Fuel A Big TopicE15 Lawn and garden power equipment industry leaders are working on an educational effort to put all of the industry on one page when it comes to telling customers about the dangers of using E15 fuel in small engines. According to OPEI President Kris Kiser, the OPEI board is working on a brochure or statement that dealers and others in the industry can give to consumers and end users of small engines.

Talks with dealer groups and leaders during the “Dealer Only” day at GIE+EXPO in Louisville emphasized that dealers are on the front lines when it comes to customer relations and customer service and satisfaction, Kiser said, and dealers involved with the talks want to know what manufacturers are doing to help with customer relations.

“Dealers are all over this because they’re the first ones to see problems,” Kiser said during the show, adding that E15 is already becoming more available around the country. “E15 is out there, and it’s illegal to use in any of our products and will destroy these products,” he added.

At risk are more than 220 million lawn and garden power equipment products now in the hands of end users, units ranging from those sold last week to products sold last century. After a recent court case in which OPEI and other groups challenging the E15 approval process was dismissed on a technicality, “The EPA basically told us it’s incumbent on us to tell our customers not to use the fuel—but how do you get the word out to 150 million people?” Kiser said.

Misfueling and product failures are a major concern: E15 is a higher octane fuel that will cost cheaper than E10 or E0 fuels, making it doubly attractive to consumers, Kiser says. Industry’s response is somewhat hampered because using E15 in small engines is illegal, according to EPA, putting technical solutions off-limits.

Meanwhile, never mind E15: The effects of E10 gasoline with 10% ethanol content are still making themselves known throughout the industry, and dealers continue to wrestle with the issue. The two best solutions dealers can offer are fuel treatments and pre-mixed premium fuels.

At GIE+EXPO, B3C Fuel Solutions won its second straight Dealers Choice Award (accessory category) for a fuel treatment product that protects consumers from ethanol-related fuel quality problems. VP Racing introduced high performance fuel products, including one for a broad range of equipment, plus Pro Max, a 97 octane fuel designed for high load, high RPM chain saws. The “Dealer Only” day included a seminar for dealers that included efforts by industry to combat the effects of E10.
“The effect of E10 in the marketplace is still coming on strong,” said Steve Burns, president of VP Racing, adding that “alcohol takes time to break down components, and more equipment is getting ‘sick’ all the time.”

Burns likened the current consumer gasoline market to when lead was removed from gasoline and other additives introduced, lowering fuel quality, and he noted there are at least 27 different fuel blends around the country depending on region, season and city.

“Fuel is getting worse, and this puts a bigger demand on the technology of these small engines,” Burns said, adding that he expects to see more small engines built to performance fuel specifications in the future.