brand of two-stroke oil, the standard ratio mix is usually 25:1 (40ml of oil per 1 litre of fuel). However it is important that you check this on the back of the oil to make sure that you know and understand the correct ratio to use.<\/p>\n

Petrol has a limited shelf life of as little as 30 days so make sure to always use fresh, regular unleaded fuel. You can invest in a fuel stabiliser and add this to your fuel as soon as you purchase it to extend the shelf life up to 12 months. Once it is added to your fuel you can make your two-stroke mix as normal.<\/p>\n

After you have poured the designated amounts of petrol and oil into the mixing bottle, shake well before use. Take extra caution when opening the cap as pressure may have built up inside the bottle.<\/p>\n

Looking After Your Two-Stroke Machine\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_8787\"<\/a>If you have a 2-stroke machine, the most important thing to remember is to not leave old fuel inside. The fuel can start to deteriorate in just 6-8 weeks. If old fuel is left within the tank, then it will eventually evaporate and leave behind a varnish residue which will then need thoroughly cleaning before you can add a new oil\/fuel mix.<\/p>\n

With machines such as hedge trimmers and strimmers which don’t get used all year round, it is best to completely drain them of any fluid before you store the machine.<\/p>\n

It is also very important to grease your machines. The gear head on a strimmer will definitely need greasing as it spins at roughly 10,000 RPM, which will eventually wear down the metal unless it is fully lubricated and looked after.<\/p>\n

The gearbox on a hedge trimmer is particularly important, as moisture and sap from the leaves will store itself in their causing rust problems in the future. After cutting, use Stihl Superclean Spray which has protein in it to get rid of any left over sap residue and also help towards greasing the machine.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re uncertain about anything, or would like further details, then call our highly experienced sales team now on\u00a001263 820202<\/strong>\u00a0for helpful, friendly advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever wondered what the difference is between using a two-stroke machine and a\u00a0four-stroke machine? There are many misconceptions about what the differences actually are and what type is best for you. Two-stroke engines require the fuel and oil (for lubrication)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,92,67,1290,1],"tags":[1101,1104,1103,1105,1033,1100,1102],"class_list":["post-6797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-tips","category-hedgetrimmers","category-servicing","category-trimmers-brushcutters","category-uncategorised","tag-2-stroke","tag-4-stroke","tag-four-stroke","tag-fuel-to-oil-ratio","tag-garden-machinary","tag-two-stroke","tag-two-stroke-machine"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/img_8779.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":262,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/brushcutter-grass-trimmer-questions-answers\/","url_meta":{"origin":6797,"position":0},"title":"Brushcutter and Grass Trimmer Questions and Answers","author":"Alex Evans","date":"5th August 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Brushcutters and Grass trimmers are compared here in this informative guide on the differences between brushcutters and line strimmers.","rel":"","context":"In "Advice and Tips"","block_context":{"text":"Advice and Tips","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/advice-tips\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brushcutter and Grass Trimmer Questions and Answers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/128c-300x162.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1427,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/stihl-garden-machinery-why-choose-stihl\/","url_meta":{"origin":6797,"position":1},"title":"STIHL Garden Machinery – Why Choose STIHL?","author":"Alex Evans","date":"14th February 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In this post we give some reasons why we\u00a0believe\u00a0(as do many others!) that STIHL manufacture some of the best garden machinery available in the world today.","rel":"","context":"In "Advice and Tips"","block_context":{"text":"Advice and Tips","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/advice-tips\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"STIHL garden machinery - Stihl the best","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8037,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/why-buy-a-honda-4-stroke-hedge-trimmer\/","url_meta":{"origin":6797,"position":2},"title":"Why Buy a Honda 4-Stroke Hedge Trimmer?","author":"Helen Evans","date":"11th January 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"January can be all kinds of things, freezing cold, wet, frosty, snowy, windy, mild, sunny. But one thing you can be sure of - there won\u2019t be much you can do for your garden during this month. It is of course a great time to be making repairs to your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Buyers Guides"","block_context":{"text":"Buyers Guides","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/buyers-guides\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Honda Hedge Trimmers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/honda-hedge-trimmers.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/honda-hedge-trimmers.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/honda-hedge-trimmers.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/honda-hedge-trimmers.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1631,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/honda-trimmer-brushcutter-prices-slashed\/","url_meta":{"origin":6797,"position":3},"title":"Honda Trimmer & Brushcutter Prices Slashed!","author":"Alex Evans","date":"24th April 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Honda have slashed their prices on all Honda Strimmers and Honda Brushcutters. They have reduced their retail prices (RRP\u2019s) on all Honda strimmers and brushcutters and we have therefore passed on this reduction to our customers. Some models have been reduced by up to \u00a340.00, making them an even better\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Buyers Guides"","block_context":{"text":"Buyers Guides","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/buyers-guides\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"honda-brushcutters","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/honda-brushcutters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/honda-brushcutters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/honda-brushcutters.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3836,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/top-5-lowbudget-highquality-brushcutters-2014\/","url_meta":{"origin":6797,"position":4},"title":"Top 5 Low-Budget High-Quality Brushcutters for 2014","author":"Alex Evans","date":"29th April 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"With May just around the corner it is time to start tidying your lawns edges, corners, and taming long grasses and bushes. 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