Lawn Mower Fuel Brand Experiment

[n0rt0npr0]

Dan what are you talking about?!?! What typo?? lol


And Damn. Someone want to number crunch my raw data from the testing? I've been looking at this data and you can flip it a TON of ways. Does it tell us anything?

Looks like:
Shell averaged 1322 seconds at +/- 1.02%

Mobil averaged 1316.52 seconds at +/- 1.08%
BUT not if you take the first three entries to directly compare to Shell which would be 1334.54!

So on one side Shell wins by 1%
On the other Mobil wins by 1.01%

I'll start more testing once I get a cheap graduated cylinder to make this more accurate and easier on me.

Oh and one more thing, today inside of a quarter mile distance Shell prices were 1.02% higher than Mobil's

[JanGeo]

I would say use a seringe but the gas reacts with the rubber seal and makes it stick like crazy - acetone makes it move freely - go figure. I think you may need to measure the revolutions and not the time the motor runs otherwise a little different speed will cause more or less rpm and vary the run time inversely. I just heard on the news tonight that winter blend gasoline reserve supplies are running low and that is why the price shot up - they are supposed to be switching over to summer blends already too! WOO WOO!

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by n0rt0npr0

Dan what are you talking about?!?! What typo?? lol


And Damn. Someone want to number crunch my raw data from the testing? I've been looking at this data and you can flip it a TON of ways. Does it tell us anything?

Looks like:
Shell averaged 1322 seconds at +/- 1.02%

Mobil averaged 1316.52 seconds at +/- 1.08%
BUT not if you take the first three entries to directly compare to Shell which would be 1334.54!

So on one side Shell wins by 1%
On the other Mobil wins by 1.01%

I'll start more testing once I get a cheap graduated cylinder to make this more accurate and easier on me.

When I run the test I'll check for outliers. I have a feeling test #7 MAY be an outlier and will not count towards the data. We'll see what the stats program says.

Originally Posted by n0rt0npr0

Oh and one more thing, today inside of a quarter mile distance Shell prices were 1.02% higher than Mobil's

LOL. Funny coincidence!

[n0rt0npr0]

Woah.

I called a small engine shop in the town I live this morning and inquired about what the technicians and mechanics thought about this experiments merit and the conversation started with testing fuels, then to oils, then to additives...

They did say that the carburation system of the mower would compensate for load, which I was unsure. So if the fuel is better, the engine will realize it and use less. Same thing with oil/additives... I just needed to hear that is all.

So they questioned whether RPM could be monitered... I sadly said no. Then they asked if the oil looks dirty. I said yes. They said change it, it MAY affect the current testing in some way. Then they gave me the number to thier distributer of an additive they sell called MT-10.

I called and he came up with some suggestions: What if a second mower was involved using identical procedures? That could even give the experiment more merit...(no mower donation!)
And then I mentioned additives. He personally holds the opinion that has been expressed here before that all oils are equal in lubricity performance. But then he said there is MT-10, and requested I use it at the very end of the experiment.(due to its clinging quality, he said it would absolutely affect all other testing) He has arranged for me to recieve an 8oz bottle for free, as long as he recieves my all results obtained from this experiment. So...

Would this group help me compile my results into something tangible? I don't have much experiance in creating a presentable paper report. Maybe just some tips when the time comes...

sidenote: he also owns a friction brake. I don't know what it is exactly but using it to test the MT-10 has made him a believer.
And I guess I wish I would have known that in small engines, oil is EXPIRED when it LOOKS dirty. It's not suposed to look dirty. I now also know the drain interval which is 25 hours...
*EDIT* 3-23-06
I called another shop and asked again about the oil thing....they said the 25 hours but at 0 (testing) load that can increase by 50%. They also said that the motor is old so I can expect it looking dirty after three hours of run time. So I am not going to change the oil until fuel testing has completed. Then maybe we can test oil? I will test mobil dino oil vs mobil one...

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by n0rt0npr0

Would this group help me compile my results into something tangible? I don't have much experiance in creating a presentable paper report. Maybe just some tips when the time comes...

I'll volunteer to write an actual report for this when you are done. I can put it into PDF format so you can print it out and send it out. I'm very excited about this.

[JanGeo]

My test proceedure for oil is if it is slippery between the fingers it is good if it makes your fingers stick when you press a drop of oil between them then the oil is shot. Dirty is just dirt but also can be broken down oil. Reading about oil in the www.synlube.com site really make it clear that we are all getting screwed by the oil companies.

cool beans on the free additive - gassavers.org lab testing has BEGUN!

[SVOboy]

cool beans on the free additive - gassavers.org lab testing has BEGUN!

Ya rly, this is a great thread! Once it warms up and the weather regularizes around here I will do the same type of testing, it seems very fun to me!

[n0rt0npr0]

First of all Thank You Matt for volunteering the creation of the final report! And on crunching the numbers.

Well Dan wanted to know how Speedway fuel did, eh? (we both get the same formulation according to Exxons map) definately check my math (but I think I am getting better lol)
This round was LOADS better due to having a better measuring device.

I had leftover Mobil fuel and thought doing a side-by-side test session would be effective. I cleaned the fuel line out with carb cleaner and found 6 mosquitoes! Michigan is crazy! Reconnected the funnel and topped the oil off, then I ran 300ml of Mobil through it to warm it up real good. So the new measuring cup allows me to restart runs waaaay faster, and the mower is burn-your-fingers hot at the start of each and every run this time. We're talking five minutes or so to restart.

The constants in this round are:
-Eight 200ml runs (HOT runs)
-Speedway VS Mobil Gasoline (Alternating!)

Run #1 Speedway
-Length: 22:49.88 minutes OR 1369.88sec
-Temp remained inside 47°F
-Humidity was 47%
-1mph average windspeed
-29.30 inches of pressure

Run #2 Mobil
-Length: 23:04.28 minutes OR 1384.28sec
-Temp remained inside 46°F
-Humidity: 45%
-2.8mph average windspeed
-29.30 inches pressure

Run #3 Speedway
-Length: 22:10.78 minutes OR 1330.78sec
-Temp remained within 45°F
-Humidity: 44%
-2mph average windspeed
-29.30 inches pressure

Run #4 Mobil
-Length: 23:21.53 minutes OR 1401.53sec
-Temp remained exactly 45°F
-Humidity: 44%
-no wind
-29.29 inches pressure

Run #5 Speedway
-Length: 21:49.69 minutes OR 1309.69sec
-Temp remained 45°F exactly
-Humidity: 45%
-2.6mph average windspeed
-29.29 inches pressure

Run #6 Mobil
-Length: 22:53.78 minutes OR 1433.78sec
-Temp remained inside 44°F
-Humidity: 46%
-no wind
-29.29 inches pressure

Run #7 Speedway
-Length: 21:57.32 minutes OR 1317.32sec
-Temp remained inside 43°F
-Humidity: 48%
-1mph average windspeed
-29.29 inches pressure

Run #8 Mobil
-Length: 22:35.22 minutes OR 1355.22sec
-Temp remained inside 41°F
-Humidity: 50%
-no wind
-29.30 inches pressure

So...
Mobil Average=1393.70 minus
Speedway Average=1331.92
=61.78sec difference / 1331.92 * 100 = 4.64%

Mobil does 4.64% better than Speedway fuel in a carburated lawn mower.

[krousdb]

Hmmmm, I was hoping for no difference at all. Matt, will you be doing a statistical analysis of these results? I would like to get your perspective.

n0rt0npr0, great work and thanks for your effort! I am now wondering if the Speedway gas is E10. I know that the Sunoco's here say 10% ethanol on the pump. Since ethanol has about 2/3 the energy of gasoline, that might account for the 4.6% difference.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by krousdb

Hmmmm, I was hoping for no difference at all. Matt, will you be doing a statistical analysis of these results? I would like to get your perspective.

n0rt0npr0, great work and thanks for your effort! I am now wondering if the Speedway gas is E10. I know that the Sunoco's here say 10% ethanol on the pump. Since ethanol has about 2/3 the energy of gasoline, that might account for the 4.6% difference.

I will be doing an analysis on this, but i plan on waiting until all of the data is completed. I can add future results from other users to this if anyone else begins with this experiment.