What Kind of Gas for a Craftsman Weed Eater?

Craftsman weed eaters, known by the trademarked name Weedwackers, use spool-fed nylon line to keep your lawn looking neat. Some of the weed eaters include built-in features, such as a blower, while other use separate attachments to become hedge trimmers, pole saws or edgers, for example. These lawn tools have specific fuel needs, but using the right kind of gas and freshening it up every two months can help your weed eater run smoothly.

Craftsman weed eaters are designed to run on unleaded fuel. The small engines won't work with diesel or other types of gas. The octane level of the gas isn't much of a consideration. A higher octane is best for high-performance engines, such as those in some car models, but the smaller engines in a weed eater don't require high-octane gas. The lowest octane rating, usually 87 octane, is adequate for your weed eater.

Your weed eater works best if you use a gas that doesn't contain additives, such as ethanol, methanol or ether, also called MTBE. These are types of alcohol, and gas blended with alcohol, tend to absorb water from the air. Even small amounts, such as if the gas absorbs 1 percent of its weight in water, can lead to problems with your Craftsman Weedwacker. The water can cause acids to build up in your tank and make the weed eater eventually stop working. Non-blended gas is sometimes difficult to find because some states require additives as a method of emissions control, but it's the best option for your weed eater if it's available. If the gas contains an additive, the pump should be clearly marked, saying the gas is a certain percent ethanol, for example.

Using fresh gas in your weed eater can eliminate many problems with moisture and acids in the fuel system. During the summer, when you're actively maintaining your lawn, you're likely adding fresh gas often. As the growing season slows and moves into winter, you use your weed eater less, eventually storing it until spring. Leaving gas inside your weed eater for more than 30 days can wreak havoc with your fuel system, so drain the tank into an approved disposal container and refill the weed eater with gas if it's going to be sitting unused for longer than a month.

When storing gas between uses, pick an approved container that holds 5 gallons or less, and only fill it 95 percent full. The container should clearly state that it is approved as a portable container for petroleum. Keep it tightly capped while stored. Store it and your weed eater, as well as any other yard tool that use gas, at least 50 feet away from fire hazards, such as pilot lights and furnaces, and keep them out of direct sunlight when not in use to keep them from overheating. Don't store gas for more than 60 days, as it might build up too much moisture to be safe to use.

Some Craftsman weed eaters have separate tanks for oil and gas, but some require you fill them with a mixture. Follow the instructions in your user's manual for the exact mixture, but it's often 3.2 ounces of oil per 1 gallon of gas. Mix the gas and oil in a gas container before pouring it into your weed eater's fuel tank. If you need to drain the tank for the winter, mix fresh gas with a fresh oil for springtime use. You can buy Craftsman oil in pre-measured bottles.