Do Lawn Mowers Take Regular Gas: Which Fuel Type Is Best?

“Do lawn mowers take regular gas?” is a question we get asked often. The answer is “yes,” but they do need frequent gas changes whether or not you use them regularly.

Find out why you need to change the gas in your mower at least once every six months with an ethanol-free fuel and how to do it adequately. This guide comes packed with all the information you need if you’re new to lawn keeping and lawn mowers, so read on!

Do Lawn Mowers Take Regular Gas To Function?

💥 Yes, lawnmowers take regular gas to function, and you must constantly check yours for refills. Refilling your lawnmowers every six months with an octane-rich and ethanol-free gas would be best. You can purchase premium gas refills from a gardening store or a gas station.

How To Choose the Right Gas for Your Lawn Mower?

To choose the right gas for your lawn mower, look in the user’s manual, as the manufacturer should specify the type required. Even if yours isn’t specified, don’t sweat it too much because most mowers will safely work with high-grade fuel without lead or a high-grade fuel and oil mixture.

Most modern lawnmowers come with a four-stroke engine, and unleaded gasoline with an octane number of 87 or higher works the best for them. If your gas contains gasoline, it should not be more than 10 percent. If your lawnmower is of the two-stroke engine type, you will need a good quality two-cycle engine oil and gas.

Another important thing to consider is a fuel stabilizer. A lawn mower is not the most frequently used gardening equipment and will only be used once a month or sometimes even less. A fuel stabilizer prevents the gas from breaking down and damaging the engine or the carburetor.

– Get Gas From a Gas Station

You can easily get gas with a higher octane rating from your nearest gas station. It would be a little inconvenient to carry your mower there for fresh gas now and then.

What you need is to purchase a sturdy fuel tank or a gas container. This way, you can easily take it to the gas station whenever it needs a refill. Do not use a plastic container!

Some garden supply stores also keep fuel for mowers for sale. You can either purchase a tank from them or get yours refilled. Do check their website to see if they offer any of these services.

What Is the Correct Way To Fill Gas in Your Lawn Mower?

The correct way to fill gas in your lawn mower starts with identifying the gas tank, removing the cap, and then carefully pouring fuel into it. You should use a funnel or nozzle to prevent leaks. Don’t fill the tank to the brink, and tighten the cap once you’re done.

Filling gas in a mower is extremely easy. We understand that you don’t want to commit any mistakes while doing so. Just follow these steps to refill your lawn mower with high-octane gasoline.

1. Look for the gas tank first of all. It looks like a jug and might be present above or under the engine. It will be obvious to find in most mowers, whereas some manufacturers hide their tanks along with the engines.
2. Next, see where the gasoline receptacle on the gas tank is. It will be marked by a gas tank symbol or have the word ‘gas’ written clearly over it. 
3. Remove the cap that is covering the gas tank. Depending on the design of your mower, the cap might be of the threaded type that will need to be unscrewed. This will be in the form of a lock that comes with a key or opens by a latch mechanism.
4. It would be best if you had a funnel into the gas receptacle once the cap has been removed. It would help prevent unnecessary leakage of the expensive premier gas but remember that there is no need for a funnel if the gas tank has a built-in nozzle.
5. Pour the gas into the tank at a moderate pace with a steady hand when using a funnel. Don’t pour it too quickly because it will spill over, and also, don’t pour too slowly. If the tank has a built-in nozzle, you can pour fast once the nozzle is inside the tank.
6. Once the gas tank becomes full almost to the brink, take out the nozzle or the funnel. Replace the cap again over the tank and tighten it carefully. Your gas tank is now filled, and the mower is ready for use.

– Learn How Much Gas a Mower Typically Holds

It is important to know the gas holding capacity of your lawn care mower so that you don’t end up overfilling it. The manual that comes with the machine will usually tell you how much mixing gas the gas tank can hold.

On average, a mower with a small engine can hold up to only one gallon of gas. A medium-sized one can store up to 2 gallons of high-quality premium gas. A larger mower, usually of the riding type, can be filled with as much as 4 gallons of high-quality fuel without ethanol.

Overfilling a mower is strictly not recommended because it can lead to overheating of the engine and might even significantly decrease your machine’s life span. It is also a waste of gas, money, and time, to be honest. Since you should be refilling the machine every six months, it is best to fill it to use instead.

– Find Out How Often To Refill a Lawn Mower

Honestly, how often you need to refill the mower gas depends upon the size of the engine. Small engines will get used up quickly and need more frequent refilling than larger ones.

Unless your lawn is particularly huge, you will most likely have to refill the tank only once per season.

In our experience, it would last about 50 to 100 hours of run time. For clarification, it must be said that by one season, we mean an estimated six months. Even if you don’t use your mower for an extended period, it still needs regular gas as part of good maintenance. 

Otherwise, your engine would start giving you problems if it is left on its own for too long. Old gas left in the gas tank for too long can damage the engine’s internal parts. A layer of greasy residue will form that is extremely hard to eliminate.

What Is the Average Cost of Refilling a Lawn Mower per Year?

The average cost of refilling a lawn mower per year can fluctuate, but the average cost of using premium gasoline without ethanol gas is between four to six dollars per hour. Multiply this by the number of hours you’re using your lawn mower and you get the yearly total.

The average number of hours each lawn is mowed for regular-sized lawns is around eight hours per year, bringing the total annual cost of using such high-quality fuel to around 32 to 48 dollars. 

Frequently Asked Questions

– What Do You Mix With Gas for a Lawn Mower?

You mix with gas a two-stroke oil for a lawn mower with a 2-cycle engine before filling the tank. The ideal ratio of mixing lawn mower gas with oil is 30 to one. If you have a 4-cycle engine, don’t mix the gasoline with any type of oil.

Maybe your local gas station sells a premixed version you can buy if you don’t want to do it on your own. You can always order a gas and oil mixture online as well. This is only true for a two-stroke engine because it has only one tank. A four-stroke engine has two separate tanks for oil and gas, so you shouldn’t mix both beforehand.

– How Do You Tell if a Lawn Mower Is Two Stroke or Four Stroke?

You can tell if a lawn mower is two-stroke or four-stroke by observing how it is fueled. A two-stroke engine only has one gas tank for both gasoline and oil. That’s why you must mix the oil and the gas before filling it or use a premixed version instead.

If your mower is of the four-stroke variety, it will have two separate tanks for oil and gas. You can put pure gasoline in its tank and the oil in the next one. This makes things much simpler and uncomplicated, in our opinion.

Another method to tell the difference between the two engine types is by listening to the sounds they make. Two-stroke engines make very loud, unpleasant, and whirling sounds.

Four-stroke mowers will make sounds that are quieter and more like a purr. If you hate the wheezing sound of an engine running around your lawn, then a two-stroke engine is not the right option.

The third way to differentiate the engine type is by noticing its exhaust. A two-stroke one will emit a large quantity of black exhaust, which is why it is considered a less efficient option. You will appreciate the environmental protection offered by a four-stroke engine that produces little exhaust and soot.

Conclusion

A lawn mower is undoubtedly one of the most useful appliances if one owns a lawn, and learning how to operate this seemingly simple piece of garden equipment is important to keep it running for a long time.

Make sure you check this short article recap before you go:

• Your lawn mower will need gas to be put into it frequently. 
• Use a gas with a high ranking of octane and preferably without ethanol.
• For a two-stroke engine, mix oil with gas before use.
• The average cost of premium gasoline without ethanol gas is four to six dollars per hour.

As manufacturers continue to create better and more eco-friendly machines, using them is becoming easier. With the help of this informative guide, you now know the correct way to maintain the fuel in your machine.