Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire STABIL - Old Red or Blue Marine ?

Been using red Stabil for the last 10 -15 years in a some time,
hit or miss kinda way. NOW that most gasoline is E10, I have been
adding Stabil all the time. Stabil is not cheap but I think its a good
fuel stabilizer. This year or next gas is going to E15 and some guys
I work with have been switching to the blue marine stuff. The thing
about blue Stabil is $$$. Gas without any fuel stabilizer is $3.75 or more
so adding the blue stuff may well equal out to $5/gal.

Any suggestions / comments on Stabil ?

What do you like ......Red or Blue ?

I use the blue on stuff Idon't use often. ChainSawa, snow blower.Other than that I put an ounce in my 5 gal gas cans every time I go to get tractor gas.I don't use any of it in road vehicles

Given the cost of Stabil, I wonder if it would be cheaper to just buy 100% gasoline? It's out there if you look for it.

Edit - Here you go.

Click Here

The blue costs about $5 more per bottle at the local Academy store (equal volume). However, the red bottle says it treats 80 gallons and the blue says it treats 320.

I get the blue....

Neither. StaBil red or blue won't stabilize gasoline or ethanol for an extended period of time (I'm talking about a year or more, and I've had it work for a lot less), or rejuvenate old untreated gas to a usable state. I quit using red a very long time ago, and gave their 'blue' one try in Ohio when it first came out. The stored gas in the walleye boat separated anyway and had to be drained.
StaBil is strictly a convenient-to-buy mass-produced product, sold in the box stores for the masses. Chemically speaking, there's better; far better. Their fogging oil is OK, but it's not as good as Bombardier or Mercury Marine's product.

I've been using Pri-G for gas, and Pri-D for diesel for a long time now as additive. It will store gas for much longer than a year, and rejuvenate old and stale gasoline to being usable in the garden tractor, truck, or Farmall. 32oz treats 512 gallons. It costs about .06/gal to use Pri-G. I don't care about the price as much as I do about the product doing its intended job.

FWIW, Startron is costly, but an excellent product as well for gasolines, especially ethanol. Most boaters I know use it religiously.

I found PRI-G for gas and PRI-D for diesel. It is supposed to be better and it does use less. Company says PRI-D can be used for gas, too. It's also pricy but I got mine from nitro-pak.com.

For you that use a stabilizer, do you add it automatically or do you have a time threshold for using it? In other words, add it if the gas will be around for X weeks or so?

FWIW, I've been told that Stihl 2-cycle oil has a stabilizer in it.

I've been getting Pri-G for around $32/qt shipped, the 'D' is a little higher, around $39. I shop specials- google usually comes up with about fifteen vendors on its first page of hits.

I always add stabilizer at gas purchase prior to pumping; whether it's in the fuel farm or boat/storage tanks.

Stabil is crap - Seafoam is what you need.

It will even clean up the junk that stabil leaves around, just put it in with higher concentration rates and it'll clean all the junk out, then put it at lower concentrations for stabolizing.

it's on the can (directions)

And it's twice to 3 times the price of Stabil - probably because it works and it's available about auto parts store too.

How about Marvel Mystery Oil?

I've never heard of Marvel being used as a stabilizer. We used it years ago as an approved lubricant on some turbine engines fuel control linkages, and some guys use it as a lubricity additive for ULSD (or JetA used in diesel engines).

Seafoam is an awesome fuel system cleaner and engine decarbonizer. They claim (and I know people that use it with some success) as a stabilizer, but that's not its primary purpose in life, and it won't rejuvenate old fuel to a usable state. I've tried, and it doesn't work for that purpose.

As above, we have switched over to Startron and it works much better than Stabil, IMHO. We have used it in our boat religously the last couple years and we have much fewer problems with our boat motors and they run much better now. It only takes a couple ounces per gallon to treat gas, so a container goes a long way.

Bob

I use blue nowdays. Its done just fine over winter months.

And NO you can't find 100% fuel everywhere. Not everyone lives in a city or place you can get it. Driving miles to find it ain't worth it.

Good info on hte Pri stuff.. will have to try that.
Startron is what we use in teh fire dept here. Never an issue with that either.

But even though blue works fine, I"ll have to get some pri as it may been even better/safer bet.

If you need to preserve it, PRI-G or Startron.
If you need to clean or decarb it, Seafoam.
I see no reason to buy any other products for gasoline.

Got this Stabil price at ACE hardware.

RED $13 / 32 ozs. Treats 80 gal.

BLUE $24 / 32 ozs. treats 320 gal.

Is Pri-G or Startron better for stabilization and preservation?

I use Startron.

Yes, the boat mechanic who clued me into Startron said he put it in some gas that had gelled from sitting so long and the next morning it was liquid and he ran it through several motors he was working on to test it on. Worked great and he has been using it and recommending it ever since.

I've heard it lasts longer as a stabilizer than Stabil and that has been my experience also.

Bob

Your prices are reflective of what they are around here for StaBil product, maybe a little higher. .06/gal for red, .13/gal for blue.

Pri-G or Startron runs about .06/gal. At $4.00/gal for gas, I care more about whether my additive works or not, price of said additive being a long second consideration.