RedMax BC280 Owners Manual - Page 14

FUEL HANDLING Fuel Note! The machine is equipped with a 2--stroke engine and must always be run using a mixture of gasoline and two-stroke engine oil. It is important to accurately measure the amount of oil to be mixed to ensure that the correct mixture is obtained. When mixing small amounts of fuel, even small inaccuracies can drastically affect the ratio of the mixture. WARNING: Always ensure there is adequate ventilation when handling fuel. Gasoline S Use good quality unleaded gasoline. IMPORTANT! If the octane rating of the mid-grade gasoline in your area is lower than 89 octane use premium unleaded gasoline. The majority of all 2--stroke engine manufacturers in the USA and Canada recommend using gasoline with 89 octane or higher. CAUTION! Gasoline with an octane rating lower than 89 will greatly increase the engines operating temperature. Low octane gasoline will cause detonation (knock) resulting in piston seizures and major internal engine components damage. Poor quality gasolines or oils may damage sealing rings, fuel lines or fuel tank of the engine. WARNING: Gasoline is very flammable. Avoid smoking or bringing any flame or sparks near fuel. Make sure to stop the engine and allow it cool before refueling the unit. Select outdoor bare ground for fueling and move at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from the fueling point before starting the engine. Gasoline requirements S All 2--stroke RedMax products are pow- ered by professional-commercial duty, hi--performance, hi--RPM, air cooled 2--stroke engines. RedMax hi--performance 2--stroke engines produce higher HP outputs as compared to standard home owner duty or light commercial duty production engines offered by most manufacturers. S Exhaust emission are controlled by the fundamental engine parameters and components (eg. carburation, ignition timing and port timing) without addition of any major hardware or the introduction of an inert material during combustion. S The RedMax engines are registered and certified with CARB (California Air Resources Board) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to operate on clean, mid--grade 89 octane or premium, unleaded (lead--free) gasoline and RedMax air--cooled "Max Life" synthetic blend premium 2--stroke engine oil mixed at 50:1 ratio. S Unleaded gasoline is recommended to reduce the contamination of the air for the sake of your health and the environment. S This hi--performance air cooled 2--stroke engine requires the use of minimum 89 octane [R+M]/2 (mid--grade or premium) clean gasoline. Gasoline may contain a maximum of 10% Ethanol (grain alcohol) or up to 15% MTBE (Methyl tertiary--butyl ether). Gasoline containing Methanol (Wood Alcohol) is NOT approved. IMPORTANT! Failures caused by operating engines on gasoline with octane rating lower than 89 are not covered by the RedMax 2--stroke engine warranty. CAUTION! Alternative fuels such as E--15 (15% ethanol), E--20 (20% ethanol), E--85 (85% ethanol) are NOT classified as gasoline and are NOT approved for use in RedMax 2--stroke gasoline engines. Use of alternative fuels will cause major engine performance and durability problems such as: improper clutch engagements, overheating, vapor lock, power loss, lubrication deficiency, deterioration of fuel lines, gaskets and internal carburetor components, etc. Alternative fuels cause high moisture absorption into the fuel/oil mixture leading to oil and fuel separation. Oil requirements S Use only RedMax "Max Life" synthetic blend premium air--cooled 2--stroke engine oil or oil certified to ISO--L--EGD (ISO/CD 1378) standard and one that is JASO--FD registered. RedMax air--cooled "Max Life" synthetic blend premium 2--stroke engine oil and ISO--L--EGD (ISO/CD 1378) AND JASO--FD oils are fully compatible with gasoline's containing 10% Ethanol. RedMax air--cooled "Max Life" synthetic blend premium 2--stroke engine oil and ISO--L--EGD (ISO/CD 1378) AND JASO--FD oils are universal and should be mixed at 50:1 ratio for all 2--stroke air cooled engines sold in the past regardless of mixing ratios specified in those manuals. S If the oil is registered with JASO, the JASO Logo with FD and registration number will be displayed on the container. The highest JASO rating is "FD", which equals the ISO--L--EGD rating. Lower ratings are "FC", "FB", and "FA". 115391527 Rev. 4 5/15/12 English--- 14