A problem I’ve been having with my gas-powered leaf blower apparently isn’t mine alone—and from my recent experience comes advice that could help owners of any handheld outdoor power equipment.
 
I tend to use my two-cycle blower often. Besides clearing the usual driveway debris and autumn leaves, I use it to dry my deck after heavy rain and even to sweep light snow. But there’s another reason: The longer it sits with gas in the tank, the more trouble I have starting it. What makes this affliction especially frustrating is that I feel I properly maintain the machine.
 
Considering that gas-powered lawn gear create emissions, I’ve tried not to use the blower unless I really need to. And twice this year I left it in the shed for a few weeks: once during the summer heat wave and, more recently, after I’d planted grass seed that I didn’t want to walk across to reach the shed. After both periods, the blower ended up in the shop.

I’ve wondered, since learning about the effects of ethanol in small engines, whether the 10-percent ethanol mix from the pump might be contributing to the risk already inherent in leaving even stabilized gas too long in an engine. So I asked that question at both repair shops, the second of which rebuilt the carburetor. The opinion, from both? Absolutely.
 
The second time I asked this follow-up: What do I do about it? “Run it dry,” he said.
 
I heard similar advice from Kris Kiser, spokesman for the industry trade group, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, which has accepted the use of ethanol with up to 10 percent in gas used for power gear.  Ground-operated equipment such as lawn mowers and snow blowers, Kiser explained, stand a better chance of being unaffected by standing gas, partially because their engines are larger. But for handhelds such as blowers, hedge trimmers, and chain saws, the best approach is to avoid storing gas in the machine.
 
Consumer Reports hasn’t yet tested this advice in our labs but our technicians are aware of issues with ethanol. In the meantime, you can bet I’ll be storing my blower empty, using only the freshest gas, and measuring out only as much gas and oil as I expect to use at a time.
 
—Ed Perratore
 
Ratings of outdoor gear. If you’ve given up on your existing handheld gear, check out our buying advice for leaf blowers, string trimmers, and chain saws. Ratings for leaf blowers, string trimmers (which we’ll update soon), and chain saws are available to subscribers.