Personal observation: I cannot believe people are being sold on paying $5 and up for a quart of ethanol free premix! I just did this when purchasing a new leaf blower to get a 4 year warranty. I have never to this point had a problem that I can blame of the E-10 gas! For years I have been using a fuel stabilizer and Marvel Mystery Oil in my air cooled engine gas. I have never seen any pitting or corrosion in the fuel system. Today I was as much as told that the E-10 fuel was responsible for clogging the spark arrester in my new chain saw with less than 2 gallon of fuel ran through it and I used the recommended premium oil and grade of fuel recommended by the factory. The technician recommended I buy the ethanol free premix - I don't think so. Some insist on running premium fuel in air cooled engines. I just do not buy it! It seems like a lot of extra expense for no good reason. Personally I think we are being sold something we do not need! You are paying $20 and up per gallon of fuel.
earthgrinder
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The by product of ethanal is turned into animal feed. So every truck load of corn hauled in I'd say atleast half the load comes back out for feed. So I don't see how it can raise food prices by shorting the animal feed supply. The grain prices are, in my opinion, what set the raising and lowering (which doesn't seem to happen much) of food prices. All the big wigs in the fed and wall Street play with numbers and magically come up with a number they see fit.
Now gas with ethanal is not something I run in my small engines. The amount of ethanal per gallon varies quite a bit. So you never exactly know what mix your really getting. Running none ethanal gas to me is the safest bet. Everything I have runs so much better.
As for the premix, everything now a days is made and marketed for convenience. The premix gas, 50/50 antifreeze, 5 quart oil jugs, cake mix, bottled water, and so on. Nowadays less work seems to be the way to go, less thinking the better too.
Now gas with ethanal is not something I run in my small engines. The amount of ethanal per gallon varies quite a bit. So you never exactly know what mix your really getting. Running none ethanal gas to me is the safest bet. Everything I have runs so much better.
As for the premix, everything now a days is made and marketed for convenience. The premix gas, 50/50 antifreeze, 5 quart oil jugs, cake mix, bottled water, and so on. Nowadays less work seems to be the way to go, less thinking the better too.
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Corn prices are down to $3.02, give or take. Beef prices are way up in the store. Milk is around $3 a gallon. So depends on where your at for the price aspect of things. Most of the informational meetings I attended were not really pushing the industry of ethanol, but the safety of dealing with it. Main 3 were plant fires, vehicle collisions and rail derailments.
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Have to agree with you all the way. I bought 4 gallons of #1 diesel ( kerosene) the other day for $3.65 a gallon. Local farm & home has 5 gal. can of kerosene for $39.95. Problem with that is most people don't know that #1 and kerosene work hand in hand, just a different name. #1 diesel is available about any larger gas station, truck stop, etc.
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Somewhere recently, I heard that only 10% of the corn raised in this country goes for food. So, the vast majority of corn goes to feed and all the other things made from corn.
I was referring to the prices paid to farmers, which are way down, store prices generally follow suite. As far as feeding the byproduct, around here most don't use distiller's grain from the ethanol plants, last I knew it was a quality issue or similar.
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1,375 Posts
This is known as "The Broken Window Fallacy". Look it up.
A simple personal example:
When ethanol trashes someone's carburetor they bring the motorcycle to me to straighten it out. That boosts MY economy.
The flip side of that is the money is no longer in customer's pocket to boost someone else's economy. That's money that won't go to the corner restaurant, a new pair of shoes etc. In a very real sense my customer and the other people he buys from have been hurt to boost my economy.
That sounds about right, and it's not just feed and ethanol made from that corn, most people would be surprised how many everyday items contain corn.
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535 Posts
I like your explanation. A person has X number of $ to work with. What really helps the economy is when that person can buy goods not buy repair hours. If I have to pay for parts or repairs I no longer have that $ to buy goods.
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7,311 Posts
John Arsenault made an excellent post and I would like to thank him for posting it. It goes right along with what I've heard from the family Stihl dealers. The dealers and Carburetor kit manufacturers will love you if you let your fuel get stale.
Second around here corn for ethanol is raised on the same ground as the corn that goes to the elevators. The farmer decides were and how much he's hauling to were. Might put a substantial amount in his own storage bins till the prices go up. Corn and soybeans are the two major crops around here. Soybeans on our land this year to be rotated to corn next year.
Second around here corn for ethanol is raised on the same ground as the corn that goes to the elevators. The farmer decides were and how much he's hauling to were. Might put a substantial amount in his own storage bins till the prices go up. Corn and soybeans are the two major crops around here. Soybeans on our land this year to be rotated to corn next year.
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Every time I see a discussion on ethanol I have to think what some of my relatives that are farmers say. Ethanol is what saved corn before corn was used to produce ethanol the price of corn had gotten so low that most farmers that grew corn where looking for something else to grow as they would be able to survive growing corn that paid $3.00 a bushel when it is costing $4.00 a bushel to grow. That is a losing way to much money. Byproducts of making ethanol makes better cattle feed then the corn did before it was used to make ethanol because of digestion. The biggest use of corn that is a waste is using it to make corn starches & sweeteners. This is one of the products that is the biggest cause of obesity in this country.
Charlie
Charlie
The only problem with this is corn is now back to those prices.
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What and how our food industry is providing for us is a whole other story. This thread was mainly about the high priced special fuel for lawn and garden equipment. I learned much and have a little different opinion of that special fuel than I did. I also look at the value of finding a local source of ethanol free gas differently. Thanks to all who joined the discussion!
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Sorry for getting off track. One more post; during the campaign period of the election process, there were a number of advertising broadcasts espousing the people who would be happy if ethanol free gas came back. I'm not sure but I had a hunch that E0 gas was being considered. Are we in a legislative renewal period or some such thing.
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535 Posts
I wish, but being used worldwide I doubt it. Thought I read somewhere England has E20.
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