Poulan Mix Oil

[John Mc]

My local hardware sells Poulan synthetic mix oil for chainsaws. I've heard good things about the Husky synthetic oil. Seeing that Husqvarna owns Poulan, does anyone know if this is the same stuff? Usually I'm leery of trying stuff with the Poulan name on it...

John Mc

[John Mc]

While I'm asking mix oil questions, what are folks using to measure mix oil when you buy the oil in larger bottles?

I typically mix up a gallon of fuel at a time. Buying the little 2.6 ounce bottles gets expensive, but having the pre-measured containers sure is handy. I'm wishing the larger bottles of mix oil were designed like to of the Stabil fuel stabilizer bottles... you give a squeeze and it pushes some of the stabilizer into a separate calibrated compartment. I'd use an old stabil bottle, but it only measures up to 1 ounce, and only has markings at 1/2 and one ounce. Has anyone come up with something convenient for this?

[Rocky_J]

I bought a measuring bottle at the local boat place. It's a clear plastic quart bottle with a screw lid and has measurement markings for all the common mix ratios from 16-1 to 100-1.

I buy mix oil by the gallon and mix 2.5 gallons at a time. I would prefer to mix 5 gallons at a time but I dislike using gas over a week or two old any more thanks to the ethanol. The measuring bottle is convenient because the lid keeps it clean all the time, and I can carry an extra dose of premeasured oil with me if I want.

[jjmk98k]

Hum... I think its not so much if Husqvarna owns Poulan, but whom they use to outsource their name to product.

I like either the Husqvarna XP oil in the gray bottles or Mobil 1 Racing 2T sold in the quart bottle.

I sometimes wait till i have a few empty small bottles then refill them with the Mobil 1  2T and re-mark the lids to show whats inside and place a peice of tape over the lid as a "tamper seal" so I know I measured it and that it's exact oil in the bottle to mix to 1 gal of gas.


What I like about the Husqvarna XP oil is the gas mix color is easy to see but the Mobil 1 is colored in a way that to me its hard to easily confirm gas/ oil mix. Even though i clearly mark my gas cans, I like the added visual assurance and smell.

They sell a little syringe thing called mix mizer, can be bought at Wal-mart that allows the break down to go as low and mixing 1qt of mix.

http://motorbicycling.com/f23/mixmizer-injector-2-cycle-oil-mixing-7800.html

[JohnG28]

In a recent thread about Stihls oil someone had said that they buy the bulk jugs of oil but use an old 2.6oz bottle to measure when theyre mixing.  Not as easy as the built in measurements on Stabil bottles, but it works. As for the Poulan oil, I dont know, but I use Stihl hp ultra synthetic. Personally, I just prefer to use what I know is good, it  works well and I dont have to worry about it.

[Cut4fun]

If you buy the poulan oil 16.9 fl oz bottle it has a measure in the top to mix at 40:1.

[John Mc]

Hum... I think its not so much if Husqvarna owns Poulan, but whom they use to outsource their name to product.

Yes, that's what I was wondering... is it outsourced to the same place, just a different label on the bottle?

I like either the Husqvarna XP oil in the gray bottles or Mobil 1 Racing 2T sold in the quart bottle.

This Poulan is in a gray bottle, and is synthetic oil, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the same as the Husky gray bottle synthetic

[John Mc]

In a recent thread about Stihls oil someone had said that they buy the bulk jugs of oil but use an old 2.6oz bottle to measure when theyre mixing.

I've saved a couple of empty 2.6 oz bottles. Unfortunately, I forgot to mark them before I emptied them... They hold a good bit more than 2.6 oz if you fill them up to the neck.

[jjmk98k]

Hum,  I guess if there's any doubt, go with what you know works and lessons the worry.

Poulan Synthetic, i thought, mixes 40:1 in that silver bottle while Husqvarna in the silver bottle mixes 50:1

the mixmizer at wal-mart is about $4....use that to refill the bottles if you wanna buy in bulk and refill those handy little bottles.

Hope this helps

[John Mc]

The smaller silver bottles mix at 40:1. I was looking at a larger bottle, but am holding off until I find out if the oil is any good.

[JohnG28]

Agreed that if you dont mark them theyll have a good bit more than 2.6oz.  Mark a couple or get something to measure with and youll be set.  And Id agree with jjmk, if your not sure then better of safe than sorry, not really a lesson Id want to learn the hard way.

[jjmk98k]

It is nice to see i am not the only one who tried to save a few $$$ here and there.  Another plus is less solid waste by using all those little bottles all the time... buy a full quart, you should be good for a long time!

[eamassey]

I used the Poulan synthetic for a long time, . . . . but, my Stihl FS250 brush cutter quit on me.  The local Stihl mechanic said it was carboned up, and that if I would use Stihl it would not do that.  Maybe he is right, maybe not, but I switched to the orange bottle Stihl, and have had no problem so far.  I but the mix for 2-1/2 gal, but mix 5 gallon at a time---it does not last that long with about half a dozen 50:1 mix engines to feed.  I do use premium,gasoline.  I might buy the Stihl synthetic, but not available in my local shop.

[GlenM]

I use the Walmart SuperTech 16oz of Universal Premix oil in all my 2cycles @ 40:1.  The trimmers, saws and blower are run hard.  My Featherlite trimmer is going on it's 12th season.  Also mix 1oz/gal Seafoam occasionally.
They're all doing fine.
fwiw,

[bandmiller2]

John Mc,save your stabil bottle remark it and use it for oil.The small 2.6 stihl bottles I have are marked at 2.6 but not easy to see, if you shine a flashlight in the top easy to refill to the mark.Frank C.

[John Mc]

I may try that with my stabil bottle. It's only marked up to one ounce, if I recall, but I think there may be enough room to fit 1.3 ounces in it. Two doses from that would do it.

At one time, I bought some mix oil that was in dark bottles, but had a transparent stripe up one side. If I could find those again, they'd be easy to mark and re-use. I just have to remember where I got them.

John Mc

[Cut4fun]

If you buy the poulan oil 16.9 fl oz bottle it has a measure in the top to mix at 40:1.

http://www.willardssmallengines.com/shop/lubricants-cleaners/2-cycle-engine-oil-mix/poulan-19-6-oz-2-cycle-synthetic-oil-40-1-mix.html

[John Mc]

Thanks for the link, Cut4Fun.

Of course, this brings me back to my original question: Is the Poulan synthetic the same  as the Husky synthetic (or at least the same quality). I wonder if they're pushing 40:1 (vs the Husky 50:1) just to sell more oil, or if it's necessary because this oil doesn't have the same lubricity as the Husky synthetic oil.

I used to run 40 or 45 to one, but reading comments here led me to believe I wasn't gaining anything from that over running 50:1 as long as I'm using a good quality mix oil. (Not that I want to restart the big oil mix ratio debate.)

John Mc

[Cut4fun]

You can get it in 40:1 or 50:1, just pay attention to which bottles you buy. I'm just not a 50:1 epa type.