Technical > Home Improvement > How should I properly dispose of gas/oil mix in lawn trimmer

How should I properly dispose of gas/oil mix in lawn trimmer

If the gas isn't terribly old, blend in/use in your mower.

reply to fatmanskinny
Car Talk had a discussion about this. They said as long it there isn't to much it is safe to put in your car's gas tank. After all we are talking about a tiny amount of oil diluted by all the other gas in the tank.

In the rural area we live in it also make lighting a brush pile fast work.

/Tom

reply to fatmanskinny
On the ground.

reply to fatmanskinny
Check with the local lawn mower repair places. They usually have a tank that they will pour it into, and dispose of the trimmer the right way, due to it is still considered contamination, even with the gas mix drained.

reply to fatmanskinny
Any place that recycles oil will take the mix since it is such a small amount. Most of the waste oil is burned by special furnaces and the little boost in octane won't effect a thing.

Gas stations, auto parts places, town dumps all may take recycled oil.

reply to fatmanskinny
i jus tpour it in a can and store it. then when i need to burn something i have the accelerant.

or you can remove the cap and let it sit in teh sun a couple days. all the liquid will evaporate and then just chunk it in the garbage.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine!

reply to fatmanskinny

reply to jrs8084
The gas in the trimmer is mixed with two-cycle oil. If he puts that in his four-cycle lawn mower, I will run like crap (if at all), smoke like a chimney, and foul the spark plug.

Unless he has a two-cycle lawn mower, which I haven't seen in 15 years.

reply to tschmidt
Like I said above... spark plugs... oil fouls spark plugs in four-cycle engines.

reply to davidg

reply to PolarBear03
I disagree my lawn mowers usually last me 15-20 years (in Fla where I mow about 40 times a year) and when ever I have had a little "mix" left over from the trimmer it goes into my lawn mower. It is not usually much and I don't think I can remember seeing a cloud of smoke ever and I have never fouled a plug.

reply to rawgerz
Yep I'd do the same just find a spot where I know no cats or dogs go in the yard and just dump it.

reply to PolarBear03
The PC you're running also hurts it unless you've got a hamster wheel as a power source for it. I think some mower gas oil mix is going to brake the earth.

reply to PolarBear03
that part was a joke.

as to mixing it with the mower or car gas, a little at a time and it will be fine. my dad was a mechanic for 40 years before his death and he frequently did this. we even used to put a quart of diesel in a gas burner mixed with a full tank of gas to clean injectors and carbs.

if you want to mix it with teh mower gas, pour it in a 5 gallon can, then go fill teh can with fresh gas. it will dilute so much that it will not smoke. of course this is only the pint or so that is in the tank, if you have a can of premixed sitting around you will have to dilute it over time.

BTW, letting the gas evaporate will cause less pollution than running the damn thing. if you are so concerned about it, get a rechargable electric model and charge it via solar power.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine!

reply to fatmanskinny
You could always start it up and let it run dry.

reply to fatmanskinny
I've dumped 5 gallons or so into the car when finished with the boat and it runs fine. Not enough oil in it to do much and the fouling burns off.

reply to fatmanskinny
Personally, I would burn it. Call an auto parts store and ask whether they will take a gas/oil mixture in their used oil depository. I *know* that they won't take oil water sludge because that fouls up the rest of the old oil, but I don't know about gas+water.
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"We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile. We are the Borg." SETI: Too many TFlops to keep up with.

reply to fatmanskinny
I've found the nearby Sears Automotive center has been helpful with disposal of such things. The Firestone on the other hand, not so much. Guess who gets my business now.