Fuel issues explained

Fuelling future with E10 petrol

As the new E10 petrol enters the market, STIHL dispels the myths about any impact the fuel will have on its petrol powered tools.

With the Government implementing stringent carbon emissions targets, it’s no surprise alternative technologies and fuels are being introduced. From summer 2021, the UK Government has announced that E10 petrol will be the standard grade available for petrol vehicles going forward.

Current petrol grades in the UK previously contained up to 5% renewable ethanol, known as E5, however the new E10 fuel will increase this to 10%, meaning less fossil fuel is needed, reducing carbon emissions. Currently being used successfully elsewhere, the UK Government has high hopes for E10 fuel, anticipating its use to cut CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year.

But how will the new E10 fuel affect my current petrol-powered landscaping equipment? Thankfully, STIHL equipment sold within the last 15 years can be run on either E5 or E10 petrol without any modification.

However, equipment older than this isn’t equipped to deal with the new standard E10 fuel, mainly due to the effect ethanol can have on fuel tubing and gaskets. Petrol with an ethanol content of more than 10% can also cause running problems in engines with a manually adjustable carburettor, and therefore, should not be used in such engines, while STIHL’s M-Tronic machines can actually be used with ethanol fuels up to 25%.

Although the E10 fuel ushers in a new standard grade, how you store the fuel hasn’t changed. As with any petrol product, best practice would be not to store any machinery with petrol in it, to avoid any blockages in the fuel delivery parts of the tools. It’s also advisable that you store E10 fuel for no longer than 30 days in order to minimise the degree of fuel segregation. Moisture in the air binds with the ethanol and settles at the bottom of the container, causing fuel segregation. Shaking the container does not help resolve this and can cause running problems if used.

MotoMix, STIHL’s premium, patented petrol formula, is an option. STIHL MotoMix is cleaner burning than standard fuel, ethanol-free and contains almost no olefins or aromatic components. However, if you still want to use standard petrol, STIHL can reassure users that the new E10 petrol is fine to use in all STIHL petrol tools. n www.stihl.co.uk

New emissions calculator allows you to measure the impact of petrol tool usage

Challenge 2025, the campaign which aims to encourage the adoption of battery-powered tools to maintain outdoor spaces and move both domestic and professional users away from petrol, has launched the first emissions calculator for gardeners, helping them to measure the environmental impact of their petrol tool usage.

While petrol-powered tools have been a familiar fixture for decades, the emissions they produce have largely gone unnoticed. There has been a lack of regulation around petrol-powered outdoor power equipment, with no requirement for manufacturers to test equipment or publish emissions results – something which is a basic requirement in sectors such as the car industry,

Now, through Challenge 2025, emissions tests have been carried out on some of the UK’s most popular petrol-powered tools for the first time, with common tools shown to produce up to 11x more toxic emissions than cars. With the findings plugged into the new emissions calculator, users can estimate the emissions attributed to their garden tools by inputting their average usage times.

The new emissions calculator from Challenge 2025 is the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to users of petrolpowered garden equipment. Through supporting domestic and professional gardeners to understand the true impact of petrol tool usage, Challenge 2025 hopes to encourage people to seriously consider battery-powered alternatives moving forward. As highlighted by the recent IPCC report on climate change, it is human activities which are the source of the problem and shifts in everyday behaviour could limit further damage.

“To create this calculator, we had to start from scratch because there had previously been no emissions testing of petrol-powered tools. So, we surveyed thousands of professional and domestic users and asked councils up and down the country which tools they own and use. From this, we established the most popular petrol tools and put them to the test,” said Emma Gayler, EGO’s ambassador for Challenge 2025.

“Because these tools are so freely available, it’s easy to think that they’re perfectly safe to use, but emissions test results suggest that’s not always the case. Some tools produce such high volumes of emissions that testing equipment designed for cars cannot measure it, which means users could be using petrol tools and unknowingly impacting their health and that of those around them, as well as causing damage to the environment.

“The results from these tests were alarming, but by making them accessible through our new emissions calculator, we believe it will help both domestic and professional users to make more informed decisions when it comes to buying their next piece of equipment. By making the switch from petrol to battery, people can reduce their environmental impact without having to compromise on power and performance.”

Challenge 2025 is a campaign led by EGO Power Plus, a market-leading manufacturer of battery-powered gardening equipment. In 2020, independent research – including surveys, Freedom of Information requests and the emissions testing of the UK’s most popular tools – was used to create The Report and shine a spotlight on the impact of petrolpowered tools on the environment. n challenge2025.eu/calculator